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BME 443: Biological Phenomena in Cell/Cell-Free Systems

Description

What are the underlying principles that guide how a cell senses, responds, moves, and ultimately functions? While biological cells are complex systems, their functions are driven through a series of more simple chemical and physical processes. In this course, we will address these questions by introducing simple equations and processes at play within a cell. Four major concepts that include molecular binding, enzyme catalysis, molecular transport, and mechanical deformation will be introduced. Using journal articles to guide our discussions, we will learn to identify how each of these concepts manifest in a given experimental study and the basic equations that can be used to measure their impact.  Students can expect the course to focus on one concept every two weeks, while simultaneously learning to identify the role and presence of the other three concepts in any given research study. Through short tutorials by the instructor, and student-led presentations on journal articles, students will learn to connect the concepts learned in class to both familiar and unfamiliar processes they come across in their own research, reading, or day to day life. An important component of this class will also be to identify how the four concepts covered change as we move from a molecular length scale to a cell-free or cellular one. Rather than a final exam, students will work in groups beginning at the middle of the quarter to compile a final project that will highlight key concepts learned and their potential applications in their research.

Who Takes It?

Graduate and upper-level undergraduate students in McCormick, Weinberg, and Feinberg interested in an overview of critical processes that guide cell-scale phenomena.

Course Objectives

By the end of this course, students should be able to…

• Remember specific examples of protein driven mechanisms that drive cell behavior
• Assess the presence and contribution of specific phenomena at nano- and micro-scale levels with knowledge gained from the course.
• Connect mechanisms learned in class to unfamiliar mechanisms that students may come across in their own research, reading, or day-to-day life.
• Value how the complicated steps that occur at the nano- and micro-scales influence macroscopic changes in biology and physiology.
• Identify useful academic papers to gain a deeper understanding of concepts as well as for personal research.

Special Notes

This course represents an elective in the BME and ChBE departments as well as a core elective in the northwestern Center for Synthetic Biology Synthesizing Biology Across Scales training program. Students interested in this training program and associated certificate should consider taking this course. More information about the training program can be found here: https://syntheticbiology.northwestern.edu/education/synthesizing-biology-across-scales.html 

Textbook/Required Materials

None