[bioundgrd] FW: AUGS undergrad seminar - How Cells Perform Amazing Functions and Evolve to Overcome Challenging Environments

[Joshua Stone]

From: Idan Frumkin <frumkini at mit.edu>
Subject: AUGS undergrad seminar - How Cells Perform Amazing Functions and Evolve to Overcome Challenging Environments

Dear students -

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.

Following is a detailed abstract of the class - and I hope you join me for this exciting journey!

Feel free to reach out for any question at frumkini at mit.edu<mailto:frumkini at mit.edu>



7.342 How Cells Perform Amazing Functions and Evolve to Overcome Challenging Environments
Instructor: Idan Frumkin (frumkini at mit.edu<mailto:frumkini at mit.edu>, 617-335-4294, laboratory of Michael Laub)
Spring 2021. Wednesdays, 10 am-12 pm. (Class day and time are flexible; contact instructor.)  Remote.


Course Summary

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?

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.

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?

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.




Idan Frumkin~
Post-doctoral scholar
Prof. Michael Laub lab
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Department of Biology, 68-559
77 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139
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