Are you a living creature? Then, congratulations! You’ve got DNA. But how much do you really know about the microscopic molecules that make you unique?
Why is DNA called the “blueprint of life”?
What is a “DNA fingerprint”?
How do scientists clone DNA?
What can DNA teach you about your family history?
Are Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) safe?
Is it possible to revive dinosaurs by cloning their DNA?
DNA Decoded answers these questions and more. If you’re curious about DNA, join Felicia Vulcu and Caitlin Mullarkey, two biochemists from McMaster University, as they explore the structure of DNA, how scientists cracked the genetic code, and what our DNA can tell us about ourselves. Along the way, you’ll learn about the practical techniques that scientists use to analyze our genetic risks, to manipulate DNA, and to develop new treatments for a range of different diseases. Then, step into our virtual lab to perform your own forensic DNA analysis of samples from a crime scene and solve a murder.
DNA Decoded
Offered By
McMaster University
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week
13 hours to complete
Cracking the Genetic Code
In this module, we'll explore the molecular structure of DNA. What is DNA? What are the basic building blocks of DNA? Where can you find DNA within a cell? We'll learn about how James Watson and Francis Crick were able to solve the riddle of the molecular structure of DNA by building on the work of other scientists. Their groundbreaking discovery revealed that four nucleobases (adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine) combine with sugar and phosphate molecules to form the familiar double helix of DNA. We'll take a look at how the molecular structure of DNA regulates its functions; for example, how the chemical bonds (covalent and noncovalent) between these molecules allow DNA to "unzip" during replication. Then we'll take a look at how you manage to fit over three billion base pairs into each of your cells. (Here's a hint: Histones, nucleosomes, and chromosomes would be great at packing for a trip!)
7 videos (Total 45 min), 4 readings, 6 quizzes
7 videos
How to Speak DNA4m
Cracking the Genetic Code4m
The Building Blocks of DNA5m
Packing it all in!6m
Summing Up1m
The Double Helix16m
4 readings
Timeline of DNA Discoveries10m
Behind the Picture: Photo 51 (interview)10m
(Not Really) The Last Word about DNA (video)10m
Biochemistry: The Operating System of Life (video)10m
6 practice exercises
How to Speak DNA6m
Cracking the Genetic Code6m
The Building Blocks of DNA8m
Packing it all in!6m
DNA Word Search2m
Cracking the Genetic Code22m
Week
23 hours to complete
Getting the Message Across: Transcription, Translation, and Replication
We've all heard DNA described as "the blueprint of life," but what does that actually mean? Each one of the approximately 20,000 genes in our bodies contains the instructions for building a protein. In this module, we'll explain how RNA copies the genetic information contained in our genes and uses this information to assemble amino acids into proteins. Scientists call this concept "Central Dogma": DNA makes RNA and RNA makes protein. We'll also explore how we transmit genetic information from one cell to another -- and what happens when things go wrong. Along the way, we'll learn about techniques (such as polymerase chain reactions and gel electrophoresis) that forensic scientists use in DNA fingerprinting. Join us this week for murder and mayhem in the lab!
8 videos (Total 52 min), 4 readings, 9 quizzes
8 videos
Stop copying me! DNA Replication6m
Central Dogma, Part I: Transcription8m
Central Dogma, Part II: Translation7m
Practical DNA: Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)8m
Practical DNA: Gel Electrophoresis7m
Summing Up3m
DNA Replication3m
4 readings
The Case of the Silenced Scientist10m
Labster: Crime Scene Investigation10m
TED Talk: Drew Barry - Animations of Unseeable Biology (video)10m
Protein Data Bank10m
9 practice exercises
The Scene of the Crime4m
Stop copying me! DNA Replication4m
Central Dogma, Pt 1: Transcription8m
Central Dogma, Pt 2: Translation6m
Decipher the Secret Message2m
Breaking the Code (aka Game of Codons)4m
Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)4m
Gel Electrophoresis6m
Getting the Message Across16m
Week
33 hours to complete
Manipulating DNA
In this module, we'll explore the techniques scientists use to manipulate DNA. Genetic engineering has allowed us to increase crop yields, diagnose illnesses, develop vaccines, and manufacture insulin. By carefully selecting a pair of molecular scissors (restriction enzymes), scientists are able to isolate a gene of interest and insert it into plasmid DNA, turning a common bacteria (E. coli) into a molecular copying machine. This week, we'll learn that mutations are genetic errors, but that not all mutations are necessarily bad — in fact, some mutations confer a selective advantage that protects against disease. We'll explain what genetically modified organisms are (and what they are not) and weigh in on the heated debates about the ethics and safety of GMOs in popular media.
8 videos (Total 46 min), 5 readings, 7 quizzes
8 videos
Slice and Dice: Restriction Enzymes10m
Lights, Camera, Transformations6m
Mutations, Mutations, Mutations!6m
From Bananas to Papayas: Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)9m
Summing Up4m
Genetic Engineering1m
Sickle Cell Anemia59s
5 readings
Labster: Molecular Cloning Simulation10m
Creating Dolly (video)10m
Genetic Engineering and Working with DNA (video)10m
How did they make insulin from recombinant DNA? (article)10m
Massive Review Reveals Consensus on GMO Safety (article)10m
7 practice exercises
Freaky Fruit: Manipulating DNA6m
Slice and Dice: Restriction Enzymes6m
Lights, Camera, Transformations6m
Mutations, mutations, mutations6m
From Papayas to Bananas: Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)6m
Help Felicia design a blue tomato!8m
Manipulating DNA16m
Week
43 hours to complete
DNA and Me
What does your DNA say about you? You may have heard that you share 99% of your genetic material with everyone else on the planet. That's true, but this week we're going to take a look at the less than 1% that makes you unique. We'll kick off by discussing the Human Genome Project, the massive scientific collaboration that mapped out the sequence of all our genetic material. The technologies developed while mapping out the human genome ushered in a new age in DNA research. Now, genome-wide association studies can analyze massive amounts of data, searching for genetic variations that are associated with particular diseases. Pharmacogenomics may help determine which drugs are likely be most effective for you. Genetic genealogy tests (such as Ancestry DNA, 23 and Me, and Family Tree DNA) will allow you to trace random mutations in your DNA that can provide clues to your ethnic heritage. As an added bonus, we'll discuss whether it would be possible to revive extinct species by studying ancient DNA.
9 videos (Total 45 min), 7 readings, 6 quizzes
9 videos
Sanger Sequencing3m
The Human Genome Project5m
Mammoths, Mummies, and Microbes: Ancient DNA10m
Me and My Family Tree8m
DNA and My Health5m
That's a wrap!5m
Sanger Sequencing51s
Human Genome Sequencing1m
7 readings
Labster: Next Generation Sequencing Simulation10m
Cracking the Code of Life (video)10m
Iceman Murder Mystery (video)10m
Personal DNA Testing (video)10m
My Career in Genomics: Antibiotic Resistance (video)10m
My Career in Genomics: Cancer Biology (video)10m
My Career in Genomics: Evolution (video)10m
6 practice exercises
DNA: Our Genetic Blueprint2m
Sanger Sequencing8m
Me and My Family Tree4m
DNA and My Health2m
DNA and Me18m
Scientists Complete First Chapter of Book of Life With Decoding of First Human Chromosome (article)4m
4.7
18 ReviewsTop Reviews
The most fun I have ever had with a course! Both professors have an amazing talent for conveying information. I hope that they will teach another class!
Highly recommended!\n\nAwesome method of presenting a classic, boring , course.
Instructors
Caitlin Mullarkey
Assistant ProfessorHealth Sciences
Felicia Vulcu
Assistant ProfessorBiochemistry and Biomedical Sciences
About McMaster University
Founded in 1887, McMaster University is committed to creativity, innovation, and excellence by inspiring critical thinking, personal growth, and a passion for learning. Ranked amongst the Top 100 universities in the world, McMaster pioneered a learner-centred, problem-based, interdisciplinary approach to learning that is now known worldwide as the “McMaster Model”.
Frequently Asked Questions
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