ECTS credits ECTS credits: 6
ECTS Hours Rules/Memories Hours of tutorials: 3 Expository Class: 33 Interactive Classroom: 15 Total: 51
Use languages Spanish, Galician
Type: Ordinary Degree Subject RD 1393/2007 - 822/2021
Departments: Zoology, Genetics and Physical Anthropology
Areas: Genetics
Center Faculty of Sciences
Call: First Semester
Teaching: With teaching
Enrolment: Enrollable
- To know the organisation of genomes, the molecular bases of the regulation of gene expression and its incidence in processes such as development, defence of the organism and complex diseases such as cancer.
- To know the methodologies of recombinant DNA technology with a view to its applications for transgenesis and in general for the improvement of productions and food safety.
- To encourage teamwork and the acquisition of skills in the search for scientific information, in the use of tools and databases related to the subject and in the presentation of works.
The Degree Memory contemplates the following contents for this subject: Structure and organization of genomes. The eukaryotic gene. Gene families. Repeated DNA. Biochemical techniques for DNA analysis. Isolation and labeling of nucleic acids. Nucleic acid-related enzymes and properties. Restriction enzymes. Molecular genetic analysis techniques. DNA sequencing. Oligonucleotide synthesis. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Blotting techniques. Cloning. Analysis and isolation of cloned products. Vectors. Hosts: transformation and transfection. Colony selection: methods. Genetic libraries. Genomic libraries. cDNA libraries. Specialized libraries. Library screening. Obtaining probes. Expression libraries. Gene transfer in eukaryotes. Gene transfer in animals. Gene microinjection. Viral vectors. Transgenic and cloned animals. Gene transfer in plants. Genomic editing. Gene therapy. Applications to clinical and forensic medicine. Inheritance patterns of diseases. Preimplantation and prenatal diagnosis. Molecular diagnosis. Complex diseases: genetic approaches. Cancer: molecular profiling and therapy. DNA fingerprinting. Identification and parentage. Applications to animal and plant breeding. Genetic markers and genealogical traceability. Molecular parentage. Major genes and QTL. Detection and localization of QTL. Positional cloning.
These contents will be developed according to the following theoretical and practical contents, indicating the estimated distribution of hours of classroom activities (52 hours, lectures classes, seminars, laboratory practices and tutorial sessions).
1. Presentation of the Subject (1 hour)
2. Theoretical content (36 hours)
Lecture classes (33 hours): Xenética Mol e Enx Xen
BLOCK 1: Molecular Genetics (21 hours)
Unit 1: Structure and organisation of genomes (3h). Genomes. Chromatin. Paradox of the C and G value. Types of sequences in genomes: human.
Unit 2: Regulation of genomes expression (10h).
PROKARYOTES. Control of gene expression: generalities. Transcriptional regulation: cis and trans sequences, Operon, Inducible and repressible enzyme systems, Lac operon: positive and negative control, Tryptophan operon: attenuation, σ factors. Other levels of regulation.
EUKARYOTES. Control of gene expression: generalities. Pretranscriptional regulation-Epigenetics: chromatin as a regulator, DNA methylation. Transcriptional regulation: cis and trans sequences. Post-transcriptional regulation: alternative processing, mRNA transport and stability, epitranscriptome, regulatory non-coding RNAs. Translational regulation. Post-translational regulation.
Unit 3: Developmental genetics (3h). Developmental genetics. Theory of variable gene activity. Embryonic development. Embryonic development in Drosophila: maternal- effect genes, zygotic genes: segmentation genes and homeotic genes. Parallelism between insect and plant development: floral development in Arabidopsis. Programmed cell death and normal development.
Unit 4: Immunogenetics (3h). The immune system: specific immune response. Immunoglobulins. Generation of antibody diversity. T-cell receptor. Genes of the major histocompatibility complex.
Unit 5: Cell cycle and cancer (3h). Cancer: characteristics, types, causes, ... Genetic origin of cancer: oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. The cell cycle and checkpoints. Metastasis. Other alterations in cancer cells. Cancer treatments.
BLOCK II: Genetic Engineering (12 horas)
Unit 6: Genetic techniques for molecular analysis (3h). Enzymology for nucleic acids manipulation. Isolation of nucleic acids. Molecular hybridization: labeling, FISH, blotting. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR). DNA Sanger sequencing.
Unit 7: In vivo molecular cloning (3h). Recombinant DNA. Gene cloning: vectors, hosts, transfer methods, selection and identification.
Unit 8: Genomic libraries (2h). DNA libraries: genomic, cDNA, specialized, metagenomic, small RNA. In vivo and in vitro libraries.
Unit 9: Gene transfer in eukaryotes (3h). Gene transfer in animal cells: transfer methods, vectors, selection and identification. Genetically modified organism. Transgenic animals. Cloned animals. Gene editing.
Unit 10: Applications (1h + activities/tasks of tutorial sessions in small groups). Clinical and forensic medicine. Animal genetic improvement.
Seminars (3 hours)
Sem Xen Mol Inx 1. Problems and questions concerning Block 1.
Sem Xen Mol Inx 2. Problems and questions concerning Block 2.
Sem Xen Mol Inx 3. Problems and questions concerning Block 2.
3. Practical contents (15 hours)
Laboratory practices (12 hours)
Pract Xen Mol & Enx Xen Laboratory 1. DNA molecular analysis techniques .
Pract Xen Mol & Enx Xen Laboratory 2. DNA molecular analysis techniques.
Pract Xen Mol & Enx Xen Computer 3. Introduction to the use of databases and tools of bioinformatics analysis.
Tutorial sessions in small groups (3 hours)
Tit Xen Mol Enx Xen. Activities and/or tasks in small groups will be proposed. Students will search, process and analyze information for their elaboration and presentation. They will also be used for supervision and counseling of students in the progression of the subject.
Basic bibliography
Benito, C. & Espino, J., 2012. Genética: conceptos esenciales. Madrid: Editorial Médica Panamericana.
Brown, T.A., 2016. Gene cloning and DNA analysis: An Introduction. 7th ed. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.
Brown T.A. 2023. Genomes. 5ª Edición. Taylor & Francis Group
Herráez, A., 2012. Biología molecular e ingeniería genética: conceptos, técnicas y aplicaciones en ciencias de la salud. 2ª ed. Barcelona: Elsevier.
Izquierdo, M., 2014. Ingeniería Genética y Transferencia Génica. 2ª ed. Pirámide, Madrid
Klug, W.S., et al. 2018. Concepts of genetics.12th ed. New York. Pearson.
Nicholl, D.S.T. 2023. An introduction to genetic engineering. 4th ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Pierce, B.A., 2015. Genética: un enfoque conceptual. 5ª ed. Madrid: Médica Panamericana.
Pierce, B.A. 2020. Genetics: a conceptual approach. 7th ed. New York: Macmillan International Higher Education.
Real García, M.D., et al. 2017. Técnicas de ingeniería genética. Madrid: Síntesis.
Students will have access to the electronic manuals: Benito & Espino, 2012; Pierce, B.A., 2015 and Herráez, A., 2012: Access will be through ReBUSCa of the USC Library (https://rebusca.usc.gal/inicio).
Complementary bibliography
Glick, B.R. & Patten, C.L., 2017. Molecular biotechnology: principles and applications of recombinant DNA. 5th ed. Washington DC: ASM Press.
Green, M.R. & Sambrook, J., 2012. Molecular cloning: a laboratory manual. 4th ed. 3 v. Cold Spring Harbor: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.
Krebs, J.E., Goldstein, E.S. & Kilpatrick, S.T., 2018. Lewin’s Genes XII. 12th ed. Jones & Bartlett Larning.
Knowledge:
Con7: To know and interpret the structure, organization, transmission, expression, regulation and evolution of genetic material.
Con09: Identify and relate the components of the immune system, its structure, function and mechanisms of action.
Skills/abilities:
H/D05: To use appropriate techniques techniques for the study of the structure and function of genetic material for the development of biotechnological applications.
H/D06: To critically analyze and evaluate the genetic, molecular and biochemical markers associated with the different pathologies and traits of interest critically.
H/D09: To interpret information from the main biological databases (genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolomic, etc.) and bibliographic data, using basic bioinformatics tools.
Competences
Comp01: To develop the ability to organize and plan work properly, based on a synthesis and analysis that allow decisions to be made.
Comp07: Use the basic tools of information and communication technologies.
- Lectures classes (33 hours): The teacher in charge of the subject will explain the contents of the subject with the support of audio-visual presentations for each unit, with the help of annotations on the blackboard and support material, also in English. Will be held In the classrooms assigned by the center to all the group.
- Seminars (3 hours): The teacher will provide, via the virtual campus and with sufficient notice, bulletins with questions and unsolved problems related to the different topics of the program to consolidate, apply and expand knowledge. The students will try to solve the bulletins before the sessions and autonomously in order to gauge their progress in the subject. In the seminars, the professor will promote the active participation of the students and will solve the doubts raised. Will be held in the classrooms assigned by the center in small groups.
- Practices (12 hours): The teacher will experimentally deal genetic analysis methods, both in the laboratory and on the computer, that will complement and apply the concepts developed in the theoretical classes. They will include a theoretical introduction and scripts detailing the procedures to be carried out under the supervision of the professor. At the end of the practices, students will discuss with the professor the results obtained in order to answer and deliver the questions posed in the script. Students will work in subgroups of 2-3 students in the laboratory practices and individually on the computer practices. Laboratory practices will be carried out in the laboratory of the Department of Genetics, Faculty of Veterinary, Pavilion 4, 2nd upper floor. The computer practices will take place in the classrooms assigned by the center.
- Tutorial sessions in small groups (3 hours): The teacher will propose activities and/or tasks in small groups. Students will search, process and analyze information for their elaboration and presentation. They will also be used for supervision and counseling of students in the subject. They will be carried out in the classrooms assigned by the center.
- The USC virtual campus will be used continuously to support teaching and for communication with students.
It is recalled that, as stated in Article 16 of the Regulations for the Assessment of Students' Academic Performance and Review of Qualifications, approved by the Governing Council on 15 June 2011, "The fraudulent performance of any exercise or test required in the assessment of a subject will result in a failing grade in the corresponding exam session, regardless of the disciplinary process that may be followed against the offending student. Fraudulent work is considered to be, among others, plagiarised work or work obtained from publicly available sources without reworking or reinterpretation and without citation of the authors and sources".
The final score will be a weighted average of the qualifications obtained by the students in the different assessable teaching activities according to the following scale:
- Final exam: 60% of the final score (if the student passes the exam). Face-to-face exam on the date assigned by the Centre at the beginning of the Academic Year. It will consist of test type and/or questions that will require answers of greater or lesser length and the resolution of problems on the theory given in the lectures. Mandatory evaluable activity.
Competences evaluated: Con07, Con09, H/D05, H/D06, Comp01.
- Practices (continuous evaluation), 15% of the final score. Attendance, attitude and answers to the questions in the scripts will be scored with a maximum of 7.5%. The knowledge acquired will be evaluated by means of a practice exam, which will represent a maximum of 7.5%, this exam will be taken together with the final exam. Non-mandatory assessable activity.
Competences evaluated: Con07, H/D05, H/D06, H/D09, Comp01, Comp07.
- Tutorial sessions in small groups (continuous evaluation), the activities and/or tasks carried out will represent 10% of the final score. Aspects such as participation, quality and structure of the work and the written and/or oral presentation will be evaluated. Non-mandatory evaluable activity. Non-mandatory assessable activity.
Competences evaluated: Con07, Con09, H/D05, H/D06, H/D09, Comp01, Comp07.
- Questionnaires through the virtual campus and/or face-to-face tasks (continuous evaluation), 10% of the final score. One will be done at the end of each block during class time and will be announced in advance through the virtual campus. Non-mandatory assessable activity.
Competences evaluated: CB3, CB5, CG1, CG7, CT1, CT7, CT14, CES6, CES8
- Participation in the activities (continuous evaluation), 5% of the final score. Active participation and problem solving will be considered.
EXPLANATORY NOTES:
SCALE: To pass the subject a minimum score of 5.0 points (scale from 0 to 10) must be obtained in the theory exam. Once the exam has been approved (which represents 60% of the final score), the scores obtained in the remaining activities of the subject will be added with the scale described. In case of not reaching 5,0 points in the theory exam, the final score will be only the one obtained in the theory exam.
PRACTICES, TUTORIAL SESSIONS AND QUESTIONNAIRES/TASKS: Attendance is not compulsory. If these activities are not carried out, the score will be that of the theory exam, which cannot exceed 6.0 points out of 10 as it represents 60% of the final score.
GROUP CHANGES: In practices, tutorials and seminars, group changes may be made whenever there is another student from another group with whom to change. These changes must be previously communicated by e-mail to the teacher responsible for the activity.
EXAM DATES: No exams will be held on alternative dates to the official ones.
SECOND OPPORTUNITY CALL: Students will have to do the exam, similar to that of the 1st opportunity call. The scores obtained in the remaining activities of the subject will be retained.
EXEMPTION FROM FACE-TO-FACE CLASSES ATTENDANCE: will be applicable to those students who have obtained it after applying for it according to the instruction nº 1/2017 of the General Secretary. In these cases the evaluation will be as follows: final exam 80%, work or alternative tests to the classroom activities for which dispensation is granted 20%.
REPEATER STUDENTS: the same evaluation system will be applied. It is not mandatory to repeat the practices and tutorials, as long as they are the same, keeping the qualification obtained. In case of change, students will be informed through the virtual campus so that those repeaters who want to have these qualifications know that they have to do them.
The subject consists of 6 ECTS credits. The total number of hours of student work is 150 hours, of which 37,3% are face-to-face and 62,7% are hours of autonomous student work (no face-to-face). The detailed distribution of student work time is as follows:
Student's work in classroom: 56 h
- Presentation of the Subject: 1 h
- Lectures classes: 33 h
- Seminars: 3 h
- Practices: 12 h
- Tutorial sessions in small groups: 3 h
- Exam and review: 4 h
Student's personal work: 94 h
- Individual study: 86 h
- Preparation of activities and/or tasks: 8 h
Attend all activities and ask questions that may arise during the development of these.
Continuous study based on the understanding of concepts.
Consult the recommended bibliography to enrich the contents treated during the development of the classes.
Use tutorials to resolve doubts or questions.
The teaching languages will be Spanish and Galician (some content/material in English).
A virtual classroom will be operational on the Moodle platform available to students and direct communication channels through MS-teams.
RELEVANT INFORMATION: It is recalled that all the explanations and material used in class or left in the USC virtual campus is subject to copyright, therefore its use outside this space will be considered fraudulent by not complying with the conditions of use of this classroom.
María Belén Gómez Pardo
Coordinador/a- Department
- Zoology, Genetics and Physical Anthropology
- Area
- Genetics
- Phone
- 982822428
- belen.gomez [at] usc.es
- Category
- Professor: University Lecturer
Maider Fernandez Santos
- Department
- Zoology, Genetics and Physical Anthropology
- Area
- Genetics
- maider.fernandez.santos [at] usc.es
- Category
- Xunta Pre-doctoral Contract
Maialen Carballeda Alvarez
- Department
- Zoology, Genetics and Physical Anthropology
- Area
- Genetics
- maialen.carballeda.alvarez [at] usc.es
- Category
- Ministry Pre-doctoral Contract
| Wednesday | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 09:00-10:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Spanish | 2P CLASSROOM 5 SECOND FLOOR |
| 12.17.2024 10:00-14:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | 2P CLASSROOM 2 SECOND FLOOR |
| 12.17.2024 10:00-14:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | 2P CLASSROOM 5 SECOND FLOOR |
| 06.12.2025 10:00-14:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | 2P CLASSROOM 2 SECOND FLOOR |
| 06.12.2025 10:00-14:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | 2P CLASSROOM 5 SECOND FLOOR |