MODULES: TEACHING GUIDE

Degree Title: Master's in Molecular and Cell Biology, Master's in Molecular Biomedicine, Master's in Biotechnology
Department responsible: Departments of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, UAM
MODULE: GENOMIC, PROTEOMIC AND GENETIC MODIFICATIONS (BM5)		Type: Compulsory (Master's in Molecular Biomedicine). Optional (Master's in Molecular and Cell Biology and Master's in Biotechnology)
Course: 1	Semester: first	ECTS Credits: 6
Total number of work hours (estimated): 150 Hours of theoretical-practicals tuition: 40 Hours of personal work and other activities: 110
Professor/s teaching the module: (if there is a co-ordinator, indicate his/her name): Co-ordinator: Jesús Cruces (Dept of Biochemistry, UAM) jcruces@iib.uam.es Lluís Montoliu (CNB, CSIC) montoliu@cnb.csic.es Professors: María Jesús Bullido, Jesús Cruces, José Fernández Piqueras, Belén Peral, Lluís Montoliu, Miguel Manzanares, Ignacio Palmero, Sagrario Ortega.
Objectives, skills and abilities which will be acquired: The module will be developed in an integrated and critical manner. The practical cases will be analyzed with supervision that will enable the student to integrate and apply the knowledge acquired. Generic/transverse skills: The capacity to apply critical, logical and creative thinking to your work. The capacity to work in a group, to collaborate with other researchers and at the same time, the capacity to work independently and with initiative. The capacity to teach and divulge the knowledge obtained. The capacity to remain up to date with the developments in the international scientific community. Specific skills: An understanding of the structure of eukaryotic genomes and in particular, of the human genome. An understanding of functional genomics and proteome dynamics. An understanding of the basic techniques to study genes and genetic variability. A basic understanding of pharmacogenetics and pharmacogenomics. A basic understanding of epigenetic modifications in eukaryotic genomes. An understanding of embryonic development and the basic biology of the mouse. An understanding of the methods to generate transgenic mice. An understanding of the types of transgenic mice. An understanding of functional genomics in the mouse.
Prerequisites for studying the module: The prerequisites required for admission to the Postgraduate Programme.
Content (brief description of the module): To achieve the proposed objectives, the course is organised into two blocks. 1. Genetic Modification of Mammals (25 hours). Programme (PDF) The use of mice in biomedicine: history, genetics Biology and development of the mouse-1 Biology and development of the mouse-2 Classic and inducible transgenic animals, genomics, applications and limitations-1 Classic and inducible transgenic animals, genomics, applications and limitations-2 Classic Knockouts: ES cells, methods-1 Classic Knockouts: ES cells, methods-2 Inducible or tissue specific Knockouts, knockins Nuclear transfer, cloned and transgenic animals Functional genomic analysis in the mouse: computer tools, practical case studies RNAi: basics and applications in animal transgenesis Gene Traps 2. Human Genetics: Basic foundations and applications (15 hours) General issues on the organization of the human genome Handling large genomes. Physical and genetic maps. Methods to study genetic variability Identification of genes implicated in monogenic and polygenic (or complex) hereditary diseases. Comparative Genomics and Proteomics to study the differential expression of genes and proteins Epigenetics Clinical Applications. Translational Research Pharmacogenetics and Pharmacogenomics
Teaching Methods: The course is designed to strengthen the student’s active learning. The theory classes are conceived as a general introduction to each topic and they are complemented with the completion of group assignments on issues arranged by the professor within the objectives of the course. Well-known experts in the specific field dealt with in each class will be invited to participate. Voluntary personal tutorials arranged with the professor. A web page for the course will be available through the internet to favour the access of the students to the basic information about the course. From this page, the bibliographic material used can be accessed, as well as databases, etc. It will also help the students contact the teaching staff through on-line consultations.
Type of assessment: (exams/assignments/continuous assessment: Attendance is compulsory Continuous assessment based on the evaluation of the participation of the student, their critical nature, etc.: 20% Evaluation of the preparation of specific topics and the resolution of problems: 40% Final written exam: 40%
Language used: Spanish, material and references in English.
Observations: The overall objective of this module is to introduce the student to the important changes in biomedical research produced in recent years by the development of methods that permit complete genomes, transcriptomes and proteomes to be analysed and manipulated in many organisms, including humans. The module is organized into two blocks. In the first the different methods for the genetic modification of mammals will be described, with special emphasis on the techniques to generate transgenic and mutant (knockout) mice, and the most advanced technological variants (inducible, tissue specific, etc...). The mouse will be considered and described as an experimental animal model. The application of the methods presented will be studied with real examples from biological, biomedical and biotechnology research. Both the aspects of generation and those of the phenotypic analysis of the genetically modified animals will be described. The course will count on the presence of specialist scientists from each of the relevant fields who will describe the animal models or genetically modified animals they use in their research projects. The genetic modification of other vertebrates will also be addressed. In the second block, the current state of the art and the basic techniques for structure function analysis of the human genome and proteome will be discussed, with special emphasis on their application to identify the genes implicated in human pathologies, the study of their function and that of the protein they encode, as well as the analysis of pathogenic mutations. Clinical applications, denominated as “Translational Research”, will also be considered. The course will benefit from the presence of expert scientists in each of the topics dealt with