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An integrated module in molecular biology that is taught through lectures, tutorials and a laboratory-based experimental research project. The laboratory project and associated tutorials will introduce you to the processes of DNA cloning and DNA analyses. In the research component emphasis is placed on technical skills, scientific observation and data analyses. You will write your research project results in the form of a scientific paper. You will therefore gain experience in communicating scientific results and findings. To help you prepare for the practicals and exams there will be formative exercises through the tutorials and online exercises.

After taking this module you should be able to describe the key concepts and areas of molecular biology in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. More specifically you will be expected to know and understand:

1. Nucleic acids, their structure and properties and how these are used in research techniques.
2. Plasmids and their properties and how the plasmids will be manipulated in the laboratory research project. (Plasmids are used in the laboratory research project).
3. How information passes between bacteria through the processes of transformation and conjugation.
4. How bacteriophage such as bacteriophage lambda infect bacterial cells and use mechanisms to control their survival.
5. Techniques of DNA sequence analysis e.g. dideoxy and next generation sequencing technologies applied to human and microbial genomes and the databases that store sequence information. Techniques of RNA analysis e.g. transcriptomics.
6. The features of the human genome e.g. genes and gene families, pseudogenes, LINES and SINES.
7. Transcription and its regulation in bacteria (exemplified using specific operons as examples).
8. DNA replication, proof-reading and repair mechanisms.
9. Translation of mRNA and the processes and control of protein synthesis.
10. How cloned DNAs are used to produce functional proteins in cell platforms.
11. How proteins are targeted to their correct cellular location.
12. Eukaryotic molecular biology.
13. Synthetic biology and transgene design.

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Indicative lecture list (based on 2023/24)

• Induction
• The key players in the ‘central dogma’
• Enzymes of molecular biology
• Cloning, PCR, DNA sequencing, etc.
• Plasmids and their applications
• Bacterial gene expression and regulation
• Bacterial conjugation
• Metabolic engineering
• Bacteriophage lambda: life cycle and properties
• DNA replication, repair and methylation
• Understanding our genome: genome analysis and RNA profiling
• Translation, protein synthesis
• Post-translational modifications to proteins
• Protein trafficking in eukaryotes
• Synthetic Biology, DIY-Bio and ethics