BCMB 403: MOLECULAR BIOTECHNOLOGY & APPLICATIONS

Tools of molecular biology:  Agarose and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis; Northern and Southern blots and hybridization analysis; Western blots and protein detection; PCR and RAPD, RFLP.

Purification and characterization of nucleic acids:  Principles for extraction and purification; concentration and molecular weight determination; species differentiation (RNA/DNA, single/double stranded nucleic acids).

Modifying enzymes:  Restriction endonucleases; other nucleases (DNAse, RNAse); ligases; polymerases.

Recombinant DNA technology:  Cloning and expression vectors, recombinant molecules and transformation systems (prokaryotic and eukaryotic hosts); colony screening, plasmid isolation and characterisation; transduction and conjugation.

Nucleotide sequencing and mutagenesis:  Sequencing of end labelled DNA by base specific chemical cleavage (Maxam and Gilbert) and analysis of primed enzymatic synthesis (Sanger); deletion and insertion mutagenesis.

Gene expression detection: principles of RT-PCR, real time RT-PCR, microarrays.

Applications: medicine, agriculture and industry.