Entry requirements

A Bachelor's degree, equivalent to a Swedish Kandidatexamen, from an internationally recognised university. Also required is 30 credits in mathematics and 30 credits in computer science.

Learning outcomes

After successfully completing the course, the student should be able to:

• account for the structure and function of biomolecules and macromolecules
• describe the structure and organisation of genomes, the transfer of genetic information, sources of genetic variation and their consequences for fitness
• describe cell structure and regulation in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells
• describe the cell cycle, metabolism and principles of energy production within cells
• account for a number of modern molecular biology methods for molecular and genetic problems
• describe the evolutionary processes and mechanisms shaping genomes in natural populations
• describe the diversity of life and how this diversity is organised
• interpret phylogenetic trees
• read and critically evaluate scientific journal articles and discuss scientific, societal and ethical aspects of gene technology.

Content

Basic life chemistry: chemical bonds and biomolecules. The molecular basis of transmission of genetic information from genes to proteins: DNA replication, DNA repair, recombination, transposition, transcription, translation, and gene regulation. Genomes and their structure: chromosomes, plasmids, plastids and mitochondria. Inheritance/transfer of genetic information: meiosis, sexual reproduction, classical genetics and extrachromosomal inheritance and genetic transfer in bacteria and viruses. Genome evolution: sources for variation – mutations and recombination, and effects of natural selection on genome evolution over time. Cell structure, diversity and communication. Energy production and the chemical processes within cells: respiration, photosynthesis, and metabolism. The different forms of life from an organismal and evolutionary points of view. Gene trees and species trees and homology. Variation between genomes, its causes and consequences. Gene technology: introduction to modern technologies, e.g. restriction mapping, cloning, gene expression to overproduce proteins of interest, DNA-sequencing, PCR, and societal and ethical considerations. Evaluating the strengths and limitations of data: critical evaluation of experimental data and scientific literature.

Instruction

Lectures, computer laborations, seminars and demonstrations.

Assessment

Molecular biology and genetics: Written test (8 hp) and practical parts (active participation in seminars and presentation of seminar assignments) (2 hp). Evolution: Written test (3 hp), active participation in seminars (1 hp) and computer laboration reports (1 hp).