Coursera

Genes and the Human Condition (From Behavior to Biotechnology) (Coursera)

Offered by University of Maryland, College Park,

To acquire an understanding of the fundamental concepts of genomics and biotechnology, and their implications for human biology, evolution, medicine, social policy and individual life path choices in the 21st century.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see Coursera's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

Syllabus

WEEK 1
Introduction to Genetics
Module One provides a foundational overview of genetics tools and principles.

WEEK 2
Know Thy Ancestors
Module Two explores the field of comparative genomics and traces our emergence as a species.

WEEK 3
My Genes Made Me Do It
Module Three examines the role genes play in our behavior.

WEEK 4
Midterm Exam
Midterm covering material in Module One through Module Three.

WEEK 5
My Genes Didn't Make Me Do It
Module Four considers our genes, epigenetics and our environment and how they impact our lives.

WEEK 6
An Introduction to Genetic Engineering and Learning the Lingo
Module Five introduces the world of genetic engineering concepts and biotechnology.

WEEK 7
The Future is Now
Module Six discusses the history of biotechnology, its role in our lives today, and its prospects for the future.

WEEK 8
Final Exam
Final Exam covering material in Module Four through Module Six.

Go to Class

MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Coursera

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology - HKUST

The Science of Gastronomy (Coursera)

Sci: Biology & Life Sciences Health & Society

This course introduces a number of basic scientific principles underpinning the methodology of cooking, food preparation and the enjoyment of food. All topics covered have a strong basis in biology, chemistry, and physics application. Among others, they include the consumption of cooked food, the physiological and evolutionary implication of the senses, geographic and cultural influences on food, and the rationale behind food preparation. We will also discuss issues such as coupling of senses to improve sense stimulation; altering flavor by chemical means; and modification of the coloration to improve the appearance of dishes. Following the video demonstrations of the scientific principles of cooking, you will learn to recognize the key ingredients and their combinations for preparing good healthy food.

Oct 27th 2026

5-12 Weeks

Science Biology Physics

Coursera

University of Geneva

Chemical Biology (Coursera)

Sci: Chemistry

Chemical biology is a burgeoning field that has rapidly risen to prominence. This surge of interest has been fuelled by chemical biology’s applicability to understanding critical processes in live cells or model organisms in real time. This success has arisen because chemical biology straddles a nexus between chemistry, biology, and physics. Thus, chemical biology can harness rapid chemistry to observe or perturb biological processes, that are in turn reported using physical assays, all in an otherwise unperturbed living entity. Although its boundaries are endless, the multidisciplinary nature of chemical biology can make the field seem daunting; we beg to differ! Here, we deconstruct chemical biology into its core components, and repackage the material.

Oct 26th 2026

5-12 Weeks

Biology Chemistry Physical Sciences

Coursera

University of Michigan

AIDS: Fear and Hope (Coursera)

Sci: Biology & Life Sciences Health & Society

The basic biology of the virus, HIV, and the disease it causes, AIDS. The economic, social and political factors that determine who gets sick and who remains healthy, who lives and who dies. The progress of scientific research and medical treatments. The reasons for hope; the reasons for fear.

Oct 19th 2026

5-12 Weeks

Health Biology Healthcare

Coursera

University of California, Irvine

Basics of Extracellular Vesicles (Coursera)

Sci: Biology & Life Sciences

This course aims to provide the basic knowledge about extracellular vesicles (EV) a generic term including exosomes, microvesicles, microparticles, ectosomes, oncosomes, prostasomes, and many others. It covers areas such as EV history, nomenclature, biogenesis, EV cargo as well as the release and uptake mechanisms, collection and processing prior to isolation, different isolation methods, characterization and quantification techniques.

Oct 26th 2026

5-12 Weeks

Biology Cell Biology Sample Information

Coursera

University of California, San Diego

Hacking COVID-19 — Course 3: Unraveling COVID-19's Origins (Coursera)

Health & Society

In this course, you will follow in the footsteps of the bioinformaticians investigating the COVID-19 outbreak by investigating the origins of SARS-CoV-2. Whether you’re new to the world of computational biology, or you’re a bioinformatics expert seeking to learn about its applications in the COVID-19 pandemic, or somewhere in between, this course is for you!

Oct 19th 2026

2 Weeks

Bioinformatics Genomics Coronavirus

Coursera

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Experimental Methods in Systems Biology (Coursera)

Sci: Biology & Life Sciences

Learn about the technologies underlying experimentation used in systems biology, with particular focus on RNA sequencing, mass spec-based proteomics, flow/mass cytometry and live-cell imaging. A key driver of the systems biology field is the technology allowing us to delve deeper and wider into how cells respond to experimental perturbations. This in turns allows us to build more detailed quantitative models of cellular function, which can give important insight into applications ranging from biotechnology to human disease. This course gives a broad overview of a variety of current experimental techniques used in modern systems biology, with focus on obtaining the quantitative data needed for computational modeling purposes in downstream analyses.

Oct 19th 2026

5-12 Weeks

Biology Cell Systems Biology

Coursera

Duke University

Introduction to Genetics and Evolution (Coursera)

Sci: Biology & Life Sciences

Introduction to Genetics and Evolution is a college-level class being offered simultaneously to new students at Duke University. The course gives interested people a very basic overview of some principles behind these very fundamental areas of biology. We often hear about new "genome sequences," commercial kits that can tell you about your ancestry (including pre-human) from your DNA or disease predispositions, debates about the truth of evolution, why animals behave the way they do, and how people found "genetic evidence for natural selection." This course provides the basic biology you need to understand all of these issues better, tries to clarify some misconceptions, and tries to prepare students for future, more advanced coursework in Biology (and especially evolutionary genetics). No prior coursework is assumed.

Oct 26th 2026

5-12 Weeks

Science Biology Life

Coursera

University of Alberta

Dino 101: Dinosaur Paleobiology (Coursera)

Sci: Biology & Life Sciences Health & Society

Dino 101: Dinosaur Paleobiology is a 12-lesson course teaching a comprehensive overview of non-avian dinosaurs. Topics covered: anatomy, eating, locomotion, growth, environmental and behavioral adaptations, origins and extinction. Lessons are delivered from museums, fossil-preparation labs and dig sites. Estimated workload: 3-5 hrs/week.

Oct 17th 2026

5-12 Weeks

Biology Evolution Biodiversity

Coursera

Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Synapses, Neurons and Brains (Coursera)

Sci: Biology & Life Sciences Health & Society

These are very unique times for brain research. The aperitif for the course will thus highlight the present “brain-excitements” worldwide. You will then become intimately acquainted with the operational principles of neuronal “life-ware” (synapses, neurons and the networks that they form) and consequently, on how neurons behave as computational microchips and how they plastically and constantly change - a process that underlies learning and memory.

Oct 19th 2026

5-12 Weeks

Health Biology Brain

Coursera

Leiden University,Naturalis Biodiversity Center

Evolution Today (Coursera)

Sci: Biology & Life Sciences Health & Society

In this course you will learn how evolution works. You will develop an understanding of evolutionary processes and their formative power. You will see how evolution has shaped biodiversity, and continuously influences our daily life. Evolution impacts human endeavors as varied as medicine, agriculture, psychology, economy, and culture. It is the major unifying principle for biology and a fundamental natural law.

Nov 2nd 2026

5-12 Weeks

Biology Evolution DNA

Coursera

Leiden University

Mind of the Universe - Genetic Privacy: should we be concerned? (Coursera)

Humanities

Should all our genetic information be made public in order to eradicate genetic diseases from this world? Who owns your genetic data once it becomes publicly accessible? What is your responsibility to family members when you know more about genetic diseases than they do? Who decides what kind of genetic information is relevant to a person? And what does genetic privacy mean to you?

Oct 19th 2026

5-12 Weeks

Genetics Mind Ethics

Coursera

University of Toronto

Bioinformatic Methods II (Coursera)

Sci: Biology & Life Sciences Health & Society

Large-scale biology projects such as the sequencing of the human genome and gene expression surveys using RNA-seq, microarrays and other technologies have created a wealth of data for biologists. However, the challenge facing scientists is analyzing and even accessing these data to extract useful information pertaining to the system being studied. This course focuses on employing existing bioinformatic resources – mainly web-based programs and databases – to access the wealth of data to answer questions relevant to the average biologist, and is highly hands-on.

Oct 26th 2026

5-12 Weeks

Biology Bioinformatics Molecular Biology