neu170 - Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology

+ Neurosci. knowlg. + Expt. methods Independent research + Scient. literature + Social skills
++ Interdiscipl. knowlg. Maths/Stats/Progr. Data present./disc. + Scientific English Ethics
Students interested in molecular genetics, cell biology, molecular biology, and neurobiology will
achive the knowledge after completion of the course:

• Genetic basis of diseases, inheritance patterns of diseases and gene therapeutic approaches
• Cell nucleus and genomic DNA, Nucleic acid structure and function
• Signaling and Cancer
• Gene expression
• RNA Processing
• Translation
• structures of proteins and protein functions
• Membranes and membran proteins
• Energie metabolism in the cell
• sequencing techniques and knowledge of several other selected lab techniques
• Basic knowledge of how to perform research projects.

Subjects of the lecture and seminar:

• Storing and processing of genetic information
• mutation analysis
• genetic high throughput techniques
• structure and function of proteins/membranes, cytoskeleton, meta-bolic signaling, molecular

basis of neurodegenerative diseases.
Exercises: Learning current methods of human genetics, cellular and molecular neurobiology;
introduction to cell cultivation techniques.

• DNA extraction and agarose gel analysis
• Sanger sequencing and sequence analysis
• PCR-based techniques
• bioinformatic analysis of high throughput data
• cell culture
• gene therapy of dominant diseases

Several selected scientific papers for the seminar (selection may vary)
Textbooks of Molecular Cell Biology; Alberts, Molecular biology of the cell

Course in the first half of the semester

70% written exam, 30% presentation(s)
Presentation(s) within the frame of the seminar.
Regular active participation is required for the module to be passed.