CRISPR: GENE-EDITING APPLICATIONS

Explore the world-changing potential and ethical concerns of applying CRISPR technology in your industry.

This Course Is for You If:

 

As a professional with or without previous lab experience or scientific knowledge, you want an understanding of the contexts, products, and industry of gene-editing that meets your level of expertise. You’ll explore the ethics and various market opportunities of this disruptive technology and develop the vocabulary to communicate with potential consumers, stakeholders and scientists within the field.

Anyone working in the sales, product development or manufacturing department of an organization that currently uses CRISPR technology or is exploring its future applications will benefit from this course. Regulators and policy makers will be better equipped to create and communicate legal frameworks, while investors and entrepreneurs can make more informed decisions and identify investment opportunities.

Duration

8 weeks, excluding
orientation

Effort

7–10 hours per week,
entirely online

Learning Format

Weekly modules,
flexible learning

You'll Walk Away With:

1

A solid foundational understanding of CRISPR and its potential across the economy, adeptly addressed by Harvard’s VPAL, in association with HarvardX.

2

Valuable insight on how CRISPR is affecting global issues in the biotech, agricultural, and pharmaceutical industries and knowledge to further explore investment opportunities.

3

A premier certificate from Harvard’s VPAL upon successful completion, an institution that represents the pinnacle of 21st century learning.

Course Convener

Alain Viel

Senior Lecturer in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Director of the Northwest Undergraduate Laboratories, Harvard University

Alain Viel is director of Undergraduate Research and senior lecturer in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology at Harvard University. He received a PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology of Development from Pierre and Marie Curie University in Paris, France (Paris VI) and did his postdoctoral work at Harvard University. He teaches research-based courses that include projects using gene-editing tools. He also teaches courses in molecular biology and biochemistry. He is a founding member of BioVisions, a collaboration between scientists, teaching faculty, students, and multimedia professionals that focuses on science visualization. He is the co-author of the award-winning animation series “The Inner Life of the Cell.”

“The application of CRISPR goes beyond medicine. We have right now a situation with the production of crops. Will we have enough crops to feed the world in 10 years from now or 20 years from now? What CRISPR can do is it can help us modify the genome of crops, make them resistant to pathogens, make them grow in an environment where they normally would not grow – and thus increase the yield of crop production. And that can help us in solving the food problem in the long term.”

Course Curriculum

Module 1: Basic Principles of Molecular Biology
Explore the relationship between an organism’s DNA and its phenotype.

Module 2: CRISPR and Genetic Engineering
Learn about the way in which CRISPR functions as a gene-editing tool.

Module 3: Treating Genetic Diseases
Investigate how CRISPR could be used to treat genetic diseases.

Module 4: Promoting Resistance to Infectious Diseases
Learn about ways in which CRISPR can be used to combat infectious diseases.

Module 5: Combating Cancer Through Research and Treatment
Discover the different ways in which CRISPR can be used to further the fight against cancer.

Module 6: Optimizing and Fighting Microorganisms: The Food, Health, and Energy Industries
Explore the commercial significance of microorganisms and how CRISPR can optimize their use.

Module 7: Improving Agriculture: Optimizing Crops
Understand how CRISPR can be used to optimize crops.

Module 8: The Ethics of Using CRISPR
Investigate the ethical concerns that the use of CRISPR may generate.

An Online Education That Sets You Apart

This online short course from Harvard’s VPAL and HarvardX is delivered in collaboration with online education provider, GetSmarter. Join a growing community of global professionals who have already benefited from the opportunity to:

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Develop relevant, sought-after skills and earn invaluable recognition from an international selection of universities, entirely online

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Enjoy a personalized,
people-mediated online learning experience created to make you feel supported at every step

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Gain verifiable and relevant competencies through a career-focused curriculum that achieves specific learning outcomes and skill gains

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