Molecular Genetics seminars

Michelle M. Li examines how computational analyses can preserve the biological context of a proposed treatment, including cell type, disease state, genetic background and patient characteristics. She introduces Medea, an AI system that combines biological software, predictive models and literature retrieval while checking intermediate steps and reconciling evidence. The seminar presents evaluations involving cell-specific target selection, cancer-cell synthetic lethality and immunotherapy response. A separate yeast experiment tests predictions against previously unpublished measurements of gene-pair interactions under DNA-damaging treatments. The research addresses whether an agent can transfer useful evidence between contexts while recognizing when that transfer is unsupported. Reported comparisons cover predictive performance, computational failures and the ability to abstain. This recording retains the original seminar date.

Ant colonies depend heavily on chemical communication, creating demanding problems for sensory gene regulation. This lecture examines the expansion of olfactory-receptor gene families and the mechanisms that select a receptor for each neuron. Comparisons with vertebrates illuminate how stochastic gene choices support organised sensory systems.

This lecture examines genetic control of tail length using variation between deer-mouse populations and targeted experiments. It considers multiple quantitative-trait loci, the possible role of Hoxd13 expression and evidence from altered Hox13 activity. Vertebral development provides a case study of how changes in gene regulation can produce evolutionary changes in body form.

This lecture compares two approaches to the evolution of mammalian tails. It critically examines the proposed role of altered Tbxt splicing in ape tail loss, including difficulties interpreting mouse experiments. It then introduces quantitative-genetic studies of deer mice in different habitats, where several loci contribute to variation in tail length.

This lecture traces research on the mouse T locus and the Tbxt gene before examining a proposed mechanism of tail loss in apes. A repeated DNA insertion may alter splicing and protein production. The discussion asks how a small genetic change could affect development and generate a large, persistent evolutionary transformation.

Tail development provides a case study for connecting genetic change to the evolution of anatomy. This lecture introduces relevant ideas from evolutionary developmental biology and RNA splicing, then considers variation in tail presence and length across mammals. It also examines what different experimental approaches can establish about DNA, form and function.