Integrated Laboratory Class 4
Code: 100883Credits: 3
| Degree programme | Type | Course |
|---|---|---|
| Biochemistry | OB | 2 |
Contact lecturer
- Name :
- Alicia Roque Cordova
- Email :
- alicia.roque@uab.cat
Teaching staff
- Mercè Giralt Carbonell
- Ugutz Unzueta Elorza
- María Rosario Fernandez Gallegos
- Martin Hugo Pereira
Group languages
You can consult this information at the end of the document.
Prerequisites
It is compulsory to be attending simultaneously or have taken the theory subjects corresponding to the contents of the practices of the subject, which are taught during the same semester.
Students are advised to review the specific theoretical contents on which this subject is based.
In order to be able to attend the practices, the student must justify having passed the biosafety and laboratory security tests. The tests are answered in the corresponding space of the Virtual Campus and the information to be consulted is in the area of communication of the Degree in Biochemistry. The student must acknowledge and accept the rules of operation of the laboratories of the Faculty of Biosciences.
Objectives
The subject "Laboratori integrat 4" is part of a set of practical subjects, which are distributed throughout the first six semesters of the Degree in Biochemistry. The objective of these subjects is the training and acquisition of practical skills by the students. The complexity of the contents increase gradually, associated to the needs of the subjects of the semester and to the acquisition of new theoretical knowledge.
During the subject "Laboratori integrat 4" the student acquires practical skills in the following subjects:
- Virology
- Animal Physiology
- Molecular Biology
- Biocatalysis
- Scientific documentation
The laboratory sessions focus on learning specific and basic techniques in each field, as well as on the development of the necessary competences for laboratory work.
Learning outcomes
- CM22 (Clearly and concisely describe experimental results in the field of biochemistry, considering options for improvement.) Clearly and concisely describe experimental results in the field of biochemistry, considering options for improvement.
- CM23 (Work as a team when performing experiments and analysing their results.) Work as a team when performing experiments and analysing their results.
- CM24 (Understand disposal methods for the different types of waste generated in a biochemistry or molecular biology laboratory.) Understand disposal methods for the different types of waste generated in a biochemistry or molecular biology laboratory.
- KM26 (Identify cell systems useful for experimentation in biochemistry and molecular biology.) Identify cell systems useful for experimentation in biochemistry and molecular biology.
- KM27 (Describe the theoretical foundations and instrumentation used in basic and advanced biochemistry.) Describe the theoretical foundations and instrumentation used in basic and advanced biochemistry.
- SM25 (Use digital resources to search for information, study biomolecules and calculate key parameters.) Use digital resources to search for information, study biomolecules and calculate key parameters.
- SM26 (Interpret experimental results obtained using the main techniques of biochemistry.) Interpret experimental results obtained using the main techniques of biochemistry.
- SM27 (Apply the techniques and methods for addressing cell culture techniques, classical genetics, immunological detection, recombinant DNA, separation, purification and analysis of biomolecules in the biochemical field.) Apply the techniques and methods for addressing cell culture techniques, classical genetics, immunological detection, recombinant DNA, separation, purification and analysis of biomolecules in the biochemical field.
Contents
Laboratory integrat 4 is divided in 5 different modules:
Virology
The Virology module is organized into 4 sessions of 3 hours, the contents of which are detailed below:
1.-Preparation of viral lysates from liquid crops: infection and amplification.
2.-Quantification of viral lysates.
3.-Detection of viruses in wastewater.
4.-Viral neutralization with antibodies.
5.-Observation of viruses by electronic transmission microscopy.
Animal Physiology
3 sessions of 4 hours
1.- Cardiovascular adaptations to exercise
Measures of the heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure and hemoglobin saturation in the following situations: rest, after exercise and 5 minutes of recovery.
2.- Obtaining and studying the electrocardiogram (ECG)
3.- Anatomy-physiology of the mouse: males and females
4.- The potential for nerve action. Simulation using the labAxon program
Molecular Biology
3 sessions of 4 hours
1.- Nuclei isolation from rat liver by differential centrifugation.
2.- Chromatin preparation by digestion with micrococcal nuclease (MNase)
3- Analysis of chromatin digested with (MNase). Purification of the DNA fragments and observation of the digestion pattern by agarose electrophoresis.
4.- Purification of plasmid DNA. Relaxation of the super-coiled form by topoisomerases. Electrophoretic analysis.
5.- Spectrophotometric analysis of double stranded DNA.
6.- Epigenetic analysis of chromatin regions byquantitative PCR (qPCR).
Biocatalysis
3 sessions of 4 hours
1. Determination of Bdh1p enzyme activity in yeast extracts overexpressing this enzyme.
2- Determination of the kinetic parameters by the enzyme Bdh1p against different substrates.
3- Separation of substrates and products of the reaction mixtures by extraction with ethyl acetate. Characterization of the substrates and products of the Bdh1p reaction by separating them in a chiral column placed in a gas chromatograph.
4- Bioinformatics determination of the kinetic parameters of Bdh1p and analysis of different inhibition patterns of other enzymes with the GraFit 5 program.
5- Introduction to the PyMOL program for the visualization and analysis of protein structures.
Scientific Documentation
2 sessions of 2 hours
1.- Techniques for searching and retrieving bibliographic information, in specialized databases, of controlled indexing: PubMed, Biological Sciences, SciFinder.
2.- Techniques for searching and retrieving bibliographic information in free indexing databases: Scopus, Web of Science.
Learning activities and methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Practical sessions | 4 | 0.16 | SM25 |
| Laboratory sessions | 50 | 2 | CM23, CM24, KM26, SM27 |
| Tutoring | 3 | 0.12 | CM22, KM26, KM27, SM26 |
| Laboratory reports | 7 | 0.28 | CM22, CM23, KM26, KM27, SM25, SM26 |
| Study | 5 | 0.2 | CM22, SM25, SM26 |
The subject will be taught in small groups of students in the laboratory or in the computer room.
Students will have a Laboratory Manual for each module before the start of the practical sessions and, when appropriate, a questionnaire. The documents will be available on the Moodle classroom.
In order to be able to attend the laboratory sessions, the student must justify having passed the Biosafety and Laboratory Safety tests. The student must be knowledgeable of the rules of operation of the laboratories of the Faculty of Biosciences and accept them.
For each laboratory session is mandatory that the student brings: his own lab coat, lab glasses and the Laboratory Manual. They also have to bring a notebook to write down the results or observations and a permanent marker.
In the laboratory sessions the students will work in pairs, under the supervision of the professor. At the beginning of each session, the teacher will make a brief theoretical explanation of the content of the practice and the experiments to be carried out by the students.
In order to achieve a good performance and acquire the competencies corresponding to this subject, it is essential that the student perform a full reading of the Laboratory Manual, familiarizing with the experiments that will be carried out in each session as well as with the methodology that will be applied in each case.
In order to be able to acquire the specific competences of the subject, attendance to the laboratory sessions is mandatory. In the event that a student for a justified and unpredictable cause is not able to attend to a laboratory session, he / she must notify the professor responsible for the subject and submit the corresponding justification as soon as possible. Health problems are deemed justified (the corresponding medical justification must be attached) or serious personal problems.
Assessment
Continuous assessment activities
| Title | Weight | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written tests (Virology, Animal Physiology and Scientific Documentation) | 47.5% | 3 | 0.12 | CM22, KM26, KM27, SM26 |
| Laboratory reports | 39.5% | 3 | 0.12 | CM22, CM23, SM25, SM26 |
| Performance in the laboratory | 13% | 0 | 0 | CM23, CM24, KM26, SM27 |
General considerations:
Attendance at the laboratory/bioinformatics sessions is mandatory. The students will obtain the \"Non-Evaluable\" qualification when the absence exceeds 20% of the programmed sessions.
Students who do not obtain the required minimum qualification, higher or equal to 5.0 in each module, will not approve the subject. In this case, the final maximum grade of the subject will be 4.
In the case of not passing the subject, the students, during the second enrollment, will only have to pass those specific modules that have not been approved. This exemption will be maintained for a period of two additional enrollments.
Virology (23%)
The evaluation of the virology module will be carried out in the following way:
Individual assessment of the contents (70% of the final grade): an individual written test will be held on the last day of the practical sessions, consisting of multiple-choice questions with four possible answers.
Group work evaluation (30% of the final grade): students will be assessed based on their attitude in the lab, punctuality, and whether they bring the appropriate materials for the practical work. In addition, the teacher will evaluate the performance of each lab pair by monitoring their experimental results throughout the week.
In order to pass this module, a mark of 5 or higher will be required in the two assessment activities.
Students who do not pass the assessments will be able to recover them, in a single written test on the scheduled date.
Animal Physiology (23%)
The evaluation of the practices of this module will consist on a single individual written exam, which will be carried out after all practices have ended. Students who do not pass this exam will be able to sit a retake test, which will take place on the same day and at the same time as the retake exam for the theoretical subject of Animal Physiology.
Molecular Biology (23%)
The student's attitude inthe laboratory will be evaluated, punctuality, wearing the appropriate material such as a lab coat, goggles and laboratory guides, previously worked at home by the student, as well as his performance in the laboratory. The assessment of the attitude will account for 25% of the module's grade, and the evaluation of a questionnaire will account for the remaining 75% of the module's grade.
Biocatalysis (23%)
The student's attitude in the laboratory will be evaluated, punctuality, wearing the appropriate material such as lab coat, goggles and laboratory guides, previously worked at home by the student, as well as his performance in the laboratory. The assessment of the attitude will account for 25% of the module's grade, and the evaluation of a questionnaire will account for the remaining 75% of the module's grade.
Scientific Documentation (8%)
The evaluation contemplates the following aspects:
- Individual test (75%): it will take place on the date set by the Faculty. It may include test-type and/or short-answer questions related to the theoretical and practical content covered in the module.
- Follow-up (25%): includes attendance at classes, as well as the completion and delivery according to the set deadline of the practical activities proposed in each session. Non-compliance by the students will be penalized with 1 point within the qualification of this concept.
Single assessment.
For those students who take the single assessment is compulsory to do the laboratory practices (PLAB) in the scheduled sessions with the rest of the group.
The single assessment consists of a single synthesis test with questions from all the integrated laboratory modules on the day scheduled in the academic calendar. The grade obtained in the synthesis test is 72% of the final grade of the subject. The attitude during the practices and attendance willbe the remaining 28%.
The same retake system will be applied as for the continuous assessment.
Use of AI.
For this course, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is permitted exclusively for support tasks, such as literature searches or information gathering, text editing, or translations and other specific situations where deemed appropriate. Students must clearly identify which parts have been generated using this technology, specify the tools used, and include a critical reflection on how they influenced the process and the result of the activity. Lack of transparency in the use of AI in this gradable activity will be considered a breach of academic honesty and may result in a partial or total grade penalty for the activity, or major sanctions in severe cases.
Irregularities in the assessment.
Any irregularity in an assessment activity (academic fraud, plagiarism, or unauthorized use of AI, unless such use is explicitly permitted in the course syllabus) that may lead to a significant alteration of the grade will result in a mark of 0 for that assessment. If the course syllabus establishes a minimum grade in that assessment as a mandatory requirement to pass the course, or if multiple irregularities are committed in assessment activities for the same course, the final grade for the course will be 0. In addition, disciplinary proceedings may be initiated against any student involved in such irregularities.
Bibliography
Specific bibliography can be found in the syllabus of the corresponding theory subject.
Software
The following software is used in this laboratory:
- GraFit 5 for the determination of enzyme kinetic parameters
- PyMol for visualization and analysis of protein structures
Course groups and languages
The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE
| Type of teaching | Group | Language | Semester | Shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (PLAB) Practical laboratories | 321 | Catalan | second semester | morning-mixed |
| (PLABs) Suport a les pràctiques de laboratori | 321 | Catalan | second semester | morning-mixed |
| (PLAB) Practical laboratories | 322 | Catalan | second semester | morning-mixed |
| (PLABs) Suport a les pràctiques de laboratori | 322 | Catalan | second semester | morning-mixed |
| (PLAB) Practical laboratories | 323 | Catalan | second semester | morning-mixed |
| (PLABs) Suport a les pràctiques de laboratori | 323 | Catalan | second semester | morning-mixed |