Postgraduate Course: Molecular Biology Toolkit for Neuroscientists (STEM11014)
Course Outline
| School | Deanery of Clinical Sciences |
College | College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
| Course type | Online Distance Learning |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This elective course is ideal for any postgraduate scientist who wishes to get a deeper understanding of modern, cutting-edge molecular tools available and how they can be utilised to study multiple branches of neuroscience in health and disease - utilising the online course format/style.
Students will learn about the theory and applications/uses of multiple tools including PCR/qPCR, blotting (such as western and southern), epigenetics and next generation sequencing with respect to learning about their basic history and background of methodology as well as modern advancements and uses for quantification and understanding of the role of RNA/DNA and proteins in development and disease.
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| Course description |
The course will run over 10 weeks with a breakdown of multiple topics including:
Introduction to developmental neurobiology
DNA - techniques to extract and study
RNA - techniques to extract and study
Next generation sequencing
Proteins and protein modifications
The purpose of this course is to give all students a thorough grounding in the basic techniques and how they work. They will also learn how certain techniques have been improved and developed into single cell molecular analysis from whole tissue for example.
Students will receive lectures but also datasets from which they will be able to apply their knowledge gained to specific examples and so grow and develop not only their understanding but importantly the application of these tools
At the end of the course the students will understand :
- The purpose and use of multiple molecular biology tools, several examples being:
a) When, how and why to apply qPCR techniques and how to analyse the datasets generated by hands-on analysis
b) Next generation sequencing
c) Metabolites and their analysis using tools such as seahorse
d) Epigenetics and other protein/drug screening techniques
- How these different tools work and how they can be best utilised
- The applications of various tools to different neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative areas.
- How to use the knowledge from the foregoing to formulate research questions for which these techniques can help answer
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2024/25, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
MVM Online Learning Block 3 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 25,
Online Activities 5,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 10,
Formative Assessment Hours 5,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
151 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Likely assessments will be:
1. 30% - Analysing a qPCR dataset to apply knowledge towards an experiment -individual work (1500 +/-10% words)
2. 10% - How has molecular biology informed on drug therapy? (1000 +/-10% words)
3. 60% - Design an individual experimental project with a research question, applying several techniques taught from this course (2500 +/-10% words)
Note: The word limits for assessment 1 and 2 are similar although the % grade are quite different. The reason for this is that assessment 1 is an experiment and scientific report which requires significantly more effort and time to produce whereas assessment 2 is an essay. Guidelines on assessment expectations will be provided to students for each component.
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| Feedback |
Students will be given an opportunity early in course to access relevant tools and generate data for an opportunity to receive detailed feedback on their writing and depth of understanding such that they can apply this moving forward to all future assessments. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Organise, illustrate and compare multiple molecular biology tools with respect to the relevant neuroscience settings
- Critically compare the various tools with an ability to appraise and evaluate their strengths and weaknesses
- Assess the roles of different molecular biology tools and methodology required for neurodegenerative, neurodevelopmental and stem cell analysis
- Evaluate, criticise and understand further developments in the literature around this topic
- Appraise their own knowledge generated throughout this course and formulate their findings in a cohesive manner
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Reading List
Molecular Biology of the cell - Bruce Albert and others, 7th edition, 2022
Core general neuroscience textbook - From Neurone to brain. 5th edition 2012 (Sinauer). Nicholls et al
Neuroscience by Purves, Dale (Editor); Augustine, George J. (Editor); Fitzpatrick, David (Editor); Hall, William C. (Editor)
Wilson and Walker's principles and techniques of biochemistry and molecular biology, 8th edition 2018
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
1. Students must show autonomy, individual drive and determination to engage with the course content and develop their skills
2. Be able to Critically review their work via the assessments but also by learning from feedback
3. Critically review and demonstrate their expanding knowledge using raw scientific data
4. Opportunities will be given via group, individual and tutor driven scenarios for students to evaluate and improve their communication abilities
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| Keywords | Molecular Biology,neuroscience,neurodevelopment,stem cells,neurodegenerative |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr David Hampton
Tel: (0131) 242 9421
Email: David.Hampton@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Ana-Maria Lungu
Tel: 0131 242 7355
Email: alungu@ed.ac.uk |
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