Understanding the molecular biology of cells is an active area of research that is fundamental to almost all biological sciences. This is also true for a growing number of practical applications in agriculture, biotechnology and medicine. This course focuses on the molecular biology of cells as a unifying theme, examining specialized topics that epitomize more general principles. The course is divided into four self-contained parts. Part one provides an introduction to basic genetic mechanisms. Part two focuses on the methods used in modern molecular biology. Part three is devoted to the internal organization of the cell and part four focuses on cells in their social context, i.e. in the development and the immune system. Additionally, the class highlights some of the most dramatic advances in recent years that originate from the understanding of the molecular and cellular basis of human diseases.

 

Format
During class, the instructor lectures on relevant concepts before leading a discussion on specific features, concepts, and problems. In preparation for these interactive lectures, students study the corresponding chapters of the course book 'The Cell, A Molecular Approach, by G.M. Cooper'. 
To gain experience with primary literature, the students are asked to do an in-depth analysis of a paper from a prestigious journal by answering a list of questions on the paper.
Students subsequently write a paper themselves and give an oral presentation on a molecular cell biological topic such as the principles and possibilities of gene therapy, muscular dystrophy and the cytoskeleton, the role of mitochondria in aging, the role of apoptosis in cancer treatment, biological clocks, cloning, etc. They present this paper in the discussion/opinion format practiced in modern scientific journals such as Current Opinion in Cell Biology and Trends in Cell Biology. The paper describes contemporary thinking on a particular topic in molecular and cellular biology.
Finally, students are asked to prepare a news item, in which they link a report from the public domain (newspapers, documentaries) to the subjects treated in the course.