BMB844: Precision Medicine
Study Board for Natural Sciences
Teaching language: Danish or English depending on the teacher, but English if international students are enrolled
EKA: N210059112, N210059122, N210059102
Assessment: Second examiner: None, Second examiner: Internal
Grading: Pass/Fail, 7-point grading scale
Offered in: Odense
Offered in: Autumn
Level: Master
STADS ID (UVA): N210059101
ECTS value: 5
Date of Approval: 07-03-2025
Duration: 1 semester
Version: Approved - active
Internal Course Code
Entry requirements
Accepted to the master programme in either Biomedicine, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology or Computational Biomedicine.
The course can be taken as an elective for students enrolled in the master programmes in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology or Computational Biomedicine.
The course can be taken as an elective for students enrolled in the master programmes in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology or Computational Biomedicine.
Academic preconditions
Students taking the course are expected to:
- Have knowledge of theories and experimental methods within the field og Biomedicine and Molecular Biology
- Be able to analyze theoretical and practical problems and use relevant analysis and solutions models to make and substantiate scientifically based decisions.
- Be able to describe, formulate and communicate problems within the fields of biomedicine and molecular biology
- Have knowledge of basic molecular biological concepts and biochemical processes
- Be able to apply the scientific method and conduct experiments
- Be able to use simple statistical and probability models to describe and analyze a given dataset
- Be able to apply select physical models and explain the basis and properties of these models for data collection
- have knowledge of basic laboratory safety
Course introduction
The aim of the course is to give the student knowledge of and skills in development and use of diagnostic methods and treatments, which are used in precision medicine.
In addition there is a great emphasis on the student obtaining detailed knowledge of the underlying molecular pathological disease mechanisms and how this knowledge can be used to tailor individual treatments, where the latest molecular based drugs are used.
Another important aim is to give the students knowledge and skills in medical molecular genetics, including both classical inheritance and other types of inheritance, i. e, epigenetic inheritance and inheritance displaying anticipation. In addition, molecular cell pathology, and treatment og select diseases will be covered.
The student will also obtain knowledge of how diagnostic results can create a basis for individualized choices of precision medicine treatment. This will be exemplified through various hereditary diseases and cancer.
The student will also obtain insight into the ethical dilemmas associated with precision medicine, diagnostics, drug development and treatment.
Through laboratory exercises and theoretical exercises, the student will obtain knowledge of how work with advanced molecular diagnostic methods is organized, carried out and quality assured. Through practical examples the students knowledge of modern will be strengthened, and the student will obtain knowledge of the basic principles for reliable diagnosing.
The student will obtain skills in applying select molecular genetic diagnostic methods, as well as perform analyses where precision medicine is tested in the laboratory.
Finally the student will, through theoretical review and practical laboratory exercises, obtain knowledge of the underlying principles of treating select congenital diseases using new individualized treatments (i.e. antisense oligonucleotides).
Expected learning outcome
The learning objective of the course is that the student demonstrates the ability to:
- Critically read, interpret and communicate scientific papers on precision medicine
- Account for classical inheritance and other important types of inheritance, as well as the molecular pathology of select hereditary diseases and cancer
- Explain select techniques applied in precision medicine diagnostics
- Account for and apply the principles and methods that form the basis of genetic analysis and diagnosis of hereditary diseases
- Know the ethical dilemmas in connection with new medicine and genetic counselling
- Account for the essential steps in the development of a diagnostic method
- Account for the essential steps in developing a new precision drug
- Account for the theoretical and experimental framework for a defined molecular diagnostic problem
- Account for the theoretical and experimental framework for a defined precision medicine treatment
- Choose the optimal method for a defined diagnostic problem
- Formulate new problems and experiments based on obtained results
- know and use select computer based analysis tools and databases, including the latest population based databases with genetic an phenotype data
- Interpret the results of select molecular genetic and proteomics based diagnostic tests
- Enter into cross disciplinary collaborations with the health sector/ medical industry on development of precision medicine based diagnostics and treatment
- Account for the principles behind the latest therapeutic methods based on the use of i.e. synthetic antisense oligonucleotides, small molecule drugs, antibodies, CRISPR/cas gene editing and cell based therapies (i.e. CAR-T) for the treatment o select diseases
Content
The following main topics are contained in the course: Human Genetics and Molecular Biology, including:
- Molecular genetics applied to diagnosis of hereditary diseases and cancer (mutation specific and general mutation scanning assays, DNA sequencing)
- Diagnostic application of Next Generation Sequencing for mutation detection and characterization of gene expression
- Methods for characterization of gene expression (RNA-seq, quantitative PCR and other novel methods)
- Quality assurance, validation and sources of variation and errors in molecular genetic disease diagnostics
- Application of bioinformatic analysis to evaluate the pathogenic effect of sequence variations and mutations, and their prevalence in populations, as well as searches in sequence, variation/mutation and disease databases
- Ethical aspects in connection with choice of individual treatments, as well as genetic counselling of families and in connection with screening of populations
- Novel molecular based tailored treatments to individual molecular pathologies in connection with hereditary diseases and cancer
Literature
Examination regulations
Prerequisites for participating in the exam a)
Timing
Autumn
Tests
Participation in laboratory work
EKA
N210059112
Assessment
Second examiner: None
Grading
Pass/Fail
Identification
Full name and SDU username
Language
Normally, the same as teaching language
Examination aids
To be announced during the course.
ECTS value
0
Additional information
The prerequisite examination is a prerequisite for participation in exam element a).
Exam element a)
Timing
Autumn
Prerequisites
| Type | Prerequisite name | Prerequisite course |
|---|---|---|
| Examination part | Prerequisites for participating in the exam a) | N210059101, BMB844: Precision Medicine |
Tests
Laboratory report
EKA
N210059122
Assessment
Second examiner: None
Grading
Pass/Fail
Identification
Full name and SDU username
Language
Normally, the same as teaching language
Examination aids
To be announced during the course
ECTS value
2
Exam element b)
Timing
January
Tests
Written examination
EKA
N210059102
Assessment
Second examiner: Internal
Grading
7-point grading scale
Identification
Student Identification Card - Exam number
Language
Normally, the same as teaching language
Duration
3 hours
Examination aids
The exam is with limited aids. Only the following aids are allowed:
- Built-in standard calculators in Windows/macOS/Linux.
- Language translation dictionaries (e.g. Danish/English, Danish/German etc) in "ordbogsprogrammet" (the dictionary programme) from http://www.ordbogen.com/ in electronic form. The browser version is not allowed. See the complete list of which dictionaries are allowed in the separate "Instruction to ordbogen dot com". All dictionaries other than the allowed dictionaries must be switched off in “ordbogsprogrammet” (the dictionary programme).
Internet is not allowed during the exam. However, you may the course site in itslearning in connection with filling out the multiple-choice questions.
ECTS value
3
Additional information
The exam paper is MCQ format. The MCQ is handed out in the system DE-Digital Exam's MCQ system and is answered in the system.
Re-exams are changed to an oral examination if five or fewer students have registered.
Indicative number of lessons
Teaching Method
Planned lessons:
Total number of planned lessons: 55
Hereof:
Common lessons in classroom/auditorium: 18
Team lessons in classroom: 21
Team lessons in laboratory: 16
The common lessons consists of lectures. Here an introduction to the topics of the course and the path to competence acquisition in addition to scientific articles is given, which the students are expected to study independently.
During the team lessons, competences are cultivated within the central parts of the course – including competences in the construction and use of family trees for the most frequent genetic successions and risk calculation. Competences are also practiced in the selection of the most suitable diagnostic analyses, as well as the interpretation of analytical results. Understanding of the most frequent underlying molecular pathological mechanisms and appropriate treatments is also trained. Methods of population calculation and genetic epidemiology, including association studies, are practiced. Finally, particular attention is paid to training in understanding the principles and interpretation of diagnostic methods in which the entire genome/transcriptome is analyzed, e.g. by next generation sequencing. Another very important element is the achievement of understanding of molecular pathology underlying disease development, as well as diagnostics and the choice of individual treatments. In addition, understanding of individualized treatments using antibodies, antisense oligonucleotides, small molecule drugs, CRISPR/Cas gene editing or e.g. cell-based treatments such as CAR-T is trained.
The team lessons in the classroom are based on group work on problem solving. In the laboratory exercises, the students work in groups with practical exercises in genetic diagnostics, as well as the treatment of a hereditary disease at the molecular level.
Other planned teaching activities:
The students are expected to work with self-study of selected articles covering the curriculum and to solve tasks with problems within personalized medicine uploaded on Its learning. In addition, both the preparation of presentations and a laboratory report are included as key elements of the self-study phase. Students can expect feedback from a teacher on both. The students are also expected to spend time on preparing for laboratory exercises.
Teacher responsible
| Name | Department | |
|---|---|---|
| Brage Storstein Andresen | bragea@bmb.sdu.dk | Institut for Biokemi og Molekylær Biologi |
Timetable
Administrative Unit
Team at Registration
Offered in
Recommended course of study
| Profile | Education | Semester | Offer period |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSc in major Biomedicine - registration 1 september 2023, 2024 and 2025 | | Odense | 1 | E25 |
| MSc in major Biomedicine - registration 1 september 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 | | Odense | 1 | E26 |
Transition rules
Transitional arrangements describe how a course replaces another course when changes are made to the course of study.
If a transitional arrangement has been made for a course, it will be stated in the list.
See transitional arrangements for all courses at the Faculty of Science.