KJM3500 Molecular and cell biology Course description

Students will be given an introduction to molecular biology, genetics and cell biology. The course starts with an introduction to the basic principles of genetics and the structure of eukaryotic genes and genomes and their molecular biology characteristics. The course also deals with the expression of the eukaryotic genome and techniques used in modern molecular biology. The elective course is arranged provided that there is a sufficient number of students who choose the course.

The course builds on KJTP2410 Biokjemi og mikrobiologi and KJTS3100 Bioteknologi.

After completing the course, the student is expected to have achieved the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student:

• shall acquire basic knowledge of genetics and achieve a good understanding of molecular and biological mechanisms in eukaryotic cells
• has a basic understanding of classical genetics
• is familiar with the structure and cellular organisation of eukaryotic nucleic acids
• is capable of explaining the structure and maintenance of eukaryotic genes and genomes
• is capable of explaining the central dogma in molecular biology and describing how these processes are regulated in eukaryotes
• has knowledge about central cellular processes: intracellular transport, cell signaling, cell cycle
• is capable of explaining molecular biological methods used to study eukaryotic genes
• is familiar with modern methods for analysing genomes, transcriptomes and proteomes
• is capable of explaining general principles of cancer development
• has a basic understanding of bioinformatics

Skills

The student:

• shall be capable of presenting and solving assignments both orally and in writing in the knowledge area presented in the course.
• understands how to use different molecular biological methods to map eukaryotic genes and identify the functions of gene products.
• can perform sequence alignments of nucleic acids

General competence

The student:

• is capable of acquiring knowledge in molecular and cell biology
• is capable of understanding a research article where molecular biological methods are used.

The teaching consist of lectures, group work and one oral presentation.

The following coursework requirements must have been approved in order for the student to take the exam (2-4 hours pr exercise/task): 

• 3 Labster simulations (100% completed, 80% correct answers) (3-4 hours)
• Peer-review of an oral presentation (2 hours)

Partial exam that includes:

• one oral presentation of a scientific article in group of 2 students (accounts for 20 % of the final grade) that is presented to the class

• one obligatory assignment (accounts for 15 % of the final grade)

• individual oral exam (accounts for 65 % of the final grade)

The exam result can not be appealed.

No aids allowed.

Grade scale A-F.

Two examiners for the oral examination (one internal, one external).

The course has an overlap of 5 credits with KJVE3520.