Multidisciplinary Research Essay (MRE, optional) –

This optional at-home assignment will be in common with the courses of Advanced Cell Biology and Biotechnology, Cell Physiology, Oncology & Molecular Pathology and Virology, and will refer to methodologies and technical approaches relevant to at least three courses.

The essay (up to 2000 characters + figures, tables and references) will be prepared by groups of normally three students (deadline to up-load the file: January 9^th 2018)   and orally presented for discussion with Teachers at the end of courses (January 16^th 2018).

The optional Multidisciplinary Research Essay will give rise to additional points to the final grade of final exam of each of the three courses, provided this will be passed in the first exam session (January-February 2018). Correspondence between vote to the Multidisciplinary Research Essay and additional points for final exams is as follows: 22-23, 0.5 points; 24-25, 1 points; 26-27, 1.5 points; 28-30, 2 points.   

MRE Assignment:

Select one of the following tasks and prepare MRE according to the above instructions.

 Task 1: You want to get insights into the function(s) of a protein (choose one of the following: an ion channel, an ion channel-associated protein, a tyrosine kinase receptor) in an in vitro system consisting of primary keratinocytes. Design and discuss the experimental plan for overexpression of the protein, for validation of the selected overexpressing tool, and for molecular and biological assessment of the effects of overexpression. 

 Task 2: You want to define the importance of a signal transduction pathway (choose one of the following: MAPK, NF-kB, AKT) in a biological response of cultures of primary endothelial cells (choose one of the following: proliferation, inflammation, apotosis). Design and discuss the experimental plan for selective inhibition of a critical step in the signal transduction pathway, for validation of the inhibitory construct, and for characterization of the molecular and biological effects of inhibition.

 Task 3: You want to study the role(s) in vivo of a protein by means of an appropriate animal model. Design and discuss the experimental plan.