Prokaryotic cell biology

• Describe the mechanisms underlying the storage and controlled flow of genetic information in the prokaryotic cell.
• Describe the key regulatory points in transcriptional, post-transcriptional, translational and post translational control and provide examples of their exploitation by bacterial regulatory systems.
• Describe the mechanism behind selected bacterial regulatory networks controlling: metabolic processes, stress response, chemotactic behaviour, cell division, differentiation, intercellular communication and pathogenicity.
• Describe the general effects of regulatory mutations and changes in growth conditions on the transcriptome, proteome and metabolome of a bacterial cell.
• Suggest simple mathematical models and perform calculations based on data derived from biological systems.
• Read and extract the important information from original research articles.
• Analyze and interpret experimental results within prokaryotic cell biology and relate conclusions to known bacterial networks.
• Propose an experimental design for analysis of a scientific topic within cell biology.

Cell biology is the integration of molecular biology with biochemistry and physiology explaining how the living cell grows, divides and evolves. In agreement with this view, cell biology focuses on design, organization and regulation at the whole cell-level. Because the field is integrative, we will rely heavily on biochemical knowledge of enzymes and pathways, as well as on knowledge from molecular genetics, molecular biology and systems descriptions of regulatory networks. Cell biology provides much of the scientific basis behind systems biology.

Two recurrent motifs will be highlighted throughout the course:
• Understanding the interconnectedness of physiological, organizational and regulatory processes within the cell and
• Devising strategies to intervene in these complex processes to manipulate an organism for scientific, biotechnological or medical purposes.

27022/27026, Basic theoretical knowledge of biochemical pathways and enzyme kinetics, so the student can solve general and biotechnological problems.

Lectures and problem solving