This class is a project-based introduction to the engineering of synthetic biological systems. Throughout the term, students develop projects that are responsive to real-world problems of their choosing, and whose solutions depend on biological technologies. Lectures, discussions, and studio exercises will introduce (1) components and control of prokaryotic and eukaryotic behavior, (2) DNA synthesis, standards, and abstraction in biological engineering, and (3) issues of human practice, including biological safety; security; ownership, sharing, and innovation; and ethics. Enrollment preference is given to freshmen.
This subject was originally developed and first taught in Spring 2008 by Drew Endy and Natalie Kuldell. Many of Drew’s materials are used in this Spring 2009 version, and are included with his permission.
This OCW Web site is based on the OpenWetWare class Wiki, found at OpenWetWare: 20.020 (S09)

The MIT Biology Department core courses, 7.012, 7.013, and 7.014, all cover the same core material, which includes the fundamental principles of biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology, and cell biology. Biological function at the molecular level is particularly emphasized and covers the structure and regulation of genes, as well as, the structure and synthesis of proteins, how these molecules are integrated into cells, and how these cells are integrated into multicellular systems and organisms. In addition, each version of the subject has its own distinctive material.
7.012 focuses on the exploration of current research in cell biology, immunology, neurobiology, genomics, and molecular medicine.
Acknowledgments
The study materials, problem sets, and quiz materials used during Fall 2004 for 7.012 include contributions from past instructors, teaching assistants, and other members of the MIT Biology Department affiliated with course #7.012. Since the following works have evolved over a period of many years, no single source can be attributed.

Students learn how engineers apply their understanding of DNA to manipulate specific genes to produce desired traits, and how engineers have used this practice to address current problems facing humanity. They learn what genetic engineering means and examples of its applications, as well as moral and ethical problems related to its implementation. Students fill out a flow chart to list the methods to modify genes to create GMOs and example applications of bacteria, plant and animal GMOs.

Genetics, otherwise known as the Science of Heredity, is the study of biological information, and how this information is stored, replicated, transmitted and used by subsequent generations. The study of genetics can be sub-divided into three main areas: Transmission Genetics, Molecular Genetics, and Population Genetics. In this Introductory text, the focus is on Transmission or Classical Genetics, which deals with the basic principles of heredity and the mechanisms by which traits are passed from one generation to the next. The work of Gregor Mendel is central to Transmission Genetics; as such, there is a discussion about the pioneering work performed by him along with Mendel’s Laws, as they pertain to inheritance. Other aspects of Classical Genetics are covered, including the relationship between chromosomes and heredity, the arrangement of genes on chromosomes, and the physical mapping of genes.

7.016 Introductory Biology provides an introduction to fundamental principles of biochemistry, molecular biology, and genetics for understanding the functions of living systems. Taught for the first time in Fall 2013, this course covers examples of the use of chemical biology and twenty-first-century molecular genetics in understanding human health and therapeutic intervention.
The MIT Biology Department Introductory Biology courses 7.012, 7.013, 7.014, 7.015, and 7.016 all cover the same core material, which includes the fundamental principles of biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology, and cell biology. Biological function at the molecular level is particularly emphasized and covers the structure and regulation of genes, as well as the structure and synthesis of proteins, how these molecules are integrated into cells, and how these cells are integrated into multicellular systems and organisms. In addition, each version of the subject has its own distinctive material.

The MIT Biology Department core Introductory Biology courses, 7.012, 7.013, 7.014, 7.015, and 7.016 all cover the same core material, which includes the fundamental principles of biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology, and cell biology. The focus of 7.013 is on genomic approaches to human biology, including neuroscience, development, immunology, tissue repair and stem cells, tissue engineering, and infectious and inherited diseases, including cancer.

The MIT Biology Department core courses, 7.012, 7.013, and 7.014, all cover the same core material, which includes the fundamental principles of biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology, and cell biology. Biological function at the molecular level is particularly emphasized and covers the structure and regulation of genes, as well as, the structure and synthesis of proteins, how these molecules are integrated into cells, and how these cells are integrated into multicellular systems and organisms. In addition, each version of the subject has its own distinctive material.
7.014 focuses on the application of these fundamental principles, toward an understanding of microorganisms as geochemical agents responsible for the evolution and renewal of the biosphere and of their role in human health and disease.
Acknowledgements
The study materials, problem sets, and quiz materials used during Spring 2005 for 7.014 include contributions from past instructors, teaching assistants, and other members of the MIT Biology Department affiliated with course 7.014. Since the following works have evolved over a period of many years, no single source can be attributed.

The MIT Biology Department core courses, 7.012, 7.013, and 7.014, all cover the same core material, which includes the fundamental principles of biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology, and cell biology. 7.013 focuses on the application of the fundamental principles toward an understanding of human biology. Topics include genetics, cell biology, molecular biology, disease (infectious agents, inherited diseases and cancer), developmental biology, neurobiology and evolution.
Biological function at the molecular level is particularly emphasized in all courses and covers the structure and regulation of genes, as well as, the structure and synthesis of proteins, how these molecules are integrated into cells, and how these cells are integrated into multicellular systems and organisms. In addition, each version of the subject has its own distinctive material.

This is a laboratory manual designed for an Introductory Biology Course. Topics covered include Data and Literature, Basic Scientific Skills, the Scientific Method, Macromolecules, Diffiusion and Osmosis, Enzymes, Microscopes and Cells, Cellular Respiration and Photosynthesis, The Cell Cycle, Mitosis and Meiosis, Genetics and DNA Fingerprinting. Each lab has a pre-laboratory assignment and post-laboratory assignment for students to complete. Additional resources referenced in the lab are provided, as well as grading rubrics for every assignment and a Lab Instructor Manual that contains lab notes and results from the lab exercises. A recipe list for all reagents is also included. 

The genes present in the DNA of a chromosome help to explain the genotypic and phenotypic differences seen in organisms of the same species i.e. Fugate Family. The genes code for specific proteins and these proteins can be varied during meiosis when parents (½ from each parent) are passing their genetic information to their offspring. This passing of genetic information can be predicted and traced through many generations, due to the principles of Mendelian Genetics, and can be useful when determining the starting point of a phenotype. The environment a particular species inhabits may help to explain why some genes become favorable, as small isolated populations often have connections to inbreeding (incest).

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Researchers are combining tumor-killing viruses with immune-boosting drugs to mark otherwise stealthy tumors for death In their recent study, the researchers grafted human melanoma tumors onto the left and right flanks of mice Right-side tumors were injected with ONCOS-102, viruses genetically modified to eradicate melanoma cells Left-side tumors were left untreated The team then injected mice with pembrolizumab, a checkpoint inhibitor Checkpoint inhibitors block cloaking proteins on tumor or T cells that normally let them slip past immune cells These powerful drugs turn “cold” tumors “hot” on immune cells’ radar Shrunken left-side tumors proved that this 1-2 combination could cripple tumors at a distance— an effect amplified by delivering ONCOS-102 and pembrolizumab at the same time Now, in order to prove the efficacy of ONCOS-102 combined with pembrolizumab in humans, a Phase I clinical study is ongoing (NCT03003676) Researchers are exploring how to make this killer combi.."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

Overview of gene regulation in the Lac operon. Discussion of CAP, cAMP, lac repressor and allolactose in regulation of lac operon.

Biotechnology is perhaps the most rapidly advancing area in science today. The Advances in Biotechnology volume has been created to provide language teachers with resources about breakthroughs in biotechnology. Each chapter of the volume highlights one aspect of research in the field of DNA and genetics along with its applications to and implications for society. The chapters feature relevant background information on each topic, interactive and communicative classroom activities, and a list of related print and Internet resources that will allow teachers to expand the lesson further.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Although targeted therapy and immunotherapy have improved treatment, the 5-year survival rate of lung cancer patients remains low. New therapies are needed to target molecules that drive cancer progression. A new study examined the role of a common mutation in lung squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). Loss-of-function mutations in KEAP1, an adapter protein that acts as a cellular sensor of oxidative stress, are present in over 25% of patients with LSCC. Researchers compared human lung cancer cell lines with and without KEAP1 mutations. They found that cells lacking KEAP1 function had increased proliferation, migration, and tumor growth and increased expression of NRF2, a transcription factor that regulates cellular protection against oxidative damage. Blocking NRF2 with a pharmaceutical inhibitor, ML385, inhibited proliferation of lung cancer cells with KEAP1 mutations..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This contains visual material for the MC1R protein in humans, as well as visual material on the Y298C mutation in Spirit Bears. 

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Advances in genomic laboratory and bioinformatics techniques have allowed us to infer microbial ecology information from genomes. This ability has led to great advances in microbiome science; however, there is not yet a standard comprehensive workflow for functional annotation. Some software tools annotate metabolic functions, but the new tool 'METABOLIC' improves upon this and expands into biogeochemical pathways like the carbon cycle. METABOLIC takes sequence inputs from isolates, metagenome-assembled genomes, or single-cell genomes. The data can be processed through two workflow scales: genome and/or community. The genome-scale workflow annotates the genomes and validates motifs of conserved protein residues. It also analyzes metabolic pathways and calculates the microbial contributions to individual biogeochemical processes and cycles. The community-scale workflow adds to this by first determining the genome abundance in the microbiome..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This website provides a resource for the heritability of all human traits that have been investigated with the classical twin design. The traits have been classified into 28 broad trait domains, as well as according to the standard classification schemes of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) or the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10). Currently the database includes information from 2748 papers, published between 1958 and 2012, reporting on 17804 traits on a total of 14,558,903 twin pairs. Have Fun!

This course is the first in a three-course sequence that introduces biology in preparation for advanced study in areas of biological science such as medicine, dentistry, cell biology, microbiology, or veterinary medicine. Biol& 211 introduces students to cellular structure and function. Major topics studied include: energy capture and utilization, cellular reproduction, inheritance, genetic mutation, protein synthesis, gene expression, and biotechnology.

Pair this activity with lessons on selective breeding. Students will identify desirable genetic traits in apples and use a coin flip to simulate the steps and time involved to breed a new cultivar of apple. (Photo by Tom Paolini on Unsplash.com)

Meiosis is the process by which gametes (eggs and sperm) are made. Gametes have only one set of chromosomes. Therefore, meiosis involves a reduction in the amount of genetic material. Each gamete has only half the chromosomes of the original germ cell. Explore meiosis with a computer model of dragons. Run meiosis, inspect the chromosomes, then choose gametes to fertilize. Predict the results of the dragon offspring and try to make a dragon without legs. Learn why all siblings do not look alike.