KE825: Nucleic Acids in Medicinal Chemistry and Nanobiotechnology (5 ECTS)

STADS: 10008201

Level
Master's level course

Teaching period
The course is offered in the autumn semester.

Teacher responsible
Email: ias@sdu.dk

Timetable
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Prerequisites:
Bachelor Degree in biology, chemistry, physics, biochemistry and molecular biology, biomedicine, nanobioscience, pharmacy or medicine. Or B.Sc. minor degree in chemistry.

Academic preconditions:
Students taking the course are expected to:

• Have knowledge of fundamental chemistry, organic chemistry, biophysics and molecular biology
• Be able to use research journals and databases to search for relevant literature

Course introduction
The aim of the course is to enable the student to design and plan synthesis and studies of new modified nucleic acids (DNA, RNA and XNA), which is important in regard to their applications in modern research, biomedicine and nanotechnology.

The course builds on the chemistry knowledge acquired in other courses, e.g. FF503, KE504, KE505, KE513, KE802, KE805, FY510, BMB501 or BMB504, and gives an academic basis for studying the topics of nucleic acid chemistry and nanotechnology that are part of the degree, e.g. in the master project.

In relation to the competence profile of the degree it is the explicit focus of the course to:

• Give the competence to modified nucleic acids
• Give skills to design new synthetic nucleic acids and plan their studies
• Give knowledge and understanding of modified nucleic acids (incl. PNA and LNA), their structure, properties and applications

Expected learning outcome
The learning objectives of the course are that the student demonstrates the ability to:

• Recognize new modified nucleic acids (including PNA and LNA), their structure and properties.
• Determine the chemical and enzymatic synthesis step for nucleic acids with specific properties for their further practical applications.
• Plan synthesis, purification and analysis of modified nucleic acids with the use of e.g. click chemistry, automatic oligonucleotide synthesis apparatus, chromatography (column and HPLC), NMR and mass spectrometry (ESI and MALDI MS) techniques.
• Plan necessary studies to assess the potential of synthetic nucleic acid for the desired practical application (biomolecular diagnostics, therapy or formation of nano-structures with specific properties).
• Describe and explain expectations for the relationship between the chemical structure of a synthetic nucleic acid analogue and its nano-technological pattern, focusing mainly on diagnostic and therapeutic properties.

Subject overview
The following main topics are contained in the course:

• Short refresher of the structural elements of nucleic acids and their chemical and optical properties; conformations and 3D structures.
• Interactions between nucleic acids and small molecules or proteins.
• Nucleoside antibiotics, anti-virus drugs, G-quadruplex ligands.
• Modified nucleic acids (DNA, RNA, XNA), their synthesis and practical applications.
• Molecular diagnostics in vitro by means of the modified nucleic acids (PCR, ELISA, FISH, microarray technology, sequencing).
• Formation and studies of DNA/RNA nano-structures and nano-machines (self-assembly in vitro, DNA origami; imaging).
• Application of synthetic nucleic acids in biomolecular targeting in vitro and in vivo (the basic principles of antisense, siRNA, miRNA, aptamer technology).
• Current status of gene therapy. Delivery, cellular uptake and function of synthetic DNA and RNA oligonucleotides.

Literature

Oplyses på Blackboard.

Website
This course uses e-learn (blackboard).

Prerequisites for participating in the exam
None

Assessment and marking:

1. Oral exam. Danish 7-mark scale, external marking. (5 ECTS). (10008202).

Reexam in the same exam period or immediately thereafter. The form of examination by reexamination may be different exam at the ordinary exam.

Expected working hours
The teaching method is based on three phase model.
Intro phase: 16 hours
Skills training phase: 18 hours, hereof:
 - Tutorials: 10 hours
 - Laboratory exercises: 8 hours

Educational activities
Activities during the study phase:

• preparation for lectures
• individual project

Educational form

Language
This course is taught in English, if international students participate. Otherwise the course is taught in Danish.

Course enrollment
See deadline of enrolment.

Tuition fees for single courses
See fees for single courses.