Molecular Cell Biology
Molecular and cellular biology lies at the very heart of the fundamental life sciences, and current breakthroughs in these fields are dramatically changing the outlook on the future of mankind. Some scientists are even speaking about the next step in evolution. Personalised medicine, Stem cell research, organoids and molecular techniques such as CRISPR-Cas which allow us to very precisely change not only our own hereditary material, but also that of other organisms present in our biosphere, yield unprecedented opportunities, but obviously also dangers. A life science curriculum without these disciplines would, therefore, be unthinkable, especially at a liberal arts and science college.
Whether you are planning a career as a life science researcher, as a physician, in the pharmaceutical industry, in biotechnology, in agriculture or if you are just genuinely interested in life as such, molecular biology is indispensable.
Even if you are not planning a career as a life scientist, fundamental knowledge about how life “works” adds a dimension to the awareness of the beauty of it. Life is (composed of) cells, and those cells are programmed by the interaction between their epi-genome (their hereditary material) and their surroundings (the outside world and other cells). So, in order to understand processes such as cancer and embryogenesis (the formation of an entire organism, from just one cell, the fertilized egg) molecular cell biological approaches are indispensable.