Institute of Molecular Evolutionary Genetics

	IMEG
	Institute of Molecular Evolutionary GenetiCS

     -- IMEG Seminars (BIOL 591)
     -- IMEG Speaker List (1997-Present)
     -- IMEG Membership List

     -- Marker Lectures
     -- MEGA (Molecular Evolutionary Analysis)
     -- Molecular Evolution and Phylogenetics

-- Nei Homepage

The Institute of Molecular Evolutionary Genetics (IMEG) at the Pennsylvania State University was established in 1990 as an interdepartmental research organization about molecular evolutionary genetics. The mission of this institute is to promote collaborative researches among the faculty and graduate students from various departments such as the Departments of Biology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Anthropology, Plant Pathology, Entomology, and Animal Science.
One of the important activities is to hold a weekly seminar and to discuss the research conducted by the IMEG members and by invited speakers from outside the university. This seminar can be taken as a credit course (for Molecular Evolutionary Biology option of the Biology Doctoral Program). The institute also supports the attendance of graduate students to national or international meetings.

Molecular Evolutionary Biology is one of the options for specialization that are offered in the Biological Doctoral Program. This option is associated with a selection of courses from which a minimum of 6 to 9 credits must be successfully completed, plus a thesis directed by a Biology faculty member in the option. Additional information can be obtained from the director of the graduate programs in the Department of Biology.

Molecular Evolutionary Biology option is concerned with the study of evolution at the molecular level to understand the mechanisms of evolution and to clarify the evolutionary history of genes or species at the molecular level. It is a multidisciplinary science that integrates molecular biology, developmental biology, and population biology. Penn State has a strong reputation in the field of evolutionary genetics through both the Institute of Molecular Evolutionary Genetics and the Intercollege Graduate Program in Genetics, many members of which belong to the Department of Biology.

Requirements for the Molecular Evolutionary Biology Option:
1.	The student must meet the criteria for the M.S. or Ph.D. in Biology.
2.	The student's research adviser must be a member of the Biology program and/or a full member of the Institute of Molecular Evolutionary Genetics. Other committee members may be chosen as needed providing that a majority of the committee is associated with the IMEG.
3.	In addition to the normal Biology program requirements, the student must take (for both an M.S. or Ph.D. in Biology) 3 credits of course work in BIOL 591; 9 credits from among the following courses (to be selected in consultation with the student's committee): BIOL405, 422, 427, 428, 505, 514, 530, (ENT;WILDL) 542, 531, 524, 533, 590, BMB 514.
4.	Any other course work or training deemed appropriate by the student's committee.

Courses offered in this area of specialization include: Molecular Evolution, Advanced Genetics, Evolution, Population Genetics, Topics in Evolution, Ecological Genetics, Systematics, Molecular Basis of Plant Development, Seminar in Genetics, Problems in Genetics, Molecular Biology and Cellular Regulation, and Statistical Methods in Evolutionary Genetics.