What is Life?

Catalog description

What distinguishes living organisms from non-living systems, and how did the latter transition to living? How do organisms evolve, and can we expect to find life elsewhere in the universe like ours? Answering these questions allows us to better understand life on our planet and how new evolutionary trajectories can arise, resulting in the appearance of more complex species as well as new viruses and pathogens. The course begins with analyzing the distinguishing features of living organisms and examining the boundaries that non-living systems had cross to become living. The class then explores how extant organisms use their DNA as blueprints to replicate themselves and evolve. In the last segment, students will learn how researchers are editing DNA and have re-written life's genetic code to generate synthetic life indistinguishable from natural ones. The course uses lectures and laboratory exercises to interrogate these questions.