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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">From: </span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">Idan Frumkin <frumkini@mit.edu><br>
<b>Subject: </b></span><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt">AUGS undergrad seminar - How Cells Perform Amazing Functions and Evolve to Overcome Challenging Environments</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Dear students -<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">My name is Idan Frumkin and I'm a postdoc in Prof. Mike Laub lab in the Biology department. I'm excited to let you know about an AUGS class I'll be giving in the upcoming semester about an emerging field in
biology, evolutionary cell biology. This aim of this class is to learn about super cool mechanisms by which cells evolve to acquire new functions and overcome challenges. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Following is a detailed abstract of the class - and I hope you join me for this exciting journey!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Feel free to reach out for any question at
<a href="mailto:frumkini@mit.edu">frumkini@mit.edu</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">7.342
</span></b><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">How </span>
</b><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Cells Perform Amazing Functions and Evolve to Overcome Challenging Environments</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Instructor:
</span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Idan Frumkin (<a href="mailto:frumkini@mit.edu">frumkini@mit.edu</a>, 617-335-4294, laboratory of Michael Laub)</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Spring 2021. Wednesdays, 10 am-12 pm. (Class day and time are flexible; contact instructor.) Remote.</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Course Summary</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Cells must perform an enormous number of complex functions to survive ever-changing environments. To what degree can cells be considered to be
optimized? Why do mechanisms of cell biology sometimes seem arbitrary and overly complicated? How could evolution have ever produced something as complex as a eukaryotic cell?</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Although the cell is commonly referred to as “the most basic unit of life,” it is actually so complex that despite over 350 years of research
we are still far from fully understanding its structural, functional and evolutionary workings. Bringing together the fields of cell biology and evolution into an integrated field of “evolutionary cell biology” provides a powerful perspective for studying
mechanisms that produce cellular functions. This field offers insight into the evolutionary bases behind variations in cellular functions, significantly advancing our understanding of the fundamental principles governing cellular systems. An early example
of evolutionary cell biology is the endosymbiotic theory of how mitochondria arose, a concept that revolutionized our understanding of the origins and structure of eukaryotic cells.</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">In this course, we will discuss biological principles that have driven the adaptation of cellular functions, pathways, and structures. Questions
we will explore include: How can cells optimize their gene expression patterns? How do core cellular machineries adapt to changing physiological and environmental needs? How do they expand their signaling capacity within already complex networks? How can phenotypic
plasticity facilitate the evolution of novel cellular functions? How can comparative biology reveal novel functions for both well-studied and uncharacterized proteins? Are all observed cellular phenotypes functional, or can we detect the work of neutral evolution?
How do new genes and new cellular functions emerge in evolution? Does cellular evolution help reduce the frequency of genetic diseases?</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">By reading and critiquing the primary scientific literature, we will answer these questions and also learn how to (i) identify an important biological
problem to study, (ii) rigorously design experiments, (iii) critically assess experimental data, and (iv) learn what challenges face biologists today. Students not only will gain insights concerning cutting-edge biological questions in cellular evolution but
will also acquire essential soft skills for the modern biologist.</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Idan Frumkin~<br>
Post-doctoral scholar<br>
Prof. Michael Laub lab<br>
Massachusetts Institute of Technology<br>
Department of Biology, 68-559<br>
77 Massachusetts Avenue<br>
Cambridge, MA 02139<o:p></o:p></p>
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