KE825: Nucleic Acids in Medicinal Chemistry and Nanobiotechnology
Study Board of Science
Teaching language: English
EKA: N540038102
Assessment: Second examiner: External
Grading: 7-point grading scale
Offered in: Odense
Offered in: Spring
Level: Master's level course approved as PhD course
STADS ID (UVA): N540038101
ECTS value: 5
Date of Approval: 24-10-2018
Duration: 1 semester
Version: Archive
Comment
10008201 (former UVA) is identical with this course description.
If there are fewer than 12 students enrolled, the course may. be held with another teaching form.
If there are fewer than 12 students enrolled, the course may. be held with another teaching form.
Entry requirements
Bachelor Degree in biology, chemistry, physics, biochemistry and molecular biology, biomedicine, nanobioscience, pharmacy or medicine. Or B.Sc. minor degree in chemistry.
Academic preconditions
Students taking the course are expected to: Have knowledge of fundamental chemistry, organic chemistry, biophysics and molecular biology and to be able to use research journals and databases to search for relevant literature
Course introduction
The aim of the course is to enable the student to design and plan synthesis and studies of new modified nucleic acids (DNA, RNA and XNA), which is important in regard to their applications in modern research, biomedicine and nanotechnology.
The course builds on the chemistry knowledge acquired in other courses, e.g. FF503, KE504, KE505, KE513, KE802, KE805, FY510, BMB501 or BMB504, and gives an academic basis for studying the topics of nucleic acid chemistry and nanotechnology that are part of the degree, e.g. in the master project.
In relation to the competence profile of the degree it is the explicit focus of the course to:
- Give the competence to modified nucleic acids
- Give skills to design new synthetic nucleic acids and plan their studies
- Give knowledge and understanding of modified nucleic acids (incl. PNA and LNA), their structure, properties and applications
Expected learning outcome
The learning objectives of the course are that the student demonstrates the ability to:
- Recognize new modified nucleic acids (including PNA and LNA), their structure and properties.
- Determine the chemical and enzymatic synthesis step for nucleic acids with specific properties for their further practical applications.
- Plan synthesis, purification and analysis of modified nucleic acids with the use of e.g. click chemistry, automatic oligonucleotide synthesis apparatus, chromatography (column and HPLC), NMR and mass spectrometry (ESI and MALDI MS) techniques.
- Plan necessary studies to assess the potential of synthetic nucleic acid for the desired practical application (biomolecular diagnostics, therapy or formation of nano-structures with specific properties).
- Describe and explain expectations for the relationship between the chemical structure of a synthetic nucleic acid analogue and its nano-technological pattern, focusing mainly on diagnostic and therapeutic properties.
Content
The following main topics are contained in the course:
- Short refresher of the structural elements of nucleic acids and their chemical and optical properties; conformations and 3D structures.
- Interactions between nucleic acids and small molecules or proteins.
- Nucleoside antibiotics, anti-virus drugs, G-quadruplex ligands.
- Modified nucleic acids (DNA, RNA, XNA), their synthesis and practical applications.
- Molecular diagnostics in vitro by means of the modified nucleic acids (PCR, ELISA, FISH, microarray technology, sequencing).
- Formation and studies of DNA/RNA nano-structures and nano-machines (self-assembly in vitro, DNA origami; imaging).
- Application of synthetic nucleic acids in biomolecular targeting in vitro and in vivo (the basic principles of antisense, siRNA, miRNA, aptamer technology).
- Current status of gene therapy. Delivery, cellular uptake and function of synthetic DNA and RNA oligonucleotides.
Literature
- Nucleic Acids Book (https://www.atdbio.com/nucleic-acids-book, online resource)
- G. Michael Blackburn and Michael J Gait et al.: Nucleic Acids in Chemistry and Biology, 3rd edition, Royal society of Chemistry. (ISBN: 978-0-85404-654-6)
See Blackboard for syllabus lists and additional literature references.
Examination regulations
Exam element a)
Timing
June
Tests
Oral exam
EKA
N540038102
Assessment
Second examiner: External
Grading
7-point grading scale
Identification
Student Identification Card
Language
Normally, the same as teaching language
Examination aids
To be announced during the course
ECTS value
5
Additional information
The examination form for re-examination may be different from the exam form at the regular exam.
Indicative number of lessons
Teaching Method
At the faculty of science, teaching is organized after the three-phase model ie. intro, training and study phase.
- Intro phase: 16 hours
- Skills training phase: 29 hours,thereof tutorials: 14 hours and laboratory exercises: 15 hours
Activities during the study phase:
- preparation for lectures
- individual project