Cellular Engineering and Stem Cell Biology

Code:

M.BIO023

Acronym:

ECBCE

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Molecular Bioengineering

Instance: 2024/2025 - 1S (of 16-09-2024 to 14-02-2025)

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Molecular Biology
Course/CS Responsible:	Master in Bioengineering

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
M.BIO	16	Syllabus	1	-	6	52	162

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students

Objectives

• Acquire knowledge on the principles of general cell and stem cells manipulation.


• Acquire a detailed vision of the most recent methodologies used to modulate stem cell function and for their use in the production of biodrugs, in gene and cell therapies and tissue engineering


• Develop the capacity of reasoning, problem resolution and proposal of novel approaches for the investigation in the stem cell research and development area and in the treatment of different diseases.

Learning outcomes and competences

• Comprehensive view of the stem cell biology of different organs / systems as well as principles and challenges of their modulation / modelling for therapeutic purposes.


• Knowledge of the role of stem cells in the development and maintenance (homeostasis) of the organism in normality and in response to stress / injury conditions (pathology). The role of stem cell engineering in tissue repair / regeneration will be critically analysed and discussed. The development of emerging therapeutic strategies for different human diseases will also be discussed.


• Preparation to design an experimental approach to (i) identify fundamental stem cell properties and (ii) drive stem cells to the functional restoration of a given organ / tissue. Promotion og discussion of issues that interrelate science and society, aiming at the preparation of students to explain the fundamentals of ethical and legal aspects in the stem cell research and cell engineering areas.


• Development of capacities of reasoning, problem resolution and proposal of novel approaches for the investigation of cell and stem cell-based treatments for different diseases. Active learning will be assessed through the students’ exposure and discussion of scientific articles / material published in English.

Working method

Presencial

Program

1. Introduction

• Stem cells: from their role in the biology of organisms’ development to their therapeutic potential


• Current trends and challenges in stem cell use in the clinics

 

1. General Aspects of Stem Cell Biology

• Embryonic Stem Cells


• induced Pluripotent Stem Cells


• Adult stem cells from distinct germ layers: mesoderm derived (hematopoietic stem cells and mesenchymal stem cells), endoderm-derived (intestinal stem cells) and ectoderm-derived (neural stem cells)


• Stem cell-based in vitro culture models

 

1. Cell engineering

• Application of gene and cell engineering technologies to stem cell research.


• Production and derivation of animals / embryonic stem cell (ES) lines by classical (knockout, knock-in, transgenic) and emerging (gene editing) technology (RNA editing, CRISPR,…


• Principles and challenges of immunotherapy

 

1. Stem Cell bioprocessing
   
   
   
   • Application of engineering principles to stem cell expansion/differentiation
   
   
   • Stem cell transplantation
   
   
   • Stem cell-derived products (secretome, EVs, miRNA, ECM, …)
   
   
   • Stem cell-derived organoids
   
   
   
   

Mandatory literature

Robert Lanza; Anthony Atala; Essentials of Stem Cell Biology . ISBN: ISBN-9780124095038
David Schaffer; Joseph D. Bronzino; Stem Cell Engineering: Principles and Practices . ISBN: 9780367380649
Howard Green; Therapy with Cultured Cells. ISBN: 9789814267700

Teaching methods and learning activities

The students are implicated in the teaching/learning process with continued analysis and discussion of scientific texts for each of the topics. Students may be required to present works and lead discussions in the area of stem cell biology and cellular engineering (original articles distributed by the lecturer).

Seminars by invited speakers will provide detailed knowledge on selected aspects relevant to stem cell research and clinical application.

Experiments relevant to this course are carried out in dedicated lab sessions.

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Apresentação/discussão de um trabalho científico	30,00
Exame	50,00
Trabalho laboratorial	19,50
Participação presencial	0,50
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Frequência das aulas	39,00
Trabalho laboratorial	13,00
Elaboração de projeto	110,00
Total:	162,00

Eligibility for exams

The evaluation will be distributed with a final exam. Evaluation components:
Attendance (0.5%)
Laboratory Component (19.5%)
Presentation and discussion of works (30%)
Exam with minimum grade (50%)

Students will be encouraged to take an active role in class. Attendance of the laboratory component is mandatory at 75%.

 

Calculation formula of final grade

Final grade = 0.5 x Exam grade + 0.3X Work presentation/Discussion + 0.195 X Lab component + 0,05 participation in the classes