Biodiversity and genome evolution

Coordinators

Karine Alix, Pierre Gérard

Goals

This module aims to present the concept of biodiversity, with a particular focus on genetic and genomic aspects, giving significant attention to the fundamentals of population genetics and understanding the dynamics of genetic evolution in a population. It also highlights the main mechanisms involved in the structural evolution of genomes and in the dynamics of their expression regulation, and includes the epigenetic mechanisms that generate functional diversity.

Skills

- Solve a population genetics exercise

- Explain the epigenetic basis of gene expression regulation

- Describe the processes involved in the creation of diversity in eukaryotic genomes

- Present a scientific study in summary form and identify the main results and conclusions to be retained using a mind map

Content

- Population genetics (15 hrs): main concepts of population genetics; influence of reproductive regimes on genetic diversity; effect of selection and drift on population evolution; balance between mutation and selection and cryptopolymorphism; origin of specific biodiversity, speciation processes.

- Structure and evolution of the eukaryotic genome (4.5 hrs): major components of the genome, transposable elements and structural and functional diversity, genome duplication and innovation for species adaptation.

- Epigenetics (5 hrs): chromatin organization (euchromatin, heterochromatin); gene expression (histone modification, DNA methylation); alternative splicing.

Language : English

Mandatory TU

ECTS : 3

Lectures : 9,5 ;  Directed Study : 15 ; Tutored Project : 2,5