Molecular Biology - Part 1: DNA Replication and Repair
An in-depth adventure through DNA replication and repair to strengthen your scientific thinking and experimental design skills.
Molecular Biology - Part 1: DNA Replication and Repair
An in-depth adventure through DNA replication and repair to strengthen your scientific thinking and experimental design skills.
You’re acquainted with your DNA, but did you know that your cells synthesize enough DNA during your lifetime to stretch a lightyear in length? How does the cellular machinery accomplish such a feat without making more mistakes than you can survive? Why isn’t the incidence of cancer even higher than it is? And, if the DNA in each and every cell is two meters long, how is this genetic material compacted to fit inside the cell nucleus without becoming a tangled mess?
What you'll learn
- How to compare and contrast the mechanisms of DNA replication in prokaryotes and eukaryotes
- How to describe several enzymatic mechanisms that the cell uses to repair or tolerate DNA damage
- How to analyze protein structures to infer functional information
- How to design methods for the best experiment to test a hypothesis related to DNA replication or repair proteins
- How to interpret data from DNA replication and repair experiments
Prerequisites
7.00x Introduction to Biology and 7.05x Biochemistry or similar (biochemistry, molecular biology, and genetics).
Meet your instructors
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MITx Digital Learning Fellow, Department of Biology -
MITx Digital Learning Fellow, Department of Biology -
HHMI Investigator; Professor of Biology at MIT -
Instructor of Blended and Online Initiatives, Department of Biology -
HHMI Investigator; Whitehead Professor of Biology at MIT -
Director of Blended and Online Initiatives; Lecturer, Department of Biology
Sera Thornton
Sera Thornton
MITx Digital Learning Fellow, Department of Biology
Dr. Sera Thornton was an MITx Digital Learning Fellow in the Department of Biology at MIT from 2014 to 2017. In conjunction with her role as a core member of the MITx Biology course development team, Sera curated and created many of the graphics for MITx Biology courses, including animating the lecture video inserts for MITx 7.28x. She previously completed her Ph.D. studying epigenetic gene regulation in stem cell lineage commitment and differentiation in the Boyer lab at MIT.
Nathaniel Schafheimer
Nathaniel Schafheimer
MITx Digital Learning Fellow, Department of Biology
Dr. Nathaniel Schafheimer was an MITx Digital Learning Fellow in the Department of Biology at MIT from 2013 to 2015. He had a central role in the development and management of the MITx courses for the Department of Biology at MIT. He previously completed his Ph.D. studying how ultraviolet light damages the proteins in the lens of the human eye in Jonathan King’s lab at MIT.
Stephen Bell
Stephen Bell
HHMI Investigator; Professor of Biology at MIT
Steve Bell is a Professor of Biology in the Department of Biology at MIT and an HHMI Investigator. Steve and his lab study the regulation of eukaryotic replication using biochemical, genetic, and molecular biology approaches. He has received the institute-wide Everett Moore Baker Memorial Teaching Award as well as a School of Science Teaching Prize for Excellence in Undergraduate Education. Along with Tania, Steve co-authored a popular molecular biology textbook with James Watson.
Darcy Gordon
Darcy Gordon
Instructor of Blended and Online Initiatives, Department of Biology
As a core member of the MITx Biology course development team, Darcy blends her pedagogical and scientific expertise to foster authentic learning experiences online, including the creation of visual resources and assessments. Previously, she completed her Ph.D. in the Traniello lab studying the evolutionary neurobiology of social insects, and additionally developed curricula for outreach programs while at Boston University.
Tania Baker
Tania Baker
HHMI Investigator; Whitehead Professor of Biology at MIT
Tania Baker is an E. C. Whitehead Professor of Biology and an HHMI Investigator. Tania recently received the Arthur Kornberg and Paul Berg Lifetime Achievement Award for her research in replication and AAA+ unfoldases, which remove potentially toxic proteins. Tania has also been recognized for her commitment to teaching as a recipient of the Margaret MacVicar Faculty Fellowship and a School of Science Teaching Prize for Excellence in Undergraduate Education. In addition to authoring the textbook with Steve, as a graduate student, Tania co-authored a well-known textbook on DNA replication with Arthur Kornberg.
Mary Ellen Wiltrout
Mary Ellen Wiltrout
Director of Blended and Online Initiatives; Lecturer, Department of Biology
Mary Ellen earned her Ph.D. from the Department of Biology at MIT in 2009 and returned in 2013 to create 7.00x Introduction to Biology with Professor Eric Lander. Mary Ellen oversees the execution and evolution of MIT Department of Biology’s digital learning strategy. The group develops digital learning content for MIT students, advises evidence-based teaching practices, creates MITx courses, and studies the impact of design on learner engagement in their research. In 2016, Mary Ellen earned the MIT Infinite Mile Award. In 2019, their work received a silver award at the Reimagine Education science of learning category.