IDENTIFYING DATA

2017_18

Subject (*)

CELL CULTURES

Code

19204115

Study programme

Bachelor's Degree in Biotechnology (2009)

Cycle

1st

Descriptors

Credits

Type

Year

Period

Compulsory

Second

Language

Català

Department

Biochemistry and Biotechnology

Coordinator

ARAGONÈS BARGALLÓ, GERARD

E-mail

elsa.maymo@urv.cat
gerard.aragones@urv.cat
andrea.ardid@urv.cat

Lecturers

MAYMO MASIP, ELSA

ARAGONÈS BARGALLÓ, GERARD

ARDID RUIZ, ANDREA

Web

General description and relevant information

This subject provides students knowledge about basic procedures for working with cells and animal tissues in vitro culture. After completing the subject, biotechnology students must be able to work in a cell and tissue culture laboratory and know how to make biotechnological applications with these cultures.

Competences

Type A	Code	Competences Specific
	A5	Know the principles, the instrumentation and the applications of the main techniques of analysis and separation of biomolecules, as well as the techniques of culture of microorganisms and cells of multicellular organisms.
	A6	Know how to design and apply experimental laboratory protocols in the fields of biotechnology, especially chemical, biochemical, microbiological and molecular biology, assessing their risks and safety elements.
Type B	Code	Competences Transversal
	B5	Teamwork, collaboration and sharing of responsibility
Type C	Code	Competences Nuclear
	C4	Be able to express themselves correctly both orally and in writing in one of the two official languages of the URV

Learning outcomes

Type A	Code	Learning outcomes
	A5	Understand the practical and theoretical aspects of in vitro cell culture and their applications to the field of biotechnology. Understand and apply the basic instrumental techniques used in molecular biochemistry and biology.
	A6	Understand the practical and theoretical aspects of in vitro cell culture and their applications to the field of biotechnology.
Type B	Code	Learning outcomes
	B5	Participate actively and share information, knowledge and experience.
Type C	Code	Learning outcomes
	C4	Produce well structured, clear and effective oral texts. Produce well-structured, clear and rich written texts

Contents

Topic	Sub-topic
Session 1. Introduction to animal cell cultures.	Brief history of cell cultures. Current concept, applications and research areas. Type of tissue cultures. Biology of the cell in culture.
Session 2. The cell culture laboratory.	Equipment and design. Levels of biosecurity. Classification of biological agents. Concept of SDS, PPEs and SLP.
Session 3. Physical-chemical conditions, media and cultivation surfaces.	Temperature, pH and osmolarity. Composition, preparation, selection and optimization of culture media. Adaptation to serum-free media. Cell growth surfaces.
Session 4. Biological contamination.	Aseptic technique. Main biological pollutants: bacteria, yeasts, fungi, viruses and mycoplasmas. Detection procedures and methods.
Session 5. Quantification, cytotoxicity and cell death.	Neubauer chamber. Cell viability and cytotoxicity assays.
Session 6. Introduction to flow cytometry.	Brief history. What information does the CMF provide us? Practical aspects. FACS
Session 7. Basic techniques of manipulation of animal cells in culture.	Change of medium. Pass or subculture. Cryopreservation. Transformation and immortality. Transport of cells. Cell characterization.
Session 8. Specialized cell cultures and associated advanced techniques.	Cell isolation techniques. Cultivation examples. Cell separation techniques. Cell lines by biotechnology.
Session 9. Cellular modification systems.	Genetic marker. DNA introduction techniques in animal cells in culture. Animal cells as factories of production: drugs, proteins and antibodies. Protein introduction techniques in animal cells in culture.
Session 10. Biotechnology of animal and tissue cells.	Stem cells vs. culture of specialized cells. Isolation and culture technology of stem cells. Cell differentiation techniques. Reconstruction of tissues and organs by co-culture of primary type.

Planning

Methodologies :: Tests

Competences

(*) Class hours

Hours outside the classroom

(**) Total hours

Introductory activities

Lecture

22.5

37.5

Presentations / expositions

Laboratory practicals

Personal tuition

Mixed tests

Oral tests

0.5

(*) On e-learning, hours of virtual attendance of the teacher.
(**) The information in the planning table is for guidance only and does not take into account the heterogeneity of the students.

Methodologies

Methodologies

	Description
Introductory activities	Activities designed to make contact with students, collect information from them and introduce the subject.
Lecture	Description of the contents of the subject.
Presentations / expositions	The students make an oral presentation on a particular subject (previously presented in writing).
Laboratory practicals	Practical application of the theory of a knowledge area in a particular context. Practical exercises in the different laboratories.
Personal tuition	Each teacher has a schedule to attend and resolve students’ doubts.

Personalized attention

Description

Attention to the student through a personalized interview at agreed time. Send an e-mail to gerard.aragones@urv.cat to arrange a visit.

Assessment

Methodologies

Competences

Description

Weight

Presentations / expositions

The teacher, who can discuss with the students and ask them about the exhibition, will evaluate the oral presentations of the scientific posters.

15%

Laboratory practicals

There will be a written test which will assess the skills acquired (20%). In particular, it is considered the cooperative teamwork and shared responsibility (5%). Finally, will also be evaluated the participation, prior preparation, daily work of the results and being on time in class. All these aspects have a value of 10% of the final grade.

35%

Mixed tests

Tests that combine questions of development, objective questions, short questions and/or objective tests.

50%

Others

Other comments and second exam session

The learning of the topics included in the subject is not exclusively theoretical: it must be at the practical level too. Hence, the subject will be evaluated by a written objective test, which will assess the theoretical knowledge acquired (50%), a written practical exam that will assess the practical knowledge acquired during practical sessions (35%) and a grade resulting from the oral presentation (15%).

To pass the subject, it is necessary a 5/10; having a minimum grade of 4.5/10 in each of the evaluated parts, to be able to average with the other parts. In the second call, only the unexceeded part of the first call will be evaluated.

During evaluation tests, mobile phones, tablets and other devices that are not expressly authorized by the test must be switched off and out of sight.

The demonstration of fraudulent conduct of some evaluative activity of a subject in both material: virtual and electronic support, leads to the student the fail of this evaluation activity. Regardless of this, in view of the seriousness of the facts, the centre may propose the initiation of a disciplinary file, which will be initiated by resolution of the rector.

Sources of information

Basic	edited by J.M. Davis, Basic cell culture : a practical approach, 2nd, New York : Oxford University Press, cop. 2002 edited by Cheryl D. Helgason and Cindy L. Miller, Basic cell culture protocols, 3rd, Totowa, N.J. : Humana Press , 2005 Freshney, R. Ian, Culture of animal cells : a manual of basic technique, 5th, Hoboken, N.J. : Wiley, cop. 2005 Freshney, R. Ian, Culture of animal cells: a manual of basic technique and specialized applications, 6th, Hoboken, New Jersey : Wiley-Blackwell, cop. 2010

Complementary

Recommendations

Subjects that it is recommended to have taken before

CELL BIOLOGY/19204006

(*)The teaching guide is the document in which the URV publishes the information about all its courses. It is a public document and cannot be modified. Only in exceptional cases can it be revised by the competent agent or duly revised so that it is in line with current legislation.