7.343 Single-Molecule Imaging: Capturing Nanoscale Cellular Machines in Action, Fall 2021

Abstract

Did you know that we have approximately 2 meters of DNA packed in our cells, which are less than 10 μm diameter? Or that to replicate DNA it is copied at a rate of 70,000 basepairs per second by a cellular apparatus that coordinates at least six different enzymes? Or that microtubules form greater than 1 meter long “railways” upon which molecular machines transport cargo within nerve cells? In this course, we will explore how single-molecule imaging techniques capture the mega-cellular machines working in real-time.

This course is one of many {{% resource_link "35dc242a-b5f6-4032-a180-3f780cc83037" "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.