Macromolecular Machines of the Central Dogma

9 units (3-0-6) | first term

The central dogma of molecular biology describes the flow of genetic information from DNA to RNA to protein. Each step in this process depends on different macromolecular machines that copy, transcribe, and decode the information stored in DNA. This course will focus on the function of such assemblies, including the replisome, RNA Pol II, the spliceosome, the ribosome, and translocons. The course will be taught through a combination of lectures and student-led discussions of the primary literature that has shaped our understanding of how macromolecular machines operate. Students will also prepare a short research proposal that will be peer reviewed and discussed at the end of the term at a mock NIH-style study section.