Welcome to the home page for Genome 371, Autumn 2025!

 

If you are NOT registered for this class but wish to be added if space becomes available, see here.

If you have already registered but want to switch quiz sections for whatever reason, please fill out this form.

 

29 Sep 2025

Pre-worksheet for Quiz section 1 is here. Also, Tutorial 2 is now available. Please watch it before lecture Friday.

27 Sep 2025

I've posted practice problem set 1. These are just for your practice, not for grading! You may want to wait until Lecture 2 to attempt questions 6-8, and until quiz section 1 for Q.9. I'll post an answer key in a couple of days (use the Practice problems tab in the navigation tab on the left).

23 Sep 2025

Reminder: Quiz sections begin next week (Oct. 1 or 2, depending on your section). Quiz sections will be in Hitchcock 344.

 

For now I'll just address a few frequently asked questions. If you have other questions about the class, please stay tuned -- I'll be adding more FAQs to the list in the coming weeks and months. Also, I'll be sending out an info email in late summer/early fall.

If you are thinking of registering for this class, please check the exam dates below for conflicts first! If you have a schedule conflict with these dates, you should not sign up for this class unless you have a valid excuse as listed below.

Exam dates and conflicts policy

There will be three in-person exams (two midterm exams and a final exam; see below for the grading scheme).

Please avoid scheduling conflicts with these dates. There are only a few situations when we allow students to take the exams at a different time than scheduled (usually, one or two days early):

Airline reservations for reasons other than those listed above do not constitute a valid excuse.

Grading Scheme: How your grade in Genome 371 will be computed

In 2024 we tried out a new grading system that the students overwhelmingly reported that they liked. We will use roughly the same scheme for Autumn 2025, with some tweaks (to be determined) incorporating their feedback and our experience.

In short: Half your grade will be based on effort.  The other half will be based on graded work—exams and other work that you turn in (e.g., it could be homework).

See a short video summary here (will need to be registered for the class to see the video).  And for details and examples, see the Course mechanics tab in the navigation bar above.

Other FAQ

Can I get an add code for this class?

Is there a waiting list to get into the class?

Can I switch to a different quiz section than the one in which I am currently registered?

What's this class about anyway? Is there a syllabus I can look at?

Do I need a textbook?

 

Can I get an add code for this class?

We don't give out add codes. For now, keep an eye on the registration page--in past years, 15-20% of students who originally signed up in May had dropped the class by September, so we expect that there will be spaces opening up between May and the end of September. UW's Notify service can help. If you are still unable to get in, you should fill out an online form that I will post at that time to let us know that you wish to be added on a space-available basis (assuming no schedule conflicts and that your pre-reqs are in order). You should also come to the first lecture (12:30 pm Friday September 26).

If you have taken Genome 361 or 371 previously, you will not be able to register online for this class. You will need to come to the first lecture (see above). Be aware, though, that students who have not taken Genome 361 or 371 previously will have priority over those who have taken one of those courses previously.

Is there a waiting list to get into the class?

See the link at the top of this page for a form you can fill out if you are trying to get into the class. If spaces become in the first week of the quarter we'll try to get you provided there are no pre-req or schedule conflicts. We do not overload the class, though.

Can I switch to a different quiz section than the one in which I am currently registered?

Maybe, but it'll depend on your fellow students. Please note also:

  1. There isn't a separate registration for the quiz section vs. lecture; if you drop your quiz section registration you're dropped from the class entirely.
  2. Nobody is required to switch sections! This business of switching sections only concerns those students who find themselves in a scheduling conflict and want to try and get into a different section than the one for which they originally registered.
  3. In case you were wondering -- because space is limited, you can only attend the quiz section for which you are registered. We do not overload quiz sections.

So if you really want to switch quiz sections there are two routes you could take, a safe route and a risky route. Do NOT try the risky route after Thursday September 25, as registration will be locked starting Friday September 26. For both routes, registration will be blocked if there is a time conflict with another class, so before you begin anything make sure that your schedules are open appropriately.

The safe route:

Step 1. Use the Discussion board on Canvas to talk to your classmates and find someone willing to switch with you.

Step 2. Fill out the online form with the required info about you and your switch partner. Note that both you and the person who has agreed to switch with you must fill out the form, otherwise we won't do the switch. After registration is locked on Friday September 26, we'll make the switch for you.

The risky route:

WARNINGS:

    1. Do NOT attempt this risky route after Thursday September 25, because after that date the system will cheerfully let you drop from the class but will not let you re-register.
    2. The Genome Sciences department and I are not involved at all in this risky route... if anything goes wrong (e.g., if you lose your place in the class and are unable to re-register), you are on your own, there's absolutely nothing we can do to help.

So if you want to take the risk anyway, then...

Step 1. Use the Discussion board to talk to your classmates and find someone willing to switch with you.

Step 2. Set up a time with your switching partner and do the switch using the regular online registration page. Please note the risk here—the moment you drop your current registration to begin the switching process, the spot you just released becomes available to the "public"—it's as though you had never registered. As soon as you drop your spot, UW's Notify service will announce to everyone that a spot has opened up. So, anyone else could swoop in and snatch up the spot you just vacated. If that happens, you (or your switch-partner who was going to take your place) could be out of luck if that was the last space. We (the GS department) would not be able to intervene at all.

Step 3. There is no step 3. But remember not to attempt this route after September 25!

What to do if you want to switch but are unable to find a switch partner: fill out the online form to let me know that you wish to switch sections; we'll try to accommodate your request pending space availability. No guarantees, of course.

 

What's this class about anyway? Is there a syllabus I can look at?

The syllabus isn't ready yet -- I'll post one a little before the quarter starts, probably in mid-September. In general terms, we will focus on how one can use genetics and genomics to understand biological processes or structures. Along the way, we will look at patterns of inheritance (how inheritance works, how phenotype is determined by genes), mutant analysis, and genomics (what we can learn by studying whole genomes), with an emphasis on how genetics can be used to understand the basis of inherited diseases.

Do I need a textbook?

There is no textbook requirement for this course—that's mainly because we haven't been able to find textbooks that adequately cover the material we want to cover in this class. So, all you need are the lecture and quiz section material with occasional extra reading in the form of handouts. Some students are more comfortable with a textbook to fall back on, so if you would like to have a textbook for reference, any of the following textbooks will do. All of these texts will be placed on reserve in the Odegaard Undergraduate library under this course listing:

There are also free online textbooks available. Finding specific topics in the online books is a bit of a hassle, but they are free. Once classes start, I will periodically post links to relevant sections in these online textbooks.