Day 1:  Introduction to the Core of Living Systems  (Speakers: Jack Szostak and Nick Hud)
Subject:  Chemical molecules storing genetic information, nucleic acid structure and function, and metabolism of nucleosides and nucleotides, chemical origins and evolution of nucleic acids.
Laboratory Activities:  Synthesis of the natural ribonucleosides

Day 2:  Nucleic Acid Chemistry and Genetic Information  (Speakers: Floyd Romesberg and Zhen Huang)
Subject:  Genetic alphabet, expanded genetic alphabet base pairing and recognition, chemical synthesis of nucleosides, triphosphates and phosphoramidites, solid-phase synthesis of nucleic acid, and biochemical synthesis of nucleic acids
Laboratory Activities:  Synthesis of the natural nucleoside triphosphates

Day 3:  Nucleic Acid Recognition, DNA Repairing and Preservation of Genomic Integrity   (Speakers: Marc Greenburg and David Lynn)
Subject:  Enzymes, catalytic RNAs (ribozymes), catalytic DNAs (DNAzymes), aptamers, DNA-templated organic synthesis, small molecule evolution, DNA repairing and preservation of genomic integrity
Laboratory Activities:  Isolation of circular nucleic acid (plasmid), endonuclease digestion, and agrose gel electrophoresis analysis

Day 4:  Novel Nucleobase, Diseases & Pathogen Rapid Identification Based on Nucleic Acid Sequences  (Speakers: Steven Benner, and Weihong Tan)
Subject:  Gene expression profile, disease and pathogen detection at nucleic acid levels, nucleic acid-based detection strategies, RT-PCR strategy, DNA microarray, and RNA microchip
Laboratory Activities:  DNA polymerization, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and RNA transcription. (Bonus: protein expression and agrose gel electrophoresis analysis).

Day 5:  Duplex Recognition and Nucleic Acid Targeting  (Speakers: David Wilson, and Herman O. Sintim)
Subject:  Nucleobase recognition via base pairing, size and stacking interaction, new nucleobases, nucleobase-expanded DNA, DNA and RNA inhibition, intercalation, natural killers of genes, nucleosides and nucleotides as therapeutics, nucleic acids as drug targets, disrupting diseases at genetic levels

Keynote Speaker:  Jack Szostak
Lab Instructors:  Zhen Huang, George Zheng, and students