Course syllabus

Lecture courses: Available to current Oxford students only.

Year 2 (2020-21)

• DNA Structure and Replication
• Mechanisms of Eukaryotic DNA Replication
• Evolution of Genes and Genomes
• The Genetic Toolbox
• Mechanism and Control of Gene Transcription I
• Mechanism and Control of Gene Transcription II
• Molecular Biology Toolbox: DNA
• RNA Biology: Mechanisms of Translation

Year 3 (2021-22)

• Chromosome Biology
• RNA Biology
• Viruses

Revision

• Revision TT22
  

Course leader

Associate Professor Lynne Cox
Room 40-027, New Biochemistry
Telephone: 13241

Summary

The course consists of approximately 86 lectures (43 in second year and 43 in third year), associated practicals and problem-solving sessions. The course is divided into the following areas: Genes and genomes; a comparison of genes and genomes across the Kingdoms. Chromosome biology. DNA biology; mechanisms of replication, recombination, repair and transposition. Control of events on DNA including initiation of replication. Systems biology of the cell cycle. RNA biology: mechanisms of synthesis and processing of RNA. Control of transcription and RNA processing. Proteins: Mechanism of synthesis and control of these processes. The Genetic and Molecular Toolboxes: Techniques for studying genes, genomes, RNA and proteins. All students are encouraged to attend relevant Departmental Colloquia and seminars and third year students should view the Monday Biochemical Colloquia as an essential part of their course.

The course coordinator is Prof Lynne Cox. You should contact her if you have problems or suggestions for change. Please take time to fill out the course questionnaires, so that we can respond to your constructive suggestions and improve the course.

The aims of this course are:

Note that each of the courses in Part I contain material that is relevant to each and every other course; it is crucial that you interrelate this material as appropriate. Of particular relevance to this course is material on structural biology, proteins and the cell cycle.

• To introduce you to the concepts of molecular biology and molecular genetics and to briefly trace the history and development of the subject;
• To introduce you to the techniques of molecular biology and molecular genetics in a way that indicates how they are used to analyse biological structure and function at the molecular and cellular level;
• To discuss basic life processes at the molecular level and to compare these processes in organisms that range from viruses to Man;
• To discuss the exploitation of molecular biology and molecular genetics in understanding and controlling human disease, in biotechnology and in agriculture.

By the end of this course you should understand:

• The techniques of molecular biology and molecular genetics and how they are used to analyse biological structure and function;
• The structure and properties of DNA and chromosomes. How DNA and chromosomes are replicated and how this replication is controlled so that the genome content per cell is maintained over time. The different strategies for building and maintaining chromosomes and for segregating them at cell division. How chromosome replication is integrated into the cell cycle. The nature of the cell cycle and how it is regulated (Paper IV also covers significant aspects of cell cycle control);
• How the integrity of DNA and chromosomes is maintained. The processes that lead to genetic change. DNA repair and recombination. Genetic flux and mobile DNA;
• Information transfer: transcription of DNA into RNA and translation of RNA into protein. Control of gene expression at transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. Techniques for studying gene expression in vivo and in vitro; transcript mapping; reporters of in vivo gene expression; enhancer-trap and gene-trap methods;
• How proteins interact with nucleic acids and how these interactions lead to their biological effects. The idea and properties of complex nucleoprotein machines (e.g. ribosomes, spliceosomes, replicosomes). Techniques for studying nucleoprotein interactions: structural studies; footprinting; gel retardation;
• How and why genetics is so powerful a tool for analysing biological function. From phenotype to genotype and from genotype to phenotype. Transposable element tagging and its exploitation. Manipulating and analysing DNA molecules in vitro. Getting DNA back into cells. Bioinformatics. Site-directed mutagenesis. Genetic complementation. Dominance and genetic interactions (dominant-negative mutations; external suppressors; multicopy suppression; synthetic lethality; two-hybrid systems);
• How molecular genetics is being used in human medicine, biotechnology and in agriculture.

References:

There are several Molecular Biology/Biochemistry textbooks that provide adequate factual material. None (other than perhaps 'The Genetic Switch') are good at providing a 'feel' for the strategies and approaches that lead to new discoveries and for consolidating these discoveries into biological understanding. Remember that knowing the facts is not enough; it is at least as important to understand how we get to know the facts.

• Molecular Biology of the Cell (Alberts et al), 6th Edition 2014 ISBN 9780815344322
• Molecular Cell Biology (Lodish et al), 7th edition 2012 ISBN 9781464109812
• The Cell: a molecular approach (Cooper and Hasuman), 7th edition) 2015 ISBN 9781605355634

  • Molecular Biology Techniques and Bioinformatics (Ed Rapley and Whitehouse), 6th edition 2015 ISBN 9781849737951
  • Thrive in Biochemistry adn Molecular Biology (Cox, Harris, Pears) 2012 ISBN 9780199645480