huji2014/15

The class is geared to young [1st year] students of Computational Biology (#532). Open to few students from ETGAR (Life Sciences)
Rationale:
• Introducing young students to a conceptual mode of thinking, combing computation and biological perspectives
• Introducing the power of interdisciplinary research
• Demonstrating the power of technological breakthroughs and their impact on modern biology

Methodology:
• Class discussion on selected topics
• Weekly homework assignment in which students must provide their ideas, without need of pre-knowledge in the topic
• Understanding the foundations of experimental design
• Introduction to quantitative thinking

Content:
The class is divided into three sections:
1 – A brief history on the human genome project, including technological breakthroughs
2 – Introducing several concepts, including
• molecular communication
• scaling
• recognition
• identity
3 – Integration of all of the above-mentioned concepts in a biological system: the immunological and neuronal systems

Grades:
There will be a weekly exercise based on the class discussion.
TA will grade all exercises and will provide a personal feedback.