Here’s the final exam.
And the paper we discussed in class: Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells for Sustained Remissions in Leukemia
Final Exam on April 29th
As we discussed, the final exam will be during class on April 29th. Here are the topics that the exam will cover:
- Beyond the Central Dogma: Mobile Genetic Elements, Ribozymes, The RNA World Hypothesis, Viruses
- Gene Therapy
- Immunotherapy: basics of cancer & the immune system, CAR T cells (including the paper we discussed)
Immunotherapy Materials
To follow up our discussion of immunotherapy, take a look at some of these news stories from NPR, as well as these videos from Nature. It may also be helpful to read this perspective on cancer.
Continue reading “Immunotherapy Materials”
Follow-up Reading
To get further acquainted with transposable elements, viruses, gene therapy, etc. please read the following:
- Essential Cell Biology chapter 9
- The Machinery of Life chapter 8
- MIT Technology Review article “Two sick children and a $1.5 million bill: One family’s race for a gene therapy cure“
Due Apr. 18th: Getting to Know a Scientist
In this assignment, you’ll get acquainted with a scientist actively working in the Biological Sciences at the molecular level through informational research that includes finding and reading a scientific journal article by this scientist (or her/his lab members) published within the past 5 years. Feel free to focus on a scientist you’ve heard from directly or heard about through the scientific talks you’ve attended this semester. If you have difficulty obtaining a journal article by this scientist, you may find it helpful to talk with our librarians. Once again, the assignment concludes with a short presentation; this time, your presentation should be a maximum of 5 slides with minimal text that
- explains this scientist’s work and its importance, and
- provides brief summary of the journal article.
Please submit your assignment through this form.
No Class Meeting on April 1st
There will be no class meeting on April 1st. I hope you can use the scheduling flexibility this might offer to start in on the Getting to Know a Scientist assignment or attend a scientific talk during the week.
Exam 1
Take the exam through this link.
The final questions in the exam refer to the journal article Corticosteroid-binding Globulin, a Structural Basis for Steroid Transport and Proteinase-triggered Release. The structure of cortisol is shown above. Continue reading “Exam 1”
Due Mar. 4th: Getting to Know a Protein & Its Gene
Now that we’ve gotten acquainted with the Central Dogma and protein structure & function, this is a good time to apply some of the topics we’ve covered to a particular protein. For this assignment Continue reading “Due Mar. 4th: Getting to Know a Protein & Its Gene”
Exam on Feb. 25th
We are on track to have our first exam during class time on Feb. 25th. This will cover
- Basic Cell Biology
- The Central Dogma
- Protein Structure & Function
The terms we’ve discussed in class below may show up on the exam.Please be aware that this is not an exhaustive list; if you think there is an important term not on this list, please make note of it. Continue reading “Exam on Feb. 25th”
On Feb. 18th: Coffee, Hot Sauce, Testosterone
Today, we’ll talk about protein structure and function with these journal articles:
Lesley University Cell & Molecular Biology 