Dr. Ben Allen helps students window eggs

Students learn about molecular techniques in Solve the Crime

Student solves karyotyping puzzle for Solve the Crime

Instructor Gabbi helps student window her egg

Instructor Koral helps student window his egg

TA Mariely gives a lecture

Students engage in morning lectures

Instructor Erick helps students with the fly lab

Students participate in CV workshop

Winning Trivia team!

Students help review each other’s work

Welcome to DFB!

The DFB 2025 student body and instructors have come from around the world to create a great course!

Squid games safety training

Students examine embryos under microscope

Dr. Scott Barolo gives his lecture on gene regulation

Gene Expression lecture hands on activities

Heizel (pictured) and Paola (both DFB alumni) were our incredible 2024 social media team! Thank you both!

DFB 2024 class

DFB 2024 Instructors

Museum night! Lead by Dr. Laura Buttitta

Students learn how to use ImageJ

Instructor Gabbi gives demonstration on egg windowing

A collage of the 2020 cohort in their DFB T-shirts

2020’s Zoom classroom

Dr. Scott Barolo uses his infamous tetrapus to illustrate developmental biology concepts

Image of a fly head taken by a student with their at-home lab kit

One of several panel discussions throughout the 2020 Course, DFB alumni return to share their experiences

In groups, students presented on common lab techniques, including how to identify unknown bacteria

Image of a Planarian as taken by a student with their at-home lab kit

Dr. Ben Allen shares the dev bio rendition of “Despacito” called “Evo Devo”, much to everyone’s enjoyment

The end-of-course trivia game was a mood

The 2019 instructor and student cohort in their DFB T-shirts

Students customized their lab coats to be worn throughout the Course and after

A student uses a microscope for the Embryogenesis Lab module

Students gather for an activity on cell signaling

Dr. Scott Barolo leads an interactive activity on development

A student performs a blood smear

Students and instructors enjoy a fun bowling night

Students and instructors paint The Rock in honor of DFB

Colorful skeletal preps are prizes in the annual end-of-course trivia Swag-a-Thon

The 2018 DFB students and instructors

Students laugh with Dr. Ben Allen over some ice cream

Students link arms for the Gastrulation Dance, led by Dr. Scott Barolo

Flies are prepared for the Development and Disease Lab module

Image of a chicken embryo as prepared by a student

Students gather for Cell Signaling Dodgeball

Students enjoy a night at Pinball Pete’s in downtown Ann Arbor

Students play an interactive game on transcription factors

The 2018 cohort make their mark on The Rock

The 2016 DFB cohort

The group takes a trip to the art museum

Windowing chicken embryos

Students work on an activity together with Dr. Scott Barolo

Students show off their DFB and U-M swag

A student dissects a specimen under the microscope

A night out bowling

An instructor leads the lab introduction on model organisms

Students in the classroom

Dr. Scott Barolo arranges students for an interactive activity

The end-of-course dinner and goodbyes

The inaugural 2015 DFB cohort

Students work together to match transcription factors in this interactive game

Students using their microscopes

An instructor demonstrates best lab techniques to onlooking students

A student concentrates on the specimen in their petri dish

Dr. Ben Allen demonstrates how to perform a dissection

A student happily engages in the lab module

Students show off their multi-colored clay embryo

The group takes a stroll through Viejo San Juan