Disease, Drugs, and DNA Repair

BIOL-UA 501

What do cancer, Huntington’s disease, progeria, and resistance to drugs have in common? The inability to repair cellular DNA contributes to each! DNA is subject to modification following exposure to various chemicals or radiation. In addition, DNA itself is chemically unstable. Since DNA is subject to chemical alterations and spontaneous decay, how can it operate as the material of inheritance and act as the repository of information needed for a cell to function? The answer to that question is at once simple and complex: Cells repair the damage! And when these repair processes fail, diseases can result. This course examines the extraordinary means that cells use to maintain the structural integrity of DNA and prevent changes to the molecular information contained within it. An emphasis on diseases like cancer, progeria, Huntington's disease, and others will form an important framework for understanding the critical need for DNA repair and genome maintenance.

Format: Lecture

Prerequisites: MCB2 (BIOL-UA 22 or 9022)

Corequisites: None

Location: New York

Equivalent(s): None

Course Description

Term(s) offered:

Requirements satisfied:
  • Major: Biology Standard Track
      • Upper-Level Elective
          • Reasoning Skills
          • Advanced Biology
  • Major: GPH/Biology
      • Additional Elective
  • Minor: Genetics
      • Elective
  • Minor: Genomics & Bioinformatics
      • Elective