2022 Faculty Courses School of Materials and Chemical Technology Department of Chemical Science and Engineering Graduate major in Earth-Life Science
Earth-Life Science B
- Academic unit or major
- Graduate major in Earth-Life Science
- Instructor(s)
- Tomoaki Matsuura / Shawn Mcglynn / Kosuke Fujishima / Mina Okochi / Nathaniel David Virgo
- Class Format
- Lecture (Livestream)
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 1-2 Tue (ELSI-1 205) / 1-2 Fri (ELSI-1 205)
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- ELS.C402
- Number of credits
- 200
- Course offered
- 2022
- Offered quarter
- 1Q
- Syllabus updated
- Jul 10, 2025
- Language
- English
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
The purpose of this class is to provide students with a wide range of fundamental knowledge in life science and related fields (molecular and cell biology, biochemical engineering, population dynamics, bioenergetics, synthetic biology, astrobiology, etc.). This class is also aimed for students who did not have the opportunity to study life science during their undergraduate period. We expect this class to provide basic knowledge towards becoming an interdisciplinary researcher through the Earth-Life Science graduate course.
Course description and aims
The goal is to learn the meanings of technical terms in fields related to life science and basic knowledge, techniques, and concepts, including laws and formulas so that students can have conversations and discussions with researchers in the same field.
Keywords
life science, molecular and cell biology, biochemical enginnering, population dynamics, bioenergetics, astrobiology, synthetic biology
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
The lecture will be given by five faculty members and will be delivered live via Zoom. Materials necessary for the lecture will be available for download from OCW in advance, and assignments will be given at the end of each class.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Introduction to life on Earth | History of biology |
| Class 2 | Components of the cells | Biomolecules Numbers |
| Class 3 | Catalysis and dynamics | Enzyme catalysis Rate equations Diffusion and transport |
| Class 4 | Transcription & Translation | Central dogma Kinetic proof reading |
| Class 5 | Synthetic Biology | Genome synthesis Omics analysis Synthetic cell |
| Class 6 | Biochemical engineering | Cell growth kinetics Clutivation control Bioprocess |
| Class 7 | Molecular evolution | Errors in biology Mutagenesis amd directed evolution |
| Class 8 | Population dynamics | Basics of population ecology Lotka-Volterra models for predator-prey systems and competing species Phase prortraits for dynamical systems - stability and instability, coexistence and extinction |
| Class 9 | Evolutionary dynamics | Models of populations of replicators (Perron-Frobenius theorem) The mutation-selection balance Error catastrophe and "survival of the flattest" |
| Class 10 | History and diversity of life 1 | The oldest signs of life: sediments with shapes and isotopes. |
| Class 11 | History and diversity of life 2 | The molecular phylogenetic record How are phylogenies made? Where do the data come from? When and where did the tree of life begin? Current views of the tree of life |
| Class 12 | Bioenergetics of life | What is chemical energy? All life uses electron transfer Mechanisms of energy harvesting |
| Class 13 | Origins of life | Different theories and models regarding the origin of life |
| Class 14 | Life elsewhere | Habitability Ocean worlds Exoplanets and biosignatures |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.
Textbook(s)
Essential Cell Biology, 5th International Student Edition (2018), WW Norton & Co
Astrobiology (Charles Cockell)
Evolutionary Games and Population Dynamics (Cambridge University Press)
Cell Biology by the Numbers (Garland Science)
Reference books, course materials, etc.
Each lecturer will prepare a slide and will be shared before or after the class.
Evaluation methods and criteria
Students will be graded based on class assignments and attendance record.
Related courses
- LST.A203 ： Biochemistry I
- LST.A218 ： Biochemistry II
- LST.A208 ： Molecular Biology I
- LST.A213 ： Molecular Biology II
Prerequisites
Basic