Introduction to Molecular Biotechnology-E2
| Numbering Code | U-LAS14 20038 LE68 | Year/Term | 2022 ・ First semester | |
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| Number of Credits | 2 | Course Type | Lecture | |
| Target Year | Mainly 1st & 2nd year students | Target Student | For science students | |
| Language | English | Day/Period | Tue.3 | |
| Instructor name | Shohab YOUSSEFIAN (Graduate School of Medicine Professor) | |||
| Outline and Purpose of the Course |
Molecular Biotechnology is an exciting, evolving and interdisciplinary area of science that is expected to impact not only on the way we live but human life itself. It is being used to produce chemicals, medicines and other essential products in recombinant bacterial, plant and animal cells; to create transgenic plants that synthesize novel therapeutics or are resistant to various stresses, and transgenic animals with increased productivity; and is even being applied to modify humans through gene therapy and regenerative medicine. To fully understand these methodologies and their potentials, we will start the course by outlining the current understanding of genomes and genes and their regulation, then focus on the concepts behind basic laboratory techniques routinely used to isolate and analyze DNA and proteins, examine how these principles and methodologies are used to generate transgenic organisms, and finally discuss the benefits and hazards of such transgenic applications. |
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| Course Goals | To appreciate the tremendous potential of molecular biotechnology through a solid understanding of its basic principles, techniques and current applications, and so be able to address, from a fully informed point of view, the moral and bioethical issues that arise from the use of such breakthrough technologies. | |||
| Schedule and Contents |
Main Topics: 1. Introduction; overview, concepts, development and future 2. Genome organization, DNA and genes 3. Gene expression and regulation 4. Principles and techniques of recombinant DNA technology 5. Molecular techniques for gene identification 6. Molecular techniques of gene analysis 7. Recombinant proteins: synthesis and analysis 8. Methods and applications in microbial molecular biotechnology 9. Methods and applications in plant molecular biotechnology I and II 10. Methods and applications in animal, human and medical biotechnology I and II 11. Social and ethical issues of molecular biotechnology 12. Final examination 13. Feedback Please note that these 11 lecture subjects will cover the complete 14 lecture course of the series. |
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| Evaluation Methods and Policy | Evaluation will be based on class attendance and active participation (~25 %), quizzes (~30 %), other assignments (5 %), and a final assignment/examination (~40 %). | |||
| Course Requirements | None | |||
| Study outside of Class (preparation and review) | Whether these lectures are presented as face-to-face classes or, because of COVID-19, as online classes, the general structure and format will the same form of FLIP lectures. Here, on-demand videos and handouts for each lecture will be uploaded on PandA one week before each class so that students have time to go through them carefully. These videos will include full explanations of the materials as well as other visual tools such as animations and videos that will help better explain the concepts. Then, during each weekly face-to-face (or on-line) class, we will discuss the concepts presented in the videos, with each student explaining their answers to various thought-provoking questions, thereby developing deeper insights into the materials. On-line forums will be opened after the class to allow students to discuss areas that are still unclear or to upload videos that better explain certain issues. Quizzes throughout the semester will challenge the understanding and learning of the various concepts. | |||
| Textbooks | Textbooks/References | Full handouts and videos will be distributed in class | ||
