SFKBIL101U Molecular Pharmacology

Volume 2018/2019
Education

BSc Programme in Chemistry with specialisation in Medicinal Chemistry (SCIENCE) - compulsory

BSc Programme in Pharmacy - elective

Content

Through an integrated approach of lectures, project work and laboratory exercises, the students will learn about central topics in molecular pharmacology, such as ligand-receptor interactions, recombinant techniques (cloning of drug targets, mutagenesis), expression systems (mammalian cell culturing), transgenic techniques, pharmacological assays (binding/functional assays), molecular probes, structure-activity relationships, gene-expression studies (mRNA/protein), data analysis and interpretation (GraphPad Prism etc).

During the course the students will work together in groups of 3-6. They will cover 4 themes and write up material used for both the practical work and examination.

Learning Outcome

Overall course objective

Molecular pharmacology is an important research field integrating molecular biology and pharmacology. The field is central to the drug discovery process. The objectives of this course are to provide a theoretical foundation of central molecular pharmacology terms and methodologies through theoretical and practical experience.

 

After completing the course the student is expected to be able to:

Knowledge

  • understand central molecular pharmacology principles, methodologies and terminology
  • obtain research-based knowledge of theory, methodology and practice within the field of molecular pharmacology
  • describe molecular mechanisms of important drug targets, understand the use of cloned targets in research, and obtain knowledge about cell-based pharmacological assays
  • explain how these principles and methods can be exploited in practical experiments aimed at reaching distinct research goals
  • reflect on the subject molecular pharmacology in relation to the drug discovery process

 

Skill

  • identify critical steps and describe technical details in relation to planning a pharmacological assay
  • carry out experiments using common methods in molecular pharmacology
  • calculate and interpret pharmacological data
  • formulate 1-3 in a short report (technology and data sheets)
  • present and discuss results in a relevant drug discovery/pharmaceutical context

 

Competence

  • argue for choice of pharmacogical assay in a specific research situation
  • transfer theories and principles to other areas of drug discovery
  • translate theoretical knowledge into practice (assay design)
  • collaborate and communicate effectively with other professionals with expertise in molecular pharmacology and related subjects
  • comprehend molecular pharmacology in relation to drug discovery
Literature
  • Textbook: Molecular pharmacology: From DNA to Drug Discovery by John Dickenson (ISBN: 9780470684436; John Wiley and Sons)
  • Selected original scientific literature
  • Lab manual
Students should have completed bachelor's level lecture course(s) in biochemistry and/or pharmacology, including some laboratory exercises (does not apply to students of BSc Programme in Medicinal Chemistry for whom the course is compulsory).
The course will be based on 8 workshops and 4 laboratory exercises. During the workshops, central topics in molecular pharmacology will be covered through lectures, exercises and project work. The theoretical foundation obtained will direct the practical work. The students will work together in groups of three to design written material about the techniques to be used in the lab (TECHNOLOGY sheet), based on knowledge from the lectures and original scientific reports. Together with a supervisor they will first plan their experimental work, perform the actual assay and afterwards interpret the results in a DATA sheet.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Colloquia
  • 32
  • Exam
  • 0,5
  • Guidance
  • 8
  • Practical exercises
  • 14
  • Preparation
  • 103,5
  • Project work
  • 48
  • Total
  • 206,0
Written
Oral
Individual
Collective
Continuous feedback during the course of the semester
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Oral examination, 20 min under invigilation
The student must submit and have approval of written material before the oral exam (beståelseskriterier).

The examination is based on material submitted by the student (TECHNOLOGY and DATA sheets). The exam is without preparation time.

Presentation of the project work (3-5 min) serves as starting point for the exam, followed by an examination, covering project specific but also more general topics discussed through the course.
Aid
Without aids

Only the submitted material which is drawn as the exam subject is allowed.

Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Criteria for exam assesment

To achieve the grade 12 the student must be able to:

Knowledge

  • understand central molecular pharmacology principles, methodologies and terminology
  • obtain research-based knowledge of theory, methodology and practice within the field of molecular pharmacology
  • describe molecular mechanisms of important drug targets, understand the use of cloned targets in research, and obtain knowledge about cell-based pharmacological assays
  • explain how these principles and methods can be exploited in practical experiments aimed at reaching distinct research goals
  • reflect on the subject molecular pharmacology in relation to the drug discovery process

 

Skill

  • identify critical steps and describe technical details in relation to planning a pharmacological assay
  • carry out experiments using common methods in molecular pharmacology
  • calculate and interpret pharmacological data
  • formulate 1-3 in a short report (technology and data sheets)
  • present and discuss results in a relevant drug discovery/pharmaceutical context

 

Competence

  • argue for choice of pharmacogical assay in a specific research situation
  • transfer theories and principles to other areas of drug discovery
  • translate theoretical knowledge into practice (assay design)
  • collaborate and communicate effectively with other professionals with expertise in molecular pharmacology and related subjects
  • comprehend molecular pharmacology in relation to drug discovery