Molecular Genetics and Epigenetics

Aim

Knowledge and understanding On completion of the course, the student shall be able to:

• Explain how genetic information is structured, inherited, expressed and regulated in eukaryotes
• Describe what epigenetics is and its role in gene transcription
• Describe the mechanisms that contribute to genetic variation in humans and explain the relationship between genetic variation and complex diseases
• Explain the theoretical background to modern methods in molecular genetics
• Describe the basic ethical problems arising from the medical application of genetics

Skills and abilities On completion of the course, the student shall be able to:

• Use and analyse results of modern molecular genetic techniques
• Identify an adequate analytical method to apply in relevant biomedical questions
• Critically assess scientific articles within the field of genetics from a scientific perspective

Judgement ability and approach On completion of the course, the student shall be able to:

• Demonstrate a critical approach to seeking relevant information in the field of medical molecular genetics
• Evaluate the advantages, disadvantages and ethical problems that arise in connection with the use of genetic information and molecular genetic engineering in healthcare

Content

The course involves the study of basic medical genetics. The course focuses on molecular genetics, including the structure and function of the human genome, transcriptional regulation and epigenetics. This molecular knowledge will be applied in order to understand the genetics of simple and complex diseases, the role of genetics in modern healthcare and ethical issues arising from its use in diagnostics and care. In addition, molecular genetic techniques that can be used in research and medical applications are introduced. The course covers medical genetics, molecular biology and epigenetics, with links to pathology and medical ethics.