Cells are the fundamental building blocks of all living things. But today’s cells are NOT the cells your grandparents knew, nor even those you learned about back in school. Recent research has revealed amazing things about how cells arose, how their various internal parts (organelles) function, and how their genes (DNA regions) are controlled by types of RNAs unknown until recently. Might some single cells live for 100,000 years or longer? Even the ubiquitous AI has entered the scene: Can a computer-contrived “virtual cell” be used for drug design in silico, replacing time-consuming, laborious work with real living cells in petri dishes or within animal tissues? The course will comprise a potpourri of lectures on various topics in the recent biology of cells with directed discussion.
NOTE: No previous coursework in science is presumed or required.
