NBIK11009U Experimental Cell Biology

Volume 2015/2016
Education

MSc Programme in Biology

Content

The exercises are divided into different cell biology topics and include diverse techniques applied to several types of cells and model organisms. The course includes 6 different exercises that typically take 3 days of experimental work followed by a preparation day and a presentation day by smaller groups. However, the first 2 weeks are normally devoted to 1 exercise. During the individual exercises students will be challenged with primary research literature and discussions in relation to the specific exercise.

Learning Outcome

The student will obtain a broad understanding of key concepts in practical cell biology through laboratory exercises, reading of research articles, discussions and presentations.

Knowledge:
The student will obtain knowledge about how to experimentally address specific biological problems and interpret datasets with the existing literature.

Skills:
The student will be trained and obtain skills in growth and transfection of mammalian tissue cell cultures, differentiation and protein interaction assays, tracer techniques to estimate unidirectional transport of organic compounds, fluorescence associated cell sorting, confocal microscopy, western blots using different antibodies, quantitative and qualitative cell death assays and bacterial infections.

 
Competences:
The student will get practical competences in laboratory work and in reading primary research papers. These competences will be obtained through laboratory exercises, reading of primary research articles, discussions and presentations.

See Absalon.

The courses in Cell Biology (15 ECTS) and Cellular and Integrative Physiology (15 ECTS) or equivalent courses.
Introduction lessons in theoretical backgrounds and practical classes including summary and discussion of reports.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Colloquia
  • 20
  • Lectures
  • 20
  • Practical exercises
  • 100
  • Preparation
  • 232
  • Theory exercises
  • 40
  • Total
  • 412
Credit
15 ECTS
Type of assessment
Continuous assessment
The evaluation is based on the students performance in the exercises incl. presentation of results and scientific articles.
Exam registration requirements

Active attendance in 80% of the exercises.

If the requirement is not fulfilled, the student must take the course again the next year.

Marking scale
passed/not passed
Censorship form
No external censorship
One internal examiner.
Re-exam

Oral exam (20 min). No preparation time.

Criteria for exam assesment

To obtain the mark "Passed" the student should:

  • be able to give a detailed description of and evaluate the exercises presented during the course
  • be able to apply the presented tools to design experiments with the potential to answer defined cell biology questions
  • be able to interpret data from the scientific literature and relate those to the content of the course.