Function of Biomolecules in Health and Illness
Code: 42888 ECTS Credits: 9| Degree | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|
| 4313772 Advanced Biotechnology | OT | 0 |
| 4313794 Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biomedicine | OT | 0 |
Contact
- Name:
- Susanna Navarro Cantero
- Email:
- susanna.navarro.cantero@uab.cat
Teachers
- Jaime Farrés Vicén
- Sandra Villegas Hernández
- Ramon Barnadas Rodriguez
- Maria Rosario Fernandez Gallegos
- Mohammed Moussaoui Keribii
- Maria Assumpcio Bosch Merino
- Guillem Prats Ejarque
- Enea Sancho Vaello
- Julia Lorenzo Rivera
- Irantzu Pallares Goitiz
- Alicia Roque Cordova
- (External) Ruth Cano Corres
Teaching groups languages
You can view this information at the end of this document.
Prerequisites
The requirements for the Master's degree. The classes will be mostly in Catalan, but they will also be taught in Spanish depending on the faculty. Classes could be conducted in English if requested by the students with sufficient advance notice, and if there is consensus within the student group and with the professor.
Objectives and Contextualisation
Upon completion of the module, the student will be able to:
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Plan experiments for the identification, expression, purification, and functional characterization of biomolecules.
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Analyze the structure and function of proteins using bioinformatics techniques.
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Relate structural and functional changes in biomolecules to pathologies.
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Select and apply methodologies for the design of enzyme inhibitors.
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Identify and characterize enzyme inhibitors as drugs.
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Utilize enzymatic technology for biomedical and biotechnological applications.
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Recognize biomolecules associated with human pathologies and use them as therapeutic targets.
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Associate specific diseases with the accumulation of misfolded proteins.
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Understand the molecular basis of diseases caused by dynamic mutations and epigenetic changes.
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Assess the functional role of membrane lipids and their involvement in specific pathologies.
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Familiarize themselves with the main techniques and facilities in a reference clinical biochemistry laboratory.
Competencies
Advanced Biotechnology
Apply techniques for modifying living organisms or parts thereof to improve pharmaceutical and biotechnological processes and products, or to develop new products. (Specialization in Molecular and Therapeutic Biotechnology)
Ability to synthesize, analyze alternatives, and engage in critical debate.
Integrate the content of metabolic pathways in living organisms under normal, pathological, or exogenously modified conditions (Specialization in Molecular and Therapeutic Biotechnology).
Apply acquired knowledge and problem-solving skills in new or unfamiliar environments within broader (or multidisciplinary) contexts related to their field of study.
Effectively communicate their conclusions, as well as the knowledge and ultimate reasons underlying them, to specialized and non-specialized audiences in a clear and unambiguous manner.
Possess learning skills that enable them to continue studying, largely through self-directed and autonomous work.
Possess knowledge that provides the foundation or opportunity for originality in the development or application of ideas, often in a research context. Utilize and responsibly manage bibliographic information and computer resources related to biotechnology.
Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biomedicine
Analyze research results to obtain new biotechnological or biomedical products and transfer them to society.
Analyze and accurately interpret the molecular mechanisms operating in living organisms and identify their applications.
Apply techniques for modifying living organisms or parts thereof to improve pharmaceutical and biotechnological processes and products, or to develop new products.
Develop critical reasoning within the field of study and in relation to the scientific or business environment. Identify and utilize bioinformatic tools to solve problems related to biochemistry, molecular biology, and biomedicine.
Integrate content in biochemistry, molecular biology, biotechnology, and biomedicine from a molecular perspective.
Apply acquired knowledge and problem-solving skills in new or unfamiliar environments within broader (or multidisciplinary) contexts related to their field of study.
Effectively communicate their conclusions, as well as the knowledge and ultimate reasons underlying them, to specialized and non-specialized audiences in a clear and unambiguous manner.
Possess learning skills that enable them to continue studying, largely through self-directed and autonomous work.
Possess knowledge that provides the foundation or opportunity for originality in the development or application of ideas, often in a research context.
Utilize and manage bibliographic information and computer resources related to biochemistry, molecular biology, or biomedicine. Utilize scientific terminology to argue research results and effectively communicate them orally and in writing.
Competences
- Advanced Biotechnology
- Apply techniques for modifying living beings or parts of these in order to improve pharmaceutical and biotechnological processes and products or develop new products. (Specialisation in molecular and therapeutic biotechnology)
- Communicate and justify conclusions clearly and unambiguously to both specialist and non-specialist audiences.
- Continue the learning process, to a large extent autonomously.
- Integrate the contents of the metabolic paths of living beings in normal conditions, pathological conditions, or conditions that are modified exogenously (specialisation in molecular and therapeutic biotechnology)
- Solve problems in new or little-known situations within broader (or multidisciplinary) contexts related to the field of study.
- Synthesise, weigh up alternatives and engage in critical discussion.
- Use acquired knowledge as a basis for originality in the application of ideas, often in a research context.
- Use and manage bibliography and IT resources related to biotechnology responsibly.
- Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biomedicine
- Analyse and correctly interpret the molecular mechanisms operating in living beings and identify their applications.
- Analyse research results to obtain new biotechnological or biomedical products to be transferred to society.
- Apply techniques for modifying living beings or parts of these in order to improve pharmaceutical and biotechnological processes and products or develop new products.
- Communicate and justify conclusions clearly and unambiguously to both specialist and non-specialist audiences.
- Continue the learning process, to a large extent autonomously.
- Develop critical reasoning within the subject area and in relation to the scientific or business context.
- Identify and use bioinformatic tools to solve problems in biochemistry, molecular biology and biomedicine.
- Integrate contents in biochemistry, molecular biology, biotechnology and biomedicine from a molecular perspective.
- Solve problems in new or little-known situations within broader (or multidisciplinary) contexts related to the field of study.
- Use acquired knowledge as a basis for originality in the application of ideas, often in a research context.
- Use and manage bibliography and IT resources related to biochemistry, molecular biology or biomedicine.
- Use scientific terminology to account for research results and present these orally and in writing.
Learning Outcomes
- Analyse research results to obtain new biotechnological or biomedical products to be transferred to society.
- Communicate and justify conclusions clearly and unambiguously to both specialist and non-specialist audiences.
- Continue the learning process, to a large extent autonomously.
- Describe processes and methodologies for designing or transforming biomolecules for application in therapy.
- Descriure els processos i les metodologies per al disseny o transformació de biomolècules per a la seva aplicació terapèutica.
- Develop critical reasoning within the subject area and in relation to the scientific or business context.
- Identificar mecanismes moleculars responsables de malalties.
- Identificar molècules que intervenen en funcions biològiques importants i la seva variació en situacions de malaltia.
- Identify molecular mechanisms responsible for diseases.
- Recognise the molecular mechanisms of important functions in biomedicine.
- Reconèixer els mecanismes moleculars de funcions rellevants en biomedicina.
- Solve problems in new or little-known situations within broader (or multidisciplinary) contexts related to the field of study.
- Synthesise, weigh up alternatives and engage in critical discussion.
- Use acquired knowledge as a basis for originality in the application of ideas, often in a research context.
- Use and manage bibliography and IT resources related to biochemistry, molecular biology or biomedicine.
- Use and manage bibliography and IT resources related to biotechnology responsibly.
- Use bioinformatic procedures to analyse the active centre of enzymes and design drugs.
- Use scientific terminology to account for research results and present these orally and in writing.
- Utilitzar procediments bioinformàtics per a l'anàlisi del centre actiu dels enzims i el disseny de fàrmacs.
Content
Activities and Methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Oral presentation | 5 | 0.2 | 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 18 |
| Practical activities in the computer classroom | 8 | 0.32 | 8, 10, 11, 19 |
| Theory classes | 38 | 1.52 | 5, 7, 8, 11, 19 |
| Visit to clinical laboratories | 4 | 0.16 | 6, 9, 12 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Preparation and presentation of an individual work | 10 | 0.4 | 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 17, 18 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Independent work of the student | 77 | 3.08 | 1, 3, 6, 12, 13, 14, 16, 18 |
The module consists of theoretical classes, computer lab practical classes, a visit to a reference Clinical Biochemistry laboratory, and a seminar presentation by the student. The organization and teaching methodology for these educational activities are described below.
Theory classes:
The content of the theory program will be primarily delivered by professors in the form of lectures with audiovisual support. The presentations used by the professor in class will be made available beforehand on the Virtual Campus of the subject. It is recommended that students have access to this material as a support for their classes. It is advised that students regularly consult the recommended books listed in the Bibliography section of this teaching guide to consolidate and clarify, if necessary, the content explained in class. It is also advisable for students to use the links provided in the presentations of different topics, which contain videos and animations related to the processes explained in class.
Computer lab practical classes:
Students will be directly called to the classroom for the development of the session. The work will be individual, and it will be important for the student to have prior knowledge of the software to be used.
Visit to a reference Clinical Biochemistry laboratory:
The session will take place at the Clinical Analysis Laboratory of the Parc Taulí Hospital in Sabadell, where the student will receive explanations about the functioning of all the facilities and the methodologies used by healthcare professionals. After the visit, a multiple-choice knowledge test will be conducted.
Seminar presentation:
Each student will be required to give a seminar presentation.
The student will prepare a seminar on a topic agreed upon with a tutor professor and will present it publicly in class using audiovisual means.
Preparation tutorials for the seminar:
There will be a group tutorial session led by the module coordinator to distribute the seminar topics and propose the general organization of the material to be presented. Students may also have individual tutorials with professors directly involved in the chosen topic to guide them in the preparation of the material.
Note: 15 minutes of a class, within the schedule established by the institution/program, will be reserved for students to complete evaluation surveys of the faculty's performance and evaluation of the subject/module.
Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.
Assessment
Continous Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attendance and active class participation | 10% | 38 | 1.52 | 2, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 17, 19 |
| Continuous assessment | 30% | 30 | 1.2 | 2, 3, 4, 7, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 |
| Presentation of a seminar | 20% | 5 | 0.2 | 1, 2, 3, 6, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18 |
| Theory exams | 40% | 10 | 0.4 | 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18 |
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- Attendance and active participation in class:
In addition to attendance, the degree of participation, discussion, and resolution of questions that the professor may pose in class will be assessed in the different teaching areas of the subject. A record of this activity will be sent to the module coordinator by the professor after each class. This evaluation will account for 10% of the final grade.
- Preparation and oral presentation of a seminar:
Presentation of a seminar publicly in class, with subsequent discussion. This part will account for 20% of the final grade for the students who present it.
- Written tests:
The presentation of written assignments or tests requested by the professors of each part of the subject will be assessed. Additionally, the general understanding of the seminar sessions will be evaluated through written questions. This part will account for 10% of the test grade.
This part will account for 40% of the final grade.
- Continuous assessment:
The continuous assessment includes activities proposed during the theory sessions, practicals in the computer lab, and field practicals.
Classroom practicals.
Field practicals:
A visit to the Clinical Analysis Service of the Consorci Hospital Parc Taulí (Sabadell) will be conducted.
A multiple-choice test will be administered to evaluate the understanding of the visit.
This part will account for 30% of the final grade.
Assessment:
The calculation of the final assessment will be done with the following formula:
Final grade = T0.40 + Ac0.30 + Sm0.20 + As0.10
T - theory
Ac - continuous assessment
As - attendance and active participation
Sm - seminar
It will be considered "not assessable" when the assessment activities (final test, exit test) do not allow obtaining a minimum overall grade of 5.0.
Attendance to practical sessions and field practicals is mandatory. Students will receive a "Not Assessable" grade when their absence exceeds 20% of the scheduled sessions.
- Important: If plagiarism is detected in any of the submitted work, it may result in the student failing the entire module.
This subject/module does not provide for a single assessment system.
Bibliography
- Abbenante, G., Fairlie, D.P. "Protease Inhibitors in the Clinic". Medicinal Chemistry, 2005, 1, 71-104
- LA Bagatolli, JH Ipsen, AC Simonsen, OG Mouritsen An outlook on organization of lipids in membranes: Searching for a realistic connection with the organization of biological membranes Progress in Lipid Research
49 (2010) 378-389
- Bommarius, A.S., Riebel, B.R. "Biocatalysis - Fundamentals and Applications". 2004. Wiley-VCH. Weinheim.
- Bieth, J.G. "Theoretical and Practical Aspects of Proteinase Inhibition Kinetics". Methods in Enzymology.
1995, Vol 248, pp. 59-84. Academic Press. NY.
- Carey, P.R. (ed.) "Protein engineering and design". 1996. Academic Press. New York.
- O Ces & X Mulet Physical coupling between lipids and proteins: a paradigm for cellular control Signal
Transduction 6 (2006) 112 - 132
- Chaplin, M.F., Bucke, C. "Enzyme Technology". 1990. Cambridge University Press.
- Copeland, R.A. "Enzymes. A practical introduction to structure, mechanism and data analysis". 2000. Wiley-VCH. New York.
- Copeland, R.A. "Evaluation of enzyme inhibitors in drug discovery" 2005. Wiley. Hoboken. New Jersey
- Cornish-Bowden, A. "Fundamentals of enzyme kinetics". 3rd ed. 2004. Portland Press. London.
- Chávez, M. et al: Selección de temas: Purificación de Enzimas. Inmovilización de Enzimas. Fundamentos de
Cinética de Reacciones Enzimáticas. Cinética de Inhibición de Unión fuerte. En Enzimología Biotecnológica.
2007. Editora ELFOS. La Habana.
- De Leenheer, A.P., Lambert, W.E., Nelis, H.J. (Editors) "Modern chromatographic analysis of vitamins" 2nd edition. 1992. Chromatographic Science Series vol 60. Marcel Dekker Inc, New York.
- Deulofeu, R., Olmedilla, B. (Editors) "Vitaminas, Vol 2, Liposolubles" 2006. Sociedad Española de Química
Clínica.
- Engel, P.C. (ed.) "Enzymology Labfax". 1996. Academic Press, San Diego, CA.
- Eisental, R., Danson, M.J. "Enzyme Assays". 2002. 2ª ed. Oxford Univ. Press. Oxford
- H. Feldmann, editor "Yeast: Molecular and Cell Biology", (2012) Wiley-Blackwell
- Fersht, A., "Structure and Mechanism in Protein Science". 1999. W.H. Freeman. New York.
- KS. George & S Wu Lipid raft: A floating island of death or survival. Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology
259 (2012) 311-319
- Glusker, J.P., Lewis, M., Rossi, M. "Crystal Structure Analysis for Chemists and Biologists". 1994. VCH Publishers
- Janson, J-C., Ryden L. "Protein Purification, Principles, High Resolution Methods and Applications". 1998. R.K. Wiley & Sons , Inc, NY
- Grunwald, P. "Biocatalysis. Biochemical Fundamentals and Applications". 2009. Imperial college Press, London.
- Knight C.G. "Active Site Titration of Peptidases". Methods in Enzymology. 1995. Vol 248, pp. 85-100. Academic Press. NY.
- McGrath, B.M., Walsh, G. (Editors) "Directory of Therapeutic Enzymes". 2005. CRC, Taylor & Francis.
- McPherson, A. (2003) "Introduction to macromolecular crystallography" John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New Jersey
- Núñez de Castro, I. "Enzimología". 2001, Pirámide, Madrid.
- Pandey, A., Webb, C., Soccol, C.R., Larroche, C. "Enzyme Technology". 2006. Springer-Verlag
- Price, N.C., Stevens, L. "Fundamentals of Enzymology". 1999. 3ª edició. Oxford University Press. Oxford.
- M. Ramírez-Alvarado, J.W. Kelly, C. M. Dobson (2010) Protein Misfolding diseases: current and emerging principles and therapies. Ed. Wiley
- Reymond, J.-L. "Enzyme assays: High-throughput screening, genetic selection and fingerprinting". 2006, Wiley-VCH.
- Rhodes G. "Crystallography made crystal clear" 2006. 3rd ed. Elsevier Academic Press.
- Tietz, N. W. "Textbook of Clinical Chemistry". 1999. 3rd ed. WB Saunders.
- G. van Meer, DR Voelker & GW Feigenson Membrane lipids: where they are and how they behave Nature
Reviews (Molecular Cell Biology) 9 (2008) 112-124
Software
Pymol vs 2.5
Autodock Vina
Gromacs
VMD (Visual Molecular Dynamics)
https://www.uniprot.org/ (online database)
https://www.rcsb.org/ (online database)
https://www.ebi.ac.uk/Tools/msa/clustalo/ (online tool)
Language list
| Name | Group | Language | Semester | Turn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (PLABm) Practical laboratories (master) | 1 | English | annual | afternoon |
| (SEMm) Seminars (master) | 1 | Catalan/Spanish | annual | afternoon |
| (TEm) Theory (master) | 1 | Catalan/Spanish | annual | afternoon |