It's all in the genes

At one level we are defined by our genetic material. Our genes provide a blueprint for the production of proteins that allow our cells and bodies to perform a diverse range of complex functions. At the simplest level, viruses contain only a handful of genes - influenza virus has 11 - but rely on the ability to hijack the function of genes in the infected host. Bacteria have a few thousands genes and the fruitfly Drosophila around 15,000. Despite their apparent complexity humans have only around 20,000 protein-coding genes, about two-thirds the number of genes found in grapes.

This course will focus on how genetic information is stored; how it is replicated; how it is turned into functional proteins; and how and why the control of gene expression is so important. We will begin with an overview of gene organisation and structure and a look at some of the key experiments that have helped us understand gene function and control. This will be followed with two sessions focusing upon the processes of DNA replication, RNA transcription and protein translation to explain how the information in a gene is turned into a functional protein from a molecular perspective. We will then finish the course with two sessions exploring the mechanisms by which gene expression is controlled in a cell, why this is important and what can happen when it goes wrong. This will include discussion of transcription factors, the use of small RNA molecules, and epigenetics. Throughout the course the molecular processes being discussed will be highlighted using examples from both eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms.