We now realize that the human genome contains at least 80,000 non-redundant non-coding RNA genes, outnumbering protein-coding genes by at least 4-fold, a revolutionary insight that has led some researchers to dub the eukaryotic cell an “RNA machine”. How exactly these RNAs guide every cellular function – from the maintenance and processing to the regulated expression of all genetic information – lies at the leading edge of the modern biosciences, from stem cell to cancer research. This course will provide an equally broad as a deep overview of the structure, function, and biology of DNA and particularly RNA. The class will be taught from a chemical/molecular perspective and will bring modern interdisciplinary concepts from biochemistry, biophysics, and molecular biology to the fore. We will explore important examples from the current literature and the course content will evolve accordingly (handouts and primary literature will be available on the Canvas course website). Through that approach, the course is intended to provide students with ‘real-world’ skills necessary for success after graduation: evaluating primary literature and presenting scientific data.

Course Requirements:

Your grade will be a composite of the grades obtained from four assigned 2-page reviews of the primary literature, one in-class “journal club” presentation, and one Wikipedia entry on a topic related to RNA. In two of the four reviews, you will be asked to play the role of a journal editor and write a “News and Views”-style summary; in the remaining two cases, you will be asked to play the role of a peer reviewer and critique a published article. Each of these six assignments will make up 15% of the grade; the remaining 10% will be class participation.

Intended Audience:

As a special topics course for graduate students, CHEM 505 or BIOLCHEM 505 is open to graduate students from Chemistry, Chemical Biology, Biophysics, the Program in Biomedical Sciences umbrella, and others.

Class Format:

Lecture twice weekly for 1.5 hours