2.0

Average Course Rating

This course is a combination of lectures, student presentations and group discussions that address fundamental principles and also contemporary issues examining the way all forms of Life on Earth are ultimately dependent on sunlight to satisfy their food and energy requirements. We examine the steps from the capture of Physical energy (photons), to the development of electrochemical potentials and finally, to their utilization by cellular organelles towards the synthesis of the chemical "currency" that fuels all biological processes (biosynthesis, cell communication, movements, etc.). Special emphasis will be on current developments in biotechnologies that utilize microbial populations to supply us with fuels and also to clean up environmental hazards. The course will also consider ways to extract lessons from Nature's successful designs and harmonious adaptations so that we, in the long run, can utilize them towards a minimization of our negative impact on the environment. Note: Freshmen and Sophomores only, with good foundations in any two of the following: Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Biophysics.