BC2025:03
Molecular Biology and the Genetic Basis of Inherited Disease
Townsville
Prerequisites: CH1001 PC1005
Inadmissable Subject Combination: BC2023
33 lectures, 10 tutorials, 5 hours practicals, 6 hours workshops. Second semester
Available to Bachelor of Pharmacy students.
Staff: Dr S Vasudevan (Coordinator), Professor J Burnell, Assoc. Professor G Meehan, Dr D Miller and a guest lecturer in genetic counselling to be arranged.
This subject is designed to give the student a good grounding in molecular biology including the basis of recombinant DNA technology. Molecular techniques such as PCR that is widely used in many diagnostic kits will be built on topics such as structure of DNA, its replication and the kind of errors that can occur during replication. The mechanisms in the cell to repair some of these errors as well as the transcription of DNA and how genes are regulated at the level of transcription will be presented. Translation of mRNA to protein and the genetic basis of some diseases will also be covered in the subject.
Learning Objectives:
- structure of DNA and how genetic information is propagated;
- flow of biological information from DNA to protein and the mechanisms by which they occur;
- elements of gene regulation;
- application of recombinant DNA techniques and their potential for basic science, medicine and biotechnology;
- genetic basis of diseases.
Assessment by one three-hour examination (65%); practical class, workshop and tutorial attendance, laboratory assessment (25%); four short content tests (10%).