Why has it been easier to develop a vaccine to eliminate polio than to control influenza or AIDS? Has there been natural selection for a 'language gene'? Why are there no animals with wheels? When does 'maximizing fitness' lead to evolutionary extinction? How are sex and parasites related? Why don't snakes eat grass? Why don't we have eyes in the back of our heads? How does modern genomics illustrate and challenge the field? This course analyzes evolution from a computational, modeling, and engineering perspective. The course has extensive hands-on laboratory exercises in model-building and analyzing evolutionary data.
This article from our family magazine series traces the spread of the flu virus from a duck in China to a young girl in Kansas. The article begins by introducing kids to Louise and the symptoms of influenza. On a series of clickable screens, they learn how the flu virus traveled from a duck to a pig to a farmer to a shopper to a student to Louise. A sidebar (But I Got a Flu Shot Last Year...) explains why influenza is trickier to outsmart than smallpox and polio. Another sidebar ("Microbes on the Go) explains the difference between an epidemic and a pandemic.
In our increasingly globalized world, a single infected person can board a plane and spread a virus across continents. Mark Honigsbaum describes the history of pandemics and how that knowledge can help halt future outbreaks. A quiz, thought provoking question, and links for further study are provided to create a lesson around the 8-minute video. Educators may use the platform to easily "Flip" or create their own lesson for use with their students of any age or level.
This course explores the specific ways by which microbes defeat our immune system and the molecular mechanisms that are under attack (phagocytosis, the ubiquitin/proteasome pathway, MHC I/II antigen presentation). Through our discussion and dissection of the primary research literature, we will explore aspects of host-pathogen interactions. We will particularly emphasize the experimental techniques used in the field and how to read and understand research data. Technological advances in the fight against microbes will also be discussed, with specific examples. 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.
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