Courses:

Course Info

• Course Number / Code:
• 7.344 (Spring 2007) 
• Course Title:
• Antibiotics, Toxins, and Protein Engineering 
• Course Level:
• Undergraduate 
• Offered by :
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
  Massachusetts, United States  
• Department:
• Biology 
• Course Instructor(s):
• Dr. Caroline Koehrer
  Dr. Mandana Sassanfar 
• Course Introduction:
•  
• 
  
  7.344 Antibiotics, Toxins, and Protein Engineering
  
  
  
  

  Spring 2007

  
  
  

  
  
  

  Course Highlights

  
  
  

  
  
  7.344 Antibiotics, Toxins, and Protein Engineering
  
  
  
  

  Spring 2007

  
  
  

  

  Protein engineering - Evolution of proteins with new and improved characteristics. (Image by MIT OpenCourseWare.)

  
  
  

  Course Description

  
  
  

  The lethal poison Ricin (best known as a weapon of bioterrorism), Diphtheria toxin (the causative agent of a highly contagious bacterial disease), and the widely used antibiotic tetracycline have one thing in common: They specifically target the cell's translational apparatus and disrupt protein synthesis.

  In this course, we will explore the mechanisms of action of toxins and antibiotics, their roles in everyday medicine, and the emergence and spread of drug resistance. We will also discuss the identification of new drug targets and how we can manipulate the protein synthesis machinery to provide powerful tools for protein engineering and potential new treatments for patients with devastating diseases, such as cystic fibrosis and muscular dystrophy.

  This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.