Oral Biology 579 2007

 

Lecture

Date

Topics

1

June 26

Course Introduction. Brief History of molecular biology and recombinant DNA.

Basic Concepts I: The central dogma of molecular biology (DNA-RNA-protein). Transcription and translation. Exons, introns, and gene splicing.

2

June 28

Basic Concepts II: The genetic code, chromosome structure, pseudogenes.  Control of gene expression and transcription factors.

3

July 3

Recombinant DNA Technology I.  The basic elements of DNA cloning: plasmids and restriction enzymes.  Use of restriction enzymes in molecular biology and genetics.  Some methods of DNA and RNA analysis (agarose gel electrophoresis, Southern, Northern, and Western blotting).

4

July 5

Recombinant DNA Technology II.  The Polymerase Chain Reaction: principles and applications, including screening for genetic diseases, DNA fingerprinting, DNA sequencing, and Q-PCR (Dr. Sun Chung)

5

July 10

Recombinant DNA Technology III.  Other methods to examine gene expression.  Functional Genomics (techniques that can be used to determine the function of genes).  Gene expression profiling (microarrays) and applications.  The use of bioinformatics (computing programs) to analyze DNA and protein sequences.

6

July 12

The Human Genome Project, and other genome projects (oral microorganisms). Use of molecular approaches to study human diseases, including oral cancer.    

7

July 17

Genetic variation (genetic polymorphism) and relationship to disease susceptibility and risk. Examples from medicine and oral health research, including periodontal disease.

8

July 19

Oral/Epithelial Diseases I.  Genetic and acquired (autoimmune) diseases involving cytoskeletal elements, predominantly keratin and cell adhesion (desmosomal) proteins.

Mild term test handed out (based on material in Lectures 1-8).

9

July 24

Oral/Epithelial Diseases II.  Genetic diseases involving regulatory proteins involved in development and differentiation of oral tissues.  Examples will include diseases involving both transcription factors and proteolytic enzymes. 

10

July 26

Genetic aspects and pathobiology of periodontitis I (Dr. Frank Roberts).  Mid term test due.     

11

July 31

Genetic aspects and pathobiology of periodontitis II (Dr. Roberts)

 

August 2

No Class

 

August 7

Review session (mid term papers handed back)

 

August 9

Final Exam (90 minutes)