RNA Interference (For Genetic Analysis and Therapeutics) OpenCourseWare: MIT's Free Bachelor Level Biology Class on RNA Interference

Published Feb 05, 2009

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'RNA Interference: A New Tool for Genetic Analysis and Therapeutics' is a free OpenCourseWare class offered by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). If you're fascinated by the way genes work and how you can cure diseases by manipulating them, then this class could be for you. 'RNA Interference' is for advanced students who are pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Biology.

RNA Interference: A New Tool for Genetic Analysis and Therapeutics: Course Specifics

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RNA Interference: A New Tool for Genetic Analysis and Therapeutics: Course Details

'RNA Interference: A New Tool for Genetic Analysis and Therapeutics' is an advanced biology course offered online by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). This free OpenCourseWare class is part of a Bachelor of Science in Biology curriculum and an adaptation of lectures delivered by MIT professors Dr. Stephan Kissler and Dr. Andrea Ventura. The course schedule and annotated bibliography provide an outline of RNA interference or RNAi, which is a relatively new process for gene-silencing. This process helps scientists to manipulate genes as they try to treat genetic diseases. The class begins by explaining how RNAi was discovered and developed, the mechanisms behind RNA interference and the different applications for RNA interference in treating disease. The course also covers specific areas, like how genes are silenced in animals and methods of delivering 'small interfering RNA' via drugs or IVs. This OpenCourseWare class is for advanced independent learners who need to review this material. The course materials could be useful inspiration for professors organizing lesson plans for a similar class.

If you download this free OpenCourseWare class, you'll get a syllabus and course schedule, a detailed annotated bibliography and the descriptions of two course assignments. You can visit the RNA interference course page for more information.

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