Chemistry and Biology of Nucleic Acids

3 Credits

Nucleic acids are the backbone of life on Earth, serving as the repository of genetic information in the cells of all living organisms. They also play crucial roles in fundamental research and breakthrough therapies including CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing, antisense oligonucleotides, and mRNA vaccines. This course discusses the structure and chemistry of nucleic acids, their use in molecular and cell biology research, and the mechanism and uses of CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing.