The Inner Workings of Cells, Winter 2008

Cellular function lies at the root of all complex and simple biological systems. This course will expose you to the fundamental mechanisms that allow cells to maintain the system of proteins and biomolecules required for them to replicate with high fidelity, to maintain stable functional states, to differentiate in response to external cues and to ultimately form complex organizations of cells (i.e., tissues). We will apply an experimental approach to a classic problem in cell biology. We will master “blackboard” experimental techniques to allow us to explore the remarkable transformation of a monolayer of cells after being “wounded.” Under such conditions, cells surrounding the wound change their organization and programming in order to migrate, divide, and differentiate to fill in the wound.