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The Biology of Development will give you an introduction to modern developmental biology covering a variety of organisms and discussing the evolutionary, cellular and genetic bases of animal development. The module assumes an intermediate level background in molecular genetics/cell biology but you do not need to have studied developmental biology before. Most students who take the module are from Biosciences degree programmes but the module is also open to affiliate, BASc and Natural Sciences students.

The study of development is one of the most exciting areas of modern biology. It is inherently interdisciplinary, uniting classical embryology and comparative anatomy with modern cell biology and molecular genetics. After taking this module you should be able to describe the process and underlying mechanisms of development from fertilisation through to adulthood and beyond in a number of model systems. You should understand various approaches to studying development (comparative/descriptive, experimental embryology and genetic), general concepts including cell fate, positional information and axes determination and be able to discuss gene regulation/regulatory networks and their role in development, cellular differentiation and ageing.

As well as lectures you will peer review and write an essay on a scientifically contentious topic, based on your analysis of research papers. In the practical session you will work with live embryos and report your findings in the form of a professionally presented figure.

Indicative lecture topic based on module content in 2022/23:

• Why study development?
• Cell fate determination in early mouse development Positional information and morphogens
• Drosophila: segmentation gene regulation and function Dorsal ventral axis determination
• Homeotic (HOM) genes in Drosophila and vertebrates Axis determination and gastrulation in vertebrates Formation of the germ layers - mesoderm induction Neural induction and head development
• Sea urchin embryogenesis
• Cell specification and regulatory programmes in the sea urchin embryo Zebrafish genetics and neural development
• Sex determination in vertebrates and invertebrates Evolution and Development
• Development and Ageing

Learning Objectives

Understand various approaches to developmental biology (comparative/descriptive, experimental embryology and genetic), general concepts including cell fate, positional information and axes determination and be able to discuss gene regulation/regulatory networks and their role in development, cellular differentiation and ageing.