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所在平台: Coursera |
课程主页: https://www.coursera.org/learn/dna-decoded
课程评论：没有评论
课程名称：DNA解码 课程概述：你是一个活生生的生物吗？那么，恭喜你！你拥有DNA。但你对这些微观分子了解多少呢？ DNA被称为“生命的蓝图”是为什么？什么是“DNA指纹”？科学家如何克隆DNA？DNA能教会你关于家庭历史的什么？转基因生物（GMO）安全吗？是否有可能通过克隆DNA复活恐龙？ 《DNA解码》课程将解答这些问题。课程由来自麦克马斯特大学的生物化学家Felicia Vulcu和Caitlin Mullarkey主讲，探索DNA的结构、科学家如何破解遗传密码以及我们的DNA能告诉我们哪些关于自己的信息。在这个过程中，你将学习科学家用来分析遗传风险、操纵DNA和开发新治疗方法的实用技术。并且，进入我们的虚拟实验室，进行现场DNA分析，破案解决谋杀案。 课程大纲： 1. 破解遗传密码：探索DNA的分子结构，包括其基本构件和在细胞内的位置，学习沃森和克里克如何揭示DNA的双螺旋结构及其功能调控。 2. 传递信息：转录、翻译和复制：解释DNA作为“生命蓝图”的含义，揭示RNA如何复制并转化基因信息为蛋白质，并讨论基因信息的传递及其潜在问题。 3. 操纵DNA：学习科学家如何利用基因工程对DNA进行操作，包括隔离基因和将其插入质粒DNA及转基因生物的伦理和安全性讨论。 4. DNA与我：探讨个人DNA的信息，了解99%与他人相同的基因和少于1%的独特性，包括人类基因组计划与基因组关联研究，和古老DNA研究是否能复活灭绝物种的可能性。 加入《DNA解码》，带你深入了解DNA背后的科学与应用。
Name:Cracking the Genetic Code
Description:In this module, we'll explore the molecular structure of DNA. What is DNA? What are the basic building blocks of DNA? Where can you find DNA within a cell? We'll learn about how James Watson and Francis Crick were able to solve the riddle of the molecular structure of DNA by building on the work of other scientists. Their groundbreaking discovery revealed that four nucleobases (adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine) combine with sugar and phosphate molecules to form the familiar double helix of DNA. We'll take a look at how the molecular structure of DNA regulates its functions; for example, how the chemical bonds (covalent and noncovalent) between these molecules allow DNA to "unzip" during replication. Then we'll take a look at how you manage to fit over three billion base pairs into each of your cells. (Here's a hint: Histones, nucleosomes, and chromosomes would be great at packing for a trip!)
Name:Getting the Message Across: Transcription, Translation, and Replication
Description:We've all heard DNA described as "the blueprint of life," but what does that actually mean? Each one of the approximately 20,000 genes in our bodies contains the instructions for building a protein. In this module, we'll explain how RNA copies the genetic information contained in our genes and uses this information to assemble amino acids into proteins. Scientists call this concept "Central Dogma": DNA makes RNA and RNA makes protein. We'll also explore how we transmit genetic information from one cell to another -- and what happens when things go wrong. Along the way, we'll learn about techniques (such as polymerase chain reactions and gel electrophoresis) that forensic scientists use in DNA fingerprinting. Join us this week for murder and mayhem in the lab!
Name:Manipulating DNA
Description:In this module, we'll explore the techniques scientists use to manipulate DNA. Genetic engineering has allowed us to increase crop yields, diagnose illnesses, develop vaccines, and manufacture insulin. By carefully selecting a pair of molecular scissors (restriction enzymes), scientists are able to isolate a gene of interest and insert it into plasmid DNA, turning a common bacteria (E. coli) into a molecular copying machine. This week, we'll learn that mutations are genetic errors, but that not all mutations are necessarily bad — in fact, some mutations confer a selective advantage that protects against disease. We'll explain what genetically modified organisms are (and what they are not) and weigh in on the heated debates about the ethics and safety of GMOs in popular media.
Name:DNA and Me
Description:What does your DNA say about you? You may have heard that you share 99% of your genetic material with everyone else on the planet. That's true, but this week we're going to take a look at the less than 1% that makes you unique. We'll kick off by discussing the Human Genome Project, the massive scientific collaboration that mapped out the sequence of all our genetic material. The technologies developed while mapping out the human genome ushered in a new age in DNA research. Now, genome-wide association studies can analyze massive amounts of data, searching for genetic variations that are associated with particular diseases. Pharmacogenomics may help determine which drugs are likely be most effective for you. Genetic genealogy tests (such as Ancestry DNA, 23 and Me, and Family Tree DNA) will allow you to trace random mutations in your DNA that can provide clues to your ethnic heritage. As an added bonus, we'll discuss whether it would be possible to revive extinct species by studying ancient DNA.
Are you a living creature? Then, congratulations! You’ve got DNA. But how much do you really know about the microscopic molecules that make you unique? Why is DNA called the “blueprint of life”? What is a “DNA fingerprint”? How do scientists clone DNA? What can DNA teach you about your family history? Are Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) safe? Is it possible to revive dinosaurs by cloning their DNA? DNA Decoded answers these questions and more. If you’re curious about DNA, join Felicia Vulcu and Caitlin Mullarkey, two biochemists from McMaster University, as they explore the structure of DNA, how scientists cracked the genetic code, and what our DNA can tell us about ourselves. Along the way, you’ll learn about the practical techniques that scientists use to analyze our genetic risks, to manipulate DNA, and to develop new treatments for a range of different diseases. Then, step into our virtual lab to perform your own forensic DNA analysis of samples from a crime scene and solve a murder.
