Genome Engeneering

The course Genome Engineering was founded on three principles:
I. In the last decade we have seen a revolution in the biomedical sciences due to the advent of genome editing technologies, which have radically changed the way we manipulate and understand biological systems as well as treat disease. Mastery of this area is essential to understanding many of the most commonly used tools in biomedical research today and will also empower the next generation of biomedical scientists.
II. In the age of information and innovation we must think hard about what and how we teach our students. Students have access to unlimited information at the click of a button. By the time textbooks are in print they are out of date. Therefore, classical educational structures geared towards memorization must be updated to facilitate mastery of core fundamentals, innovation, and quick and critical evaluation of new information (e.g. research findings, hypotheses, ideas, concepts, methodologies, and technologies).
III. The essential skills of tomorrow’s scientists go far beyond mastery of a singular topic or discipline. Necessary skills include the capacity to discuss and convey concepts and results to diverse audiences (e.g. classrooms, colleagues, committees, and the public) using diverse media (e.g. oral, written, and illustration) and the aptitude to work in large and interdisciplinary teams.
Considering these principles, the goals of Genome Engineering are to: 1) teach the fundamentals of genome engineering at the molecular and cellular level and provide a survey of how it is being used in the real world in biomedicine; 2) provide a mechanism to endow students with the capacity to read, understand, critically evaluate, question, and discuss current primary literature; and 3) facilitate the acquisition of essential skills of tomorrow’s scientists, while simultaneously consolidating course fundamentals and compelling deeper mastery, via a team-based innovation and technology development project.