KE819: Assembling minimal living systems (5 ECTS)
STADS: 10005801Level
Master's level course
Teaching period
The course is offered in the spring semester.
4th quarter.
If less than 5 students, the course will be postponed to the second quarter in autumn 2012.
Teacher responsible
Email: monnard@sdu.dkAdditional teachers
harold@sdu.dk markd@sdu.dk martin@sdu.dk steen@sdu.dk zqex@sdu.dkTimetable
There is no timetable available for the chosen semester.
Comment:
OBS! Pga. mindre end 5 tilmeldte udsættes kurset til 2. kvartal, efteråret 2012.
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. Various successful steps towards creating artificial life will be highlighted as well as the many problems and challenges still at hand. It 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 information, kinetics & thermodynamics in a simple living system.
- Explain how dissipative structures are similar or dissimilar to living structures.
- Explain how computer simulations can help the investigations of protocell functionalities
- Explain how living processes can be implemented in non-biological systems.
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.
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.
Course enrollment
See deadline of enrolment.
Tuition fees for single courses
See fees for single courses.
