Molecular Biology
ΒΒ0304 | ECTS: 4
Theory: 4 hours/week
Learning Outcomes
The course aims to present and analyse major research areas of modern molecular biology, including the generation and significance of mutations, recombination, and transposition. Particular emphasis is placed on both prokaryotic and eukaryotic regulatory mechanisms, enabling students not only to understand their details but also to grasp “the logic of the living organism.” Topics concerning the classical mechanisms of DNA replication, transcription, and translation will be discussed only occasionally, as they are covered in the introductory Biochemistry courses of the first year of studies.
Throughout the course, emphasis is placed more on the genome than on individual genes. This reflects the recognition that contemporary molecular biology is driven less by the study of the activities of specific genes and more by genome sequencing and functional genomic analysis. This does not imply that genes are no longer important; however, the major genomics initiatives of recent years have paved the way for understanding molecular processes through the lens of genome-wide activity and function.
Analytical Description of the Course
- Introductory concepts and principles of Molecular Biology
- Mutations and DNA repair
- Double-strand breaks and recombination
- Modern techniques in molecular biology
- Prokaryotic transcription and regulation I: Synthesis and processing of prokaryotic RNA
- Prokaryotic transcription and regulation II: Operons
- Prokaryotic transcription and regulation III: The tryptophan operon – sporulation – phage λ
- Eukaryotic transcription and regulation I: Synthesis and processing of eukaryotic RNA and transcriptional activation
- Eukaryotic transcription and regulation II: Protein–protein interactions and epigenetic modifications
- Eukaryotic transcription and regulation III: RNA processing
- Eukaryotic transcription and regulation IV: Regulatory RNAs
Student Performance Evaluation
Performance in the course is assessed through a written examination covering the entire taught material. The examination includes:
- Short-answer questions
- Problem-solving exercises
- Multiple-choice questions
The questions are arranged in increasing difficulty, enabling students to achieve a passing grade with relative ease, while reserving higher difficulty levels for excellence. In all cases, after grading is completed, a normalising “correction” is applied by multiplying all grades by a coefficient that ensures at least one score of “10/10”. This coefficient is the highest raw score divided by 10.
Suggested Bibliography
- Principles of Molecular Biology, Burton Tropp. Jones & Barlett Learning, 1st Edition, 2012. ISBN-10: 1449689175.
- Molecular Biology of the Gene, Watson, Baker, Bell, Gann, Levine, Losick. Pearson 7th Edition, 2013. ISBN-10: 0321762436.
- Genes XII, Krebs, Goldstein, Kilpatrick. Jones & Barlett Learning, 12th Edition, 2017. ISBN-10: 1284104494.
Teaching Material / E-class
Lecturers
Κostas Mathiopoulos (Course Coordinator)
