What is the next therapeutic frontier? The answer may lie in RNA interference (RNAi). (Image courtesy of Ayena on Wikimedia Commons).
Instructor(s)
Dr. Allan Gurtan
Dr. Michael Goldberg
MIT Course Number
7.346
As Taught In
Spring 2010
Level
Undergraduate
Course Description
Course Description
Despite centuries of effort, modern medicine still struggles to find the source of disease and to provide specific treatment without side effects. Both traditional small molecules and protein-based therapeutics have achieved only limited success.
What is the next therapeutic frontier? The answer may be RNA interference.
In this course, we will focus on the therapeutic potential of RNAi. We will discuss its discovery functions in normal biological processes, utility as an experimental tool, potential for therapeutic use, and pursuit by the biotechnology industry.
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.