Experimental Methods in Biomedicine and Good Laboratory Practice

Aim

The student will increase her/his understanding on the experimental methods leading to our current understanding in biomedicine for the treatment of metabolic, cardiorespiratory and infectious diseases and cancer. Focus will be placed on preclinical experimental methods and the need of standardized and validated procedures to yield robust and reproducible results that aim to pave the way for clinical studies.

After the completion of the course the student will be able to

• explain the underlying principles of many experimental methods used in biomedical laboratories and perform some of them practically
• interpret and critically evaluate primary scientific literature using such methods
• correctly document and store the outcome of experimental procedures using a Good Laboratory Practice framework and justify the need for validation and harmonization of pre-clinical studies.

Content

The course provides theoretical knowledge on the most common methods used in a biomedical laboratory, namely:

• Animal models and genetic manipulation (knockouts, CRISPR-Cas and saturated mutagenesis screens)
• Protein-based techniques: western-blot and ELISA
• Microscopy modalities with emphasis on fluorophores, real-time cell imaging, antibodies and molecular probes
• Cell culture, stem cells, lab-on-a-chip and flow cytometry
• DNA/RNA-based technologies including fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH), qRT-PCR and therapeutic modalities based on nucleic acids.
• Heterologous expression and electrophysiology
• Biorecognition and clinical applications
• Mass spectroscopy and drug discovery

Practical knowledge on a few selected methods will be obtained, namely: cell and bacterial culture, molecular cloning, western-blot, ELISA, immunocytochemistry and confocal microscopy.

Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and the need of validation in biomedical laboratories will be introduced and practiced in the context of the laboratory exercises.

Ethical elements of discussion on current dilemmas in biomedicine such as research on animal models or genetic engineering will also be addressed.