Concepts of modern genetics and genomics, including principles of classical genetics; yeast genetics; gene mapping; forward and reverse genetics; structure and function of eukaryotic chromosomes; molecular mechanisms and regulation of transcription, replication, DNA-repair and recombination; analysis of developmental processes; epigenetics and RNA interference.

Development of the nervous system (NS); the adult NS, plasticity and regeneration, sensory systems, cognitive functions, learning and memory, mol. & cell. mechanisms, animal models, disease models.

The evolution of the various body-plans is investigated by means of comparison of developmentally essential control genes of molecularly analysed model organisms.