Biology Summer School at University of California, San Diego
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Introduction to the Biology Summer School at University of California, San Diego
The Biology Summer School at University of California, San Diego is tailored to provide communication and learning opportunities for outstanding high students passionate about pharmacy, bioengineering, medicine, and nursing. The program is taught by PhD-level instructors with years of research and teaching experiences, offering four courses: Molecular Immunology, Molecular Biology of Cancer, Molecular Neuroscience, and Bioinformatics of Aging. Through the combination of theories and practice, students can explore cutting-edge topics in biomedicine and immerse themselves in university life while making friends worldwide.
Note: The summer school is an academic program for international students held at University of California, San Diego, officially recognized, but not directly affiliated with University of California, San Diego or its constituent departments. Grades from the course cannot be converted into University of California, San Diego credits.
Molecular immunology developed after the establishment of the concepts of antigens and antibodies and the establishment of serology. The Molecular Immunology course will examine the composition, structure, function, and interaction of the immune system at the molecular level. This includes a wide range of immune molecules such as immunoglobulins, antigens, complement system, and immune regulatory factors. Molecular immunology plays an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of tumors, autoimmune and infectious diseases, and in the development of vaccines.
Course Content：
● Examine the function and regulation of the immune system at the molecular level
● Illustrate viral and bacterial infections such as Covid-19 and tuberculosis, immunodeficiency disorders such as HIV/AIDS, and autoimmune diseases such as lupus
● Discuss the human microbiome, the role of inflammation in tumor development and type 2 diabetes, allergy, vaccine/antibiotic development, etc.
Molecular Biology of Cancer is the study of the mechanisms of carcinogenesis, development, and treatment, exploring the abnormal changes in cancer at the molecular level, such as gene mutations, epigenetic alterations, and dysregulation of signaling pathways. Molecular Biology of Cancer not only focuses on the biological characteristics of cancer cells but also translates the understanding at the molecular level into effective therapeutic strategies, such as targeted therapy and immunotherapy, providing an important scientific basis and technical means for cancer prevention, early diagnosis, and individualized treatment.
Course Content:
● Examine the normal molecular and cellular biology to provide a foundation for discussion of how cancers develop.
● Discuss the ene mutation/DNA repair, cell death (apoptosis), angiogenesis, metastasis, cancer stem cells, etc.
● Explore the latest developments in personalized medicine, and tumor immunology/immunotherapy.
Molecular Neuroscience focuses on the study of the structure and function of the nervous system and its interactions at the molecular level. Combining the multidisciplinary approaches of molecular biology, genetics, cell biology, etc., it explores nerve cell information transmission, neuronal signaling, etc., to reveal the working principle of the brain, and provide support for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, etc., drug target discovery, drug screening and evaluation, emotion regulation, and memory processing.
Course Content:
● Explore the normal neurobiology based on normal molecular biology on a molecular level, including topics such as action potentials, memory, emotion, learning, and visual perception.
● Lay a heavy emphasis on neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, and depression, including strategies for pharmaceutical intervention.
Bioinformatics of Aging, as an interdisciplinary research combining bioinformatics and aging study, utilizes RNA sequencing, DNA methylation microarrays, and other histological technologies to explore in depth the development and application of aging clocks, mining genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic data to reveal the aging signaling pathways, search for aging biomarkers, and explore the screening of drug targets and the development of anti-aging drugs. Bioinformatics of Aging provides an important scientific basis and new ideas for understanding aging mechanisms and developing anti-aging drugs and therapies.
Course Content:
● Explore the molecular mechanism of aging and aging-related diseases.
● Discuss topics such as embryogenesis, stem cell biology, telomeres, and senescence.
● Emphasize next-generation therapeutic strategies to slow the aging process and extend the lifespan.
