Is it possible to edit the very genetic code that makes you who you are? Learn the science behind the buzz about CRISPR/Cas9, the revolutionary technique that allows scientists to specifically and permanently edit genomes, and decide for yourself what this means for our future.

Spinning to generate energy. Walking along long tubules in the cell. Controlling what comes and goes through the membrane. Proteins perform a wide array of different functions in the cell, but it's not by magic. In this class, we'll talk about how the specific 3D structures of proteins allow them to perform their remarkable functions, using as an example ATP synthase, an extraordinary molecular machine responsible for the final step in the conversion of food to energy. In the process, we'll address a variety of central questions in biochemistry: what do proteins look like? What do they do? And how does their particular structure and chemistry allow them to do it?

Are you interested in writing fiction? In this course, we will dissect some of the key elements that go into writing an effective short story, talk about how to read published fiction like a writer, and try our hands at turning our own ideas into concrete stories.

Everything that happens in your body happens because of molecules, and the bonds and shapes of these molecules depend on the principles of chemistry. In this class, we'll go over some of the basic principles of organic chemistry, and see how they apply to biological molecules, specifically DNA, RNA and proteins.

In this class we’ll explore the very most fundamental building blocks of what makes up matter – what are atoms? What are they made of? What makes them distinct from one another? And how do these distinct identities allow some atoms to form bonds with other atoms and turn into the molecules that make up everything around us?

Proteins are the basic molecular machines of our body, and yet their incredible array of functions arise from a startlingly simple DNA code. This course explains how DNA sequences eventually give rise to specific protein structures, how these structures allow proteins to perform their functions, and how we can use this knowledge to engineer proteins for novel applications in science and medicine.

Proteins are the basic molecular machines of our body, and yet their incredible array of functions arise from a startlingly simple DNA code. This course is an overview of how DNA sequences eventually give rise to specific protein structures, how these structures allow proteins to perform their functions, and how we can use this knowledge to engineer proteins for novel applications in science and medicine.

Is it possible to edit the very genetic code that makes you who you are? Learn the science behind the buzz about CRISPR/Cas9, the revolutionary technique that allows scientists to specifically and permanently edit genomes, and decide for yourself what this means for our future.