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Molecular Evolution: Tracing Genetic Footprints Through Time
Molecular Evolution: Tracing Genetic Footprints Through Time
Group size
3-6 students
Outcome
An article or report that can be submitted to a pre-print archive
Tuition
$495
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Molecular Evolution: Tracing Genetic Footprints Through Time
The field of evolution has come a long way since Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, in part, due to breakthrough advancements in genetics. With tools to study evolution on the molecular scale (e.g., DNA, genes, and allele frequencies), we are able to understand adaptive traits on a new level. This Pod will cover the basics of molecular evolution, as well as more advanced topics in population genetics and phylogenetics, and touch on how our understanding of genetics and evolution has implications in other fields, such as the social sciences.
Week by week curriculum
Week 1
Foundations of genetics and evolution - A crash course on DNA, genes, adaptation, and evolution to understand the fundamental terms and concepts in molecular evolution.
Week 2
Mechanisms of molecular evolution - We will cover how genes can change, how gene expression can change, and how entirely new genes can arise.
Week 3
Population genetics - A critical subfield in evolution, population genetics address questions on how new mutations spread in biological populations, how populations are genetically structured, and how new species can arise.
Week 4
Identifying molecular evolution - We will learn how scientists today use genetic, computational, and statistical tools to identify genes that are under selection and traits that have adaptively evolved.
Week 5
Case studies of adaptation - We will take a deep dive with a few pivotal examples of adaptation, looking at both the molecular side and the phenotypic side of the adaptation. Examples will include adaptations seen across the spectra of life, including modern humans.
Week 6
What molecular evolution can teach us - It can be interesting in and of itself to study the evolutionary paths of certain traits and organisms, but how has the study of genetics and evolution impacted aspects of our societies? Here, we will discuss broader implications of what we have learned from the field, touching on topics in medicine and race.