SFKK18004U In-vitro Techniques in Biochemistry and Pharmacology

Volume 2024/2025
Education

MSc Programme in Pharmacy (Danish programme cand.pharm) - elective

MSc Programme in Pharmaceutical Sciences (Danish programme cand.scient.pharm) - restricted elective

MSc Programme in Medicinal Chemistry - elective

MSc Programme in Pharmaceutical Sciences (English programme)- restricted elective 

MSc Programme in Environmental Science (SCIENCE) - restricted elective

 

Content

The following practical elements are included: neurotransmitter transporter assay, iPSC model of Parkinson's disease, protein stability assy, activation of GPCR receptors and ligand-gated and voltage-gated ion-channels, receptor binding, TEVC electrophysiology, second messenger measurements, FRET, use of radioisotopes, pharmacological profiling of unknown compounds.

Learning Outcome

By the end of the course, the students will be able to:

Knowledge

  • demonstrate a firm knowledge of in vitro pharmacology 
  • understand common in vitro experimental methodologies as applied in pharmacology
  • demonstrate a basic knowledge of pharmacodynamic theory
  • demonstrate a basic understanding of radioisotope theory in scintillation counting

 

Skills

  • The students will acquire practical and theoretical abilities and skills in pharmacological in vitro research techniques that are applicable in both academic and biotech/pharmaceutical drug discovery research environments. The specific aim is to acquire the abilities and practical skills required to be able to work in a pre-clinical drug discovery research environment and/or communicate proficiently with other professionals.
  • charecterise cortical neurons differentiated from human iPSCs by immunocytochemistry and qPCR
  • execute neurotransmitter uptake experiments employing cultured neurons
  • measure cAMP (second-messenger) in cultured cells by FRET
  • conduct protein stabilization assays
  • employ two-electrode voltage clamp (TEVC) electrophysiology technique as a functional assay of drugs affecting the operation of ion channels
  • employ radioligand binding assays in drug investigations and interpret the resulting pharmacologial data
  • determine the pharmacological profile of a series of unknown compounds

 

Competences

  • work with and/or communicate proficiently with other professionals within the field of in vitro pharmacology
  • design simple in vitro assays of drug activity including choosing the proper model system and assay conditions
  • calculate and interpret pharmacological data (dose-response relationships)
  • apply knowledge of in vitro pharmacology to evaluate pharmacological data in relation to the drug discovery process
Literature
  • Lab manual (Pless)
If you are applying for the course as a credit transfer student, you must have passed SFABIL114U Organfarmakologi and SFAB20015U Biopharmaceuticals -bioorganisk kemi or have acquired similar competencies in another course. Documentation for corresponding competencies in the form of a course description and an exam result must be attached to your application.
Lab exercises: 28 hours
Tutorials: 18 hours
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Lectures
  • 4
  • Class Instruction
  • 16
  • Preparation
  • 158
  • Practical exercises
  • 28
  • Total
  • 206
Oral
Collective
Continuous feedback during the course of the semester
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
On-site written exam, 2 hours under invigilation
Type of assessment details
Examination design:
The course examination will consist of 20 short-answer questions covering the practical and theoretical aspects of all the laboratory exercises and tutorials.
All written answers will be given an equal weighting and then the course leaders will assess the overall examination performance level.
Aid
Without aids

Find more information about written on-site exams in the exam rooms, incl. information about standard programs on the exam PCs at KUnet

Written on-site exam - KUnet

Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Re-exam

10 or fewer students registered for reexam:

Type of assessment: Oral examination

Assessment details: 15 minutes examination

Preparation: 20 minutes

Aids: None

Criteria for exam assesment

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

Knowledge

  • demonstrate a firm knowledge of in vitro pharmacology 
  • understand common in vitro experimental methodologies as applied in pharmacology
  • demonstrate a basic knowledge of pharmacodynamic theory
  • demonstrate a basic understanding of radioisotope theory in scintillation counting

 

Skills

  • execute neurotransmitter uptake experiments employing cultured neurons
  • characterise human iPSCs
  • measure cAMP (second-messenger) in cultured cells by FRET
  • employ isolated mouse vas deferens to measure the effect of morphine-like pain-relieving drugs
  • conduct protein stabilization assays
  • employ two-electrode voltage clamp (TEVC) electrophysiology as a functional assay of drugs affecting the operation of ion channels
  • employ radioligand binding assays in drug investigations and interpret the resulting pharmacologial data

 

Competences

  • work with and/or communicate proficiently with other professionals within the field of in vitro pharmacology
  • design simple in vitro assays of drug activity including choosing the proper model system and assay conditions
  • calculate and interpret pharmacological data (dose-response relationships)
  • apply knowledge of in vitro pharmacology to evaluate pharmacological data in relation to the drug discovery process