IDENTIFYING DATA 2019_20
Subject (*) FROM MODEL ORGANISMS TO HUMAN BIOLOGY Code 19204218
Study programme
Bachelor's Degree in Biotechnology (2009)
 Cycle 1st
Descriptors Credits Type Year Period
3 Optional
Language
Català
Department Biochemistry and Biotechnology
Coordinator
CORDERO OTERO, RICARDO ROMÁN
 E-mail juanbautista.fernandez@urv.cat
ricardo.cordero@urv.cat
Lecturers
FERNÁNDEZ LARREA, JUAN BAUTISTA
CORDERO OTERO, RICARDO ROMÁN
Web
General description and relevant information Biological research has long depended on a number of model organisms that are amenable to laboratory research and suitable for the study of a range of biological problems. It is only a slight exaggeration to say that the basic functioning of the cell was mostly cleared from experiments with a few unicellular organisms, mainly that of E. coli and yeast, our understanding of animal development being based mainly on the genetics of the fruit fly and worm, and the manipulation of frog and mouse, and most of what we have learned about molecular biology and plant development came from Arabidopsis and only the examination of some other species. But the variety of organisms studied is currently in a massive expansion as a result of the reduction in time and cost of OMIC studies allowing to expand the knowledge in molecular evolutionary and biological aspects. Emerging studies from these model organisms participate, among others, in the understanding of human diseases.

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.
 A7 Be able to search, obtain, analyse and interpret information from the main biological databases: genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolomics, taxonomic and other, as well as bibliographic data, and use basic bioinformatics tools.
Type B Code Competences Transversal
Type C Code Competences Nuclear

Learning outcomes
Type A Code Learning outcomes
 A5 Know the techniques of molecular evaluation in vivo for microorganisms and multicellular organisms.
 A7 Learn to compare cell metabolisms from bioinformatics data.
Type B Code Learning outcomes
Type C Code Learning outcomes

Contents
Topic Sub-topic
E. coli for the study of infectious proteins
The yeast in the study of human diseases
C. elegans as a model to understand cellular apoptosis
The mouse as a model for human metabolic studies
Mixed study models for the study of complex problems

Planning
Methodologies  ::  Tests
  Competences (*) Class hours
 Hours outside the classroom
 (**) Total hours
Introductory activities
1 0 1
Lecture
A5
 30 34 64
Presentations / oral communications
2 4 6
Preliminary project
A5
 1 2 3
Personal attention
A7
 1 0 1
 
 
(*) 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 Introduction to the different biological models, limitations and advantages.
Lecture During the lectures will be presented the scientific advances in which the different biological models participated.
Presentations / oral communications Students must prepare an oral presentation, individually, of relevant topics within the framework of the subject.
Preliminary project Students will have to prepare and present orally a preliminary research project on topics of the use of model organisms for the understanding of human biology.
Personal attention Customized attention will be used to tutor students in scientific subjects as well as in the art of making oral presentations.

Personalized attention
Description
The preparation of the oral presentation of a bibliographic topic and a preliminary study will be done in a personalized way.

Assessment
Methodologies Competences Description Weight        
Lecture
A5
 Written questionnaire of the preliminary project and the articles presented in class. 30%
Presentations / oral communications
Quality of solid support, oral expression and communication of a specific topic. The ability to discuss and answer questions of the topics presented. 50%
Preliminary project
A5
 The oral presentation of a preliminary study project. 20%
Others  
 
Other comments and second exam session

The second call will be evaluated with a written examination of all the articles studied and presented during the course.

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

The demonstrable fraudulent realization of some evaluation activity of a subject both in material and virtual and electronic support entails the student's failure mark of this evaluation activity. Regardless of this, given the seriousness of the events, the center may propose the initiation of a disciplinary file, which will be opened by resolution of the rector.

Sources of information

Basic Nat Inst of Health, Model Organisms for Biomed research, , www.nih.gov/science/models/
, The WWW virtual library, , http://ceolas.org/VL/mo/
, WormClassroom, , www.wormclassroom.org/teaching-model-organisms
Fields S, Johnston M , "Cell biology. Whither model organism research?, ,
Benzer, Seymour , "On the topography of the genetic fine structure". PNAS 47 (3): 403–15, ,

1.   Griffiths, E.C. (2010) What is a model? Archived March 12, 2012

2.  Fields S, Johnston M (Mar 2005). Cell biology. Whither model organism research? Science 307 : 1885–6.

3.  Fox, Michael Allen (1986). The Case for Animal Experimention: An Evolutionary and Ethical Perspective. Berkeley and Los Angeles, California: University of California Press.

4.  P. Michael Conn (29 May 2013). Animal Models for the Study of Human Disease. Academic Press. p. 37.

5. Lieschke GJ, Currie PD (2007). "Animal models of human disease: zebrafish swim into view". Nat Rev Genet. 8: 353–67.

6. Pierce K. H. Chow; Robert T. H. Ng; Bryan E. Ogden (2008). Using Animal Models in Biomedical Research: A Primer for the Investigator. World Scientific. pp. 1–2.

7. Jann Hau; Steven J. Schapiro (2011). "The contribution of laboratory animals to medical progress". Handbook of Laboratory Animal Science, Volume I, Third Edition: Essential Principles and Practices. CRC Press
Complementary

Recommendations

Subjects that are recommended to be taken simultaneously
ANIMAL AND PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY/19204122
BIOTECHNOLOGICAL PROCESSES AND PRODUCTS/19204125

Subjects that it is recommended to have taken before
TECHNIQUES IN BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY/19204104
MICROBIAL MOLECULAR BIOTECHNOLOGY/19204121
MOLECULAR GENETICS/19204113
(*)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.