EXCEED THE SPACE PROVIDED. This renewal application of the Harvard University predoctoral Genetics Training Program requests support for 21 trainees per year for 5 years. The facilities, in the Departments of Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB) and Organismic and Evolutionary Biology (OEB), on the Arts and Sciences campus, include the Biological Laboratories, Sherman Fairchild Biochemistry Building, Museum of Comparative Zoology and Herbarium, and,within two years, a new facility housing the Center for Genomics Research. The application includes significant changes and enhancements to the program. New appointments have led to a larger training faculty (25) equally split between the participating departments. Faculty research interests in genetics range from the macromolecular to cell and tissue level to organismal, population and evolutionary studies. Reflecting the equal department participation, program direction is now shared by the Program Director (William M. Gelbart, MCB)and the Co-Director (Daniel Hartl, OEB),both of whom have extensive training experience in Genetics at all academic levels. The Program balances common training experiences in genetics with viewing genetics as one aspect of a multidisciplinary approach to modern scientific investigation. The Program design integrates trainees into their home departments while fostering interaction among all trainees. Recruitment, admissions, course requirements, and monitoring of trainee progress are the responsibilities of the home departments; yet,the Program Director, Co-Director and other training faculty are involved with the committees that contribute to these aspects of the Program. The two departments have strengthened course offerings in genetics and allied fields and have a program completion target of 5-6 years. Program elements common to all trainees include: selection; participation in the genetics portion of MCB 200b; first-year trainee attendance at the MCB retreat; trainee participation hi a monthly Genetics Seminar Series; and the requirement for second-year trainees to serve as teaching fellows for BS50 (a required introductory genetics and genomics course for undergraduates). Trainee participation in several other MCB and OEB genetics graduate courses is also expected. Extensive interaction and collaboration among the trainees will be fostered through the shared aspects of the program. PERFORMANCE SITE ========================================Section End===========================================
