Goals of the Module:
Upon successful completion of this module, students
  -  know about epigenetic regulation of gene transcription
  -  can determine different epigenetic features
  -  have a basic understanding of the role of epigenetics in human disease

Competencies:
++ deepened biological expertise
  + deepened clinical expertise
++ deepened knowledge of biological working methods
  + deepened knowledge of clinical diagnostics
  + data analysis skills
  + critical and analytical thinking
  + ability to perform independent biological research
  + data presentation and discussion (written and spoken)
  + teamwork

Lecture:
  -  introduction to epigenetics
  -  regulation of gene expression
  -  developmental epigenetics 
  -  cancer epigenetics
  -  current methods
  -  ethics

Seminar:
  -  presentation of important historical and current primary literature
  -  presentation and discussion of lab methods used in the practical part

Exercise:
  -  Designing bisulfite PCR strategies for methylated DNA
  -  analyses of datasets
  -  DNA isolation from cells
  -  in vitro methylation of DNA
  -  methylation-specific restriction analysis (and PCR)
  -  methylation-specific bisulfite PCR
  -  histone characterization

The number of participants for this module is limited to 12. If there are more students registered than places available, lots will be drawn. Students which are enrolled in Master´s programme Molecular Biomedicine will be preferred.

presentation 50%, protocol 50%