Description
鈥淔undamentals of Molecular Biology鈥 will explain the basic concepts, techniques and uses of modern molecular biology techniques. Practical sessions and associated tutorials will give "hands-on" experience of molecular techniques including electrophoresis, sequencing, cloning and the polymerase chain reaction. The course begins with lectures that introduce molecular biology concepts, or serve as a refresher for students who already have some experience. It then moves into a description of contemporary tools and then applications. Lecturers will explain some of the diverse applications of these techniques, with reference to their own research in fields including metagenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, cell and developmental biology and forensic anthropology.
Indicative lecture topics 鈥 based on module content in 2022/23
- Introduction to DNA听
- Manipulating DNA听
- DNA analysis听
- Sequencing, and the polymerase chain reaction听
- DNA Cloning
- Genetic modification and听transgenic organism generation
- Gene therapy
- Next generation sequencing
- Post genomic technologies (RNA-seq,听 ChIP-seq, Mass spectroscopy)
- Forward genetics and GWAS
- Ancient DNA analysis
- DNA and Ecological monitoring
- Gene expression analysis in vivo
- CRISPR
Learning Objectives
- Give students a broad understanding of the principles and applications of modern molecular biological techniques.
- Learn about the structure and properties of DNA, with an emphasis on the practical aspects of DNA manipulation.
- Learn about the properties of the enzymes used in in vitro DNA manipulation and the properties of cloning vectors and the principles of gene library construction.
- Learn about the fundamental techniques of molecular biology: electrophoresis, blotting, sequencing, cloning and the polymerase chain reaction. Practicals will give 鈥渉ands-on鈥 experience of these techniques.
- Learn about a range of current applications of DNA technology, such as Next Generation Sequencing, to illustrate how the techniques can be applied in very diverse areas of biology, biotechnology, ecology, evolution and medicine.
Module deliveries for 2024/25 academic year
Last updated
This module description was last updated on 19th August 2024.
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