Non-coding rnas: junk or critical regulators in health and disease?

Lectures: 1 session / week, 2 hours / session

Recommended prerequisites are:

7.03 Genetics
7.05 General Biochemistry
7.06 Cell Biology
7.28 Molecular Biology

Every time we scientists think that we have dissected the precise biological nature of a process, an incidental finding, a brilliantly designed experiment, or an unexpected result can turn our world upside down. Non-coding RNAs, discovered through both luck and perseverance, are striking examples of this concept. Until recently thought by many to be cellular "junk" because they do not encode proteins, non-coding RNAs are gaining a growing recognition for their roles in the regulation of a wide scope of processes, ranging from embryogenesis and development to cancer and degenerative disorders. The aim of this class is to introduce the diversity of the RNA world, inhabited by microRNAs, lincRNAs, piRNAs, and many others. Our goal is to glean insights into the functional importance of these RNA molecules and to understand the mechanisms of their action. We will discuss landmark studies that offer a historical perspective as well as read papers from the latest issues of scientific journals to learn about the most recent developments in this rapidly evolving field. We will discover how changes in non-coding RNAs can lead to disease and how we can explore the therapeutic potential of non-coding RNAs.

This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

The main objectives of this course are to introduce students to the primary scientific literature and the process of reading research publications as well as to expose students to the rapidly developing field of noncoding RNAs. At the end of the class students should be able to:

For each class, students will be assigned to read two papers. Prior to each class, students should formulate two questions per paper. During each session, the group will discuss the articles as well as address students' questions, with emphasis placed on the experimental design, the use of control experiments, the details of experimental methodology, and the interpretation of experimental data. At the end of each session, the instructors will briefly introduce the papers for the next week.

Grading for this course is pass/fail and will depend on student attendance, preparedness, participation in class discussions, and completion of the required assignments.

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