Faculty of Arts & Sciences

An integrated and quantitative introduction to the principles of molecular biology with an emphasis on the experimental underpinning of key concepts. This course covers the biochemistry and structure of DNA; the Central Dogma of molecular biology (DNA replication and repair, transcription and RNA processing, and translation); and an overview of gene regulation and systems biology. The weekly section emphasizes problem solving and the scientific method. The investigative, discovery-based laboratory research project is optional.

The course integrates an introduction to the structure of macromolecules and a biochemical approach to cellular function. Topics addressing protein function will include enzyme kinetics, the characterization of major metabolic pathways and their interconnection into tightly regulated networks, and the manipulation of enzymes and pathways with mutations or drugs. An exploration of simple cells (red blood cells) to more complex tissues (muscle and liver) is used as a framework to discuss the progression in metabolic complexity. Students will also develop problem solving and analytical skills that are more generally applicable to the life sciences.

The course aims to develop fundamental concepts of biochemistry as they apply to macromolecules, including protein and nucleic acid structure, thermodynamics and kinetics, ligand interactions and chemical equilibria. The course will also emphasize how these concepts are used in studies of the structure and function of biological molecules, including examples from metabolism. In the weekly section, students will undertake a discovery-based laboratory research project in which they will apply these concepts toward understanding the structure and function of the ATPase domain from the ABC transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP).

An introduction to the ways in which the brain controls mental activities. The course covers the cells and signals that process and transmit information, and the ways in which neurons form circuits that change with experience. Topics include the neurobiology of perception, learning, memory, language, emotion, and mental illness.

For honors candidates writing a thesis in Molecular and Cellular Biology.

The neuronal basis of sensory processing and animal behavior will be explored in many different model systems as diverse as honeybees, weakly electric fish, and humans. Special emphasis is placed on the role of activity dependent modulation of neuronal connections in the context of learning, memory, and development of the nervous system.

The essential function of a neuron is to processes complex signals derived from the external world. To accomplish this function, neurons employ diverse mechanisms that respond to chemical and electrical signals with incredible sensitivity and plasticity. In this course, we will study these electrical, molecular, and cellular processes using biophysical and biological approaches. Specifically, we will explore topics on excitable membranes, neurotransmission, ion channels, dendritic integration, intracellular signaling, and synaptic plasticity in the context of various model circuits in the brain.

This general microbiology course will focus on the genetics, cell biology, and physiology of microorganisms. The goal of this course is to give the students a broad overview of microbial physiology in the context of disease and environmental applications. The course will primarily consist of lectures with problem sets; we will also incorporate current and classical literature.

Follows trends in modern brain theory, focusing on local neuronal circuits as basic computational modules. Explores the relation between network architecture, dynamics, and function. Introduces tools from information theory, statistical inference, and the learning theory for the study of experience-dependent neural codes. Specific topics: computational principles of early sensory systems; adaptation and gain control in vision, dynamics of recurrent networks; feature selectivity in cortical circuits; memory; learning and synaptic plasticity; noise and chaos in neuronal systems.

"The great art of life is sensation, to feel that we exist, even in pain." Lord Byron. Molecular basis of normal and pathological sensory perception, formation and modulation of sensory circuits during development and in the adult brain. Topics will include the mechanisms of sensory detection and discrimination, the discovery of key genes, cellular pathways and neural circuits affected in human disorders, molecular and genetic strategies for restoring normal sensation, coding of sensory information by the brain, establishment of appropriate connections in the developing brain, epigenetic influences on sensory function. Molecular, genetic and epigenetic approaches to normal and pathological sensing and associated behavior will be discussed.

An advanced treatment of heredity, including genetic, epigenetic and evolutionary aspects, as manifested in organisms from bacteria to man. Emphasis will be placed on how analytical genetic thinking and approaches can be applied to fundamental biological questions. Course format will include lectures, reading of the primary literature, student group projects and a final paper. Suitable for students in either the physical or biological sciences.

At no time in life does the surrounding environment so potently shape brain function as in infancy and early childhood. This course integrates molecular/cellular biology with systems neuroscience to explore biological mechanisms underlying critical periods in brain development. Understanding how neuronal circuits are sculpted by experience will motivate further consideration of the social impact on therapy, education, policy, and ethics.

An advanced course that emphasizes the scientific logic and technical innovations behind the discoveries of certain well-established cell and molecular mechanisms. Topics will include nuclear transport, ribosomal protein synthesis, protein folding, protein targeting to membranes, and protein degradation. The course will be taught by combining lecture material with student presentations and criticism of seminal papers with emphasis on experimental design, the importance of complementary in vivo and in vitro systems, and defining unanswered questions in the field.

Our goal is for students to gain a fundamental understanding of the genetic control of development in four genetically accessible animal models; the nematode C. elegans, the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, the zebra fish Danio rio, and the mouse Mus musculus. A focus of the course is to compare and contrast genetic analysis of and the genetic control of developmental processes and mechanisms in these four organisms. The course consists of lectures, student presentations, and written assignments.

This course provides a foray into virology, advanced cell biology, biochemistry and structural biology topics through the lens of viruses as they invade their hosts. To demonstrate concepts, a particular emphasis is placed on the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which provides well-studied examples of intricate virus-host interactions that occur throughout its complex life cycle.

The brain has evolved a unique but very effective system to protect itself from invaders. In this course, we will explore the specific defenses that the nervous system uses to protect itself. We will also examine how some pathogens evade or breach those defenses and the impact of those invasions. Finally, we will explore how scientists have been able to translate their understanding of these pathogenic mechanisms into technologies for research and therapeutic applications.

A course on the properties of protein complexes that serve as supports, machines and motors. Topics include : hemoglobin, actin filaments, myosin function, microtubules, kinesin, metabolon, photosynthesis, rotary motors, nuclear pores and transport, proteasome. Lecture on Monday is followed by student presentations on Wednesday. The course involves reading two research papers per week, and writing a research proposal.

This course will provide a comprehensive and cutting-edge primer on the burgeoning field of targeted genome editing. Topics discussed will include foundational science, recent rapid technological advances, and research and therapeutic applications of engineered zinc-finger nucleases, TALENs, and CRISPR-Cas nucleases. The class will meet twice per week, including a one-and-a-half hour lecture and a two-hour section in which students will discuss and critique original scientific papers relevant to that week's subject.

This interdisciplinary course will examine the process of drug discovery and development through disease-driven examples. Topics include: the efficacy/toxicity balance, the differences between drugs and inhibitors, and the translation of cellular biochemistry to useful medicine.

How do we find biologically meaningful patterns in a large amount of data? How do animals learn to use patterns in the environment to infer information despite the ignorance of the underlying laws? The course will introduce Bayesian analysis, maximum entropy principles, hidden markov models and pattern theory in order to study DNA sequence, gene expression and neural spike train data. The relevant biological background will be covered in depth.

Focuses on how the tools of connectomics (nanoscale imaging, nanoscale and microscale cutting, fluorescent and electron-dense staining, image analysis algorithms) generate data about neural connectivity. Case studies: C. elegans, neuromuscular junction, retina, cortex.

Motility and sensory transduction; chemotaxis in bacteria; flagellar motility; prokaryotic and eukaryotic motor molecules.

This course covers the fundamentals of classical genetics, molecular genetics, macro- and microevolution, phylogenetics, and developmental evolution. The emphasis is on major concepts and terminology, reading landmark primary literature, and acquainting students with research techniques.

This course will introduce basic principles in general, organic and physical chemistry, including kinetics and thermodynamics, as well as macromolecular structure. Concepts will be illustrated with examples taken from the visual system.

MCB 350qc is a discussion forum on scientific integrity using case studies to examine basic ethical and regulatory requirements for conducting research, and fulfills the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Science Foundation (NSF) requirements for formal Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) instruction. Students are required to complete a pre-course assignment, attend all lectures including the final lecture in February, participate in class discussions, and complete a final course evaluation. A certificate will be issued upon successful completion of the course.

This course presents the fundamental concepts that underlie modern light microscopy in a rigorous but non-mathematical way for biological applications. The students will learn about the four major frameworks for light (ray optics, wave optics, electromagnetism, and quantum optics). The ways lenses work, the theory of resolution, and the optical design of the compound microscope will be described. The course will also describe the photo-physical principles that underlie fluorescence and genetically encoded fluorescent proteins, and light detector and imaging strategies. Scanning (confocal and 2P), light sheet and super-resolution microcopies will also be described. We will end with a tour of the Harvard Center of Biological Imaging.