12791 - Metabolic Analysis and Engineering Modulübersicht

Module Number: 12791
Module Title:Metabolic Analysis and Engineering
  Metabolische Analyse und Entwicklung
Department: Faculty 2 - Environment and Natural Sciences
Responsible Staff Member:
  • Prof. Dr. rer. nat. habil. Stahmann, Klaus-Peter
Language of Teaching / Examination:English
Duration:1 semester
Frequency of Offer: Every winter semester
Credits: 8
Learning Outcome:Lab Course

Provide the student with an understanding of metabolic pathways and networks, the roles of enzymes and their regulation. The student will learn to estimate the power of tools, e.g. growth of designed mutants disrupted in single genes, and will get experience with different analytical methods. Communication between the students is stimulated by dividing them into four TEAMs, each responsible for a different system. In the first and second week each TEAM can focus on its system understanding methods, theoretical background and the objective. In the following weeks each TEAM is supervising one of the other three TEAMs in the performance of the experiment. That means from the third week on each TEAM is involved in parallel in two experiments, one as supervisor and a second as trainee.

Seminar

Each students has to present the scientific question, the experimental approach, results and conclusions of a original paper which was publised by the host father recently.
Communication skills are trained by presention and discussion. The students introduce each other. They learn to ask questions and one of them has to summarize the main points of the discussion.
Contents:The module takes place as a 6 week block course. The seminar is a compulsory part of the module.

Each TEAM is supervised by a PhD student. This means that the subjects are adapted for each course to the current state of their scientific work. The following systems are examples:
  • System 1: Chemostatic cultivation as a tool to study regulation; a promotor::lacZ reporter strain of A.gossypii is cultivated; down-shifts in dilution rate stimulate reporter expression detectable via beta-galactosidase assay and riboflavin production; several online parameter are controlled, e.g. pH, and/or determined, e.g. CO2 in the exhaust via IR spectrometry;
  • System 2: Feeding studies in shaking flasks or on agar plates; the uptake of amino acids in a defined medium is monitored by HPLC; Auxotrophy of  S. cerevisiae mutants disrupted in GLY1, SHM1, SHM2 and/or AGX1 is studied on glucose or ethanol as sole carbon source plus/minus glycine;  
  • System 3: Kinetic studies on a Michaelis-Menten in comparison with an allosterically regulated enzyme; impact of ATP or AMP on NAD-dependent ICDH is compared with the NADP-dependent peroxisomal isoenzyme;
  • System 4: Transformation and genotype analysis; fungal cells are transformed with DNA via electroporation; replacement with a marker by homologous recombination is studied by locus specific PCR with genomic DNA;
Recommended Prerequisites:Three months lab experience; basic knowledge in microbiology, biochemistry, molecular biology.
Mandatory Prerequisites:
  • 12777 - Methods in Synthetic Microbiology
Forms of Teaching and Proportion:
  • Laboratory training / 7 Hours per Week per Semester
  • Seminar / 1 Hours per Week per Semester
  • Self organised studies / 120 Hours
Teaching Materials and Literature:The students receive original scientific literature for each experimental system e.g.
  • System 1: Microbiology 147: 3377-3386; Environmental Microbiology 3: 545-550
  • System 2: Yeast 21: 63-73
  • System 3: Journal of Molecular Catalysis 10: 335-343
  • System 4: Biochemical Journal 369: 263-273
Module Examination:Continuous Assessment (MCA)
Assessment Mode for Module Examination:Each TEAM (2 student) will take part in an oral presentation and discussion (15 min); furthermore a short manuscript about results of the experiments has to be submitted; presentation and quality of the manuscript will be scored each 50 % for the final mark.
Evaluation of Module Examination:Performance Verification – graded
Limited Number of Participants:8
Part of the Study Programme:
  • Master (applied) / Biotechnology / PO 2018
  • Master (applied) - Extended Semester / Biotechnology / PO 2018
Remarks:"Recommended Placement in the Study Plan"
  • Biotechnology (Master of Science, 3 Semester Version): Master 1st year course
  • Biotechnology (Master of Science, 4 Semester Version): Master 2nd year course
Module Components:
  • Lab Course "Metabolic Analysis and Engineering"
  • Seminar "Metabolic Analysis and Engineering"
Components to be offered in the Current Semester:
  • no assignment