A one week lecture/workshop course at the University level
Proposed date: June 3-7, 2013, Wesleyan University, Middletown CT 06459
Integrative Biological Sciences (IBS) is a five-day, intensive preparation course for advanced study and/or research in the life sciences . This course is designed to facilitate the entry of scientists and science students with backgrounds in chemistry, physics, mathematics and computer science into research in the life sciences. The course will assume an interdisciplinary approach, and involve
a) an up-to-date lecture/discussion survey of foundational knowledge,
b) skill development in reading and comprehending current research articles,
c) guided participation and/or demonstrations of current laboratory techniques and the latest experimental methods
d) a computational biology laboratory involving the analysis of sequence and structure using bioinformatics, molecular graphics, computer modeling and simulations
The lecturers in this course are faculty from various departments and programs of the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at Wesleyan University, and alumnae currently active in life science research. The sessions on each day will integrate selected topics in structural and molecular biology, biochemistry, and molecular and cellular biophysics, assuming a structure-based biophysical perspective. Mathematical methods from linear algebra, probability, statistics and calculus with be utilized, and an elementary review of each will be provided in lectures and in supplementary materials.
Day 1: Structural biology, biomolecular quantum mechanics and spectroscopy
Day 2: Bioenergetics and biological thermodynamics, protein folding
Day 3: Biomolecular complexes and Interactions: binding, specificity and allostery
Day 4: Rate Processes: diffusion, active transport, reaction kinetics and catalysis
Day 5: Biomolecular devices, motors, machines and mechanisms: case studies.