Harvard:Biophysics 242r/2011

Course overview

 * Graduate level seminar focusing on in-silico design pipelines for nucleic acid- and protein-based molecular machinery and programmable molecular systems. Students are mentored to produce substantial midterm and final group design projects.
 * No formal prerequisites. Projects are tailored to each student's strengths and interests.

Example topics for final design project

 * Artificial chemotactic swimmers
 * Nonequilibrium networks of nano-machines mimicking dynamic instability in the cytoskeleton
 * Nucleic acid logic automata responsive to microRNAs in serum
 * Self-assembled solar energy harvester based on bio-inorganic nano-antennae for uv-vis
 * Systematic debugging of DNA labeling chemistries by atomic-resolution TEM imaging of DNA origami
 * Light-controlled transcriptional activation and repression through rational molecular design
 * Directed evolution of tissue engineering scaffold nano-materials
 * Programmable multistep chemical synthesis by templating on nanostructures
 * Ultra-sensitive molecular signal processing for synthetic biology
 * Synthetic nanostructure - virus conjugates
 * Nano-breadboards for probing electron transport in proteins
 * Replication of information in synthetic crystals
 * Etc.

Logistics

 * Meeting time: 2011 Spring Term, Mondays and Wednesdays, 100 pm — 230 pm, with optional sessions for working on projects from 230 pm to 330 pm, starting on Monday, February 7
 * Form teams for midterm projects on Monday, February 7
 * Form teams for final projects on Monday, March 21
 * First class on Monday, January 24
 * Location: CLSB521
 * No exams
 * Prerequisites: none
 * Grading
 * 33% Participation
 * 33% Midterm project
 * 33% Final project
 * Harvard course site
 * Harvard:Biophysics_242r/2011/Course Development Log

Background Info and previous class projects

 * http://openwetware.org/wiki/Biophysics_242r/2009