Molecular Cell Biology for Engineers

3 units

This course is designed for upper-level undergraduates and first-year graduate students with a background in engineering. It covers the biology of cells of higher organisms: protein structure and function; cellular membranes and organelles; cell growth and oncogenic transformation; cellular transport, receptors, and cell signaling; and the cytoskeleton, the extracellular matrix, and cell movement. Emphasis will be placed on examples relevant to biomedical engineering. In addition to lecture material, a focus will be placed on understanding the experimental techniques used in cell biology and the critical analysis of primary literature. Note that this course does not count for engineering topics credits and that it is meant to fulfill a life science requirement for engineering or physical sciences graduate students.