Course: Between Genes and Healing credits: 5

You probably don't think about it every day, but at the molecular level, you are constantly falling apart. Fortunately, the damage is repaired as quickly as it occurs by all kinds of biological processes. But if one or more of these so-called metabolic processes become disrupted, not everything is repaired completely, or in the right way, anymore. In other words: you can get sick. The other way round is also possible. You can cure a disease with the right drugs (by intervening in that disrupted process). Or you can, for instance, adjust the bacterial and fungal growth in a young cheese so that it does not just spoil, but turns into a delicious blue cheese.  

Because bioinformaticians are often involved in this kind of research, in this module you will learn how the most important biological processes take place and what role they play within an organism.  

Whether you have mastered the material enough to apply it in practice is assessed on the basis of a study of a biological process that you carry out in a group. You will look in detail at a cell biological process, what the consequences of a disruption are on a cellular/biochemical level, and also how and why this disruption affects the entire organism. You will present your study to the rest of the class and lecturers.   

 You carry out your study largely during the working lectures in which lecturers are available to ask any questions and help you carry out the study.  

 To do your studies, you need to know a thing or two about cellular and molecular biology. The teaching material is offered in the form of working lectures, where exercises are also offered and discussed in groups. Although the lecturers will help you on your way during these contact moments, you will spend most of the time familiarising yourself with the material based on the literature provided. Of course, you can always ask the lecturers questions if something is unclear and the lecturers will check your understanding of the material by asking questions.