What you'll learn

Understand CRISPR Cas9 technology and its potential application in various industries like biofuel, agriculture, and healthcare
Argue about the applications of CRISPR in the biotechnology industry and how this will assist the development of disease-resistant cultivars, improve food yields, and allow biofuels to become a viable alternative energy source
Explore the possibilities of curing inherited genetic disorders, treating infectious diseases, such as HIV, and advancing the fight against cancer, by using real-world case studies
Discover the significant ways in which CRISPR can be applied to different kinds of businesses, and explore the market opportunities for investors and venture capitalists
Consider the ethical implications CRISPR genetic manipulation raises as the technology is developed

Course description

PLEASE NOTE: This course is offered through GetSmarter, which provides cohort-based learning, personal coaching services, and access to a premier certificate from HarvardX.

CRISPR shares the same space as Blockchain and IOT payments as one of the most disruptive innovations of recent years. Although still in its relative infancy, the global market of this gene-editing tool is expected to grow to approximately $10 billion by 2025.*

The CRISPR Gene-editing Applications online short course from Harvard’s Office of the Vice Provost for Advances in Learning (VPAL), in association with HarvardX, provides decision makers and investors interested in the biotechnology industry with the opportunity to learn more about CRISPR in relation to various industries such as biotech, healthcare, and agriculture. You’ll also investigate the CRISPR gene-editing tool, sometimes referred to as CRISPR Cas9.

From combating cancer and optimizing agriculture, to treatment of genetic disease and ethical considerations, this genetic engineering course will give you an understanding of the CRISPR landscape and its future potential.

This 8-week course will give you a comprehensive understanding of what CRISPR is, and the possibilities it brings to genetic engineering.

Course outline

Module 1 Basic principles of molecular biology
Module 2 CRISPR and genetic engineering
Module 3 Treating genetic diseases
Module 4 Promoting resistance to infectious diseases
Module 5 Combating cancer through research and treatment
Module 6 Optimizing and fighting microorganisms: The food, health, and energy industries
Module 7 Improving agriculture: Optimizing crops
Module 8 The ethics of using CRISPR

Take courseon

Faculty

Alain Viel
Director of Undergraduate Research and Senior Lecturer in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University
Hanan Dahche
Postdoctoral Fellow and Teaching Assistant, Harvard University