Aims

• To train young Latin American investigators in the State-of-the-Art approach to Development Biology.

• To foster interaction, at the bench and during lectures, between world leader developmental biologists (see Faculty) and young investigators. An open and relaxed environment will be promoted in the magnificent Centre of Marine Biology Research (CIMARQ)

• Although the course is intended primary for Latin American students it is also open for non-Latin American investigators (see How to apply), to establish links and promote a culture of international collaboration that will further contribute to the field.

Description of the course: an intensive 13 day laboratory and lecture course for advanced graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who seek a broad view of the modern issues of Developmental Biology. Exceptional Latin American undergraduate students may also apply.

Related lectures and laboratories will provide the student with the state-of-the-art of paradigms, problems and methodologies on modern Developmental Biology. The animal model used for laboratories will be zebrafish and locally available fishes; insects (Drosophila, Manduca sexta and others); frog, sea urchin, chick and planarians.
Laboratories will include embryological manipulation (cell ablation, tissue grafting), molecular genetic (RNA microinjection, electroporation) and cell biology approaches (cell lineage and migratory behavior).

The students will present their current research in an informal and relaxed environment at the end of each day (see program)

Mini-Symposium: In addition to the course a Mini-symposium will be organized at CIMARQ. The Mini-Symposium will last one day (Wednesday 11th January 2012) and it will be open to everybody, previous registration.

History of the Course

Some of the organizers of this Course have been organizing equivalent developmental biology courses in Chile and Latin America for more than 10 years. The first and second courses were held in Santiago, Chile, in 1999 and 2001, respectively. These practical courses were remarkably successful and provided additional opportunity for the students to learn new lab protocols and to interact with the speakers. An additional outcome of these courses was the creation of an informal network of Latin American Developmental Biologists, which finally led to the creation of the Latin American Society of Developmental Biology (LASDB) in 2003, together with the 3rd DB Course and the 1st LASDB meeting in Valle Nevado, Chile.

After this 1st foundational meeting hold in Chile, several biannual meeting have been organized in different Latin American countries (Brazil, 2005; Mexico, 2007; Argentina, 2008; Chile, 2010). In most of these meetings a satellite practical course has been organized:

In 2005, José Xavier Neto organized the second satellite course jointly with the Society for Developmental Biology (SDB), which was held in Juquehy, Brazil.

In 2008, Pablo Wappner organized the 3rd satellite course in Buenos Aires, Argentina, jointly with Eric Wieschaus (SDB).

In November 2010, Juan Larrain and Miguel Allende organized the 4th satellite course in Santiago Chile, jointly with the SDB..

The next satellite course to the VI LASDB meeting will be held in Uruguay

In January 2010 a pilot Developmental Biology course was organized at the Marine Biology Station of Quintay-Chile (CIMARQ) which belongs to Universidad Andres Bello. The organizers of that course were the current organizers of the 2012-Quintay Course, plus K. Whitlock and J. Ewer (from U. Valparaiso); the inspiring and important support from Maria Ines Vera (UNAB) was essential for the organization of this first course at CIMARQ, which was remarkable successful.