Developmental Biology Course Listing
Required courses for medical students are listed in purple.
Department & Faculty Info Search the Catalog
DBIO 12Q. The Evolution and Development of the Human Hand
Stanford Introductory Seminar. Preference to sophomores. Evolution of the human hand in the context of primate evolution; roles of the human hand in tool use, manufacture, art, music, and communication. Development of the hand: embryonic axes, appearance of the digit program, roles of cell death, molecular bases of normal and abnormal hand patterns. Prerequisite: advanced placement biology.
3 to 4 units, Win (E. Porzig) Not offered 2009-10.
DBIO 199. Undergraduate Research
Students undertake investigations sponsored by individual faculty members.
1 to 18 units, any quarter (Search for instructor in Axess)
DBIO 201. Development and Disease Mechanisms
Mechanisms that direct human development from conception to birth. Conserved molecular and cellular pathways regulate tissue and organ development; errors in these pathways result in congenital anomalies and human diseases. Topics: molecules regulating development, cell induction, developmental gene regulation, cell migration, programmed cell death, pattern formation, stem cells, cell lineage, and development of major organ systems. Emphasis on links between development and clinically significant topics including infertility, assisted reproductive technologies, contraception, prenatal diagnosis, multiparity, teratogenesis, inherited birth defects, fetal therapy, adolescence, cancer, and aging.
4 units, Aut (E. Porzig, S. Kim, D. Kingsley)
DBIO 202. Assisted Reproductive Technologies
(Same as OBGYN 202). Primary literature in basic and clinical science, and demonstrations of assisted reproductive technologies (ART). Techniques include in vitro fertilization covering micromanipulation procedures such as intracytoplasmic sperm injection and the culture of blastocysts, using mouse gametes, and pre-embryos. Class only may be taken for 1 unit. 2 units includes papers and attendance at clinical demonstrations. 3 units includes a term paper. Prerequisite: DBIO 201recommended, or consent of instructors.
1 to 3 units, Win (E. Porzig, E. Behr)
DBIO 203. Advanced Genetics
(Same as GENE 203, BIO 203). For graduate students in Bioscience programs; may be appropriate for graduate students in other programs. The genetic toolbox. Examples of analytic methods, genetic manipulation, genome analysis, and human genetics. Emphasis is on use of genetic tools in dissecting complex biological pathways, developmental processes, and regulatory systems. Faculty-led discussions sections with evaluation of papers. Students with minimal experience in genetics should prepare by working out problems in college level textbooks.
4 units, Aut (T. Stearns,A. Sidow, S. Kim)
DBIO 210. Developmental Biology
Current areas of research in developmental biology. How organismic complexity is generated during embryonic and post-embryonic development. The roles of genetic networks, induction events, cell lineage, maternal inheritance, cell-cell communication, and hormonal control in developmental processes in well-studied organisms such as vertebrates, insects, and nematodes. Team-taught. Students meet with faculty to discuss current papers from the literature. Prerequisite: graduate standing, consent of instructor. Recommended: familiarity with basic techniques and experimental rationales of molecular biology, biochemistry, and genetics.
5 units, Spr (A. Villeneuve, R. Nusse)
DBIO 215. Frontiers in Biological Research
(Same as BIOC 215, GENE 215) Literature discussion in conjunction with the Frontiers in Biological Research seminar series hosted by Biochemistry, Developmental Biology, and Genetics in which distinguished investigators present current work. Students and faculty meet beforehand to discuss papers from the speaker's primary research literature. Students meet with the speaker after the seminar to discuss their research and future direction, commonly used techniques to study problems in biology, and comparison between the genetic and biochemical approaches in biological research.
1 unit, Aut, Win (P. Harbury, M. Calos, A. Villeneuve)
DBIO 221. Current Issues in Aging
(Same as GENE 221) Current research literature on genetic mechanisms of aging in animals and human beings. Topics include: mitochondria mutations, insulin-like signaling, sirtuins, aging in flies and worms, stem cells, human progeria, and centenarian studies. Prerequisite: GENE 203.
2 units, Spr (S. Kim. A. Brunet) Alternate years. Not offered 2010-11.
DBIO 257. The Biology of Stem Cells
(Same as HUMBIO 157) The role of stem cells in human development and potential for treating disease. Guest lectures by biologists, ethicists, and legal scholars. Prerequisites: 2A,B, or consent of instructor.
3 units, Spr (R. Nusse, M. Fuller) Not offered 2009-10.
DBIO 273A. A Computational Tour of the Human Genome
(Same as CS 273A, BIOMEDIN 273A) Biology through an exploration of Human Genome. Key genomic and genetic concepts from an informatics perspective. Biomedical advances resulting from the Genomics revolution. Topics: genome sequencing: technologies, assembly, personalized sequencing. Functional landscape: genes, gene regulation, repeats, RNA genes. Genome evolution: comparative genomics, ultraconservation, co-option. Additional topics: population genetics, personalized genomics, and ancient DNA. Course starts with primer in Biology and text processing languages. Ends with guest lectures from forefront of genomic research.
3 units, Aut (S. Batzoglou, G. Bejerano)
DBIO 296. Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine
(Same as PATH 296) For graduate and medical students. Embryonic and adult stem cells, including origin, regulation, self-renewal, differentiation, fate, and relationship to cancer; biological mechanisms and methods to translate findings to therapeutic applications. Medical students must enroll for 5 units; graduate students may choose to take only the basic science part for 3 units. Prerequisites: DBIO 201 and 210, or consent of instructor.
3 to 5 units, Win (I. Weissman, R. Nusse, M. Fuller, )
DBIO 299. Directed Reading in Developmental Biology
Prerequisite: consent of instructor.
1 to 18 units, any quarter (Search for instructor in Axess)
DBIO 370. Medical Scholars Research
Provides an opportunity for student and faculty interaction, as well as academic credit and financial support, to medical students who undertake original research. Enrollment is limited to students with approved projects.
4 to18 units, any quarter (Search for instructor in Axess)
DBIO 399. Graduate Research
Students undertake investigations sponsored by individual faculty members. Prerequisite: consent of instructor.
1 to 18 units, any quarter (Search for instructor in Axess)
