1. Course Syllabus
Subject and Course Number: BIOE 506
Title: Molecular & Cellular Bioengrg
Proposed Texts: On Line Lecture Notes
Recommended Texts: Alberts, B., Johnson, A., Lewis, J., Raff, M., Roberts, K., Walter, P.:
Molecular Biology of the Cell. 4th ed., Garland Science, Taylor & Francis Group, 2002
Credit: 4 graduate hours.
Contact Hours: Two 90-minute lectures-discussions per week. 3.5 contact hours per week.
Topics Contact Hours
I. Introduction to Molecular and Cellular Engineering
• Introduction and review of DNA, RNA, Protein, Organelles, Cells 4
II. DNA Engineering and Technologies
• PCR, RT-PCR, DNA Mutagenesis, DNA Shuffling, Directed Evolution 2
• Northern Blot, Southern Blot, Microarray 2
III. Gene Regulation and Genetic Engineering
• Transcription, RNA, SiRNA, Gene Therapy 2
IV. Molecular Engineering and Technologies
• Antibodies, Electrophoresis, Immunoblotting, Immunostaining 2
• Kinase assay, Yeast Two-Hybrid Assay, Flow Cytometry 2
V. Cellular Functions
• Cytoskeleton 2
• Signaling Transduction, Phosphorylation, GTPases, Protein-Protein interaction 4
• Cell-Extracellular Matrix Adhesions 2
• Cell-Cell adhesions 2
VI. Cell-Environment Interactions
• Outside-in: Receptors, Cell Signaling and Cytoskeleton; Inside-out: Cell
Traction Force, Extracellular Matrix remodeling; The measurement of
intracellular strain using marker displacement, of external traction force using
beads-embedded elastic gels and nanofabricated elastic poles. The effects of
mechanical properties.
6
VII. Cellular and Tissue Engineering
• Biomaterials, Nanofabrication 2
• Cell-Material Interaction, Tissue Engineering, 3D Culture 2
• Signaling and Regulation 2
VIII. Advanced Topics: (I) Stem Cell Biology
• Maintenance, Differentiation, Proliferation 2
• Stem cells for tissue engineering 4
IX. Advanced Topics: (II) Fluorescence Proteins and Biosensors

2. • Fluorescence Proteins 3
• Genetically-encoded Biosensors based on Fluorescence Proteins.
The application of biosensors for measuring cell-environment interactions 2
Five quizzes, 40 minutes for each quiz 3
Total 50
Grading: Grade will be based on five quizzes (40%), class presentation (30%), and final exam (30%).
Proposed By: Dr. Yingxiao Wang

3. References Addendum
Topics Class Time References
X. Introduction to Molecular and Cellular Engineering
• Introduction and review of DNA, RNA, Protein, Organelles, Cells 4 hr (1)
XI. DNA Engineering and Technologies
• PCR, RT-PCR, DNA Mutagenesis, DNA Shuffling, Directed Evolution 2 hr (2, 3)
• Northern Blot, Southern Blot, Microarray 2 hr (1, 3, 4)
XII. Gene Regulation and Genetic Engineering
• Transcription, RNA, SiRNA, Gene Therapy 2 hr (1, 5)
XIII. Molecular Engineering and Technologies
• Antibodies, Electrophoresis, Immunoblotting, Immunostaining 2 hr (1, 3, 6)
• Kinase assay, Yeast Two-Hybrid Assay, Flow Cytometry 2 hr (3)
XIV. Cellular Functions
• Cytoskeleton 2 hr (1)
• Signaling Transduction, Phosphorylation, GTPases, Protein-Protein interaction
4 hr (7-9)
• Cell-Extracellular Matrix Adhesions 2 hr (10-13)
• Cell-Cell adhesions 2 hr (14-17)
XV. Cell-Environment Interactions
• Outside-in: Receptors, Cell Signaling and Cytoskeleton; Inside-out: Cell
Traction Force, Extracellular Matrix remodeling; The measurement of
intracellular strain using marker displacement, of external traction force using
beads-embedded elastic gels and nanofabricated elastic poles. The effects of
mechanical properties.
6 hr (1, 18-20)
XVI. Cellular and Tissue Engineering
• Biomaterials, Nanofabrication 2 hr (21, 22)
• Cell-Material Interaction, Tissue Engineering, 3D Culture 2 hr (23-25)
• Signaling and Regulation 2 hr (26, 27)
XVII. Advanced Topics: (I) Stem Cell Biology
• Maintenance, Differentiation, Proliferation 2 hr (1)
• Stem cells for tissue engineering 4 hr (28-32)
XVIII. Advanced Topics: (II) Fluorescence Proteins and Biosensors
• Fluorescence Proteins 3 hr (33-35)
• Genetically-encoded Biosensors based on Fluorescence Proteins,
The application of biosensors for measuring cell-environment interactions 2 hr (36-38)
Five quizzes, 40 minutes for each quiz 3 hr
Total 50 hr

4. Reference:
1. Bruce Alberts AJ, Julian Lewis, Martin Raff, Keith Roberts, Peter Walter. 2002. Garland
Science, Taylor & Francis Group
2. James D. Watson MG, Jan A. Witkowski, Mark Zoller 1992. W. H. Freeman
3. Joseph Sambrook DWR. 2001. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press
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30. Feng GS. 2007. Cell Res 17: 37-41
31. Kleber M, Sommer L. 2004. Curr Opin Cell Biol 16: 681-7
32. Zhang J, Li L. 2005. Dev Biol 284: 1-11
33. Lukyanov KA, Chudakov DM, Lukyanov S, Verkhusha VV. 2005. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol
6: 885-91
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