Are you a living creature? Then, congratulations! You’ve got DNA. But how much do you really know about the microscopic molecules that make you unique?
Why is DNA called the “blueprint of life”?
What is a “DNA fingerprint”?
How do scientists clone DNA?
What can DNA teach you about your family history?
Are Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) safe?
Is it possible to revive dinosaurs by cloning their DNA?
DNA Decoded answers these questions and more. If you’re curious about DNA, join Felicia Vulcu and Caitlin Mullarkey, two biochemists from McMaster University, as they explore the structure of DNA, how scientists cracked the genetic code, and what our DNA can tell us about ourselves. Along the way, you’ll learn about the practical techniques that scientists use to analyze our genetic risks, to manipulate DNA, and to develop new treatments for a range of different diseases. Then, step into our virtual lab to perform your own forensic DNA analysis of samples from a crime scene and solve a murder.
DNA Decoded
提供方
McMaster University
教学大纲 - 您将从这门课程中学到什么
周
1Cracking the Genetic Code
In this module, we'll explore the molecular structure of DNA. What is DNA? What are the basic building blocks of DNA? Where can you find DNA within a cell? We'll learn about how James Watson and Francis Crick were able to solve the riddle of the molecular structure of DNA by building on the work of other scientists. Their groundbreaking discovery revealed that four nucleobases (adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine) combine with sugar and phosphate molecules to form the familiar double helix of DNA. We'll take a look at how the molecular structure of DNA regulates its functions; for example, how the chemical bonds (covalent and noncovalent) between these molecules allow DNA to "unzip" during replication. Then we'll take a look at how you manage to fit over three billion base pairs into each of your cells. (Here's a hint: Histones, nucleosomes, and chromosomes would be great at packing for a trip!)
7 个视频 （总计 45 分钟）, 4 个阅读材料, 6 个测验
7 个视频
How to Speak DNA4分钟
Cracking the Genetic Code4分钟
The Building Blocks of DNA5分钟
Packing it all in!6分钟
Summing Up1分钟
The Double Helix16分钟
4 个阅读材料
Timeline of DNA Discoveries10分钟
Behind the Picture: Photo 51 (interview)10分钟
(Not Really) The Last Word about DNA (video)10分钟
Biochemistry: The Operating System of Life (video)10分钟
6 个练习
How to Speak DNA6分钟
Cracking the Genetic Code6分钟
The Building Blocks of DNA8分钟
Packing it all in!6分钟
DNA Word Search2分钟
Cracking the Genetic Code22分钟
周
2Getting the Message Across: Transcription, Translation, and Replication
We've all heard DNA described as "the blueprint of life," but what does that actually mean? Each one of the approximately 20,000 genes in our bodies contains the instructions for building a protein. In this module, we'll explain how RNA copies the genetic information contained in our genes and uses this information to assemble amino acids into proteins. Scientists call this concept "Central Dogma": DNA makes RNA and RNA makes protein. We'll also explore how we transmit genetic information from one cell to another -- and what happens when things go wrong. Along the way, we'll learn about techniques (such as polymerase chain reactions and gel electrophoresis) that forensic scientists use in DNA fingerprinting. Join us this week for murder and mayhem in the lab!
8 个视频 （总计 52 分钟）, 4 个阅读材料, 9 个测验
8 个视频
Stop copying me! DNA Replication6分钟
Central Dogma, Part I: Transcription8分钟
Central Dogma, Part II: Translation7分钟
Practical DNA: Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)8分钟
Practical DNA: Gel Electrophoresis7分钟
Summing Up3分钟
DNA Replication3分钟
4 个阅读材料
The Case of the Silenced Scientist10分钟
Labster: Crime Scene Investigation10分钟
TED Talk: Drew Barry - Animations of Unseeable Biology (video)10分钟
Protein Data Bank10分钟
9 个练习
The Scene of the Crime4分钟
Stop copying me! DNA Replication4分钟
Central Dogma, Pt 1: Transcription8分钟
Central Dogma, Pt 2: Translation6分钟
Decipher the Secret Message2分钟
Breaking the Code (aka Game of Codons)4分钟
Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)4分钟
Gel Electrophoresis6分钟
Getting the Message Across16分钟
周
3Manipulating DNA
In this module, we'll explore the techniques scientists use to manipulate DNA. Genetic engineering has allowed us to increase crop yields, diagnose illnesses, develop vaccines, and manufacture insulin. By carefully selecting a pair of molecular scissors (restriction enzymes), scientists are able to isolate a gene of interest and insert it into plasmid DNA, turning a common bacteria (E. coli) into a molecular copying machine. This week, we'll learn that mutations are genetic errors, but that not all mutations are necessarily bad — in fact, some mutations confer a selective advantage that protects against disease. We'll explain what genetically modified organisms are (and what they are not) and weigh in on the heated debates about the ethics and safety of GMOs in popular media.
8 个视频 （总计 46 分钟）, 5 个阅读材料, 7 个测验
8 个视频
Slice and Dice: Restriction Enzymes10分钟
Lights, Camera, Transformations6分钟
Mutations, Mutations, Mutations!6分钟
From Bananas to Papayas: Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)9分钟
Summing Up4分钟
Genetic Engineering1分钟
Sickle Cell Anemia分钟
5 个阅读材料
Labster: Molecular Cloning Simulation10分钟
Creating Dolly (video)10分钟
Genetic Engineering and Working with DNA (video)10分钟
How did they make insulin from recombinant DNA? (article)10分钟
Massive Review Reveals Consensus on GMO Safety (article)10分钟
7 个练习
Freaky Fruit: Manipulating DNA6分钟
Slice and Dice: Restriction Enzymes6分钟
Lights, Camera, Transformations6分钟
Mutations, mutations, mutations6分钟
From Papayas to Bananas: Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)6分钟
Help Felicia design a blue tomato!8分钟
Manipulating DNA16分钟
周
4DNA and Me
What does your DNA say about you? You may have heard that you share 99% of your genetic material with everyone else on the planet. That's true, but this week we're going to take a look at the less than 1% that makes you unique. We'll kick off by discussing the Human Genome Project, the massive scientific collaboration that mapped out the sequence of all our genetic material. The technologies developed while mapping out the human genome ushered in a new age in DNA research. Now, genome-wide association studies can analyze massive amounts of data, searching for genetic variations that are associated with particular diseases. Pharmacogenomics may help determine which drugs are likely be most effective for you. Genetic genealogy tests (such as Ancestry DNA, 23 and Me, and Family Tree DNA) will allow you to trace random mutations in your DNA that can provide clues to your ethnic heritage. As an added bonus, we'll discuss whether it would be possible to revive extinct species by studying ancient DNA.
9 个视频 （总计 45 分钟）, 7 个阅读材料, 6 个测验
9 个视频
Sanger Sequencing3分钟
The Human Genome Project5分钟
Mammoths, Mummies, and Microbes: Ancient DNA10分钟
Me and My Family Tree8分钟
DNA and My Health5分钟
That's a wrap!5分钟
Sanger Sequencing分钟
Human Genome Sequencing1分钟
7 个阅读材料
Labster: Next Generation Sequencing Simulation10分钟
Cracking the Code of Life (video)10分钟
Iceman Murder Mystery (video)10分钟
Personal DNA Testing (video)10分钟
My Career in Genomics: Antibiotic Resistance (video)10分钟
My Career in Genomics: Cancer Biology (video)10分钟
My Career in Genomics: Evolution (video)10分钟
6 个练习
DNA: Our Genetic Blueprint2分钟
Sanger Sequencing8分钟
Me and My Family Tree4分钟
DNA and My Health2分钟
DNA and Me18分钟
Scientists Complete First Chapter of Book of Life With Decoding of First Human Chromosome (article)4分钟
讲师
Caitlin Mullarkey
Assistant ProfessorHealth Sciences
Felicia Vulcu
Assistant ProfessorBiochemistry and Biomedical Sciences
关于 McMaster University
Founded in 1887, McMaster University is committed to creativity, innovation, and excellence by inspiring critical thinking, personal growth, and a passion for learning. Ranked amongst the Top 100 universities in the world, McMaster pioneered a learner-centred, problem-based, interdisciplinary approach to learning that is now known worldwide as the “McMaster Model”.
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