Biology 350 - Seminar: Topics in Molecular Biology: Quantitative Genetics

Topics course: Unlike Mendel’s round or wrinkled peas, many biological traits exhibit more than two distinct forms. Quantitative genetics allows the study of continuously varying traits through statistical models that incorporate interactions between multiple genetic loci and the environment. Ongoing improvements in high-throughput DNA sequencing are revealing genetic mechanisms underlying human traits, such as predisposition to disease. In-class reviews of classic and contemporary literature in quantitative genetics will serve as a foundation for a final project wherein students will conduct a thorough analysis for a quantitative trait of interest.

Instructor Permission Req. Not open to first-years, sophomores