University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Genomics: Decoding the Universal Language of Life
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Genomics: Decoding the Universal Language of Life

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Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
4.6

(317 reviews)

Beginner level
No prior experience required
Flexible schedule
Approx. 36 hours
Learn at your own pace
96%
Most learners liked this course
Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
4.6

(317 reviews)

Beginner level
No prior experience required
Flexible schedule
Approx. 36 hours
Learn at your own pace
96%
Most learners liked this course

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Assessments

24 assignments

Taught in English

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There are 7 modules in this course

You will become familiar with the course, your classmates, and our learning environment. The orientation will also help you obtain the technical skills required for the course.

What's included

2 videos4 readings1 assignment1 discussion prompt1 plugin

Genes, genomes, DNA: these words have slipped into our daily news cycles and our awareness, but what they actually mean often remains unclear. In these lessons, we aim to give you, not just the Biology 101 explanation of what a genome is, but a real-life perspective on why you already care about genomics – perhaps in ways you didn’t even realize. Are you interested in where your food comes from, what health conditions you are most likely to develop, what fish will share your aquarium most successfully? Genomes are a key to finding a better answer to these and other everyday questions.

What's included

11 videos3 assignments2 peer reviews1 discussion prompt

You may have seen DNA visually represented in different ways: a twisted ladder, a tangle of string, an array of sloppy X shapes, a row of letters. But what is DNA actually doing, and how does it relate to genes and the genome? How are scientists able to move from studying the physical structure of the genome to understanding its functionality? This module will help you become more comfortable with these ideas.

What's included

11 videos3 assignments2 peer reviews1 discussion prompt

Often, we hear about genes only when something goes wrong – when mutations, mistakes made in the DNA sequence, cause a disease like cancer cystic fibrosis. But what happens inside our cells that leads from a mutation in DNA to the physical symptoms of a disease? Why do some mutations cause positive outcomes, or no change at all? To answer these questions, we take a closer look at how information flows from genes, to RNA, to proteins, to all the physical structures and processes that make up living things.

What's included

14 videos4 assignments2 peer reviews1 discussion prompt

If all the cells in all the tissues and organs of our bodies have the same genome, how is it that they can look so different? How does a hair cell, a white blood cell, or a brain cell know what to do or where to go? The answer can be found by looking beyond the structure of the genome, into the timing of its activities. Recognizing how the information stored in the genome can be used in flexible ways shows us how living things can develop and change over time.

What's included

13 videos5 assignments2 peer reviews1 discussion prompt

You may have heard of "nature vs. nurture" or the modern day response, "nature AND nurture!" But how does "nurture," the environment, act through the genome? Can the biological effects of experience be passed from one generation to the next? And what does all of this have to do with everyday issues, like our physical and mental health? A closer look at two mechanisms that help regulate the activity for genes, epigenetic modifications and transcription factors, provides some answers.

What's included

16 videos4 assignments2 peer reviews1 discussion prompt

The world is a big and sometimes incomprehensibly complex place. Just as no gene in the genome acts in isolation, no living thing on this planet exists in isolation. In this final module of the course, we explore some of the rich, complicated interactions between living things, their genomes, and the world that surrounds them.

What's included

10 videos4 assignments2 peer reviews2 discussion prompts1 plugin

Instructor

Instructor ratings
4.7 (76 ratings)
Dr. Gene E. Robinson
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
2 Courses50,725 learners

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4.6

317 reviews

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