Cellular and molecular biology II

Summary

This course is aimed to familiarize students with the 3D organization of a eukaryotic cell, its compartmentalization, how cellular compartments communicate together and how a cell communicates with its environment. The related molecular mechanisms will be discussed.

Content

Keywords

biological membranes, lipids, transmembrane proteins, organelles, addressing, protein folding, quality control, cellular homeostasis, ionic composition, signaling, inter- and intracellular communication, apoptosis, cell junctions

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, the student must be able to:

• Describe the structure of a biological membrane, the 3D organization of a eukaryotic cell, the mechanisms of communication between cells and between organelles, the mechanisms of protein addressing, the mechanisms of establishment and maintenance of the cellular ionic composition
• Analyze the results of experiments on the themes of the course.
• Design experiments on course topics to test a hypothesis
• Test hypotheses within the framework of the course themes.
• Describe the consequences of an experimental manipulation or treatment in the context of the course themes.
• Develop scenarios to explain experimental observations.
• Explain the structure of a biological membrane, the 3D organization of a eukaryotic cell, the mechanisms of communication between cells and between organelles, the mechanisms of protein addressing, the mechanisms of establishment and maintenance of the cellular ionic composition, the mechanisms involved in cellular junctions

Expected student activities

3 hours of classroom work at EPFL and 3 hours of personal work.

Assessment methods

written exam

Supervision

Resources

Bibliography

Molecular Biology of the Cell, 6th Ed.Alberts et al.; Garland Science

Ressources en bibliothèque

• Molecular Biology of the Cell, Alberts et al.

Moodle Link

• https://go.epfl.ch/BIO-207