I have broad interests in genetics and epigenetics, organismal
and evolutionary biology, and medicine and have been fortunate
over the years to be able to teach, do research, write,
and work in these various fields. At Brandeis, I am pursuing
these diverse interests by focusing on teaching, writing,
research, and undergraduate science education.
Teaching
At Brandeis, I teach several courses. In the fall, I teach
Biology 60b Evolutionary Biology. Evolution is the unifying
theory of biology. The geneticist Theodosius Dobzhansky
said famously, "Nothing in biology makes sense except in
the light of evolution." Of all of the biological disciplines,
evolutionary biology is the most sweeping because it aims
to explain almost everything about the living world - the
diversity of life, the similarities among organisms, and
the basic characteristics of all living things.
In the spring, I teach Biology 43b Anatomy. Here, I take
a broad view of anatomy, emphasizing embryology and development,
comparative anatomy, and the relationship between structure
and function. We take time in this class to do many dissections,
as the only way to really learn anatomy well is to follow
vessels, look at organs, and remove connective tissue. I
also use clinical cases throughout the course as a way to
integrate various organ systems.
I am particularly excited about a new course, Biology 155a
Project Laboratory in Genetics and Genomics. This unique
course gives undergraduates a chance to do an original,
independent, laboratory-based research project in the context
of a semester-long course. This year we are focusing on
research in bacterial genetics, but we envision designing
additional ones in such areas as Drosophila genetics, microbiology,
and behavior.
I also teach a University Seminar called "Darwin's On the
Origin of Species" which gives students the opportunity
to read deliberately and closely one of the centrally important
works in modern Western thought. I am also working on a
new BISC course that will examine the biology, sociology,
and language of the deaf.
Research
My research focuses on an unusual way that genes are turned
on and off. I am pursuing this work in the context of a
project laboratory course for undergraduates and independent
summer and semester research for undergraduate students.
Diploid organisms have two copies of each chromosome and
gene. Interestingly, the presence of such homologues can
exert unexpected and powerful effects on gene expression.
In mammals, the presence of two X chromosomes leads
to condensation and silencing of an entire X chromosome
by X-inactivation. In plants, interactions between
certain alleles can lead to heritable changes in gene expression
via paramutation. In fungi, duplicated DNA sequences are
not tolerated and undergo sequence changes. These processes
and others, including genomic imprinting and transgene silencing,
are often referred to as epigenetic, a remarkable class
of regulatory processes that together speak to the profound
influence of gene structure, chromatin packaging, and interactions
in the nucleus on gene expression. While mechanistically
distinct, these processes share a common feature: in each
case, the presence of homologous nucleic acids leads to
changes in gene expression.
I am interested in epigenetic phenomena and specifically
the role of homology in the control of chromosome structure
and gene expression. The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster
provides a useful window on these processes. Drosophila
shows pairing of homologous chromosomes in somatic cells.
Interestingly, the expression of some genes is sensitive
to pairing, in that they show different expression patterns
in the paired and unpaired states. Such pairing sensitivity
in gene expression is an example of a transvection effect.
Transvection has been documented at many loci in Drosophila,
and related processes have been described in many organisms,
including fungi, plants, and mammals.
Writing
I also enjoy writing. I am participating in the writing
of an introductory biology college-level textbook. This
project has given me the chance to write about biology broadly,
while considering how to make the material engaging and
interesting to a wide range of students.
Teaching awards
- Letter of Commendation for Distinguished Teaching, Harvard
Extension School, 2006.
- Letter of Commendation for Distinguished Teaching,
Harvard Extension School, 2005.
- Certificate of Distinction in Teaching, Biological Sciences
50, Harvard College, 2003-2004.
- Certificate of Distinction in Teaching, Biological Sciences
57, Harvard College, 2003-2004.
- Certificate of Distinction in Teaching, Biological Sciences
57, Harvard College, 2002-2003.
Selected Publications
J. R. Morris, T. Jehn, E. Pantages, C. Vaughan, T. Torello,
M. Buchelli, D. Lohman, and R. Lue. 2005. A Student's
Guide to Writing in the Sciences. Harvard University.
J. R. Morris, D. A. Petrov, A. M. Lee, and C.-t. Wu. 2004.
Enhancer choice in cis and in trans in Drosophila
melanogaster: role of the promoter. Genetics
167: 1739-1747. [abstract]
C.-t. Wu and J. R. Morris. 2001. Genes, genetics, and epigenetics:
a correspondence. Science 293: 1103-1105.
[abstract]
[.PDF version]
C. D. Kaplan, J. R. Morris, C.-t. Wu, and F. Winston. 2000.
Spt5 and Spt6 are associated with active transcription
and have characteristics of general elongation factors in
Drosophila melanogaster. Genes & Dev. 14:
2623-2634. [abstract]
C.-t. Wu and J. R. Morris. 1999. Transvection and other
homology effects. Curr. Opin. Genet. Dev. 9:
237-246. [abstract]
J. R. Morris, P. K. Geyer, and C.-t. Wu. 1999. Core promoter
elements can regulate transcription on a separate chromosome
in trans. Genes & Dev. 13: 253-258. [abstract]
J. R. Morris, J.-l Chen, S. T. Filandrinos, R. C. Dunn,
R. Fisk, P. K. Geyer, and C.T. Wu. 1999. An analysis of
transvection at the yellow locus of Drosophila
melanogaster. Genetics 151: 633-651. [abstract]
J. R. Morris, J.-l. Chen, P. K. Geyer, and C.-t. Wu. 1998.
Two modes of transvection: enhancer action in trans
and bypass of a chromatin insulator in cis. Proc.
Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 95: 10740-10745. [abstract]
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