Science Archives

Course Overview:

Have you ever wondered what viruses actually are?

Have you been curious about the ways they invade our bodies, attack our cells and make us sick? Come and learn what viruses are made of and understand the mechanisms of how they hijack and take over our cells.

There is no need for a background in science – just bring your curious mind!

Our bodies are made of cells, which are amazing molecular machines. So long as everything is in working order, we feel great. But surprisingly, these unbelievably tiny parasites made of Protein and Genes – viruses – can take over and cause serious damage to our bodies.

Step by step, this course will teach you how the cells of our bodies work to keep us healthy. We will then explore the vast kingdom of viruses; especially those that have caused epidemics like the flu, AIDS and Ebola. Finally, we will systematically review our immune system, how it identifies “the enemies,” and how it takes them out.

What You’ll Learn:

The makeup of cell structures (organelles) and their functions;
What happens to our body when it is infected by viruses;
How our Immune System operates to protect us;
The pros and cons of vaccination.

Meet Your Instructor:

Jonathan Gershoni

Prof. at Tel Aviv University Prof. Jonathan Gershoni, born in Israel, received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Post-doctoral training at Yale School of Medicine. For 30 years he has investigated the immune response towards viruses such as HIV, HCV and SARS CoV. He continues to develop novel methods for the computational characterization of the antibody composition in blood and applications towards new immuno-diagnostics and preventive vaccines. Prof. Gershoni has worked as a visiting scientist at the National Institutes of Health, in Bethesda MD and at Boston University - Department of Physics. He has repeatedly been awarded "Teacher of the Year" at Tel Aviv University and has served as the Director of the Israeli AIDS Task Force. Prof. Gershoni lives in Israel with his wife, three daughters and 10 grandchildren.

Course Overview

“If history is our guide, we can assume that the battle between the intellect and will of the human species and the extraordinary adaptability of microbes will be never-ending.” (1)

Despite all the remarkable technological breakthroughs that we have made over the past few decades, the threat from infectious diseases has significantly accelerated. In this course, we will learn why this is the case by looking at the fundamental scientific principles underlying epidemics and the public health actions behind their prevention and control in the 21st century.

This is the first (orgins of novel pathogens) of the four courses, covers these topics:

Epidemics: Past, Present and Future
Discussion on Ebola and Zika Outbreak, and Supplementary Module on Next Generation Informatics for Global Health
Ecology, Evolution and Emergence of Infectious Diseases
Medical Detective: Bug Hunting in Epidemics

What You’ll Learn

Historic transitions and emergence of epidemic infections
Factors leading to infectious disease emergence and re-emergence
Regions with higher risk and estimated economic costs of emerging infectious disease
Ecology, evolution and emergence of infectious diseases such as Zika, Ebola, H5N1, H7N9, H1N1 and Swine Influenza
Discovery, proof of association and causation, and control (case review on SARS)

Meet Your Instructors

Gabriel M. Leung

Professor at The University of Hong Kong Gabriel Leung is Dean of the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine at the University of Hong Kong. He is also Chair Professor in the School of Public Health and honorary consultant in family medicine and primary care. Previously he was Head of the Department of Community Medicine. Gabriel Leung served in government as Hong Kong’s first Under Secretary for Food and Health and fifth Director of the Chief Executive's Office. He regularly advises various national and international agencies including the World Health Organization, World Bank and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Kwok-Yung Yuen

Professor at The University of Hong Kong Professor Kwok-Yung Yuen, Chair of Infectious Diseases at HKU, has the rare distinction of being a microbiologist, surgeon and physician. He is a fellow of both the UK and Hong Kong Colleges of Pathologists, Surgeons and Physicians, and the American College of Physicians. KY Yuen was the first Director of the State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases at HKU– the first State Key Laboratory outside the Mainland. He was also the Scientific Co-director of the HKU-Pasteur Research Centre. KY Yuen played a key role in the discovery of the agent causing SARS, and also published the first clinical and laboratory diagnostic paper on Influenza A H5N1 in the Lancet.

Joseph Wu

Professor at The University of Hong Kong Joseph Wu leads the infectious disease modeling research at the HKU School of Public Health. His primary research is on influenza epidemiology and control, particularly focusing on pandemic preparedness and response. His work primarily entails developing mathematical models to assess the potential benefits and logistical requirement of influenza epidemic mitigation and surveillance strategies. He is a member of the Scientific Committee for the Center for Health Protection in Hong Kong. Joseph Wu is an affiliated faculty member of the Center for Communicable Diseases Dynamics (CCDD) at the Harvard School of Public Health. He is the coordinator of the annual CCDD infectious disease modeling course.

Mark Jit

Professor at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Mark Jit works as both a Senior Lecturer in Vaccine Epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and also in the Modelling and Economics Unit of Public Health England. He teaches postgraduate and professional courses on modelling and economics of infectious diseases. His main research interest is in epidemiological and economic modelling of infectious disease control interventions to support evidence-based public health decision making. In particular, his work has helped inform immunisation policy on a range of vaccines (including HPV, pneumococcal, rotavirus and influenza vaccines) in both developed and developing countries.

About this course

Master the fundamental components of advanced literature searching in the health sciences.

Informationist Mark MacEachern and a team of fellow health sciences informationists at the University of Michigan designed this course for anyone responsible for constructing literature searches as part of their research. This course will specifically help professionals and researchers in the health sciences improve the overall quality and reporting of their literature searches.

After completing the course, you will better understand the importance of literature searches in health sciences work, the components of effective searches, and best practices to sufficiently report the search process. All learners who rely heavily on past research in their project work – regardless of their experience or current competence – will benefit from this practical learning experience.

What you’ll learn

The components of advanced searches
How to identify the types of projects dependent on advanced searching
How to construct advanced searches
Ways to uncover search-related biases that impact projects
Procedures for citation management
Best practices for reporting search strategies

Meet your instructors

Mark MacEachern

Health Sciences Informationist at Taubman Health Sciences Library, The University of Michigan

Mark MacEachern is a health sciences informationist at the University of Michigan Taubman Health Sciences Library. As an informationist, Mark teaches health sciences students about evidence-based practice and advanced search methodologies, and frequently collaborates with health professionals on review projects. In 2013, he co-developed the flipped, continuing education course Systematic Reviews: Opportunities for Librarians, which empowers information experts to engage in such projects, and lead the course through 2017. He has also been invited to join the faculty of the Medical Library Association's Research Training Institute, which will see its first cohort in 2018. Mark received his Master of Library and Information Science degree from the University of Western Ontario in 2007.

Jean Song

Health Sciences Informationist at Taubman Health Sciences Library, The University of Michigan

Jean Song is the Assistant Director for Academic and Clinical Engagement (ACE) for the University of Michigan’s (UM) Taubman Health Sciences Library (THL). She began her career as the Reference Coordinator at the Public Health Library & Informatics at UM and then moved to Pfizer Global Research and Development where she worked as a systems administrator and project manager for their document management and adverse event reporting systems. She returned to UM as the Bioinformationist for THL and a liaison to the National Center for Integrative Biomedical Informatics (NCBI). She then headed and built the Research and Informatics unit at THL and moved into her current role as the lead of ACE. The ACE unit at THL has responsibility for curricular integration and teaching and learning in departments across the schools of health sciences, expert searching and systematic reviews, and clinical information management services. Jean has her B.S. in biological sciences from Stanford University and her MSI from the UM’s School of Information.

Tyler Nix

Health Sciences Informationist at Taubman Health Sciences Library, The University of Michigan

Tyler Nix is an informationist at the University of Michigan Taubman Health Sciences Library, where he partners with health sciences students and faculty on education and research projects related to advanced literature searches, research impact metrics and tools, and data visualization resources. Prior to the University of Michigan, he was an Associate Fellow at the National Library of Medicine. Tyler received his Master of Science in Library Science degree from the University of Kentucky in 2015.

Judith Smith

Health Sciences Informationist at Taubman Health Sciences Library, The University of Michigan

Judy Smith is a Health Sciences Informationist at the Taubman Health Sciences Library (THL), at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Judy partners with faculty, students, and staff in the Department of Health Policy and Management in the School of Public Health. In that role, she works to integrate information skills and resources into the curriculum, providing numerous instruction sessions and consultations on advanced literature review techniques. Additionally, Judy engages with public health research initiatives, especially as they relate to health policy. She also serves as a point person for information needs at an interdisciplinary research complex, the North Campus Research Complex (NCRC), which houses the Institute for Health Care Policy and Innovation. Judy is also working with a team of informationists at THL on a mixed methods study to measure the library’s impact patient and population care. Judy holds a Master of Science, Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois, Champaign Urbana, and a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Michigan.

About this course

Structure determines so much about a material: its properties, its potential applications, and its performance within those applications. This course from MIT’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering explores the structure of a wide variety of materials with current-day engineering applications.

The course begins with an introduction to amorphous materials. We explore glasses and polymers, learn about the factors that influence their structure, and learn how materials scientists measure and describe the structure of these materials.

Then we begin a discussion of the crystalline state, exploring what it means for a material to be crystalline, how we describe directions in a crystal, and how we can determine the structure of crystal through x-ray diffraction. We explore the underlying crystalline structures that underpin so many of the materials that surround us. Finally, we look at how tensors can be used to represent the properties of three-dimensional materials, and we consider how symmetry places constraints on the properties of materials.

We move on to an exploration of quasi-, plastic, and liquid crystals. Then, we learn about the point defects that are present in all crystals, and we will learn how the presence of these defects lead to diffusion in materials. Next, we will explore dislocations in materials. We will introduce the descriptors that we use to describe dislocations, we will learn about dislocation motion, and will consider how dislocations dramatically affect the strength of materials. Finally, we will explore how defects can be used to strengthen materials, and we will learn about the properties of higher-order defects such as stacking faults and grain boundaries.

What you’ll learn

How we characterize the structure of glasses and polymers
The principles of x-ray diffraction that allow us to probe the structure of crystals
How the symmetry of a material influences its materials properties
The properties of liquid crystals and how these materials are used in modern display technologies
How defects impact numerous properties of materials—from the conductivity of semiconductors to the strength of structural materials

XSeries Program in Materials for Electronic, Optical, and Magnetic Devices

Discover the materials and devices that power our modern world

Structure of Materials

Electronic, Optical, and Magnetic Properties of Materials

Electrical, Optical & Magnetic Materials and Devices

Capstone Exam – Materials for Electronic, Optical, and Magnetic Devices

4 1 year 8 - 11 hours per week

Complete Program $540.00

Program Details

Prerequisites

University-level chemistry
Single-variable calculus
Some basic linear algebra

Who can take this course?

Unfortunately, learners from one or more of the following countries or regions will not be able to register for this course: Iran, Cuba and the Crimea region of Ukraine. While edX has sought licenses from the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to offer our courses to learners in these countries and regions, the licenses we have received are not broad enough to allow us to offer this course in all locations. EdX truly regrets that U.S. sanctions prevent us from offering all of our courses to everyone, no matter where they live.

Meet your instructors

Silvija Gradečak

Professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Jessica Sandland

Lecturer & Digital Learning Scientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Jessica Sandland is a Lecturer in the Department of Material Science and Engineering and an MITx Digital Learning Scientist. Jessica leads online learning initiatives in DMSE, creating MOOCs and designing blended courses for MIT students. She has coordinated the development of a wide variety of DMSE’s online courses.

About This Course:

This course from MIT’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering introduces the fundamental principles of quantum mechanics, solid state physics, and electricity and magnetism. We use these principles to describe the origins of the electronic, optical, and magnetic properties of materials, and we discuss how these properties can be engineered to suit particular applications, including diodes, optical fibers, LEDs, and solar cells.

In this course, you will find out how the speed of sound is connected to the electronic band gap, what the difference is between a metal and a semiconductor, and how many magnetic domains fit in a nanoparticle. You will explore a wide range of topics in the domains of materials engineering, quantum mechanics, solid state physics that are essential for any engineer or scientist who wants to gain a fuller understanding of the principles underlying modern electronics.

What You’ll Learn:

Discover the quantum mechanical origins of materials properties
Explain the origin of electronic bands in semiconductors
Learn the operating principles of solid state devices such as solar cells and LEDs
Understand the materials physics that underlies the optical and magnetic behavior of materials

XSeries Program in Materials for Electronic, Optical, and Magnetic Devices

Discover the materials and devices that power our modern world

Structure of Materials

Electronic, Optical, and Magnetic Properties of Materials

Electrical, Optical & Magnetic Materials and Devices

Capstone Exam – Materials for Electronic, Optical, and Magnetic Devices

4 1 year 8 - 11 hours per week

Complete Program $540.00

Program Details

Prerequisites:

Differential and Integral Calculus University-level Electricity & Magnetism Fundamentals of Materials Science and Engineering, or a knowledge structure and bonding in solid state materials.

Who Can Take This Course?

Unfortunately, learners from one or more of the following countries or regions will not be able to register for this course: Iran, Cuba and the Crimea region of Ukraine. While edX has sought licenses from the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to offer our courses to learners in these countries and regions, the licenses we have received are not broad enough to allow us to offer this course in all locations. EdX truly regrets that U.S. sanctions prevent us from offering all of our courses to everyone, no matter where they live.

Meet Your Instructors:

Polina Anikeeva

Class of 1942 Associate Professor in Materials Science and Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Polina Anikeeva received her BS in Physics from St. Petersburg State Polytechnic University in 2003. After graduation, she spent a year at the Los Alamos National Lab where she developed photovoltaic cells based on quantum dots. In 2004 she enrolled in a PhD program in Materials Science at MIT and graduated in 2009 with her thesis dedicated to the design of light emitting devices based on organic materials and nanoparticles. She completed her postdoctoral training in neuroscience at Stanford University, where she created devices for optical stimulation and electrical recording from neural circuits. Polina joined the faculty of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at MIT in July 2011, where she is now a Class of 1942 career development associate professor. Her lab focuses on the development of flexible and minimally invasive materials and devices for neural recording, stimulation and repair. Polina is also a recipient of NSF CAREER Award, DARPA Young Faculty Award, Dresselhaus Fund Award, and the Technology Review TR35 among others. If you would like to learn more about Prof. Anikeeva’s research interests, take a look at her talk at TEDx Cambridge.

Jessica Sandland

Lecturer & Digital Learning Scientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Jessica Sandland is a Lecturer in the Department of Material Science and Engineering and an MITx Digital Learning Scientist. Jessica leads online learning initiatives in DMSE, creating MOOCs and designing blended courses for MIT students. She has coordinated the development of a wide variety of DMSE’s online courses.

About this course

This course will explain the basis of the electrical, optical, and magnetic properties of materials including semiconductors, metals, organics and insulators, and will show how devices are built to take advantage of those properties. It is illustrated with a wide range of devices, placing a strong emphasis on new and emerging technologies. Applications presented include diodes, transistors, photodetectors, solar cells (photovoltaics), displays, light emitting diodes, lasers, optical fibers and optical communications, photonic devices, magnetic data storage, motors, transformers and spintronics.

Image attribution: Disk drive: KEURT Datenrettung, Lasers: US Navy Surface Warfare Center, Computer Chip: Jon Sullivan

What you’ll learn

Part 1: The origins of semiconductor properties

Carrier action in semiconductors: drift, diffusion, recombination and generation
The behavior of p-n junctions at equilibrium and under bias
The derivation and application of the ideal diode equation, and how real diodes differ from ideal diodes
Operating principles of bipolar junction transistors and MOSFETs

Part 2: The fundamental operating principles of photodevices

LED and heterojunction laser materials selection and design
Fundamentals of organic electronics and liquid crystal displays An overview of photonic systems
Optical fibers: dispersion, losses, and design choices

Part 3: Fundamentals of magnetism

The role anisotropy plays in the magnetic behavior of materials
The operating principles of transformers and DC motors
How data is stored on hard disks
Principles of optical and magnetooptical storage like an expert

XSeries Program in Materials for Electronic, Optical, and Magnetic Devices

Discover the materials and devices that power our modern world

Structure of Materials

Electronic, Optical, and Magnetic Properties of Materials

Electrical, Optical & Magnetic Materials and Devices

Capstone Exam – Materials for Electronic, Optical, and Magnetic Devices

4 1 year 8 - 11 hours per week

Complete Program $540.00

Program Details

Prerequisites

Physics, calculus, and chemistry at the first year university level
Familiarity with materials structure and bonding
A background in solid state physics is helpful, but is not absolutely essential

Who can take this course?

Unfortunately, learners from one or more of the following countries or regions will not be able to register for this course: Iran, Cuba and the Crimea region of Ukraine. While edX has sought licenses from the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to offer our courses to learners in these countries and regions, the licenses we have received are not broad enough to allow us to offer this course in all locations. EdX truly regrets that U.S. sanctions prevent us from offering all of our courses to everyone, no matter where they live.

Meet your instructors

Caroline Ross

Toyota Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at MIT

Caroline Ross is Toyota Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She received her undergraduate and PhD degrees from Cambridge University, UK, was a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard, and worked at Komag, a hard disk company, before joining MIT. Prof. Ross studies the magnetic properties of thin films and nanostructures for data storage and logic applications, and methods for creating nanoscale structures based on directed self-assembly and lithography.

Jessica Sandland

Lecturer & Digital Learning Scientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Jessica Sandland is a Lecturer in the Department of Material Science and Engineering and an MITx Digital Learning Scientist. Jessica leads online learning initiatives in DMSE, creating MOOCs and designing blended courses for MIT students. She has coordinated the development of a wide variety of DMSE’s online courses.