Harvard:Biophysics 101/2007

Students who wish to take the class: visit the Schedule page and click on February 1.

Course overview

Focuses on modern technologies with exponential growth and their impact on global quality of life through weekly updated Wiki class project (in-depth case studies on personal genomics and/or biofuels). Integrating knowledge, tools for research, and commercial decision-making concerning new aspects of bioengineering, personalized medicine, genetically modified organisms, and stem cells. Interplays of biophysical, ecological, economic, and social/ethical modeling will be explored through multi-disciplinary teams of students, and individual brief reports.

Potential course projects

Earth 2.0

• Analytic: Bioweather map. Collection and use of real-time assays to track virus outbreaks, etc.
• Synthetic: Bioenergy. Integrated metabolic, genetic, economic, process, environmental modeling.

H. sapiens 2.0

• Analytic: Personal Genome Project. What could we do with a ten (or a million) full genome (or exome) sequences?
• Synthetic: Cell therapies – See http://www.synberc.org/testbeds.html#cancerkiller for more info

Logistics

• Meeting time: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10:00—11:30 am
• First class Thu 1-Feb-2007.
• Location: Barker Center, Room 316
• No exams
• No prerequisites
• Grading
  • 25% Participation
  • 25% Personal wiki page (weekly assignments)
  • 25% 5-minute presentations
  • 25% Contribution to group project

Background Info and previous class projects

• 2005
• 2003 and earlier