Department of Natural Sciences
Genetic Engineering
Lecture
Compulsory Course
- in BSc Applied Biology, 5th Semester
- 6h/week (2L/2E/2P)
- Credits: 6 ECTS
Learning outcomes:
After successful attendance of the lecture and exercise "Genetic Engineering" students will be able to:
- understand and explain the basics of applications of genetic engineering.
- Students are familiar with the general procedure, methods and techniques involved in molecular cloning and are able to explain their molecular or biochemical background.
- Students know different types of vectors used in genetic engineering and can evaluate their use for different cloning purposes.
- Students know about the significance of gene libraries and are familiar with the procedures involved in constructing them.
- Techniques involved in the generation of transgenic plants or animals are known, current applications can be mentioned and explained.
- Moreover students are able to interprete and evaluate current scientific research and applied technologies in the field of genetic engineering.
Content:
- Basics of working with recombinant DNA; cloning techniques
- Restriction endonucleases
- Ligases
- Heterologous gene expression
- Vectors and plasmids
- Transformation of bacterial cells
- Cloning of a DNA molecule into a plasmid vector
- Analysis of recombinant DNA
- Screening methods
- Hybridisation of nucleic acids
- Applications of the genetic engineering technology in the biotechnology field
Exercises
Content:
- Solving problems and questions developing from the lectures issues
- Working on literature from the field
Internship
Learning outcomes:
After successful attendance of the practical course students are able to:
- produce and molecularly clone in vitro recombined nucleic acids in a bacterial host
- identify molecular clones and analyse the expression of a cloned gene
Content:
- Molecular cloning of a PCR fragment in E.coli using an expression vector
- Ligase reaction of the fragment with the vector molecule
- Generation and use of competent cells
- Generation of bacterial clones
- Analysis for the presence of the cloned gene fragment and of its expression in RNA and enzymatic activity, respectively
Requirements
none
Recommendations: Successful attendance of the modules "Biochemistry" und "Molecular Genetics"
The final mark for this module is determined by:
- A written exam on the subjects of the lecture and the exercises (50% of the final mark), in which at least 50 % of the potential maximum score has to be reached.
- A lab report on the practical work (50% of the final mark)
Literature
- Sambrook, Fritsch, Maniatis (2003): Molecular Cloning, a Laboratory Manual Vol.1, 2, and 3.; Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.
- Primrose and Twyman (2006): Principles of Gene Manipulation and Genomics; Blackwell Pubishing
- Nicholl (2008): Genetic Engineering; Cambridge University Press
- Howe (2007): Gene Cloning and Manipulation; Cambridge University Press
Links
Further links