Course Description

Understanding how epithelial cells stick together to form tissues and organs, how they withstand mechanical forces, and how the loss of this adhesion leads to diseases such as cancer and its metastasis, are important fundamental questions in biology with significant implications for human health. Adherens junctions (AJs) are known to be dynamic plasma-membrane structures that mediate cell-cell adhesion and promote tissue integrity. In this course, we will discuss primary scientific literature to understand how AJs facilitate multicellular development and how they impact disease. Lectures will be complemented by student-led presentations of important research papers published in leading scientific journals. 

Prerequisite

CSB331H1/ CSB328H1/ CSB349H1/ MGY311Y1/ BCH311H1, BIO230H1, BIO260H1/ HMB265H1 

Recommended Preparation

BIO130H1, CSB331H1 

Lecturer(s)

Prof. R. Sarpal 

ritu.sarpal@utoronto.ca  

Contact Hours

12L/24S 

Required Text(s)/Readings

Evaluation (Subject to change)

Seminar presentation 40%    Participation in seminars 12%     Quizzes 28%   Written report 20%

Last updated on June 20th, 2022