Cellular biology and biochemistry for engineers

Summary

Basic course in biochemistry as well as cellular and molecular biology for non-life science students enrolling at the Master or PhD thesis level from various engineering disciplines. It reviews essential notions necessary for a training in biology-related engineering fields.

Content

Keywords

The course contains chapters on the following subjects:

1.Cells and Organs

2.Chemical components of cells

3.Proteins, Enzymes

4.Energy, Metabolism

5.DNA, Chromosomes, Replication

6.Gene expression

7.Recombinant techniques

8.Membrane and Transport

9.Intracellular trafficking

10.Cytoskeleton

11.Cell division, Mitosis

12.Genetics, Meiosis

13.Cell communication, Signaling

14.Tissue, Tissue regeneration

Learning Prerequisites

Required courses

Bachelor degree in engineering or other non-life science discipline

Recommended courses

Some basic knowledge in chemistry can help, but not required

Important concepts to start the course

Curiosity about how biological systems work, willingness to acquire a certain amount of facts and details necessary to understand and discuss the various molecular mechanisms present in cells or related to modern biology

Learning Outcomes

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

• Describe the basic components and functions found in cells
• Draw schemes explaining essential cellular phenomena
• Explain which are the important metabolic pathways
• Translate information from genetic code
• Verify statements about specific cellular mechanisms
• Integrate knowledge from different cellular mechanisms

Transversal skills

• Access and evaluate appropriate sources of information.

Teaching methods

2 hours of ex cathedra-type of lecture

2 hours of exercises: the instructor gives out appr. 10 questions out (through Moodle and in the beginning of the session). The questions have different formats, and can in some cases just retrieve the acquired facts, in others have a more integrative problem-based learning approach.

Expected student activities

- review regularly the presented lectures.

- participate actively in the exercise sessions when the questions and problems are discussed altogether

Assessment methods

- a written exam at the winter exam session

Supervision

Resources

Bibliography

The lecture is aligned to selected chapters in the following book (recommended although not required):

"Essential Cell Bioogy" by B Alberts et al. , 3rd edition, Garland Science Taylor & Francis Group

Notes/Handbook

• Essential Cell Biology / Alberts

Moodle Link

• https://go.epfl.ch/BIO-105