Other Courses and Requirements
Topics found under this section include other required and elective coursework for MCO Graduate Students including MCO Nanocourses, Data Club and the RCR Refresher course.
MCO NANOCOURSES
Nanocourses are offered throughout the year, and are open to all students! Not all courses are offered each year, so be sure to check the calendar or my.harvard for current offerings. Below is a list and description of our Nanocourses:
- Mass Spectrometry (MCB 358) TBD This course will provide an introduction to shotgun proteomics: from sample preparation, the processes within mass spectrometer, and how to analyze the data obtained from this technique.
- Visualizing, Analyzing and Presenting Macromolecular Structures with PyMOL (MCB 355) March 18, 20, 25, 27 at 3:00-5:45pm.- PyMOL is one of the most popular software programs to display and explore high-resolution structures of macromolecules. It is readily used to create publication-quality figures, and movies and animations of structural information. In this course, you will learn the basics of PyMOL and be able to display, explore and present three-dimensional structures of macromolecules. With this basic training, you will be able to generate high-quality images and simple movies, and have the resources to learn more on your own to generate more complex displays.
- Microscopy (MCB 352) Late March/Early April - This course presents the fundamental concepts that underlie modern light microscopy in a rigorous but non-mathematical way for biological applications. The students will learn about the four major frameworks for light (ray optics, wave optics, electromagnetism, and quantum optics). The ways lenses work, the theory of resolution, and the optical design of the compound microscope will be described. The course will also describe the photo-physical principles that underlie fluorescence and genetically encoded fluorescent proteins, and light detector and imaging strategies. Scanning (confocal and 2P), light sheet and super-resolution microcopies will also be described.
The MCO Graduate Office can provide a maximum of $100 per month per class G-year for Data Club. Groups can meet more than once in a given month, but the maximum monthly expenditure is capped at $100, or $200 for every 2 months. Please note that funds not used cannot be rolled over to the next meeting.
Funds are provided by way of reimbursement. Reimbursement requests should be made as soon as possible after the event. instructions for reimbursement can be found here: Reimbursement Procedures.
The NIH requires that all trainees receive training in the responsible conduct of research at least once every four years and at each stage of their career (undergraduate researcher; graduate researcher; post-doctoral fellow; and faculty). MCO previously offered a Responsible Conduct of Research “Refresher” course for students in their 4th year and beyond, however, starting in 2020, students began taking the RCR course offered through the FAS. The course is offered twice a year (usually in August and January).
More information can be found here: https://facultyresources.fas.harvard.edu/responsible-conduct-research, and any questions should be directed to the FAS.
The Harvard University RCR course is open to all Harvard-affiliated researchers and research staff, offered two times a year (January and August). RCR is a highly recommended “best practices” course for those desiring to deepen their knowledge of ethical research and responsible conduct. It is also an excellent professional opportunity for anyone interested in furthering a career in research. This particular course fulfills the National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) requirements for formal RCR instruction.
The course is twelve hours long, with significant researcher facilitation and administrative support, and uses discussions and case studies to examine basic ethical and regulatory requirements for conducting research. This course aims to:
- develop, foster, and maintain a culture of integrity in science,
- empower researchers to hold themselves and others accountable to high ethical standards,
- improve the ability to make responsible choices when faced with ethical dilemmas involving research,
- provide an appreciation for the range of accepted scientific practices for conducting research,
- inform scientists and research trainees about the regulations, policies, statutes, and guidelines that govern the conduct of federally funded research and promote compliance with the same, and
- promote a career-long positive attitude toward research ethics and the responsible conduct of research (Adapted from the NIH Office of Intramural Research).
Topics covered include Research Misconduct; Scientific Publication and Communication; Authorship and Peer Review; Data Practices and Management; Rigor, Reproducibility and Transparency; Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer; Declaration of Financial and Personal Conflicts of Interest; International Research Collaboration and Foreign Influence; Mentor-Mentee Relationships; Title IX/Sexual and Gender-based Harassment; Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging in the Research Environment; and Wellness for Researchers.
Course requirements include viewing a weekly webinar, participation in weekly case study discussions, and the completion of course surveys and readings. A certificate will be issued to all participants upon successful course completion.