Bi8 - Introduction to Molecular Biology
Welcome!
In 10 weeks or so, together we embark on an amazing adventure exploring Biology at a molecular level. Have you ever wondered how your skin cells become durable and protective, your heart (cardiac) muscle cells beat continuously, or the photoreceptor cells in your eyes are fragile yet have capabilities far beyond the today's best cameras? All these cell types originate from a single cell, the fertilized egg or zygote, and they all contain exactly the same basic genomic DNA sequence. Yet this DNA carries information that enables each of these cell types to adopt highly specialized and distinctive functions based on differential gene expression. Together we will discuss the basic principles that enable genomic code to be read out reproducibly to generate different cell types in a highly organized fashion and the evolutionary principles that suggest a probable history of the development of these mechanisms.
There are four main sources of material for this course.
This class emphasizes experimental approaches, using material from the current research literature to involve you directly in experimental design, data analysis and interpretation in molecular biology today. If successful, by the end of this course, you will not only know the “facts” as currently understood in Molecular Biology, but you will also be able to propose hypotheses regarding the unknown and design realistic experiments to test them. Although a background in Organic Chemistry and AP Biology may prove useful, the course will provide, in some way, most everything you need to appreciate the full power of molecular biology.
For review, and for those completely new to the field, the first of the special focused resource sessions will operate as mini-“Bootcamps”. They are designed to provide the students with supplementary background or parallel discussion in addition to the topics discussed in the class. They will mature into workshops for exploring specific fields in detail through the course. In addition, the TAs will hold regular office hours to help clarify and discuss course material. Please remember, we are here to help you and, hopefully, to inspire you! So, take advantage and come to our office hours.
Please don’t send us e-mail as a substitute to coming to the office hours.
Best wishes,
Bi8 Teaching Crew
In 10 weeks or so, together we embark on an amazing adventure exploring Biology at a molecular level. Have you ever wondered how your skin cells become durable and protective, your heart (cardiac) muscle cells beat continuously, or the photoreceptor cells in your eyes are fragile yet have capabilities far beyond the today's best cameras? All these cell types originate from a single cell, the fertilized egg or zygote, and they all contain exactly the same basic genomic DNA sequence. Yet this DNA carries information that enables each of these cell types to adopt highly specialized and distinctive functions based on differential gene expression. Together we will discuss the basic principles that enable genomic code to be read out reproducibly to generate different cell types in a highly organized fashion and the evolutionary principles that suggest a probable history of the development of these mechanisms.
There are four main sources of material for this course.
- Two, 90 minute weekly lectures. Lectures include material that is not in the textbook and convey the underlying, take-home messages of the course.
- The textbook
- Readings assigned along with problem sets
- Resource sessions run by the Teaching Assistants
This class emphasizes experimental approaches, using material from the current research literature to involve you directly in experimental design, data analysis and interpretation in molecular biology today. If successful, by the end of this course, you will not only know the “facts” as currently understood in Molecular Biology, but you will also be able to propose hypotheses regarding the unknown and design realistic experiments to test them. Although a background in Organic Chemistry and AP Biology may prove useful, the course will provide, in some way, most everything you need to appreciate the full power of molecular biology.
For review, and for those completely new to the field, the first of the special focused resource sessions will operate as mini-“Bootcamps”. They are designed to provide the students with supplementary background or parallel discussion in addition to the topics discussed in the class. They will mature into workshops for exploring specific fields in detail through the course. In addition, the TAs will hold regular office hours to help clarify and discuss course material. Please remember, we are here to help you and, hopefully, to inspire you! So, take advantage and come to our office hours.
Please don’t send us e-mail as a substitute to coming to the office hours.
Best wishes,
Bi8 Teaching Crew
General Course Information:
Bi 8. Introduction to Molecular Biology: Organization and Expression of Genetic Information. 9 units (3-0-6); second term. This course and its sequel, Bi 9, cover biology at the cellular level. After introducing basic concepts necessary for understanding biological systems at the molecular level, Bi 8 emphasizes cellular processes involved in the organization and expression of genetic information, including what is commonly called molecular biology, and introduces topics in developmental biology and immunology. Instructor: Rothenberg.
Tue & Thu 1:00 - 2:25pm at 119 Kerckhoff
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Wed 3:00 - 3:55 at 101 Kerckhoff
Thurs 7:00 - 7:55 at 101 Kerckhoff Fri 2:00 - 2:55 at 24 Kerckhoff |
Useful Links:
National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) - www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Mouse Genome Informatics - www.informatics.jax.org
Flybase - www.flybase.org
UCSC Genome Browser - www.genome.ucsc.edu
Ensembl Genome Browser - www.ensembl.org
Protein Data Bank - www.rcsb.org
Mouse Genome Informatics - www.informatics.jax.org
Flybase - www.flybase.org
UCSC Genome Browser - www.genome.ucsc.edu
Ensembl Genome Browser - www.ensembl.org
Protein Data Bank - www.rcsb.org