Molecular Biology
- Overview
- Assessment methods
- Learning objectives
- Contents
- Bibliography
- Teaching methods
- Contacts/Info
No specific scientific or biological knowledge is required.
The final exam will test the acquired knowledge through a written test. This test is a mixture of open and multiple choice questions covering the entire program. Candidates that reach 26/30 points or above will have the chance of trying an oral exam to reach the maximum score.
The course aims at providing the basic knowledge regarding the molecular mechanisms that regulate and underpin the maintenance and the flow of genetic information in prokaryotes, eukaryotes and viruses. Moreover, the course is aimed at providing the students knowledge of the principal techniques of molecular biology and how to use these to solve specific biological problems with particular emphasis on the proper controls.
At the end of the course the student is expected to have acquired:
- theoretical and operational skills regarding the molecular mechanisms of the processes involved in maintaining and transmitting genetic information.
- applicative skills of the main molecular biology techniques and methodologies.
- Biologic macromolecules: DNA, RNA, and proteins (structure, function, and the techniques for their isolation).
- Model organisms used in molecular biology.
- Main techniques of molecular biology used to analyze DNA, RNA and proteins and their manipulation (hybridization of nucleic acids, Southern, Northern, in situ hybridization, DNA sequencing, PCR, qPCR, techniques of genetic engineering, SDS-PAGE, Western blot, production and utility of mono- and polyclonal antibodies, HIC, IP, ChiP, Tag. A brief overview of transcriptomics.
- DNA topology and the topoisomerases.
- Chromatin condensation in eukariotes: structure of nucleosomes and the superior levels of compaction.
- DNA replication in phages, prokariotes and eukariotes.
- Transcription in prokariotes: structure of the transcriptional apparatus, promoters and the mechanisms of regulation.
- Transcription in eukariotes: structure of the transcriptional apparatus, promoters and the mechanisms of regulation.
- RNA processing including splicing of RNA: molecular mechanisms and evolution.
- Translation in prokariotes described at the molecular level with the fundamental passages and mechanisms of regulation.
- Brief overview of translation in eukariotes with emphasis on difference with respect to prokariotes.
- DNA repair.
- Recombination.
- Transposons
All arguments will include an explanation of different experimental approaches aimed at demonstrating the current evidence. The students will thus review the main molecular biology techniques used in modern laboratories. Special emphasis will be given to the concept of proper controls allowing a correct interpretation of the experiments.
Pdf files of the lectures will be given to the students during the course.
As textbook is recommended one of the following books:
- MM Cox, Jennifer A. Doudna, MO’Donnel Molecular Biology: Principles and Techniques. Zanichelli;
- Watson JD, Baker TA, Bell SP, Gann A. Levine M. Losick Molecular Biology of the Gene (6th edition) Zanichelli.
The course is divided in two parts with 8 CFU of lectures and 1 CFU of tutorials during which specific arguments will be treated in details with the focus of designing and analyzing experiments.
During the lectures, presentations will be projected with the integration in few cases of short movies.
Students will be recieved upon appointment by e-mail in the buildings of DBSV in Busto Arsizio (Villa Manara, Via Manara 7).