Cell & Developmental Biology of Xenopus:
Gene Discovery & Disease
March 25 - April 8, 2025
Key Dates:
Application Deadline: January 31, 2025
Arrival: March 25th by 6 pm EST
Departure: April 8th around 12 pm EST
CSHL Courses are intensive, running all day and often including evenings and weekends; students are expected to attend all sessions and reside on campus for the duration of the course.
Instructors:
Rachel Miller, UTHealth Houston, McGovern Medical School
Peter Walentek Universitätsklinikum Freiburg, Germany
See the roll of honor - who's taken the course in the past.
Follow us on Twitter: @cshlxeno
Check out highlights from the 2024 Xenopus Course!
Xenopus Laevis Eye - Lennart Gollenbeck 
HCR Kidneys - Shiri Kult Perry 
Xenopus Laevis Whole Tadpole - Christina Roca
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| Xenopus Laevis Eye - Lennart Gollenbeck |
HCR Kidneys - Shiri Kult Perry |
Xenopus Laevis Whole Tadpole - Christina Roca
In vivo animal models are an important tool for the understanding of human development and disease. Studies using the frog Xenopus have made remarkable contributions to our understanding of fundamental processes such as cell cycle regulation, transcription, translation and many other topics. Xenopus is remarkable for studying development and disease, including birth defects, cancer, and stem cell biology. Because Xenopus are easy to raise, producing many thousands of eggs per day, these frogs have emerged as a premiere model for understanding of human biology from the fundamental building blocks to the whole organism.
Topics for 2025:
Gene manipulation
- CRISPR/Cas9 knock-out
- Antisense Morpholino knock-down
- mRNA and DNA over-expression
- Small molecule drug treatment
- Transgenesis
Experimental Techniques
- Targeted microinjections
- Tissue transplantation
- Organoid generation
- Dissections and ex vivo organ culture
- Biomechanics
- Single cell technologies
Analysis Methods
- Immuno-fluorescence and labeling
- mRNA in situ hybridization and hybridization chain reaction (HCR)
- Bioinformatics and imaging analysis
- High-resolution confocal, spinning-disc and 2-photon microscopy
- Time-lapse and live-cell imaging
- Plate-based imaging and optical coherence tomography
Xenopus Resources
State-of-the art imaging equipment provided by:
Laica Microsystems, Zeiss Microscopy, Nikon Instruments, BioVison Technologies, Scientifica, THORLABS, Molecular Devices
Due to the tailored nature of this course, it is suitable for those new to the Xenopus field, as well as for more advanced students who are interested in emerging technologies. Please feel free to contact the instructors for informal guidance.
2024 Invited Speakers:
Dominque Alfandari, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Engin Deniz, Yale School of Medicine
Matt Guille, University of Portsmouth, United Kingdom
Marko Horb, NXR, MBL
Douglas Houston, University of Iowa
Christina James Zorn, Xenbase, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Mustafa Khokha, Yale University
Miler Lee, University of Pittsburgh
Jennifer Landino, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
Shuyi Nie, Georgia Tech University
Hajime Ogino, Hiroshima University, Japan
Kris Vleminckx, Ghent University, Belgium
Helen Willsey, University of California San Francisco
John Young, Simmons University
Natalya Zahn, Independent Creative
Axolotl Neurulation - Nayeli Reyes-Nava
SUM memGFP St16 CNC Explant - Lara Busby
Neural Tube Closure - Lorena Agostini Maia
Support & Stipends:
Major support provided by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
Stipends are available to offset tuition costs as follows:
Please indicate your eligibility for funding in your stipend request submitted when you apply to the course. Stipend requests do not affect selection decisions made by the instructors.
We would like to acknowledge the following companies that provided invaluable support:
Microscopes: Leica, Nikon, Zeiss, BioVision Technologies, and Molecular Devices
Lab Equipment and Software: Bitplane, Electron Microscopy Sciences, Harvard Apparatus, Narishige International USA, Sutter Instrument Company
Discounted Products: Xenopus 1
Donations: Molecular Instruments, Inc.
Cost (including board and lodging): $4,650 USD
No fees are due until you have completed the full application process and are accepted into the course.
Before applying, ensure you have (all due by January 31, 2025):
- Personal statement/essay;
- Two Letters of recommendation (required);
- Curriculum vitae/resume (required);
- Financial aid request (optional).
More details.
If you are not ready to fully apply but wish to express interest in applying, receive a reminder two weeks prior to the deadline, and tell us about your financial aid requirements, click below: