All Courses
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7.016 Introductory Biology
Introduction to fundamental principles of biochemistry, molecular biology and genetics for understanding the functions of living systems. Covers examples of the use of chemical biology, the use of genetics in biological discovery, principles of cellular organization and communication, immunology, cancer, and engineering biological systems. In addition, includes 21st-century molecular genetics in understanding human health and therapeutic intervention. Enrollment limited to seating capacity of classroom. Admittance may be controlled by lottery.
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7.014 Introductory Biology
Studies the fundamental principles of biology and their application towards understanding the Earth as a dynamical system shaped by life. Focuses on molecular ecology in order to show how processes at the molecular level can illuminate macroscopic properties, including evolution and maintenance of biogeochemical cycles, and ecological interactions in ecosystems ranging from the ocean to the human gut. Includes quantitative analysis of population growth, community structure, competition, mutualism and predation; highlights their role in shaping the biosphere. Enrollment limited to seating capacity of classroom. Admittance may be controlled by lottery.
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16.S685 Attitude Control Systems
The pointing control of spacecraft requires knowledge of a wide variety of aspects of the space environment, kinematics, dynamics and control. The course will cover the following topics in six lectures and two laboratory session. Examples will be drawn from real missions including geosynchronous communications satellites during mission and transfer orbits. The course is designed to be interactive. Other examples, including GPS IIR, GGS Polar, Indostar-1, and TDRS H, I, J will be used to illustrate the topics. The material will be applicable to all spacecraft including low earth, geosynchronous, landers and deep space.
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7.05 General Biochemistry
Contributions of biochemistry toward an understanding of the structure and functioning of organisms, tissues, and cells. Chemistry and functions of constituents of cells and tissues and the chemical and physical-chemical basis for the structures of nucleic acids, proteins, and carbohydrates. Basic enzymology and biochemical reaction mechanisms involved in macromolecular synthesis and degradation, signaling, transport, and movement. General metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and nitrogen-containing materials such as amino acids, proteins, and related compounds.
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7.28/7.58 Molecular Biology
Detailed analysis of the biochemical mechanisms that control the maintenance, expression, and evolution of prokaryotic and eukaryotic genomes. Topics covered in lecture and readings of relevant literature include: gene regulation, DNA replication, genetic recombination, and mRNA translation. Logic of experimental design and data analysis emphasized. Presentations include both lectures and group discussions of representative papers from the literature. Students taking the graduate version are expected to explore the subject in greater depth.
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5.08 Fundamentals of Chemical Biology
Spanning the fields of biology, chemistry, and engineering, this class introduces students to the principles of chemical biology and the application of chemical and physical methods and reagents to the study and manipulation of biological systems. Topics include nucleic acid structure, recognition, and manipulation; protein folding and stability, and proteostasis; bioorthogonal reactions and activity-based protein profiling; chemical genetics and small-molecule inhibitor screening; fluorescent probes for biological analysis and imaging; and unnatural amino acid mutagenesis. The class will also discuss the logic of dynamic post-translational modification reactions with an emphasis on chemical biology approaches for studying complex processes including glycosylation, phosphorylation, and lipidation. Students taking the graduate version are expected to explore the subject in greater depth.