Molecular Biology II

Code:

PDMOM13_2

Acronym:

PDMOM13_2

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Medicine

Instance: 2024/2025 - SP

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Departamento de Biomedicina
Course/CS Responsible:	Molecular Medicine and Oncology

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
PDMOM	11	Current Studies Plan	1	-	3	14	81

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students

Objectives

A - To provide knowledge on the molecular and structural constitution, organization and functioning of the components of the neuron and glial cell, namely the molecular basis of gene expression, signaling pathways and protein trafficking. B – To prepare students for critical assessment of scientific material; C- To prepare students to envisage the usefulness of molecular biology research to resolve scientific and clinical problems

Learning outcomes and competences

The main goal of this course is to teach the molecular basis of neuronal organization and functioning. Therefore, the different levels of molecular organization of the neuron will be explained, namely mechanisms associated to DNA, RNA and proteins, and organelle dynamics. This knowledge is important to understand the molecular and cellular abnormalities in pathological conditions associated to the nervous system.
Essential Molecular Biology methods will be addressed with focus on nucleic acid and protein analysis as well as techniques for gene manipulation and silencing. This knowledge is fundamental for experimental work design and execution in Neuroscience.

This unit also contains practical laboratory classes and tutorial sessions, which are pedagogic modalities important to understand and consolidate the acquired knowledge. To this end, this unit takes advantage of a teaching staff with expertise in the areas of Cell Biology and Molecular Biology.

Working method

Presencial

Program

Structural overview of the neuronal and glial cell

Biochemical properties of Macromolecules (Proteins, Lipids, Sugars, Nucleic acids)

Membrane Structure and Function

Cell compartmentalization and protein trafficking

Endo-membrane System

Cytoskeleton and axonal transport

Genome organization and regulation of gene expression

DNA Replication; Repair & Recombination

Transcription and regulation

Translation & protein turnover

Methods in Molecular Biology

Molecular cloning of recombinant DNA

Gene silencing

Model organisms and genetic engineering

 

Mandatory literature

Lodish, Berk, Kaiser, Krieger, Scott, Bretscher, Ploegh, Matsudaira, ; Molecular Cell Biology , Freeman and company, 2012
Squire, Berg, Bloom, du Lac, Ghosh, and Spitzer; Fundamental Neuroscience, Academic Press, 2012

Complementary Bibliography

John M. Walker; The Protein Protocols Handbook , HUMANA PRESS

Teaching methods and learning activities

The course plan comprises 10 lectures.

To increase critical thinking of the students, additional classes will be prepared as Journal Club, which account for 25% of the final mark.

A written test will also be performed to evaluate the understanding of the theoretical concepts.

The final grade is calculated from the score of the written test (50%) and Journal club (25%).

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation without final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Apresentação/discussão de um trabalho científico	25,00
Teste	75,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Apresentação/discussão de um trabalho científico	3,00
Estudo autónomo	64,00
Frequência das aulas	14,00
Total:	81,00

Eligibility for exams

To attend 75% of the classes

Calculation formula of final grade

The final mark is calculated from the score of the written test (75%) and Journal club (25%).

Classification improvement

The student can only repeat the written test.