BIOL3017 Molecular and Structural Basis of Disease
Module Overview
The course provides an insight into how molecular studies can be employed to further medical research and aid in the development of novel treatments and therapeutics. The course will cover a number of areas including the analysis of genetic diseases, amyloid diseases, the role of kinases in cancer, molecular understanding of diabetes, viral and bacterial infections.
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Learning Outcomes
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Understand the molecular basis of epigenetic and understand how it contributes to disease.
- Understand the molecular processes that lead to development of amyloid diseases and demonstrate how this knowledge is driving the development of potential therapeutic strategies
- Describe the molecular details of selected protein kinases and their inhibitors in cancer development and treatment.
- Molecular understanding of diabetes and insulin.
- Provide a molecular description of viral infection and demonstrate how this has contributed to the development of therapeutic compounds.
Syllabus
The course provides an insight into how molecular studies can be employed to further medical research and aid in the development of novel treatments and therapeutics. The course will cover a number of areas including the role of epigenetic in disease, amyloid diseases, the role of kinases in cancer, molecular understanding of diabetes and viral infections. The lectures will: (i) emphasise selected medical examples where biochemical knowledge has provided an essential foundation for the understanding or management of human disease; (ii) describe how epigenetics contributes to disease and how it is studied; (iii) explain how our detailed knowledge of the molecular structure of enzymes and proteins has led to a molecular description of disease and infection, and (iv) how this molecular understanding of disease has contributed to knowledge based treatment strategies and the design of new therapeutics.
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
As a third year course this module is delivered entirely in the form fo lectures. Students are encouraged to engage with the lecturers if material is unclear and submit practical essays for formative feedback.
| Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Lecture | 24 |
| Independent Study | 126 |
| Total study time | 150 |
Assessment
Summative
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Written exam (2 hours) | 100% |
Referral
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Written exam (2 hours) | 100% |
Linked modules
BIOL2010 AND BIOL2011 (Subject to revalidation changes)