Intensive Studies - Genetics [Virginia State University] {Commuter}

Could a single genetic mutation be the key to eradicating heart disease, or instrumental in developing new ways to treat hypertension? This course explores the principles and methods geneticists use every day to explore these possibilities, covering concepts taught in an introductory college genetics course. You and your classmates will review basic concepts of heredity, then delve into more complex concepts such as polygenic inheritance and sex-linked traits. You’ll study the genetics of relatively simple organisms such as bacteria and how they are used in current genetic research, and consider the genetics of more complex organisms, including humans. You will also explore the effects of mutations, including the genetic basis of cancer and inherited disorders, and how they increase variation within a population. In the laboratory, you’ll go beyond basic techniques of DNA extraction, digestion, and amplification to perform bacterial cloning and dihybrid crosses, observing inherited phenotypes in a descendent generation. Along the way, guided by your instructor, you and your classmates will learn to debate controversial topics in the field like stem cell research and genetically modified foods.