Unifying Biology by Revealing the Foundational Principles of Life Systems
Due to the development of new technologies in the 21st century, experimental and computational tools, such as the sequencing of nucleic acids, have become faster and more inexpensive. These new tools have allowed the biological sciences to use genetics and genomics to reveal the functional relationships of life forms across the biosphere as never before. The largest conceptual shift enabled by this new capacity is the discovery of the unexpected complexity of the invisible world of microbes. We have learned that their diversity dwarfs that of animals and plants, and that they underlie the health of all corners of the biosphere and its inhabitants. In addition, genomic analyses of microbes have revealed that they 'invented' almost every fundamental feature of biological systems, and that macroorganisms have primarily added nuances as they build upon these essential foundations. This course aims to provide students with a comprehensive view of the structure and function of the biosphere, from its evolutionary history to its molecular underpinnings and emergent ecological patterns. The integration of micro- and macrobiology in an introductory biology course will allow students to both focus on the fundamental principles driving life and to build a comprehensive conceptual framework for understanding biology, much as chemistry and physics did in the 20th century as they developed a long-lasting framework for their introductory courses.