Biology
Life, from molecules to ecosystems.
78 courses from MIT OpenCourseWare.
1.018J · Undergraduate · Fall 2009
We will cover fundamentals of ecology, considering Earth as an integrated dynamic system. Topics include coevolution of the biosphere, geosphere, atmosphere and oceans; photosynthesis and respiration; the hydrologic, carbon and nitrogen cycles. We will examine the flow of energy and materials through ecosystems; regulation of the distribution and abundance of organisms; structure and function of ecosystems, including evolution and natural selection; metabolic diversity; productivity; trophic dy…
2.79J · Graduate · Fall 2022
The goal of this course is to teach the principles of materials science, chemical and mechanical engineering, and cell biology underlying the use of materials for the development of implantable and injectable devices.
2.782J · Graduate · Spring 2025
This design course teaches a systematic approach for development of an implantable or injectable medical device to treat a specific and well-defined clinical problem, criteria for preparing applications to the US Food and Drug Administration for approval to conduct clinical trials, and the steps to start a company to make it available to the patient. Students work in teams to develop the design for an FDA Class III medical device or combination product (incorporating drugs and/or biologics). Th…
2.785J · Graduate · Fall 2016
This course teaches the effects of mechanical forces (strains) on cells and how cells generate mechanical forces by their contraction. Critical to both topics is the mechanical behavior of the extracellular matrix (ECM), which the cells have synthesized and remodeled. The ECM affects cell behavior by mediating exogenous mechanical strains, which stimulate certain cellular processes.
2.787J · Graduate · Fall 2024
This course presents the fundamentals of tissue engineering (TE) and organ regeneration (OR). Emphasis is on clinical translation and the development of workable medical devices. Topics include factors that prevent the spontaneous regeneration of tissues/organs in the adult (following traumatic injury, surgical excision, disease, and aging), and the cellular and molecular mechanisms that can identify the agents to employ therapeutically to enable induced regeneration. A principal focus is the a…
5.08J · Undergraduate · Spring 2016
This course is an advanced treatment of biochemical mechanisms that underlie biological processes. Topics include macromolecular machines such as the ribosome, the proteasome, fatty acid synthases as a paradigm for polyketide synthases and non-ribosomal polypeptide synthases, and polymerases. Emphasis will be given to the experimental methods used to unravel how these processes fit into the cellular context as well as the coordinated regulation of these processes.
5.95J · Graduate · Fall 2015
This participatory seminar focuses on the knowledge and skills necessary for teaching science and engineering in higher education. It is designed for graduate students interested in an academic career, and anyone else interested in teaching. Students research and present a relevant topic of particular interest. The subject is appropriate for both novices and those with teaching experience.
7.00 · Undergraduate · Fall 2021
<p>During Fall 2021, all MIT students and the general public are welcome to join Professors Richard Young and Facundo Batista as they discuss the science of the COVID-19 pandemic. The livestream of the lectures is available to the public, but only registered students are able to ask questions during the Q&A.</p> <p>Lectures will be given by leading experts on the fundamentals of coronavirus and host cell biology, immunology, epidemiology, clinical disease, and vaccine and therapeutic develo…
7.00 · Undergraduate · Fall 2020
<p>During Fall 2020, all MIT students and the general public were welcomed to join Professors Richard Young and Facundo Batista as they discussed the science of the pandemic during this new class. The livestream of the lectures was available to the public, but only registered students were able to ask questions during the Q&A. </p> <p>Special guest speakers included: Drs. Anthony Fauci, David Baltimore, James Bradner, Victoria Clark, Kizzmekia Corbett, Britt Glaunsinger, Akiko Iwa…
7.01SC · Undergraduate · Fall 2011
<p><em>Fundamentals of Biology</em> focuses on the basic principles of biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, and recombinant DNA. These principles are necessary to understanding the basic mechanisms of life and anchor the biological knowledge that is required to understand many of the challenges in everyday life, from human health and disease to loss of biodiversity and environmental quality.</p> Course Format <hr> <p> This course has been designed for independent study. It consists of fou…
7.002 · Undergraduate · Spring 2025
7.002 is a laboratory course that teaches fundamental skills for performing biological research. Through experiments with an <em>E. coli</em> bacterial ATPase called ClpX, you will learn essential molecular biology techniques commonly used in modern research labs. These techniques include site-directed mutagenesis, DNA isolation, molecular cloning, bacteria transformations, recombinant protein expression and purification, gel electrophoresis, and western blotting. Learning these techniques will…
7.02CI · Undergraduate · Spring 2005
This course is the scientific communications portion of course 7.02, Experimental Biology and Communication. Students develop their skills as writers of scientific research, skills that also contribute to the learning of the 7.02 course materials. Through in class and out of class writing exercises, students explore the genre of the research article and its components while developing an understanding of the materials covered in the 7.02 laboratory.
7.03 · Undergraduate · Fall 2004
This course discusses the principles of genetics with application to the study of biological function at the level of molecules, cells, and multicellular organisms, including humans. The topics include: structure and function of genes, chromosomes and genomes, biological variation resulting from recombination, mutation, and selection, population genetics, use of genetic methods to analyze protein function, gene regulation and inherited disease.
7.003 · Undergraduate · Spring 2022
7.003 is an experimental biology course. You will spend most of your time in the teaching laboratory practicing fundamental techniques in molecular biology, genetics, and cell biology, and working with the model organism <em>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</em> (budding yeast). In addition to learning how to accurately and safely perform these techniques, we want to help you understand how and why they work and what scientific questions they can address. The goal is for you to be able to design your o…
7.05 · Undergraduate · Spring 2020
<p>This course focuses on contributions of biochemistry toward an understanding of the structure and functioning of organisms, tissues, and cells. Topics include:</p> <ul> <li>Chemistry and functions of constituents of cells and tissues and the chemical and physical-chemical basis for the structures of nucleic acids, proteins, and carbohydrates.</li> <li>Basic enzymology and biochemical reaction mechanisms involved in macromolecular synthesis and degradation, signaling, transport, and movement.…
7.012 · Undergraduate · Fall 2004
<p>The MIT Biology Department core courses, 7.012, 7.013, and 7.014, all cover the same core material, which includes the fundamental principles of biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology, and cell biology. Biological function at the molecular level is particularly emphasized and covers the structure and regulation of genes, as well as, the structure and synthesis of proteins, how these molecules are integrated into cells, and how these cells are integrated into multicellular systems and orga…
7.013 · Undergraduate · Spring 2018
The MIT Biology Department core Introductory Biology courses, 7.012, 7.013, 7.014, 7.015, and 7.016 all cover the same core material, which includes the fundamental principles of biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology, and cell biology. The focus of 7.013 is on genomic approaches to human biology, including neuroscience, development, immunology, tissue repair and stem cells, tissue engineering, and infectious and inherited diseases, including cancer.
7.013 · Undergraduate · Spring 2013
<p>The MIT Biology Department core courses, 7.012, 7.013, and 7.014, all cover the same core material, which includes the fundamental principles of biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology, and cell biology. 7.013 focuses on the application of the fundamental principles toward an understanding of human biology. Topics include genetics, cell biology, molecular biology, disease (infectious agents, inherited diseases and cancer), developmental biology, neurobiology and evolution.</p> <p>Biologica…
7.13 · Undergraduate · Fall 2008
<p>In this class, students engage in independent research projects to probe various aspects of the physiology of the bacterium <em>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</em> PA14, an opportunistic pathogen isolated from the lungs of cystic fibrosis patients. Students use molecular genetics to examine survival in stationary phase, antibiotic resistance, phase variation, toxin production, and secondary metabolite production.</p> <p>Projects aim to discover the molecular basis for these processes using both…
7.014 · Undergraduate · Spring 2005
<p>The MIT Biology Department core courses, 7.012, 7.013, and 7.014, all cover the same core material, which includes the fundamental principles of biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology, and cell biology. Biological function at the molecular level is particularly emphasized and covers the structure and regulation of genes, as well as, the structure and synthesis of proteins, how these molecules are integrated into cells, and how these cells are integrated into multicellular systems and orga…
7.15 · Undergraduate · Spring 2015
<p>This project-based laboratory course provides students with in-depth experience in experimental molecular genetics, using modern methods of molecular biology and genetics to conduct original research. The course is geared towards students (including sophomores) who have a strong interest in a future career in biomedical research. This semester will focus on chemical genetics using <em>Caenorhabditis elegans</em> as a model system. Students will gain experience in research rationale and metho…
7.016 · Undergraduate · Fall 2018
<p><em>7.016 Introductory Biology</em> provides an introduction to fundamental principles of biochemistry, molecular biology, and genetics for understanding the functions of living systems. Taught for the first time in Fall 2013, this course covers examples of the use of chemical biology and twenty-first-century molecular genetics in understanding human health and therapeutic intervention.</p> <p>The MIT Biology Department Introductory Biology courses 7.012, 7.013, 7.014, 7.015, and 7.016 …
7.16 · Undergraduate · Spring 2005
The course applies molecular biology and reverse genetics approaches to the study of apoptosis, or programmed cell death (PCD), in Drosophila cells. RNA interference (RNAi), or double stranded RNA-mediated gene silencing, will be used to inhibit expression of candidate apoptosis-related genes in cultured Drosophila cells. Teams of 2 or 3 students will design and carry out experiments to address questions about the genes involved in the regulation and execution of PCD in this system. Some projec…
7.18 · Undergraduate · Fall 2005
<p>This independent experimental study course is designed to allow students with a strong interest in independent research to fulfill the project laboratory requirement for the Biology Department Program in the context of a research laboratory at MIT. The research should be a continuation of a previous project under the direction of a member of the Biology Department faculty.</p> <p>This course provides instruction and practice in written and oral communication. Journal club discussions are use…
7.22 · Undergraduate · Fall 2005
This graduate and advanced undergraduate level lecture and literature discussion course covers the current understanding of the molecular mechanisms that regulate animal development. Evolutionary mechanisms are emphasized as well as the discussion of relevant diseases. Vertebrate (mouse, chick, frog, fish) and invertebrate (fly, worm) models are covered. Specific topics include formation of early body plan, cell type determination, organogenesis, morphogenesis, stem cells, cloning, and issues i…
7.27 · Undergraduate · Spring 2006
This course covers current understanding of, and modern approaches to human disease, emphasizing the molecular and cellular basis of both genetic disease and cancer. Topics include: The Genetics of Simple and Complex Traits; Karyotypic Analysis and Positional Cloning; Genetic Diagnosis; The Roles of Oncogenes and Tumor Suppressors in Tumor Initiation, Progression, and Treatment; The Interaction between Genetics and Environment; Animal Models of Human Disease; Cancer; and Conventional and Gene T…
7.29J · Undergraduate · Spring 2012
This course serves as an introduction to the structure and function of the nervous system. Emphasis is placed on the cellular properties of neurons and other excitable cells. Topics covered include the structure and biophysical properties of excitable cells, synaptic transmission, neurochemistry, neurodevelopment, and the integration of information in simple systems and the visual system.
7.60 · Graduate · Spring 2010
The goal of this course is to teach both the fundamentals of nuclear cell biology as well as the methodological and experimental approaches upon which they are based. Lectures and class discussions will cover the background and fundamental findings in a particular area of nuclear cell biology. The assigned readings will provide concrete examples of the experimental approaches and logic used to establish these findings. Some examples of topics include genome and systems biology, transcription, a…
7.88J · Graduate · Spring 2015
This course covers amino acid sequence control of protein folding, misfolding, amyloid polymerization and aggregation. Readings and discussions address topics such as chaperone structure and function, folding and assembly of fibrous proteins, and pathologies associated with protein misfolding and aggregation in Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s and other protein deposition diseases. Students are required to write and present a research paper.
7.89J · Graduate · Fall 2010
<p>This is a seminar based on research literature. Papers covered are selected to illustrate important problems and approaches in the field of computational and systems biology, and provide students a framework from which to evaluate new developments.</p> <p>The MIT Initiative in Computational and Systems Biology (CSBi) is a campus-wide research and education program that links biology, engineering, and computer science in a multidisciplinary approach to the systematic analysis and modeling of …
7.90J · Graduate · Spring 2005
The course focuses on casting contemporary problems in systems biology and functional genomics in computational terms and providing appropriate tools and methods to solve them. Topics include genome structure and function, transcriptional regulation, and stem cell biology in particular; measurement technologies such as microarrays (expression, protein-DNA interactions, chromatin structure); statistical data analysis, predictive and causal inference, and experiment design. The emphasis is on cou…
7.A12 · Undergraduate · Fall 2005
Since the discovery of the structure of the DNA double helix in 1953 by Watson and Crick, the information on detailed molecular structures of DNA and RNA, namely, the foundation of genetic material, has expanded rapidly. This discovery is the beginning of the “Big Bang” of molecular biology and biotechnology. In this seminar, students discuss, from a historical perspective and current developments, the importance of pursuing the detailed structural basis of genetic materials.
8.591J · Graduate · Fall 2004
This course introduces the mathematical modeling techniques needed to address key questions in modern biology. An overview of modeling techniques in molecular biology and genetics, cell biology and developmental biology is covered. Key experiments that validate mathematical models are also discussed, as well as molecular, cellular, and developmental systems biology, bacterial chemotaxis, genetic oscillators, control theory and genetic networks, and gradient sensing systems. Additional specific …
8.591J · Graduate, Undergraduate · Fall 2014
This course provides an introduction to cellular and population-level systems biology with an emphasis on synthetic biology, modeling of genetic networks, cell-cell interactions, and evolutionary dynamics. Cellular systems include genetic switches and oscillators, network motifs, genetic network evolution, and cellular decision-making. Population-level systems include models of pattern formation, cell-cell communication, and evolutionary systems biology.
8.592J · Graduate · Spring 2011
Statistical Physics in Biology is a survey of problems at the interface of statistical physics and modern biology. Topics include: bioinformatic methods for extracting information content of DNA; gene finding, sequence comparison, and phylogenetic trees; physical interactions responsible for structure of biopolymers; DNA double helix, secondary structure of RNA, and elements of protein folding; considerations of force, motion, and packaging; protein motors, membranes. We also look at collective…
15.136J · Graduate · Fall 2013
This course serves as a description and critical assessment of the major issues and stages of developing a pharmaceutical or biopharmaceutical. Topics covered include drug discovery, preclinical development, clinical investigation, manufacturing and regulatory issues considered for small and large molecules, and economic and financial considerations of the drug development process. A multidisciplinary perspective is provided by the faculty, who represent clinical, life, and management sciences.…
22.55J · Graduate · Fall 2004
The central theme of this course is the interaction of radiation with biological material. The course is intended to provide a broad understanding of how different types of radiation deposit energy, including the creation and behavior of secondary radiations; of how radiation affects cells and why the different types of radiation have very different biological effects. Topics will include: the effects of radiation on biological systems including DNA damage; in vitro cell survival models; and in…
HST.021 · Graduate · January IAP 2006
This course covers the growth, development and structure of normal bone and joints, the biomechanics of bone connective tissues, and their response to stress, calcium and phosphate homeostasis. Additional topics include regulation by parathyroid hormone and vitamin D, the pathogenesis of metabolic bone diseases and diseases of connective tissues, joints and muscle with consideration of possible mechanisms and underlying metabolic derangements.
HST.035 · Graduate · Spring 2003
<p>This course provides a comprehensive overview of human pathology with emphasis on mechanisms of disease and diagnostic medicine. Topics include:</p> <ul> <li>Cellular Mechanisms of Disease</li> <li>Molecular Pathology</li> <li>Pathology of Major Organ Systems</li> <li>Review of Diagnostic Tools from Traditional Surgical Pathology to Diagnostic Spectroscopy</li> <li>Functional and Molecular Imaging</li> <li>Molecular Diagnostics</li> </ul> <p>In addition to lectures, one of the two weekly ses…
HST.071 · Graduate · Fall 2005
This course is designed to give the student a clear understanding of the pathophysiology of the menstrual cycle, fertilization, implantation, ovum growth development, differentiation and associated abnormalities. Disorders of fetal development including the principles of teratology and the mechanism of normal and abnormal parturition will be covered as well as the pathophysiology of the breast and disorders of lactation. Fetal asphyxia and its consequences will be reviewed with emphasis on the …
HST.121 · Graduate · Fall 2005
The most recent knowledge of the anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, biophysics, and bioengineering of the gastrointestinal tract and the associated pancreatic, liver and biliary tract systems is presented and discussed. Gross and microscopic pathology and the clinical aspects of important gastroenterological diseases are then presented, with emphasis on integrating the molecular, cellular and pathophysiological aspects of the disease processes to their related symptoms and signs.
HST.131 · Graduate · Fall 2005
The course will span modern neuroscience from molecular neurobiology to perception and cognition, including the following major topics: anatomy and development of the brain; cell biology of neurons and glia; ion channels and electrical signaling; synaptic transmission, integration, and chemical systems of the brain; sensory systems, from transduction to perception; motor systems; and higher brain functions dealing with memory, language, and affective disorders.
HST.151 · Graduate · Spring 2005
The object of the course is to teach students an approach to the study of pharmacologic agents. It is not intended to be a review of the pharmacopoeia. The focus is on the basic principles of biophysics, biochemistry and physiology, as related to the mechanisms of drug action, biodistribution and metabolism. The course consists of lectures and student-led case discussions. Topics covered include: mechanisms of drug action, dose-response relations, pharmacokinetics, drug delivery systems, drug m…
HST.161 · Graduate · Fall 2007
This course provides a foundation for understanding the relationship between molecular biology, developmental biology, genetics, genomics, bioinformatics, and medicine. It develops explicit connections between basic research, medical understanding, and the perspective of patients. Principles of human genetics are reviewed. We translate clinical understanding into analysis at the level of the gene, chromosome and molecule; we cover the concepts and techniques of molecular biology and genomics, a…
HST.176 · Graduate · Fall 2005
<p>This course covers cells and tissues of the immune system, lymphocyte development, the structure and function of antigen receptors, the cell biology of antigen processing and presentation, including molecular structure and assembly of MHC molecules, the biology of cytokines, leukocyte-endothelial interactions, and the pathogenesis of immunologically mediated diseases. The course is structured as a series of lectures and tutorials in which clinical cases are discussed with faculty tutors.</p>…
HST.502 · Graduate · Spring 2003
<p>This course is designed to provide graduate students and postdoctoral associates with techniques that enhance both validity and responsible conduct in scientific practice. Lectures present practical steps for developing skills in scientific research and are combined with discussion of cases. The course covers study design, preparation of proposals and manuscripts, peer review, authorship, use of humans and non-human animals in research, allegations of misconduct, and intellectual proper…
HST.508 · Graduate · Fall 2005
This course provides a foundation in the following four areas: evolutionary and population genetics; comparative genomics; structural genomics and proteomics; and functional genomics and regulation.
HST.508 · Graduate, Undergraduate · Fall 2002
This course will assess the relationships among sequence, structure, and function in complex biological networks as well as progress in realistic modeling of quantitative, comprehensive, functional genomics analyses. Exercises will include algorithmic, statistical, database, and simulation approaches and practical applications to medicine, biotechnology, drug discovery, and genetic engineering. Future opportunities and current limitations will be critically addressed. In addition to the regular…
HST.510 · Graduate · Fall 2005
This course will focus on understanding aspects of modern technology displaying exponential growth curves and the impact on global quality of life through a weekly updated class project integrating knowledge and providing practical tools for political and business decision-making concerning new aspects of bioengineering, personalized medicine, genetically modified organisms, and stem cells. Interplays of economic, ethical, ecological, and biophysical modeling will be explored through multi-disc…
HST.512 · Graduate · Spring 2004
<p>This course reviews the key genomic technologies and computational approaches that are driving advances in prognostics, diagnostics, and treatment. Throughout the semester, emphasis will return to issues surrounding the context of genomics in medicine including: what does a physician need to know? what sorts of questions will s/he likely encounter from patients? how should s/he respond? Lecturers will guide the student through real world patient-doctor interactions. Outcome considerations an…
HST.535 · Graduate · Fall 2004
<p>The principles and practice of tissue engineering (and regenerative medicine) are taught by faculty of the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology (HST) and Tsinghua University, Beijing, China. The principles underlying strategies for employing selected cells, biomaterial scaffolds, soluble regulators or their genes, and mechanical loading and culture conditions, for the regeneration of tissues and organs <em>in vitro</em> and <em>in vivo</em> are addressed. Differentiated cel…
HST.583 · Graduate · Fall 2008
<p>This team-taught multidisciplinary course provides information relevant to the conduct and interpretation of human brain mapping studies. It begins with in-depth coverage of the physics of image formation, mechanisms of image contrast, and the physiological basis for image signals. Parenchymal and cerebrovascular neuroanatomy and application of sophisticated structural analysis algorithms for segmentation and registration of functional data are discussed. Additional topics include: fMRI expe…
HST.584J · Graduate · Spring 2006
This course is an introduction to basic NMR theory. Examples of biochemical data obtained using NMR are summarized along with other related experiments. Students participate in detailed study of NMR imaging techniques, including discussions of basic cross-sectional image reconstruction, image contrast, flow and real-time imaging, and hardware design considerations. Exposure to laboratory NMR spectroscopic and imaging equipment is included.
HST.590 · Graduate · Fall 2006
This course consists of a series of seminars focused on the development of professional skills. Each semester focuses on a different topic, resulting in a repeating cycle that covers medical ethics, responsible conduct of research, written and oral technical communication, and translational issues. Material and activities include guest lectures, case studies, interactive small group discussions, and role-playing simulations.
HST.590 · Graduate · Fall 2005
This seminar based course explores techniques for recognizing, analyzing, and resolving ethical dilemmas facing healthcare professionals and biomedical researchers in today’s highly regulated environment. Guest lectures by practicing clinicians, technologists, researchers, and regulators will include case studies, interactive small group discussions, and role-playing simulations. Professional conduct topics will include authorship, conflict of interest, data acquisition and management, and the …
HST.720 · Graduate · Fall 2004
Topics for this course are based primarily on reading and discussions of original research literature that cover the analysis as well as the underlying physical and physiological mechanisms of acoustic signals in the auditory periphery. Topics include the acoustics, mechanics, and hydrodynamics of sound transmission; the biophysical basis for cochlear amplification; the physiology of hair-cell transduction and synaptic transmission; efferent feedback control; the analysis and coding of simple a…
HST.721 · Graduate · Fall 2005
In this course, experimental approaches to the study of hearing and deafness are presented through lectures, laboratory exercises and discussions of the primary literature on the auditory periphery. Topics include inner-ear development, functional anatomy of the inner ear, cochlear mechanics and micromechanics, mechano-electric transduction by hair cells, outer hair cells’ electromotility and the cochlear amplifier, otoacoustic emissions, synaptic transmission, stimulus coding in auditory nerve…
HST.725 · Graduate · Spring 2009
This course is a survey of perceptual and cognitive aspects of the psychology of music, with special emphasis on underlying neuronal and neurocomputational representations and mechanisms. Basic perceptual dimensions of hearing (pitch, timbre, consonance/roughness, loudness, auditory grouping) form salient qualities, contrasts, patterns and streams that are used in music to convey melody, harmony, rhythm and separate voices. Perceptual, cognitive, and neurophysiological aspects of the temporal d…
HST.730 · Graduate · Fall 2002
An introductory course in the molecular biology of the auditory system. First half focuses on human genetics and molecular biology, covering fundamentals of pedigree analysis, linkage analysis, molecular cloning, and gene analysis as well as ethical/legal issues, all in the context of an auditory disorder. Second half emphasizes molecular approaches to function and dysfunction of the cochlea, and is based on readings and discussion of research literature.
HST.750 · Graduate · Spring 2006
This course explores the theory and practice of scientific modeling in the context of auditory and speech biophysics. Based on seminar-style discussions of the research literature, the class draws on examples from hearing and speech, and explores general, meta-theoretical issues that transcend the particular subject matter. Examples include: What is a model? What is the process of model building? What are the different approaches to modeling? What is the relationship between theory and experime…
HST.921 · Graduate · Spring 2009
<p>This innovative, trans-faculty subject teaches how information technologies (IT) are reshaping and redefining the health care marketplace through improved economies of scale, greater technical efficiencies in the delivery of care to patients, advanced tools for patient education and self-care, network integrated decision support tools for clinicians, and the emergence of e-commerce in health care. Student tutorials provide an opportunity for interactive discussion. Interdisciplinary project …
HST.930J · Graduate · Fall 2005
In this course, social, ethical and clinical issues associated with the development of new biotechnologies and their integration into clinical practice is discussed. Basic scientists, clinicians, bioethicists, and social scientists present on the following four general topics: changing political economy of biotech research; problems associated with the adaption of new biotechnologies and findings from molecular biology for clinical settings; the ethical issues that emerge from clinical research…
HST.934J · Graduate · Spring 2010
This class provides a space for medical students and MD/PhD students, as well as HASTS (History, Anthropology, Science, Technology, and Society) PhD students to discuss social and ethical issues in the biosciences and biotechnologies as they are being developed. Discussions are with course faculty and with leading figures in developing technologies such as George Daley or George Church in stem cell or genomics research, Bruce Walker or Pardis Sabeti in setting up laboratories in Africa, Paul Fa…
HST.935 · Graduate · January IAP 2007
This eight-session course, designed for a mixed group of first, second, third and fourth-year medical students, uses literary narratives and poetry to study ethical issues in medicine. This methodology emphasizes the importance of context, contingency, and circumstances in recognizing, evaluating, and resolving moral problems. The seminar will focus on developing the skills of critical and reflective reading that increase effectiveness in clinical medicine. Texts will include short fiction and …
HST.936x · Graduate · Spring 2020
<p>This course will explore innovations in information systems for health care delivery in developing countries, and focus not only on the importance of technology, but also on broader issues necessary for its success, such as quality improvement, project management, and leadership skills. </p> <p>This course is targeted toward individuals interested in designing or implementing a health information and communication technology (ICT) solution in the developing world. Implementing a health …
HST.939 · Graduate · Spring 2008
<p>Innovation in global health practice requires leaders who are trained to think and act like entrepreneurs. Whether at a hospital bedside or in a remote village, global healthcare leaders must understand both the business of running a social venture as well as how to plan for and provide access to life saving medicines and essential health services.</p> <p>Each week, the course features a lecture and skills-based tutorial session led by industry, non-profit foundation, technology, and academi…
HST.947 · Graduate · Spring 2005
This course provides an intensive introduction to artificial intelligence and its applications to problems of medical diagnosis, therapy selection, and monitoring and learning from databases. It meets with lectures and recitations of 6.034 Artificial Intelligence, whose material is supplemented by additional medical-specific readings in a weekly discussion session. Students are responsible for completing all homework assignments in 6.034 and for additional problems and/or papers.
HST.952 · Graduate · Fall 2002
<p>This course introduces abstraction as an important mechanism for problem decomposition and solution formulation in the biomedical domain, and examines computer representation, storage, retrieval, and manipulation of biomedical data. As part of the course, we will briefly examine the effect of programming paradigm choice on problem-solving approaches, and introduce data structures and algorithms. We will also examine knowledge representation schemes for capturing biomedical domain complexity …
HST.953 · Graduate · Fall 2020
<p>This course provides an introductory survey of data science tools in healthcare. It was created by members of MIT Critical Data, a global consortium consisting of healthcare practitioners, computer scientists, and engineers from academia, industry, and government, that seeks to place data and research at the front and center of healthcare operations.</p> <p>The most daunting global health issues right now are the result of interconnected crises. In this course, we highlight the importan…
HST.S14 · Graduate, Undergraduate · Spring 2012
<p>This course is a collaborative offering of Sana, Partners in Health, and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). The goal of this course is the development of innovations in information systems for developing countries that will (1) translate into improvement in health outcomes, (2) strengthen the existing organizational infrastructure, and (3) create a collaborative ecosystem to maximize the value of these innovations. The course will be taught by guest speakers who are internationa…
RES.7-001 · Non-Credit · Summer 2019
<p>This self-paced course was originally designed to help prepare incoming MIT students for their first Introductory Biology Course (known at MIT as 7.01). It will also be useful for anyone preparing to take an equivalent college-level introductory biology class elsewhere. It includes lecture videos, interactive exercises, problem sets, and one exam. Lecture Topics: Molecules of Life, The Cell and How it Works, Information Transfer in Biology, Inheritance and Genetics, and Building w…
RES.7-003 · Non-Credit · Fall 2020
<p>Utopia or dystopia? It’s up to us.</p> <p>In the 21st century, powerful technologies have been appearing at a breathtaking pace—related to the internet, artificial intelligence, genetic engineering, and more. They have amazing potential upsides, but we can’t ignore the serious risks that come with them.</p> <p><em>Brave New Planet</em> is a podcast that delves deep into the most exciting and challenging scientific frontiers, helping us understand them and grapple with their implications. Dr.…
RES.7-004 · Non-Credit · Spring 2021
<p>BioNook is Whitehead Institute’s online biology resource, offering exciting learning enrichment for students, parents and teachers. Find videos, podcasts and stories on Whitehead Institute Science, as well as virtual workshop opportunities through BioNook’s After School Science Club, and ideas for nature-based activities.</p> <p>Explore free materials on biology and research—from deep explorations of how science is done, to stories following the lives of scientists, to suggestions for fun ou…
RES.7-005 · Undergraduate, Graduate, Non-Credit · Fall 2021
The MIT Biology Department supports TAs’ teaching by providing a specialized Teaching Assistant (TA) training program in Biology Pedagogy, for which TAs can earn a training certificate. This program has been developed in response to the feedback of previous TAs, and is designed to actively meet each TA’s needs as they are teaching. It provides practical knowledge that directly relates to their teaching responsibilities each week, and provides them with the opportunity to practice different skil…
RES.7-006 · Non-Credit · Spring 2023
<p>In this course, you will learn the principles of genetics with application to the study of biological function at the level of molecules, cells, and multicellular organisms, including humans. We will cover structure and function of genes, chromosomes, and genomes; biological variation resulting from recombination, mutation, and selection; population genetics; and the use of genetic methods to modify genes and genomes and analyze protein function, gene regulation, and inherited disease.</p> <…
RES.7-007 · Non-Credit · Spring 2023
<p>In this course, you will engage in the biology of cells of higher organisms. You will study the structure, function, and biosynthesis of cellular membranes and organelles; cell growth and oncogenic transformation; transport, receptors, and cell signaling; the cytoskeleton, the extracellular matrix, and cell movements; cell division and cell cycle; functions of specialized cell types. This course emphasizes the current molecular knowledge of cell biological processes as well as the genetic, b…
RES.7-008 · Undergraduate, Graduate · Spring 2023
<p>This course is an in-depth adventure through the molecular mechanisms that control the maintenance, expression, and evolution of prokaryotic and eukaryotic genomes. Through lectures and readings of relevant literature, students will explore gene regulation, DNA replication, genetic recombination, transcription, and mRNA translation. The quizzes are designed to build students’ experimental design and data analysis skills.</p> <p>This course, based on the MIT course <em>7.28/7.58 Molecula…
RES.7-009 · Non-Credit · Fall 2022
<p>The Inclusive Teaching Module is both a standalone online resource for those looking to explore materials related to inclusive teaching as well as an integral part of a blended workshop available to use at your own institution. If you are looking to facilitate a blended workshop using this material, please download the Facilitation Guide and Appendix files to get started! </p> <p>As part of the Open Learning Library (OLL), this course is free to use. You have the option to sign up and e…