Aims

This module provides biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology to manipulate cells and use them as smallest bioreactors. It provides an understanding how the cellular machinery changes when intracellular proteins are changed or molecules are added from the extracellular side, including internalisation, trafficking and cell-specific targeting.

Basics

Covered in basic modules B1–B3 (cell and molecular biology, cell compartments, function of the cytoskeleton, DNA transcription and translation, protein folding, expression and trafficking, biochemistry, recombinant DNA)

Contents

• Cell compartments and their functions (cytoskeleton, cell membrane, Golgi, endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, role in various cell types)
• Biophysical techniques (characterise cells [AFM, optical tweezers])
• manipulation of cell growth [modulation of substrate stiffness, mechanotransduction]
• orientation with physical and chemical tools [durotaxis, printing of chemical gradients]
• application of cell manipulation in biosensor technology)
• Eukaryotic cell culture (expression of proteins, 2D and 3D tissue culture, comparison of primary versus tumour cells, methods to modulate cells recombinantly, genetic modification, transfection methods)
• Signal transduction
• Synthesis and screening of bioactive molecules (tests for agonist/antagonistic compounds, consequences for development of molecules, theoretical methods for molecular pharmacology)

Methods

• Techniques to characterise cells (microscopy, staining, optical analysis, transfection to create artificial cells with different activities)
• Assays to study biological activity, binding, signal transduction (fluorescence-based methods, radioactive assays, impedance spectrometry)
• Modification of cell substrates (stiffness, nanocontact printing, electronic devices)
• Cell manipulation (AFM, optical and magnetical traps)
• Cell sorting (FACS, magnetic sorting)
• qPCR

Scientific Program
program_2013-T5.pdf (88.1 KB)  vom 06.09.2013

Terms and Applications

• Date: 10-11 October 2013
• Time: 9.30am-5/6pm
• Venue: Leipzig, Johannisallee 21, SR: 119
• Group size: maximal 25
• Language: English

Instructors

Tilo Pompe, Lino Ferreira

Registration for the course (via BuildMoNa)

Please register for the course via the BuildMoNa homepage. The deadline for the registration is Wednesday, 18 September 2013.

• Registration via BuildMoNa