Interdisciplinary Training in Quantitative Cell Biology

Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole MA

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Abstract

Project Summary The program in ?Physiology: Modern Cell Biology Using Microscopic, Biochemical, and Computational Approaches? at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) provides seven weeks of intensive, advanced research training in modern cell biology using cutting edge approaches in imaging, biochemistry, molecular biology, and computational science. To accomplish this, the course brings together biological/biomedical scientists with physical/computational scientists to foster cross-disciplinary training and collaborations. Biology students will leave the course able to understand and author computer simulations, and physical science students will leave understanding the language of biology, and with experience working on cutting edge biological problems. Students will participate in three research threads (cell division, cell migration, and signaling) that will run through the whole course. Each thread will intensively use microscopy, biochemistry, and computational analysis to address research problems in a highly collaborative setting. State-of-the-art microscopes, as well as other advanced equipment, are available through a highly successful scientific equipment vendor loan program. There is no other environment in which such diverse students can be brought together to work for 6 days/ week and 15 hrs per day focused on generating new knowledge. MBL courses are often called ?transformative? by students, and a recent alumni survey covering 10 years, with a 56% return rate found that 66% of the 612 responses rated their experience as transformative, with 99% stating that the course was ?highly worthwhile? or ?transformative.?