Epigenetics, Epitranscriptomics, and Gene Regulation

This course is designed to introduce students to the field of epigenetics and epitranscriptomics, and gene regulatory mechanisms that occur without changes in the underlying DNA sequence. Molecular mechanisms we cover in depth include DNA and RNA modifications, histone modifications, chromatin remodeling, non-coding RNAs, and RNA editing. We discuss studies describing the role of epigenetics and epitranscriptomics in various developmental events, the natural aging process, environmental exposures, and malignancies such as cancer, obesity, neurological disorders, and inflammatory diseases. We also learn about molecular techniques and model organisms commonly used in epigenetics research. For complete and current details about this Harvard Extension course, see the description in the DCE Course Search.