KE819: Assembling minimal living systems (5 ECTS)

STADS: 10005801

Level
Master's level course

Teaching period
The course is offered in the autumn semester.
3 weeks in August. (1st quarter)

Teacher responsible
Email: monnard@ifk.sdu.dk

Additional teachers
harold@ifk.sdu.dk
markd@ifk.sdu.dk
martin@ifk.sdu.dk
steen@ifk.sdu.dk
svaneborg@ifk.sdu.dk

Timetable
Show entire timetable
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Comment:
Undervisningen er placeret i august

Prerequisites:
None

Academic preconditions:
Bachelor's degree.
Knowledge of basic physics and basic inorganic and basic organic chemistry is recommended. This course is intended for nanobioscience, chemistry and physics students, but is also suitable for biology, robotics and computer science.

Course introduction
This course is intended as an introduction to the area of Artificial Life and Synthetic Biology. We will explore the functional nature of minimal living systems in order to create an understanding of life itself. With an understanding of fundamental concepts of living systems, we will investigate various ideas, concepts and attempts to create life in the laboratory. Various successful steps towards creating artificial life will be highlighted as well as the many problems and challenges still at hand. It will prepare the students for research within these research areas.

Expected learning outcome
At the end of the course, the student is expected to be able to:

• Explain the functionalities of a protocell.
• Explain the physico- chemical properties of the molecules used in protocell design and how these properties contribute to protocell processes.
• Explain the interplay between information, kinetics & thermodynamics in a simple living system.
• Explain how dissipative structures are similar or dissimilar to living structures.

Subject overview
This course will be primarily lecture-based with a few laboratory demonstrations and independent student activities. Students will learn about this new emerging field of living technology, the development of new materials and systems with life-like properties. Lectures will cover the main ideas of this field including: self-organization, self-replication, self-assembly, autocatalysis, information and polymers, containment, aggregates and membranes, metabolism and networks, polymer formation and replication, protocell (primitive artificial cell) models, supporting experimental methods as well as theory and simulations, and potential applications. Each lecture will focus on a particular experimental and computational problem or appropriate demonstrations. Students will perform some of the demonstrations. Laboratory demonstrations will involve: vesicle self-assembly, encapsulation of a basic metabolism, and simulations of protocell dynamics.

Literature

Oplyses senere

Website
This course uses e-learn (blackboard).

Prerequisites for participating in the exam
None

Assessment and marking:
Final oral examination based on submitted assignments, graded according to the 7-point grading scale, internal censorship. Examination: End of August.

Re-examination after 2nd quarter.
The examination type at reexamination may differ from the one at the ordinary examination,

Expected working hours
The teaching method is based on three phase model.

Forelæsninger: 38 timer
Laboratorieøvelser: 10 timer
Educational activities

Language
This course is taught in English.

Remarks
This course is designed to teach masters students (800 level). Undergraduates can participate only by application to the study board.

NB. The course will be held in August.

Course enrollment
See deadline of enrolment.

Tuition fees for single courses
See fees for single courses.