Revised December 9, 1999
The purpose of this page is to provide links to a variety of web sites containing information of potential interest to students in MCDB 2150 and other genetics classes. If you encounter a site that you think should be added to the list please send me an email message that includes the URL for the site. Please note that because of the way links must be entered into a page, it is easier for me to incorporate the link into this page if you list the URL first, followed by the name of the site or a brief description. Because web sites are constantly being added and deleted, some of the links on this page may not be functional when you try them.
Mendel Web This site contains a variety of information and discussion about Gregor Mendel, including his 1865 paper, both in the original German and in English translation, with extensive notes and commentary.
Access Excellence An extensive web site, originally sponsored by Genentech, a large biotechnology company, but now operated by The National Health Museum. This site has a wide rangle of features and articles related to science education, with special emphasis on genetics, molecular biology and biotechnology.
Genetic links This site provides links to a wide variety of genetic databases and genetics research centers, including animal and plant genetics, as well as human genetics.
The Genome Web: This site from England provides an extensive collection of diverse links to many aspects of genomic research. In addition, they have a program that checks all of their links daily, such that you are unlikely to encounter any links that do not work in their collection.
Genomics This series of pages from a Genetics/Molecular Biology Honors course in England presents a nice summary of the procedures that are involved in genomic sequencing, beginning with reading DNA sequence and progressing to the level of complete genomes.
The Scientist The Scientist is an advertising-supported biweekly newspaper for practicing scientists. Each issue tends to have a primary theme. Recent issues have contained numerous articles directly related to materials covered in our course. For example, October 11, 1999, genetically modified food crops, as well as articles and reviews on patenting of disease genes, and telomerase. When you reach the index page you can click on contents for articles in the current issue or you can click on Archives for contents from past issues. The July 19, 1999 issue contains several articles on the theme on genomic sequencing.
Genetic codes This page contains the "standard" genetic code plus 14 variants that occur in the mitochondria of various species, as well as in nuclear genomes in certain species.
Guidelines for Genetic Nomenclature: This site provides links to the "official" guidelines for naming genetic loci in humans and several other species, including Drosophila, C. elegans, mouse, and yeast.
OMIM Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man is a service of the National Cernter for Biotechnology Information. It provides extensive databases on human genetic diseases, including a search engine that simplifies finding the desired information.
UniGeneUniGene is an experimental system that has been developed to sort GenBank data into gene clusters. It includes not only well-defined genes, but also large numbers of expressed sequence tags (EST). It also provides links to a variety of other utilities that permit you to find out as much as is known about a particular gene and its neighbors. After the index page comes up, click on Homo sapiens or one of the other species that are currently included.
Mouse Genome Informatics The Jackson Laboratory provides a vast wealth of mouse genetic information at this site. If you know the name of the locus you are searching for, you can use the quick search window on the opening page. If you are interested in a particular class of genes, click on "Genetic and Phenotypic Data". When you arrive at the next menu page, click on "Genes, Markers and Phenotypes". Scroll down that page to "Phenotype" and enter a phenotypic category you are interested in, such as "color" or "pigment" and then scroll back up to "retrieve" and click on it. You will be presented with a list of genetic loci that affect the property in question. Click on a locus, and when the page comes up, click on phenotype or other aspects.
Vector nucleotide sequences and maps This site, from New England Biolabs provides detailed nucleotide sequences and maps for many different DNA cloning vectors, presented in a variety of formats.
Restriction endonucleases, alphabetical by cut site This listing from New England Biolabs lists a large number of different restriction endonucleases, arranged alphabetically by cut site sequence. The left frame also provides access to a variety of other related information.
The Interactive Fly This site provides extensive information of Drosophila genetics, with special emphasis on genes that influence development. Detailed discussions of a large number of individual genes are provided, including some that we are using as markers in the Virtual FlyLab.
FlyBaseThis is another site that provides extensive information on Drosophila genetics. It is a bit more oriented toward the professional user, and thus somewhat more difficult for an amateur to negotiate, but for simple searches, such as additional information on specific genetic loci, it can be quite useful.
Web pages for Klug and Cummings, Concepts of Genetics The publishers of last year's textbook have provided a number of generally quite interesting internet links for each chapter. To access these sites, first go to the chapter of interest and then click on Web Resources in the blue frame to the left of the main entry. This will bring up a menu of web links. Clicking on a link will bring up the web page, which may be in a second web browser window. In such cases, it is necessary to close the second browser window to get back to where you were.
Genetics and Ethics This site provides many references to various ethical issues that are being raised by the rapid progress that is currently being made in genomic sequencing, genetic testing, and the ability to perform genetic manipulations. Click the Specific Topics button when the front page comes up, than click on a topic on the left to bring up long lists of sites. This page is one part of a more general web site sponsored by the Centre for Applied Ethics of the University of British Columbia, Canada.
Washington Biotechnology Action Council This site from the University of Washington in Seattle contains numerous pages that are often strongly critical of Biotechnology. When the front page comes up, observe the artwork, then click on enter. The Site Outline is probably the best way to find specific topics, including many on patenting genes and other living materials, including whole genomes of individuals with unusual genetic properties.
Genomics Lexicon This site provides definitions for the rapidly expanding vocabulary of modern molecular genetics and genomics. It also provides links to a variety of other related sites. It is one part of a much larger site entitled Genomics: A Global Resource which provides a wide range of news and information about various aspects of genomics.
Many of the following genetics-related links have been submitted by students in this course over the past two year.
Glossary of genetic terms Similar to the glossary in the textbook, but may offer some different perspectives.
Structures of glucocorticoids This site provides structures for several natural and synthetic glucocorticoid enzymes. Othere steroids have similar overall structure.
Nuclear Hormone Receptors An extended web site dedicated to the steroid hormone receptor superfamily and their mechanisms of biological action.
Images of many biological terms Includes many biological molecules, but requires special software download.
Meiosis and Mendelian genetics Tutorial, including Quicktime movies -- long slow download.
The Gene Letter An online journal with numerous short articles.
A Hypermedia glossary of genetic terms This glossary provides detailed information and cross references for 612 terms used in genetics. .
E.Coli genome project A central site for links to E. coli sequence information.
National Center for Genome Resources This site describes the activities of NCGR, which merges biology and computer science into "bioinformatics".
Human Molecular Genetics Online Publisher's site for journal.
Stanford Genomic Resources Home page for genetics projects at Stanford University Departments of Genetics and Biochemistry. Contain many links.
Molecular Biology of Brewers Yeast This site focuses on yeast gene expression, including cell cycle dependent gene expression.
Current Opinion in Genetics & Development Free access until December 31, 1999, but requires completing a registration form.