Human-animal hybrids? Superhumans? Designer babies? While these futuristic visions may be considered unethical (but surprisingly not undoable), genome editing already holds the keys to transforming humanity as we know it. The repurposing of the CRISPR system for genome editing has enabled the rapid development and refinement of tools to further basic research, develop therapies for human diseases, and promise numerous breakthroughs in agriculture, bioenergy, food security, nanotechnology, and a host of other applications. Come to this class to learn more about how CRISPR works and what improvements we are making to the system to enable its broad applicability all from a CRISPR engineer!

Designer babies? Superhumans? Cyborgs? While these futuristic visions may not be currently realizable (nor ethical), genome editing holds the keys to transforming humanity as we know it. CRISPR-Cas9 has enabled the rapid development and refinement of DNA-manipulating tools to further basic research, develop potential therapies for human diseases, and promise numerous breakthroughs in agriculture, bioenergy, food security, nanotechnology, and a host of other applications. Come to this class to learn more about how CRISPR works and what improvements we are making to the system to enable its broad applicability, all from a CRISPR researcher!

Designer babies? Superhumans? Cyborgs? While these futuristic visions may not be currently realizable, genome editing holds the keys to transforming humanity as we know it. While the ability to precisely edit the genome has been proposed and demonstrated before, CRISPR-Cas9, derived from the prokaryotic immune system, has enabled the rapid development and refinement of genome-editing tools as well as advances in using this technology to further basic research, develop potential therapies for a number of human diseases, and promise numerous breakthroughs in agriculture, bioenergy, food security, nanotechnology, and a host of other applications. Come to this class to learn more about how CRISPR works and what improvements we are making to the system to enable its broad applicability, all from a CRISPR researcher!

Immunology has evolved into one of the most powerful and applicable fields of basic science, as evidenced by an emerging number of immunological therapeutics, including those for cancer and HIV/AIDS. Still, there is an need for increased specificity and sophistication in modulating the immune response to better fight and ultimately cure these diseases. In this class, we will first introduce the basic principles and fundamentals of immunology, and later examine the role that engineering, particularly biomaterials, can play in accomplishing this goal.