Syllabus academic year 2008/2009
(Created 2008-07-17.)
THE MOLECULAR GENETICS OF EUKARYOTESEXTN35

Higher education credits: 15. Grading scale: UV. Level: A (Second level). Language of instruction: The course might be given in English. EXTN35 overlap following cours/es: TEK151. Optional for: N4. Course coordinator: Marita Cohn, Marita.Cohn@cob.lu.se, Inst f cell- och organismbiologi. Prerequisites: TEK285 Chemistry – from General Chemistry to the Molecules of Life, TEK295 Biology of the Cell, TEK015 Human Physiology, TEK287 Biochemistry, TEK012 Genetics and Microbiologyand an optional advanced course in molecular biology. The number of participants is limited to 5 Selection criteria: Credits remaining for the degree. Assessment: Teaching consists of lectures, group studies, laborations, group discussions and oral presentations of scientific articles. All elements except the lectures are compulsory, including handing in a written lab report. Examination takes the form of written tests at the end of the course. Students who fail the ordinary tests will have an opportunity to take another test in close proximity to the ordinary test. To be awarded a Pass on the whole course the students shall have passed the tests, have acceptable practical reports, hand -ins and project reports and to have participated in all compulsory course elements. The final grade for the course is determined by the aggregated results of the different parts of the examination. Home page: http://www.cob.lu.se.

Aim
The aim of the course is to provide knowledge for advanced studies, work and research especially within chemical-biological-biochemical areas.

Knowledge and understanding
For a passing grade the student must

Skills and abilities
For a passing grade the student must

Contents
Eukaryotic genome organization and evolution. Genome structure, comparative genomics and bioinformatics. Mobile DNA elements and genome dynamics. Methods for gene identification and analysis of gene structure: cloning, PCR, restriction mapping, in situ hybridization, DNA sequencing. Bioinformatic analyses of DNA and protein sequences.

Principles of gene expression. Molecular mechanisms for regulation of gene expression at different levels: chromatin remodeling, transcription initiation, nuclear transport and signaling, RNA interference. Protein sorting and maturation in the cell by passage through cytoplasmic organelles. Methods for analysis of gene expression: microarray, hybridization, promoter analyses.

Functional chromosomal elements and chromatin structure. Mechanisms for the maintenance of genetic information in cell division and the production of genetic variation: replication, mitosis, meiosis, recombination. Epigenetic and RNA mediated mechanisms.

Developmental and tumor genetics. Principles for the regulation of gene expression through intercellular signaling. Gene regulation in developmental biology and the cell division cycle. Mechanisms regulating the development from one cell to multicellular organisms. Principles for how dysregulation causes tumor development and abnormal embryonal development.

Gene technologies: basic and applied molecular genetic methods. Genetic model organisms. Methods for production of transgenic organisms and gene knock-outs. Strategies for gene therapy and production of medicine through gene modified organisms (expression vectors and viral vectors). Large scale analyses: genomic and cDNA libraries, functional genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, genetic screening of individuals.

Literature
According to a list established by the department, available at least five weeks before the start of the course, see the web-page for Undergraduate Studies in Biology.