BRIDGES Curriculum

“BRIDGES” track for training in molecular evolution of plants and animals

NYU Biology offers a specialized training track in molecular evolution of plants and animals called BRIDGES: Biotic Resources: Integrating Development, Genetics, Evolution and Systematics. Students interested in training in this area are taught how to use molecular approaches to understand the evolution and diversity of plants and animal species, as well as in aspects related to the conservation and curation of these biotic resources. The “Plant Resources” track run by NYU and NYBG is now encompassed in the BRIDGES curriculum.

The BRIDGES track was developed jointly by NYU faculty and faculty at its affiliated institutions which maintain large collections of plant and animal species; The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) and the American Musuem of Natural History (AMNH). Curators from NYBG and AMNH are involved in the training of NYU Biology Ph.D. students, both at the level of teaching in courses and in directing thesis research, in collaboration with an NYU advisor. BRIDGES students follow guidelines for courses and training outlined for all NYU Biology Ph.D. students in the NYU Biology Graduate Student Handbook. This includes, course requirements (see below) and lab rotations (see Handbook).

NYU Biology BRIDGES Faculty:
Richard Borowsky
Gloria Coruzzi
Claude Desplan
David Fitch
Fabio Piano

NYU Anthropology:
Todd Disotell

NYBG:
Eric Brenner
Douglas Daly
Amy Litt
Dennis Stevenson

AMNH:
Rob DeSalle
Ward C. Wheeler
Howard Rosenbaum

Core courses developed for the BRIDGES track include:

BRIDGES I G23.1072 Molecular controls of organism form and function. This course covers metabolism, signaling, and development highlighting the use of molecular and genetic studies in model plant and animal systems.

BRIDGES II: G23.1069 Principles of Evolution: Molecular evolution and systematic theory and applications to animals and plants.

BRIDGES III: G23.1073: Biotic Resources: Integrative approaches to biodiversity and conservation. Population genetics, conservation biology, biogeography.

BRIDGES students must also take courses required of all Ph.D. candidates:

Biochemistry I & II: G23.1046-1047
Cell Biology: G23.1051
Statistics in Biology: G23.2030

Additional elective courses for BRIDGES curriculum include:

Molecular Genetics: G23.2127
Neotropical Field Botany: G23.1074
Plant Systematics: G23.2269
Economic Botany: G23.1075
Developmental Biology: G23.1120
Fundamentals of Developmental Genetics I & II: G23.2130-2131
Genomics: G23.1128
Molecular Evolution: G23.3018
Advanced Genetics: G23.1126