Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Work Hours
Monday to Friday: 7AM - 7PM
Weekend: 10AM - 5PM
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Unboxing CRISPR
for transdisciplinary learning
Description
Objectives
The Unboxing CRISPR pilot course aims to promote a multidisciplinary environment for learning gene editing technologies and to contribute to mingling points of view, through direct contact with hands-on activities, while debating technological, ethical, and artistic implications and limitations of CRISPR-Cas9. The proposed approach built conceptual and practical skills, at different levels, in students both from science, art, and humanities backgrounds. On the other hand, creative exercises can lead to the development of competencies to explore possible and alternative scenarios in arts and literature.
The following general objectives can be listed:
- To emphasize the importance of multidisciplinary setups for the production of new knowledge
- To develop a collaboration environment in multidisciplinary teams;
- To enhance the complementarity of background dialogue and stimulate interdisciplinary communication
- To highlight the contribution of artistic practices for collective reflection on genetic technologies;
- To explore the science-society implications of technologies and the importance of evidence-based rigor for speculative-driven work
- A critical and artistic exploration of scientific topics
- To familiarise students with concepts, core problems, and basic knowledge inherent to gene editing and CRISPR
- To gain insights into different fields of practices
Learning outcomes & competences
- Learn fundamental genetic concepts and molecular techniques, as well as become familiar with an emerging technology that is revolutionizing science and medicine.
- Understand essential subjects and premisses of genetic sciences and CRISPR such as Genome, DNA, RNA, and protein to function CRISPR technology
- To acquire (and/or deepen, depending on the background) laboratory skills in molecular biology and DNA, and RNA manipulation, specifically for gene editing
- Training on hands-on activities in Molecular Biology of Gene Editing
- Understand the basis of Scientific thinking
- Acquisition of creative skills through divergent thinking and scenarios design
- Learn how to implement transdisciplinary collaborations
- Understand the ethical implications in the development of gene technology
Program / contents
- Basic concepts of molecular biology: DNA, protein, genes, RNA
- Introduction to gene edition
- Introduction to lab practices in gene editing
- CRISPR: how does it work
- In Silico CRISPR (sgRNA)
- In vitro gene editing with CRISP-R: theory and practice
- Introduction to art and science collaboration
- Bioart: definitions, concepts, and practices
- Creative and artistic explorations of gene editing and CRISP-R
- Exercises in creative thinking and ideation
- Critical and creative thinking
- Project development
- Ethics in gene modification
- To gain insights into different fields of practices
Teaching methods & learning activities
The classes of this course will be theoretical-practical, articulating:
- Expositive classes
- Development of practical projects
- Hands-on Lab Work experience
- Monitoring and individual and collective discussion with students;
- Autonomous research
- Multidisciplinary reflection and discussion
- Engagement and discussion with experts in diverse areas
- Critical thinking and reflection
- Design Thinking
- Basic setups for facilitating transdisciplinary collaborations
