Prospectus

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Advanced Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology

Course
2024-2025

Admission requirements

This course is designed for MSc students specializing in genetics, molecular biology, and microbiology at the Institute of Biology Leiden (IBL). It is recommended that students have prior experience in these fields.

Description

Molecular genetics forms the foundation of modern research in the life sciences. The rapid advancement of biotechnologies has significantly contributed to our understanding and transformed our daily lives. In this advanced course, we will revisit important historical advancements and explore cutting-edge knowledge in the field. By doing so, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the progression of molecular genetics from the past to the present and future.

The course will cover a wide range of topics, including:
1. Recombinant DNA technology
2. DNA sequencing
3. Gene expression analysis
4. Epigenetics
5. Genome editing
6. Synthetic biology
7. Bioprocessing
8. Omics technologies
9. Bioinformatics
10. Applications of molecular genetics and biotechnology in medicine, agriculture, and industry.

Furthermore, ethical considerations in genetic engineering and biotechnology will be emphasized. Due to time constraints, please note that practical training in laboratory techniques and data analysis will not be provided. However, it is expected that students will gain a clearer understanding of which MSc internship program they would like to pursue after completing this course. The ultimate goal is for students to comprehend how this knowledge can be applied in research.

Students will be invited to form study groups to encourage active participation and independent learning. These groups will enhance students' problem-solving skills, teamwork abilities, and capacity for independent learning. The designed activities, aim at promoting critical thinking, creativity in science communications with topics related to this course. Each small group of 3-5 students will be assigned a specific topic from the course curriculum. They will be tasked with creating a flyer alongside with a short podcast to communicate their topic to the public. Further details will be provided on the Brightspace platform at the beginning of the course. At a later stage, we will provide in-person feedback to appreciate the efforts the students have made, and inspire each other for their future development in the field related to our course.

Additionally, all students will be encouraged to attend regular scientific seminars and career-development sessions at the Institute of Biology Leiden. These events will serve as a source of inspiration and broaden students' perspectives on their future career paths.

By the end of this course, students are expected to have a comprehensive understanding of molecular genetics, its applications, and the ethical implications associated with genetic engineering and biotechnology.

Course objectives

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of modern methodologies utilized in biotechnology, with a particular emphasis on genetics.
2. Apply state-of-the-art methodologies to address and solve problems within the realm of biotechnology.
3. Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of specific technologies and effectively justify their implementation in various contexts.
4. Apply the acquired knowledge and skills to effectively address and solve biotechnology-related problems.

By achieving these course objectives, students will develop a strong foundation in advanced biotechnological methodologies, enabling them to employ cutting-edge techniques and make informed decisions when faced with real-world challenges in biotechnology.

Timetable

In MyTimetable, you can find all course and programme schedules, allowing you to create your personal timetable. Activities for which you have enrolled via MyStudyMap will automatically appear in your timetable.

Additionally, you can easily link MyTimetable to a calendar app on your phone, and schedule changes will be automatically updated in your calendar. You can also choose to receive email notifications about schedule changes. You can enable notifications in Settings after logging in.

Questions? Watch the video, read the instructions, or contact the ISSC helpdesk.

Note: Joint Degree students from Leiden/Delft need to combine information from both the Leiden and Delft MyTimetables to see a complete schedule. This video explains how to do it.

Mode of instruction

The course (3EC = 84 hours) will be delivered through a combination of the following methods:

  • Lectures incl. the mid-term exam and feedback session for the group-study tasks (14 hours, spanning for 8 weeks): Faculty-led instructional sessions providing theoretical knowledge and insights.

  • Self-study 1 (40 hours, spanning for 8 weeks): Independent study to deepen understanding and explore course materials.

  • Group-study tasks (27 hours): Collaborative analysis and discussion of relevant research papers, news, and other related contents and finish a task together. The deliverables are a flyer and a podcast from each group.

  • Invited seminars 2 (optional): Guest speakers will deliver seminars to broaden students' perspectives.

  • Final exam (3 hours)

Notes:
1. During the self-paced studies, we will provide additional learning materials to the lecture slides, and students are expected to delegate appropriate time for self-studying to digest the lectures and related self-learning materials. The knowledge embedded in both lectures and self-learning materials are coherent and will both be assessed as guided by the learning objectives.
2. Optional learning activities and not included as part of the course evaluation.

Assessment method

The course assessment will consist of the following components:
I. Mid-term quiz – 20% of the final grade (no minimum score is required but it will contribute to the final total assessment score)
II. Small-group activity – 30% of the final grade (minimum score required: 6.0, and it will be counted into the total final assessment score)
III. Attendance – 10% of the final grade (minimum requirement: 60% show-up rate, and it will be acounted into the final assessment score)
IV. Final written exam – 40% of the final grade (minimum score required: 5.6, and it will be counted into the total final assessment score)

Inspection and feedback on the examinationassessment:
Date: March March 20254; the exact date will be scheduled in consultation with the students.

Note to all students: please provide your evaluation and feedback to us, and it will help us to improve this course for future years. A big thanks to you all in advance!

Reading list

It is highly recommended that all students have good knowledge about genetics before they enroll this advanced course. E.g. the students are encouraged to read the book of ‘Molecular Biology Of The Gene’ by James Watson et al.

Registration

As a student, you are responsible for enrolling on time through MyStudyMap.

In this short video, you can see step-by-step how to enrol for courses in MyStudyMap.
Extensive information about the operation of MyStudyMap can be found here.

There are two enrolment periods per year:

  • Enrolment for the fall opens in July

  • Enrolment for the spring opens in December

See this page for more information about deadlines and enrolling for courses and exams.

Note:

  • It is mandatory to enrol for all activities of a course that you are going to follow.

  • Your enrolment is only complete when you submit your course planning in the ‘Ready for enrolment’ tab by clicking ‘Send’.

  • Not being enrolled for an exam/resit means that you are not allowed to participate in the exam/resit.

Contact

Coordinator: Dr. P. Ding
Email: p.ding@biology.leidenuniv.nl

Remarks

Inspection and feedback on the examination in March, the exact date will be scheduled in consultation with the students.
Note to all students: please provide your evaluation and feedback to us, and it will help us to improve this course for future years.
A big thanks to you all in advance!

Software
Starting from the 2024/2025 academic year, the Faculty of Science will use the software distribution platform Academic Software. Through this platform, you can access the software needed for specific courses in your studies. For some software, your laptop must meet certain system requirements, which will be specified with the software. It is important to install the software before the start of the course. More information about the laptop requirements can be found on the student website.