Molecular Technologies II

Year 1: Spring semester, 2 credits

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Goals of the Course

Molecular Technologies II covers several topics in molecular biotechnology applications. The course is laboratory intensive and focuses on biotechnologies with research, industrial, and diagnostic applications, with an emphasis on the importance of nucleic acid and protein analysis in such diverse areas of biotechnology.

Topics and laboratory activities include Gene Cloning, Protein Expression and Purification on a manufacturing scale, the detection of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and their implications for science and society, and Human Genetic Identity and its role in forensics. There will be guest lectures on DNA, Protein, and Cell Microarrays and Directed Evolution (protein engineering).

The biomanufacturing laboratory component highlights many of the topics covered in the Biomanufacturing Operations course with occurs concurrently. The biomanufacturing and purification of the target protein will involve numerous laboratory steps, including gene ligation, bacterial transformation, colony selection, clone verification using restriction enzyme analysis, protein expression and induction using fermentation, heparin-sepharose HPLC column chromatography, tangential flow filtration, formulation and vialing, and final analysis of the purified protein for integrity, purity, and concentration.

These topics will be covered in readings, lectures, facilitated discussions, and in-depth laboratory exercises. Again, an emphasis will be placed on effective scientific communication skills and there are several oral and written communication assignments including: laboratory notebook entries, batch record generation, written essays, worksheets, and a final oral scientific poster presentation.