NBIK15009U Cellular Signalling in Health and Disease

Volume 2024/2025
Education

MSc Programme in Biochemistry

MSc Programme in Biology

MSc Programme in Biology with a minor subject

MSc Programme in Biotechnology

MSc Programme in Human Physiology

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 from an experimental view 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, Molecular Biomedicine and Biotechnology students, including detailed theoretical and experimental knowledge on cellular structures, organization and function of organelles, physiological properties of cells, signaling pathways, and interactions between cells and their environment. These qualifications correspond to the content of the courses Advanced Cell Biology (NBIK15006U), Signal Transduction (NBIA07020U) or other courses with similar subjects.

Academic qualifications equivalent to a BSc degree is recommended.
Lectures are followed by class teaching, which includes discussions of the topics presented at the lectures, 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
  • Lectures
  • 28
  • Preparation
  • 146
  • Theory exercises
  • 28
  • Exam
  • 4
  • Total
  • 206
Oral
Individual
Collective
Continuous feedback during the course of the semester
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
On-site written exam, 4 hours under invigilation
Type of assessment details
Written open book exam

The on-site written exam is an ITX exam.
See important information about ITX-exams at Study Information, menu point: Exams -> Exam types and rules -> Written on-site exams (ITX)
Aid
Only certain aids allowed
  • Students are allowed to bring all aids in paper format.
  • Students are allowed to bring their computer (either their laptop OR their tablet). It is not allowed to bring more than one computer.
  • Internet access and any form of communication with other electronic devices are NOT allowed. The computer must be on "flight mode".
  • Mobile phones, pocket calculators or any other electronic devices (except laptop or tablet) are NOT allowed.
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Several internal examiners
Re-exam

Same as the ordinary exam.

If 10 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 as outlined for the written exam.

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.