Course Information
SUBJECT MATTER: Recent research has identified a number of small
RNAs (less than 30 nucleotides) that play critical roles in many biological
processes in most eukaryotic species. While a number of names have been
given to these, the two that have been widely adopted are siRNA (small interfering
RNA) and miRNA (microRNA). Both types of RNAs can function in a pathway
know as the interfering RNA pathway or RNAi pathway. While they are generated
by similar mechanisms, the two classes of RNAs have very different functions.
We will read primary research papers that describe the discovery of these
two types of RNAs, how they are generated, the natural functions they play,
and how they can be useful tools in biomedical research.
COURSE GOALS: The aim of this course is two fold: first to understand
what siRNAs and miRNAs are, how they are generated, and how they function.
The second goal is to become comfortable with reading, discussing, and presenting
the scientific literature. In fact, much of your grade will be determined
by your progress towards this goal, independently of what you may learn
about small RNAs.
CLASS FORMAT: Almost all of the class will be in a student presentation/discussion
format that will center on commonly or individually read papers. Much of
the discussions will be student-led. Participation in class will be a large
and significant determinant of the final grade (75%). There are two parts
to your participation. The first is when you are the lead presenter, either
in a group of two/three students or individually. You will be judged on
how well you do the following things:
1) give a clear but brief statement of what the work in the paper was addressing
2) present a concise overview of what led to the work, why it was undertaken,
and why it was important to do so
3) indicate how the problem was addressed--the general approaches and methods
used
4) describe what the major findings were, i.e., the results
5) indicate what conclusions can be drawn based on the results
6) identify any potential problems with the conclusions, any alternative
explanations the authors did not present, etc. (i.e., give some input of
your own)
7) integrate the findings/conclusions with what we have discussed previously
In all of these, please try to include critical assessment of the
work and your own input into interpretations, problems, etc. Input
from you--on whether you agree with the authors conclusions or not (and
why), if you feel the experiments were sound or not (and why), etc.--will
go a long way toward getting you a good grade.
The second part of your participation is when you are not the lead presenter.
You will be expected to read all the papers that will be presented and discussed,
and you will be expected to contribute to the discussion of each paper.
If you are shy, you better get over it soon. Nothing you say will be held
against you--in other words, your comments and questions are welcome independently
of whether we eventually determine you were correct in what you said. I
want to see evidence that you are thinking (hopefully in a critical manner)
and am less interested in if you know all the "right' things.
A PAPER: The remaining 25% of your grade will be a paper due at the
end of the semester. The paper should be no more than 5-7 pages (in other
words, it should be concise), double spaced and typed. It should be a
critical review of a specific, outstanding problem in the field of "small
RNAs" and will involve the use of at least 3 to 5 related papers addressing
the problem. Grading will reflect the degree of critical evaluation of the
material and the amount of independent thought woven into the paper. The
topic of your paper can be one of your own choosing (but it must be OK'ed
by me) or I will help you develop a topic. As we proceed through the semester,
you should keep an eye out for interesting potential paper topics.
On the last day of class, you will give a 10 minute overview of your paper.