UCL - Integrated tutorials in biochemistry and molecular genetics

[BIO1322]

[ + 60h] 5 credits

This course is taught in the 2d semester.

Teacher(s): Bernard Hallet, Patrice Soumillion

Language: French

Level: First

Aims
Main themes
Content and teaching methods
Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Aims

The tutorials constitute a practical and theoretical initiation to the general procedures in modern genetics, combining molecular biology and biochemical techniques.
Starting from real problems, they aim to familiarize the student with the design of experimental approaches and the interpretation of the results.

Main themes

From the phenotype to the gene and from the gene to the protein, the formation covers different approaches used to identify and isolate a gene, to modify its sequence, to study its function, and to characterise its product. It illustrates the concepts of DNA cloning, the structure-function relationship of proteins and of retro-genetics, by making use of DNA recombinant techniques (restriction, ligation, PCR, sequencing, transformation, etc), mutagenesis, purification and enzymatic characterisation of proteins.

Content and teaching methods

The major part of the activity consists in a laboratory work (45h) close to real research situation, from mutagenesis of a gene of interest to the phonotypical and biochemical characterization of the mutated gene product. Manipulation steps include the mutagenesis of a cloned DNA fragment, the identification of the mutants of interest, the sub-cloning of mutated genes, the sequencing of mutations, purification of the mutated proteins and measurement of their enzymatic activity. Results are interpreted in terms of structure-function relationship changes in the enzyme based on protein structure modelling software.

In the accompanying seminars (15h), theoretical aspects of the practical work are discussed, and an overview is given on the basic methods of molecular biology (PCR, gene cloning, DNA sequencing, mutagenesis, protein expression and purification etc.)

Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Precursory courses:
Basic formation in molecular genetics, microbiology, cellular biology and biochemistry, (level BIO12-BIO13)

Evaluation
Experimental part of the exercises:
Poster presentation summarizing the results obtained in laboratory.

Seminars part:
A written exercise in which student have to solve a basic problem of genetic engineering. Students may have access to all information they would need (articles, notes, powerpoints, etc.) to solve the problem.

Support
Experimental part of the exercises:
-Textbook and protocols explaining the manipulation performed in laboratory.

Seminars
-Powerpoint files available on iCampus

Teaching team:
Teaching assistants in molecular biology and biochemistry with punctual intervention of main teachers