From Black Box to Toolbox: How Molecular Biology Moves Forward

Catalog description

The pioneers of modern biology knew very little about the internal workings of the cell, and they had access to only a very limited set of very low-resolution tools. Yet clean experimental design and careful analysis let them ask and answer fundamental biological questions and develop better tools to use the next time around. Though biology's toolbox now offers astonishing precision and power, the logic of biological experimentation hasn't changed. In this course, we will study that underlying logic, and what it lets us do. We will read key papers spanning the development of modern biology, from the most basic working-out of the Central Dogma to recent advances. We will pay particular attention to how well the authors used the tools available, and how successfully they accounted for their shortcomings---if indeed they did. The emphasis of the course will be on classroom discussion. There are no exams. Instead, you will (1) write brief responses to weekly prompts for understanding, (2) write an in-depth proposal for a molecular biology research project, and (3) present your proposal orally to the class. These assignments are designed to check that you are keeping up with weekly discussions and synthesizing what you have learned into a deeper understanding of how we develop questions and construct arguments in biological research. Counts as a Disciplinary Communication course. Prereq: Undergraduate Student and BIOL 215 or Requisites Not Met permission.