KE819: Assembling minimal living systems (5 ECTS)

STADS: 10005801

Level
Master's level course

Teaching period
The course is offered in the autumn semester.

Teacher responsible
Email: steen@sdu.dk

Timetable
Show entire timetable
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Comment:
Resterende timer aftales med de studerende.

Prerequisites:
None

Academic preconditions:
Bachelor's degree.
Knowledge of basic physics and basic inorganic and basis organic chemistry is recommended. This course is intended for nanobioscience, chemistry, pharmacy 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. Lectures will introduce the main ideas of this field, and allow the students to present their views on an individual project and its significance in the fields. Furthermore, they will be more involved in their knowledge acquisition through mandatory reading (7 articles) and the presentation of one article related to his project (among those given in the mandatory reading).
Through an individual project, the students will develop his/her ability to propose, carry out actual research in these fields. However, the students will be getting a broad overview of the subject through the presentation and discussion hours, which are mandatory.

The courser will not only prepare the students for research within these research areas, but also expose them to novel methodologies developed to investigate complex molecular systems with broad application ranges in biotechnology, nanoscience and pharmacy.

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 the parts in a simple living system.
• Explain the subject of their individual project and its significance in the field.
• Carry out experiments with the advice of appropriate supervisors. Interpret results, and their relevance with respect to the larger context, i.e., What might the application be? What would be the next experiment?
• Write a report in the form of an article.

Subject overview
This course will be based on a series of lectures, student activities (short presentations), and a project (with report) to be chosen from a series of proposed subjects that cover the whole research area. Students will learn about this new emerging field of living technology, the development of new materials and systems with life-like properties both theoretically and experimentally.

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 reports (50%), the required readings (7) and the discussions (50%) , graded according to the 7-point grading scale, internal censorship.

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: 13 timer
Laboratorieøvelser: 34 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.

 

Course enrollment
See deadline of enrolment.

Tuition fees for single courses
See fees for single courses.