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Practical Course of Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics - MB162C05

Title:	Practical Course of Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics
Czech title:	Praktický kurz evoluční genetiky a genomiky
Guaranteed by:	Department of Ecology (31-162)
Faculty:	Faculty of Science
Actual:	from 2022
Semester:	winter
E-Credits:	4
Examination process:	winter s.:
Hours per week, examination:	winter s.:0/5, C [DS]
Capacity:	14
Min. number of students:	unlimited
4EU+:	no
Virtual mobility / capacity:	no
State of the course:	taught
Language:	English
Note:	enabled for web enrollment

Guarantor:	Michail Rovatsos, Ph.D.
Teacher(s):	Michail Rovatsos, Ph.D.

Opinion survey results WS schedule

Annotation -

The students will have the opportunity to actively experience all stages of the development of a research project in
the field of the evolutionary genetics and genomics at first hand. The instructor will provide ideas/hypotheses for a
research and together with the students, they will develop the concept and an appropriate experimental design.
Then, the students will perform the necessary experiments, the subsequent data analyses and they will interpret
the results. During this process, the student will receive mini-tutorials on methods, as well as protocols and
instructions to perform experiments in both the wet and dry lab. At the end of the course, the students will have
obtained not only skills how to perform crucial experimental procedures, but also a wide overview on design and
execution of an experimental research project.

Last update: Sacherová Veronika, RNDr., Ph.D. (18.05.2020)

Course completion requirements -

Attendance of at least 4 out of 5 days and performing the experiments.

Last update: Sacherová Veronika, RNDr., Ph.D. (18.05.2020)

Literature -

Protocols and literature will be provided by the instructor. Relevant information can be found in publications such as:

Rovatsos M., Rehák I., Velenský P., Kratochvíl L. (2019). Shared ancient sex chromosomes in varanids, beaded lizards, and alligator lizards. Molecular Biology and Evolution 36: 1113-1120.

Rovatsos M., Altmanová M., Augstenová B., Mazzoleni S., Velenský P., Kratochvíl L. (2019). ZZ/ZW sex determination with multiple neo-sex chromosomes is common in Madagascan chameleons of the genus Furcifer (Reptilia: Chamaeleonidae). Genes 10: 1020.

Rovatsos M., Kratochvíl L. (2017). Molecular sexing applicable in 4.000 species of lizards and snakes? From dream to real possibility. Methods in Ecology and Evolution 8: 902-906.

And other resources like Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, Nature Protocols and Bioinformatics

Last update: Sacherová Veronika, RNDr., Ph.D. (18.05.2020)

Requirements to the exam -

Attendance of at least 4 out of 5 days and performing the experiments.

Last update: Sacherová Veronika, RNDr., Ph.D. (18.05.2020)

Syllabus -

The course will include several mini presentations on experimental design and methodology. The instructor intends to develop the project and further enrich the methodologies according to the interests of the students, as far as such additions are fitting the topic and the time schedule of the course and the equipment restrictions of the available laboratories. The students will be trained and perform the following methods during the course:

1. DNA isolation, quality control

2. Primer design, PCR, Sanger sequencing analysis, taxon identification from genomic data

3. Identification of sex and measurement of telomere length by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR)

4. Cytogenetic analysis: chromosome preparation, karyotype reconstruction, in situ hybridization with satellite sequences (FISH), Comparative genome hybridization (CGH), microscopy

5. Basic analysis of next generation sequencing data (mtDNA assembly and annotation, identification of sex-linked loci) in Windows PC environment.

Previous experience in experimental biology or bioinformatics is not required.

Last update: Sacherová Veronika, RNDr., Ph.D. (18.05.2020)

Learning outcomes

After completing the course, students will be able to:

Design and plan a small-scale research project in evolutionary genetics or genomics, including formulation of hypotheses and experimental approaches.
Perform key molecular and cytogenetic laboratory techniques, including DNA extraction, PCR, sequencing, and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH).
Apply bioinformatic tools to process and analyse molecular data, including sequence assembly, annotation, and identification of genetic markers or sex-linked loci.
Integrate laboratory and computational approaches to investigate genetic variation and evolutionary processes.
Evaluate the quality of molecular and genomic data using appropriate analytical and statistical methods.
Interpret experimental results in the context of evolutionary theory and genomic organization.
Demonstrate safe, accurate, and responsible laboratory practices in accordance with scientific and ethical standards.
Communicate research outcomes effectively in written and oral form, including discussion of methodological limitations and potential improvements.

Last update: Gáliková Kristýna, Mgr. et Mgr., DiS. (21.10.2025)