Course Title Molecular and Cell Biology Part I

Course No.BBP 151

Course titleMolecular and cell biology – Part I

Number of credits3 (1.5-1.5-0)

Number of lectures-tutorials (21-21)

Course coordinator(s)Dr. S. Ramakrishnan

Course outline

The objective of this course is to expose the students to the corpus of interdisciplinary knowledge that lies at the heart of modern biology. The approach will not only ensure the transmission of this knowledge, but also emphasize the creative thought processes, fortuitous discoveries and elegant experimental approaches that underlie the classic insights and discoveries in this field. After covering foundational material in Module 1, the student will be introduced to cell biology. Beginning with a general description of cell types and architecture, students will be familiarized with various techniques employed to study cells and subcellular organelles. A detailed coverage of microbial and phage genetics, eukaryotic cell organelles and their functioning will highlight the impact of molecular biology on the investigation of cells as well as biotechnological applications.

Evaluation procedure

2 minor tests30% each
1 major test (end semester)40%

Details of course content and allotted time

S.No / Topic / Allotted time
(hours)
L / T / P

Module 1

Introduction to Molecular Biology

1. / Historical background (Vital force theory, the scientific approach, classic experiments) / 1 / 1
2. / Physico-chemical approach to biology (Schrodinger's book, theory of the chemical bond, crystallography) / 1 / 1
3. / Biomolecules and replication(DNA, RNA, protein, background to their discovery and analysis, roles played in biology, replication machinery in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, problem of packaging genetic information). / 2 / 2
4. / Flow of genetic information (Central dogma, adaptor hypothesis, operon concept, transcription, translation) / 1 / 2
5. / Gene expression and control (Operon, cistron, polycistronic/monocistronic messages, transcriptional control, RNA processing, chromosomal histone modification, cell cycle) / 3 / 3
6. / Evolution (organismal,bacterial, molecular, Darwin to Oparin, Hardy-Weinberg law, analysis of evidence, C-value paradox in eukaryotes, cot value) / 1 / 1

Module 2

Cells and Biomolecules

1. / Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells- overview and comparisons / 1 / 1
2. / Techniques for the study of cell structure and function(Histology, staining, karyotyping, freeze fracture, microscopy, FISH, flow cytometry, patch clamp, live cell imaging, probing with toxins) / 3 / 2
3. / Microbial and phage genetics (Discovery of the genetic material, Classic experiments in microbial and phage genetics - phage lysogeny, restriction and modification, bacterial
conjugation, transformation, transduction) / 4 / 5
4. / Cell components (cell wall, membrane, nucleus, mitochondria, chloroplasts,lysosomes,vacuoles, cytoskeleton) / 2 / 1
5. / Protein sorting and secretion, biotechnological considerations (Golgi and ER, targeting of proteins, use of principles in high-expression systems) / 2 / 2

Total

/ 21 / 21

The course has been reviewed and commented on by the following experts.

Dr. J.S. Virdi, University of Delhi.

Dr. G.C. Srivastava, IARI

Dr. Prem P. Jauhar, USDA

Suggested readings

1. Lodish, H.F., Berk, A., Kaiser, C.A., Krieger, M., Scott, M.P., Bretscher, A., Ploegh, H., and Matsudaira, P.T. (2007). Molecular Cell Biology. 6th ed. W.H.Freeman and Co.

2.Watson, J.D., Baker, T.A., Bell, S.P., Gann, A., Levine, M., and Losick, R. (2007). Molecular Biology of the Gene. 6th ed. Benjamin Cummins.

3.Keeling and Doolittle (1995). Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 92:5761-5764

4.Messelson and Stahl (1958). Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 44:671-682

5.Watson and Crick (1953). Nature 3(171):737-738.

6.Crick (1970). Nature 227:561-563.

7.Benzer (1959). Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 45:1607-1620.

8.Beadle and Tatum (1941). Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 27:499-506.