IT IS NOW CLEAR THAT LOTS OF NON-CODING RNAS IN THE GENOME ARE FUNCTIONAL AND VERY POWERFUL IN REGULATING GENE ACTIVITIES AND DEVELOPMENTAL PROCESS.
DEPENDS ON THE BACKGROUND OF THE STUDENTS, AROUND 1/3 OF THE LECTURES WILL BE GIVEN BY THE INSTRUCTOR FOR INTRODUCING BASIC CONCEPTS IN NON-CODING RNA REGULATED GENE SILENCING, INCLUDING THE POST-TRANSCRIPTIONAL REGULATION BY SIRNA, MICRORNA AND REPRODUCTIVE ORGAN SPECIFIC PIRNAS. THESE WILL COVER THE PHYSIOLOGICAL PROCESS INCLUDING GENOMIC IMPRINTING, SEX CHROMOSOME COMPENSATION, SILENCING OF ENDOGENOUS RETROTRANSPOSONS AND STEM CELL BIOLOGY. IN ADDITION, THE INVOLVEMENT OF NON-CODING RNA RELATED REGULATORY MECHANISMS IN CARCINOGENESIS WILL BE DISCUSSED.
FOR THE REST OF THE CLASSES, STUDENTS WILL BE ASSIGNED THE MOST UPDATED ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPERS AND CONFERENCE ARTICLES AS WELL AS THE MILESTONE PUBLICATIONS. THEY WILL BE RANDOMLY DIVIDED INTO 2 GROUPS FOR EACH ASSIGNMENT. ONE GROUP WILL BE PRESENTING THE ARTICLES AND STUDENTS IN THE OTHER GROUP ARE EXPECTED TO CHALLENGE THE PAPERS FROM THE EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN, THE METHODOLOGY TO THE INTERPRETATION OF THE DATA. STUDENTS IN THE 1ST GROUP SHOULD DEFEND FOR THE PAPERS AS IF IT’S THEIR MANUSCRIPT. STUDENTS FROM THE 2ND GROUP SHOULD ALSO PROVIDE CONSTRUCTIVE ADVICE AS HOW TO IMPROVE THE MANUSCRIPT SO THAT IT CAN BE PUBLISHED IN A HIGHER IMPACT JOURNAL.