Topics in Molecular Biology

In this sophomore level course, students will learn the key concepts of the molecular biology of the cell as well as how to integrate the principles of cell structure and function with the underlying molecular mechanism(s). Discussions will focus on gene structure, mechanisms of replication, transcription and translation, mutation and DNA repair, gene regulations, and genomics. Each of these concepts will be discussed in the context of a unifying theme selected by the instructor. Possible examples of these themes include viruses, epigenetics, human diseases, biotechnology and artificial organisms, cell fate determination and differentiation.