From Molecular Genetics & Evolution to the Human Cortex
Protein chemistry, CRISPR/mRNA engineering, natural selection, and fMRI neuroscience
Spans biological scales from MIT biochemistry and Nobel-winning RNA therapeutics through Yale evolutionary ecology to MIT cognitive neuroscience.
Start Step 16 steps · 5h total
Curriculum sequence
6
3. Structures of Amino Acids, Peptides, and Proteins
Explains how amino-acid side chains fold polypeptides into catalytic molecular machines.
Step 2·UC Berkeley·Jennifer Doudna· 48:26
RNA-Guided Genome Engineering with CRISPR-Cas9
Unpacks RNA-guided Cas9 endonuclease targeting for programmable genome editing.
Step 3·Karolinska Institutet·Katalin Karikó· 42:16
Developing mRNA for Therapy (Nobel Prize Lecture in Medicine)
Traces nucleoside-modified mRNA chemistry from bench skepticism to clinical medicine.
1. The Nature of Evolution: Selection, Inheritance, and History
Connects heritable molecular variation to natural selection and phylogenetic history.
1. Introduction to the Human Brain
Frames functional specialization in human cortex through clinical and imaging evidence.
2. Neuroanatomy
Maps cortical lobes, white-matter tracts, and retinotopic/functional brain architecture.