NBIK15009U Cellular Signalling in Health and Disease

Volume 2019/2020
Education

MSc Programme in Biology
MSc Programme in Biochemistry
MSc Programme in Biology-Biotechnology

MSc Programme in Biology with a minor subject

Content

The course covers leading-edge theoretical and experimental knowledge of cellular strategies in communicating with the extracellular environment and in coordinating complex signaling pathways in health and disease. The course thus provides the student with in-depth knowledge on the complexity of cellular signaling and how aberrant signaling processing causes developmental disorders and diseases, such as congenital heart defects, neurological disorders, kidney diseases, metabolic diseases, obesity, fibrosis, tumorigenesis and cancer.

Learning Outcome

By attending the course, the student will achieve:

Knowledge:

The course provides the student with a detailed and comprehensive knowledge on how signaling systems control specified cellular and physiological processes during development and in tissue homeostasis (see also "Criteria for exam assessment"). The course presents the latest research within selected research areas on cell-cell communication and how signaling pathways are integrated into higher order networks that dictate the biological output of pathway activity. This will provide knowledge into how aberrant regulation of cell signaling is coupled to developmental disorders as well as diseases in the adult.

Skills:

The course covers theoretical and experimental knowledge based on text books, original articles and review papers such that the student will be able to analyze, interpret and evaluate experimental data obtained from cell biological research that covers the criteria for exam assessment (please see "Criteria for exam assessment").

Competences:

The student is competent to understand, interpret and integrate the complexity of cellular communication and signaling processes in cell biology.

Literature

See Absalon

It is recommended that students taking this course have a comprehensive knowledge in cell biology corresponding to the Master level for Biology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine students.

Academic qualifications equivalent to a BSc degree is recommended.
Morning lectures are followed by class teaching in the afternoon. Class teaching includes discussions of the lectures of the day, description of research techniques and methods, problem solving and discussions of research data. Reviews and original papers from scientific journals will accompany most lectures and class teaching.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Exam
  • 4
  • Lectures
  • 28
  • Preparation
  • 146
  • Theory exercises
  • 28
  • Total
  • 206
Oral
Individual
Collective
Continuous feedback during the course of the semester
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written examination, 4 hours under invigilation
Written open book exam. Exam problems will be handled out in paper format, and you must answer the problems on exam paper, which is available at your desk and from the invigilators in your exam room.
Aid
Only certain aids allowed
  • You are allowed to write your answers with pencil.
  • You are allowed to bring all aids in paper format.
  • You are allowed to bring your computer (either your laptop OR your tablet). You are not allowed to bring more than one computer.
  • Internet access and any form of communication with other electronic devices are NOT allowed. Put your computer on "flight mode".
  • Mobile phones, pocket calculators or any other electronic devices (except your laptop or tablet) are NOT allowed.
     

 

Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
External censorship
Re-exam

The same as the ordinary exam.

If ten or fewer students have signed up for re-exam, the type of assessment will be changed to oral exam 20 minutes with 20 minutes preparation time. All aids allowed.

Criteria for exam assesment

In order to obtain the grade 12 the student should convincingly and accurately demonstrate the knowledge, skills and competences described under Learning Outcome.