Molecular Biology – Part 3: RNA Processing and Translation
An in-depth adventure through RNA Processing and Translation. Strengthen your scientific thinking and biological experimental design skills.
Molecular Biology – Part 3: RNA Processing and Translation
An in-depth adventure through RNA Processing and Translation. Strengthen your scientific thinking and biological experimental design skills.
In Part 3 of 7.28x, you’ll explore translation of mRNA to protein, a key part of the central dogma of biology. Do you know how RNA turnover or RNA splicing affects the outcome of translation? Although not official steps in the central dogma, the mechanisms of RNA processing strongly influence gene expression.
What you'll learn
- How to compare and contrast translation in bacteria and eukaryotes
- How to describe several mechanisms of RNA turnover and RNA splicing
- How to analyze protein structures to infer functional information
- How to design the best experiment to test a hypothesis
- How to interpret data from translation and RNA processing experiments
Prerequisites
7.00x Introduction to Biology or similar (undergraduate biochemistry, molecular biology, and genetics), 7.28.1x and 7.28.2x Molecular Biology or similar (advanced understanding of the central dogma)
Meet your instructors
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HHMI Investigator; Professor of Biology at MIT -
HHMI Investigator; Whitehead Professor of Biology at MIT -
Director of Blended and Online Initiatives; Lecturer, Department of Biology -
MITx Digital Learning Fellow, Department of Biology -
Digital Learning Fellow, Department of Biology
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.
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.
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.
Swati Carr
Swati Carr
Digital Learning Fellow, Department of Biology
Dr. Swati Carr was a Digital Learning Lab Fellow in the Department of Biology at MIT from 2016-2018. As part of her role as a core member of the MITx Biology course development team, Swati developed and tested assessments for their courses. She completed her Ph.D. by developing methodology for improving the predictability of engineered genetic device behavior in the Densmore lab at Boston University.