[bioundgrd] Fwd: Undergraduate Seminar Course 7.347-Biological Networks: What Can Networks Teach Us about Biology?

[MacKenzie Outlund]

7.347 - Biological Networks: What Can Networks Teach Us about Biology?

Fall 2010. Thursdays, 3 pm – 5 pm (Class time is Flexible.) Room 68-151.

Instructors:
Igor Ulitsky (ulitskyi at gmail.com, 8-5990; Bartel Laboratory)
Muhammed Yildirim (yildirim at gmail.com, 4-1651; Bartel Laboratory)

Grading: P/F for 6 units

Course abstract:
What do Facebook, the human brain, the electricity grid and transcriptional
regulation in the cell have in common? One simple answer is that they can
all be represented as networks. In fact, studying the structures and
features of these networks can help us understand the principles of all of
these complex systems. Although networks from entirely different domains
share surprising similarities, biological networks also have their own
unique characteristics. Analysis of these networks involves using
established techniques from statistics, physics and computer science as well
as methods developed specifically for studying systems biology. In this
course we will introduce biological networks and how they are studied in the
context of general network theory. In addition, we will discover how
network-based approaches are advancing various areas of biomedical research.
We will begin by presenting the basic principles of network structures. We
will then cover many of the basic molecular interaction networks studied in
biology, including those of protein-protein interactions, transcriptional
regulation, microRNA targeting, genetic interactions, drug-target
interactions and others. We will see how these networks are constructed from
data, what kinds of models are used to study them and what such models can
teach us about the organizational principles of biological systems.
Furthermore, we will discuss specific questions that can be answered by
understanding networks: what is the best way to perturb a biological network
to escape from a disease? what does the position of a gene in a network tell
us about its function?  how can we use networks to identify drugs that share
a mode of action? The course will not require any expert knowledge in
biology, computer science or statistics and is open to students from any
relevant department.
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