As the current extinction rate in nature exceeds the “natural” rate considerably, it is important that students in whole organism biology are aware of the reasons for this, as well as of the tools to conserve and manage natural populations.

The principal aims are:

· To equip students with a fundamental understanding of the link between population processes (that govern its size) and conservation and management problems

· To provide advanced knowledge of basic population processes as well as tools available for population management and conservation

· To foster appreciation to the complexity of details in real life conservation and management problems as well as to the underlying similarities and common themes in population management across taxa

Intended learning outcomes:

After the course students should be able to:

· Demonstrate understanding of the threats to populations in nature

· Demonstrate understanding of basic population processes underlying changes in population size

· Demonstrate how different population management tools (such as population viability analysis) and approaches (such as experimenting and modelling) can be used to solve real problems

Format: 33 hours of lectures, an 8 hour field trip

Entry Requirements: As for other Zoology Honours options

Restriction on numbers: None

Bioethics

Organisers: Dr B Cogdell, NABS, ext. 0992; email; B.Cogdell@bio.gla.ac.uk and Miss C Growney, NABS, ext. 0276, email; C.Growney@bio.gla.ac.uk

Staff: Professor JR Downie, EEB, ext. 5157; email J.R.Downie@bio.gla.ac.uk and Dr MF Tatner, I&I, ext. 6246; email M.Tatner@bio.gla.ac.uk

Content: This course should be of interest to any IBLS student who wants to discuss in more depth the ethical issues related to the biosciences. In Level 1-3 we have provided a general introduction to the ethical issues of science as a profession: plagiarism, falsification; we have also provided some discussion of issues where individuals may differ strongly in their views, such as human cloning and genetic modification of organisms.

In this advanced course, we look in some depth at a range of ethical theories, and how they may help us to decide our views over controversial issues. We also take the coverage of professional ethics further into such topics as intellectual property and the need for a professional code of conduct in science. In the coverage of ethical issues in the biosciences, there is an opportunity for students to follow their particular interests e.g. animal welfare for zoologists, drug-enhanced human performance for sports scientists etc.

The course is taught by means of lectures, discussions, debates and student presentations.

Topics will include:

· Ethical theories; sensitivity and decision-making

· Research ethics: laws, codes of practice

· Ethics of research on human beings, animals and the environment

· The reproduction revolution

· Stems cells and cloning

· Genetically modified organisms

· Genetic and chemical enhancement of human performance

· Euthanasia

· Eugenics

· Environmental ethics

· Intellectual property and patenting

Entry Requirements: None

Restriction on numbers: 30

Business and the Biosciences

Organisers: Dr MF Tatner, I&I, ext. 6246; email M.Tatner@ bio.gla.ac.uk and Miss Anne Tierney, UGS, ext. 8480; email A.Tierney@bio.gla.ac.uk

Content: Business and the Biosciences sets out to give bioscience students experience in Business and Enterprise, with a bioscience flavour. It will also be of interest to those students who want to gain some general business experience. It is compulsory for students undertaking a commercial project, but is open to Level 4 students from any discipline in IBLS. The course will be delivered in an intensive form over the two weeks prior to the start of Block A i.e. weeks 0 and 1 of semester 1. The option will be taught by academic staff and industry experts via lectures, case studies and practical exercises. Teamwork will be heavily emphasised. By the end of the course students will be able to create and develop a business plan, carry out a marketing analysis of a product and understand product licensing legislation as it applies to biological products. Students will also be able to visit a biotech company to see how a product is put into production.

Assessment is by project work and examination.

Special notes: Students can take this course as an A, B, C or D option choice but the course is run only once. In session 2007-08, the option will run in Weeks 0 and 1. This course is compulsory for all Level 4 students undertaking a commercial project.

Entry requirements: Any Level-3 Biological Sciences course.

Restriction on numbers: 40

Cardiovascular Pharmacology and Therapeutics

Organiser: Dr Simon Kennedy, NBS, ext. 4763, email s.kennedy@bio.gla.ac.uk

Deputy: Dr Francis Burton, NBS, ext 6598, e-mail F.L.Burton@bio.gla.ac.uk

Content: Cardiovascular disease is the biggest killer in the Western world and so, in addition to modifying our lifestyles, better drugs are needed as both treatments and prophylactic agents. Basic science research into cardiovascular diseases can help us to understand the factors which influence disease initiation and progression. It can also identify targets at which drugs may be effective. This option will introduce students to topical research areas in the cardiovascular system and what the future might hold for advances in cardiovascular drug therapy. A brief outline of the main topics is as follows:

Atherosclerosis:

Atherosclerosis is primarily an inflammatory disease of the conduit blood vessels which leads to build-up of lipid in the artery wall with reductions in blood flow to major organs such as the heart, brain and peripheral tissues. Sudden blockage of affected blood vessel due to plaque rupture and thrombus formation is a real risk. This session will study the risk factors which contribute to atherosclerosis, how we can treat or slow disease progression using drugs and how the endothelium, which lines the blood vessels may be critical in determining how vulnerable a plaque is to rupture.

PAR2 Receptors:

PAR receptors are activated by proteolytic cleavage of the extracellular N-terminal portion of the receptor by thrombin, trypsin and some clotting factors. They may be particularly important in pathological conditions affecting the cardiovascular system. This session will present research findings which implicate PAR2 in determining the outcome following injury to blood vessels and how this may be mediated. We will also look at how PAR2 may exert beneficial effects in protecting the heart from ischaemic damage.

Protecting the Vascular System:

It is widely accepted that exercise is beneficial to the vascular system. This session will attempt to explain the mechanisms behind this beneficial effect. In the second session, the focus will be on nitric oxide. Nitric oxide produced by the vascular endothelium has a hugely important role in maintaining the integrity of the vascular system and here its effect in health and disease will be studied.

Protecting the Heart:

Under circumstances of increased load on the heart (eg Hypertension), the mass of cardiac tissue increases and remodels to cope with the excessive load. This session will study the differences between normal and remodelled cardiac tissue, particularly with respect to ion channel function. The second session will examine the evidence that endogenously produced cannabis-like substances may protect the heart in the event of ischaemia- ie during a heart attack.

Cardiac Arrythmias and Drug Therapy:

Many different cardiac arrythmias have been identified from relatively minor (ventricular ectopic beats and atrial fibrillation) to terminal events (ventricular fibrillation). Unfortunately, many of the drugs used to treat arrythmias are either not particularly effective or have serious side effect, including, paradoxically, induction of arrythmias. These two sessions will focus on both what causes arrythmias within cardiac tissue, as well as current therapies and possible future advances in drug therapy.

Entry requirements: Level-3 Degree Group C courses

Restriction on numbers: 30

Cell Physiology of Exercise

Organiser: Dr Ole Kemi, NBS, ext. 5962, email o.kemi@bio.gla.ac.uk

Content: Bridging the gap between physiology and sports science on the one hand and basic cell physiology and molecular biology on the other is important for understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms that explain exercise-induced changes in the whole organism and organ systems, in both health and disease. An understanding of such mechanistic phenomena is vital to further extend our understanding of how and why exercise is beneficial, to whom it is beneficial, and in which ways regular exercise may be used therapeutically to ameliorate dysfunction caused by disease, as well as prevention to reduce the incidence of disease, especially regarding the pulmonary, cardiovascular, skeletal muscle, and metabolic systems.

A brief outline of the content of the sessions is provided below:

Introduction to cell physiology and molecular biology and how they link to exercise and the study of exercise.

Exercise-induced regulation of genes and proteins. Study of acute and chronic cell regulatory mechanisms that enable adaptation in the body to exercise.

An introduction of how to study exercise cell physiology, by the use of experimental techniques and models such as animals and cells/cell lines, and various methods for the study of genes and gene regulation, proteins, enzyme kinetics, ion transport, and cell function.

Pulmonary cell physiology and exercise; bronchial and alveolar epithelial cell.

Cardiac cell physiology and exercise; hypertrophy and contractile function.

Vascular cell physiology and exercise; endothelium-dependent and independent vasoregulation.

Skeletal muscle cell physiology and exercise; hypertrophy, neural activation, and contractile function.

Cell metabolism during and after exercise, and how exercise affects metabolism and metabolic pathways.

Exercise and cell physiology for healthy individuals, unhealthy individuals, and in patients with chronic disease.

During the course of the option, students will also read, present and discuss research papers on given topics pertinent to the theme of this option.

Entry requirements: Level-3 Degree Group C courses

Restriction on numbers: 30

Cell Signalling and Disease

Organiser: Dr Tim Palmer, BMB, ext. 4626, email: T.Palmer@bio.gla.ac.uk

Content: The ability of a cell to produce a co-ordinated response to continual changes in extracellular cues (e.g. hormones, neurotransmitters and environmental stress) is critical for maintaining normal function. Consequently, defective regulation of key signalling proteins is an important feature of many diseases. Advances in cellular and molecular biology, coupled with information from genome sequencing projects, is now shedding new light on the molecular basis of cell signalling events. This course will cover the various molecular mechanisms responsible for translating extracellular signals into intracellular responses, how they are integrated and regulated, and how defective regulation leads to disease.

Specific aspects of the course will describe:

· Structure and molecular nature of G-protein-coupled receptors

· Generation and removal of intracellular second messengers

· “Crosstalk” as a mechanism for co-ordinating the activation of multiple signalling pathways.

· Identification of dysfunctional signalling cascades associated with disease, and the opportunities these provide for design of new therapeutic strategies.

Entry requirements: None

Restriction on numbers: None

Chemotherapy, Resistance and Parasite Control

Organiser: Dr Mike Barrett, I&I, ext. 6904, email m.barrett@bio.gla.ac.uk

Deputy: Dr L Ranford-Cartwright, I&I, ext. 2639, email L.C.Ranford-Cartwright@bio.gla.ac.uk

Aims: The main aim of this option is to provide an overview on how parasitic infections are and could be controlled, with an emphasis on chemotherapy but also covering vaccines and vector control.

Intended Learning Outcomes: By the end you should have a good knowledge of how drugs work against parasites, the main aspects of antiparasite drug discovery and potential drug targets, how parasites have become resistant to chemotherapy, and other control methods that are used to control parasitic infections.

In addition, you should be more able to:

· interpret experimental data

· explain biochemical methods and their applications in parasitology

· gather relevant information from the scientific literature

· organise your time so that you use it optimally

· produce work to deadlines

· present your ideas clearly and concisely both orally and in writing

· work effectively as part of a team

Provisional Timetable:

There will be 15 sessions of 2 hours, including lectures, student analyses such as paper presentations, and data analysis.

· Antiparasite drug discovery: target identification and validation.

· Designing drugs

· Drug targets: Proteases and amino acid metabolism

· Drug targets: Purine, pyrimidine and folate metabolism

· Drug targets: Transporters

· Drug targets: Polyamine metabolism

· Drug targets: Thiol redox metabolism

· Drug targets: Lipids

· Drug resistance mechanisms

· Antimalarial chemotherapy treatment failure

· Vector control for malaria

· Vector control for the trypanosomiases

· Control of helminths

· Antiparasite vaccines 1

· Antiparasite vaccines 2

Entry Requirements: None

Restriction on numbers: 30

Comparative Immunology

Organiser: Dr MF Tatner, I&I, ext. 6246, email M.Tatner@bio.gla.ac.uk

Deputy: Dr R Aitken, I&I, ext. 6659, email: R.Aitken@bio.gla.ac.uk

Content: This course traces the evolution of the vertebrate immune system by an examination of the defence systems in invertebrates and lower vertebrates. The immune systems of the major groups of animals will be considered in the context of their overall morphology, physiology and life styles and how evolutionary changes in these have impacted on the evolution of immune systems. The evolution of specific features such as the thymus and MHC will be examined in detail. The applied uses of comparative immunology will also be considered, in particular, vaccine development for use in aquaculture and antimicrobial compounds from invertebrates.

Topics will include: the morphological and functional characteristics of the defence systems in plants, invertebrates, fish, amphibians, reptiles and mammals; the evolutionary emergence of a distinct thymus, lymphocyte heterogeneity, immune memory and germinal centres, different Ig classes, the MHC and their immunological consequences; and the immune consequences of the emergence onto land, metamorphosis, ectothermy vs. endothermy, different methods of reproduction and the passive transfer of immunity.

Varied teaching methods will be employed: lectures, student research and presentation of key topics, and discussions. It is hoped to include visiting guest experts in some sessions.

Entry Requirements: Level-2 Infection & Immunity

Restriction on numbers: None

Factors Affecting Physical Performance

Organiser: Dr RH Baxendale, NBS, ext 5344, email R.Baxendale@bio.gla.ac.uk

Teaching Staff: Dr RH Baxendale, Miss V Penpraze, Dr N McFarlane, Dr A Cathcart, Mr N Scobie.

Aims: To introduce students to the laboratory measurement of physical characteristics which determine sporting performance

At the end of the option the students will be able to:

· Discuss the ethical and safety considerations relevant to the conduct to tests conducted on human volunteers.

· Perform tests of skeletal muscle function in the upper and lower limbs

· Perform tests of aerobic fitness

· Make anthropometric measurements and calculate total body fat content, muscle mass etc..

· Tabulate their own laboratory data and compare it with the published reference banks.

· Discuss the various strengths and weaknesses of the measurement techniques used.

· Relate the physical characteristics measured to the physical demands of a range of sports events

Entry Requirements:. Only open to students within Degree Group C

Restriction on numbers: 16

Fisheries and Aquaculture

Organiser: Professor RW Furness, EEB, ext. 3560, email R.Furness@bio.gla.ac.uk

Fisheries

· Fishing methods and world fisheries

· Stock definition and assessment

· Maximum sustainable yield

· Multispecies modelling

· Processes of recruitment

· Interactions between fish stocks, fisheries and natural predators

Aquaculture

· Energetics of aquaculture — poikilothermy v homeothermy

· Polyculture and low input systems

· Managed ecosystem polyculture

· High input systems

· Shellfish aquaculture

· Environmental stress factors and physiological effects

· Nutritional principles

· Behaviour of farmed fish

· Welfare of farmed fish

· Environmental impact

Parts of the course will be taught in collaboration with members of the Institute of Aquaculture, Stirling and staff of various fish farms. Students taking this option will be expected to participate in visits to fish farms at various sites in west Scotland.

Entry Requirements: None

Restriction on numbers: None

Human Molecular Genetics

Organiser: Dr MES Bailey, Room 517 Anderson College, MG, ext 5994, email M.Bailey@bio.gla.ac.uk

Deputy: Professor DG Monckton, Room 516 Anderson College, MG, ext 6213, email D.Monckton@bio.gla.ac.uk

Staff involved: Dr D. Monckton, Dr D. Wilcox, Dr M. Bailey, Dr R. Sutcliffe, Dr J. Gray. The teaching staff include members of the FBLS Division of Molecular Genetics, whose research interests include the genetics of disorders of muscle and brain, and members of the Dept. of Medical Genetics at Yorkhill, which is responsible for the delivery of a Medical Genetics service to the West of Scotland (population 3 million) and for teaching medical students.

Content: The option is based around a scenario and learning will be based on a mixture of lectures, discussions, presentations, exercises and student-directed activities. Students will be exposed to examples of cutting-edge approaches in modern molecular genetics and post-genome science, including some from Glasgow Staff.

The topics covered will include:

· the role of Medical Genetics departments and diagnosis of genetic disorders

· human pedigree analysis and modes of inheritance, ‘risk’ in genetics

· locating disease genes — markers, genotypes and the essentials of genetic mapping — linkage analysis

· multifactorial inheritance and complex disorders and traits, genetic ‘predisposition’

· identifying disease genes — the human genome project, physical mapping of chromosomes, DNA sequence databases, DNA sequence analysis, gene identification and prediction, methods for detecting genetic mutations

· types of DNA mutation and their causes

· genotype to phenotype — how does a particular mutation cause a particular disorder, why do symptoms often vary from patient to patient? How can the effects of mutations be studied in animal models of human disease

· molecular methods for identifying humans and human relationships — genetic fingerprinting

· case studies of human genetic disorders

· ethical issues — when is genetic testing or screening appropriate? what are the implications of knowing the complete human DNA sequence?

The teaching material will contain some examples from real cases; in these instances, the individuals concerned have consented to the material being used for teaching purposes. Should a student recognise any of the individuals concerned he/she must keep this information private.

Entry Requirements: Because of the level of background knowledge expected, this option is primarily suitable for students from Genetics and Molecular & Cellular Biology courses. Students from other courses may be accepted, but should discuss this choice with the Option Organiser and their Level-4 Course Co-ordinator.

Restriction on numbers: 30

Investigating Biological Function In Vivo

Organisers: Dr JD Morrison, NBS, ext. 4073, email: jdm1u@udcf.gla.ac.uk

Deputy: Dr M Lucas, NABS, ext.4494, email: M.Lucas@bio.gla.ac.uk

Current principal topics are:

· Induction and maintenance of general anaesthesia.

· Fundamental surgical techniques.

· Data analysis and interpretation from in vivo studies.

The option consists of practical sessions for which full laboratory reports will be required. The practical sessions consist of five full day sessions as notified. The option is sponsored by the British Pharmacological Society in collaboration with the Pharmaceutical Industry.

Entry Requirements: The option builds upon parts of Level-2 courses: Human Physiology, Neuroscience & Behaviour and Drugs & Disease. It requires knowledge of the Integrated Human Course and Common Central Nervous System courses in Level-3 Degree Group C courses (Anatomy, Neuroscience, Pharmacology, and Physiology).

Restriction on numbers: 12

Marine Microbiology

Organiser: Dr RL Davies, I&I, ext.6685; email R.L.Davies@bio.gla.ac.uk

Deputy: Dr F Hannah (UMBS, Honorary Lecturer at Glasgow University)

Microorganisms play a fundamental role in the sea, with microscopic algae carrying out much of the primary production, bacteria carrying out essential decomposition and recycling functions in the water column and marine sediments, and both providing an important part of the marine food chain. In particular, marine phytoplankton play an essential role in carbon cycling which affects atmospheric CO₂ levels and global climate. Bacteria also play an important economic role by initiating the fouling and corrosion of ships, oil rigs, pipelines and other marine structures. In addition, bacteria and other microorganisms cause infections in farmed fish and shellfish that have an important economic impact on the aquaculture industry. Only a small percentage of marine bacteria can currently be cultured but recent advances in the molecular analysis of microbial communities have shown there to be a much more diverse range of microbes in the marine environment than previously thought. This has led to increasing interest in this area because of the potential for exploitation in biotechnology. Marine bacteriophages are the most numerous organisms on earth and are thought to play significant roles in the marine environment.

Format: This will be a one-week residential field course held at the University Marine Biological Station, Millport, Isle of Cumbrae immediately before the beginning of the first semester. The course will consist of a mixture of lectures, practical work, tutorials and seminars emphasising the role and importance of microorganisms in marine processes (including carbon cycling and the affect on climate change), biofouling, fish and shellfish diseases and harmful algal blooms, together with the affects of aquaculture on coastal environments and the growing applications of marine microbiology in biotechnology. Teaching will be done largely by the staff of the marine station and fieldwork and laboratory classes will form an important part of the course. As part of the assessment for the course students will be required to submit a written report by the end of the first semester. This will count for one third of the marks for the option.

Special notes: Students can take this course as an A, B, C or D option choice but the course is run only once. In session 2007-08, the option will run from Sunday 16th September to Saturday 22nd September 2007. Note: it will not be possible to take this option with the Tropical Marine Biology or the Tropical Rainforest Ecology options.

Entry requirements: Any Level-3 Biological Sciences course

Restriction on numbers: 30

Molecular Biology of the Neurone

Organiser: Professor RW Davies, Molecular Genetics, ext. 5102, email wayne.davies@bio.gla.ac.uk

Assisted by: Dr B Morris, and several external speakers

Content: The overall aim of this option is to provide students with a molecular level appreciation of the central functions of neurons, which is fundamental to all modern neuroscience. The level of presentation is suitable for students with little or no real molecular background. As well as discussing what is known about how the key molecules of neurons work, we will also consider how the production and removal of these molecules occurs, and how they get to their sites of action. This will be set in the context of neuronal cell biology, how neurons are maintained, and how they die. After this option, students should be able to relate their knowledge of systems neuroscience and/or pharmacology to the molecular working of neurons as the building blocks of the nervous system.

The course is made up of ten 3-hour option sessions, each consisting of a lecture, followed by a presentation by an external speaker. It is intended to make the course as informal and interactive as is feasible. The lecture will cover fundamental aspects of each topic in a simple manner. The seminar will focus on a particular example from recent research.

The main topics covered will include:

· Protein trafficking, secretion and endocytosis

· Molecular biology of presynaptic structures and transmitter release

· Formation, structure and function of Glutamate, GABA(A) and other ligand-gated ion channel receptors

· Structure, function and maintenance of G protein linked receptors

· Molecules of the postsynaptic density and how it works

· Signalling pathways in neurons from receptor tyrosine kinases

· Neuronal plasticity and its role in learning and memory

· Molecular mechanisms of ageing Neuronal and other stem cells.

· Neurotrophic factors and mature neuron survival

· Use of model organisms in neuroscience research

Entry Requirements: None. The course is particularly appropriate for Neuroscience and Pharmacology degree students, but will be relevant to a number of other degrees. Students with a weak molecular background will be required to complete a preliminary reading assignment.

Restriction on numbers: 35

Physical Activity and Public Health

Organiser: Ms V Penpraze, NBS, ext 2456, email V.Penpraze@bio.gla.ac.uk

Deputy: Mr N Scobie, NBS, ext 3832, email N.Scobie@bio.gla.ac.uk

Teaching Staff: Dr Jason Gill, Ms Viki Penpraze, Dr Andrew Tannahill, Dr Adrienne Hughes, Dr David Ogilvie, Ms Fiona Hamilton, Ms Theresa Campbell, Mrs Elizabeth McGhie, Professor Nenette Mutrie

Aims:

· To examine the relationship between physical activity and public health

· To demonstrate the issues involved in the promotion of physical activity to all segments of the population

· To explain evaluation of practice

Intended Learning Outcomes:

You should be able to:

· demonstrate thorough understanding of the key concepts in public health, epidemiology, health education and health promotion

· evaluate the epidemiological evidence demonstrating a relationship between physical activity and health

· evaluate the biological mechanisms by which exercise influences cardiovascular disease risk

· discuss possible causes, consequences and treatment strategies for the obesity epidemic

· provide examples of the practice of promoting physical activity for clinical populations and demonstrate understanding of the particular issues of recruitment and adherence for these populations

· discuss critically the evaluation of projects and the measurement of physical activity

· display competence in exercise counselling

Entry Requirements: Normally Level-3 P-SS, exceptionally other Degree Group C courses.

Restriction on numbers: 30

Plant Biotechnology

Organiser: Dr PJ Dominy, BMB, ext. 4390, email P.Dominy@bio.gla.ac.uk

Deputy: Dr S Rosser, BMB, ext 8644, email S.Rosser@bio.gla.ac.uk

Assisted by: Drs A Amtmann, JJ Milner, S Rosser and A Sadanandom

Content: The course is designed to give students an appreciation of the advances being achieved from the application of plant biotechnology to harvests, and the synthesis of novel compounds. Examples used include the engineering of plants to produce higher yields or novel products. The course is open to all students, but will be of particular interest to those expecting to graduate in Plant Science, Genetics, Molecular & Cellular Biology, or Biochemistry.

The main topics covered will include:

Engineering salt resistant crops. Salinity is a major factor limiting global crop production. Recently, important advances have been made in engineering salt-sensitive crops to survive in high salinity. These advances will be reviewed.

Engineering frost resistance in frost-sensitive crops. Occasional frost events limit the distribution of our major crops. Recently, frost hardiness of some plants has been improved by manipulating the cold acclimation processes; these experiments will be reviewed.

Engineering plants for the bioremediation of polluted soils. Soils are polluted with organic and inorganic compounds that are toxic to most life forms. However, some microbes and plant species are tolerant and capable of detoxifying these pollutants. A review will be presented of the progress in engineering plants to bioremediate some of these pollutants.

Engineering disease-resistant crops. Our understanding of the complex interaction of pathogens with their host plant has increased enormously over the last few years, and a number of novel defence mechanisms have been well characterised. Disease resistant crop plants are now being engineered and some of these programs will be reviewed.

Format: The course is taught primarily in lecture / discussion sessions and tutorials.

Entry Requirements: None, although a knowledge of basic molecular / genetic techniques and basic plant biochemistry would be an advantage.

Restriction on numbers: 25

Problems in Mammalian Reproduction

Organiser: Dr S Mackay, NBS, ext. 5870, email S.Mackay@bio.gla.ac.uk

Deputy: Dr RA Smith, NBS, ext. 6391, email R.A.Smith@bio.gla.ac.uk

Content: This course is primarily of interest to students in Anatomy and highlights selected problems from the field of mammalian reproductive biology. Special attention is placed on research approaches to their solution, especially techniques in vitro. In addition, clinical implications will be discussed where appropriate (e.g. in vitro fertilisation, genetic screening).

Topics will include:

· Ethical issues in Assisted Reproductive Technology

· In vitro approaches to problems in gonadal differentiation

· Immunological problems in reproductive biology

· Germ cell / somatic cells relationships

· In vitro fertilisation and embryo transplantation

· Development disorders: prenatal diagnosis

· Contraception

Entry Requirements: None, but Level-2 Reproduction & the Embryo would be helpful

Restriction on numbers: 35

Transcription in Developing Systems

Organiser: Dr CJ McInerny, BMB, ext. 3208, email: c.j.mcinerny@bio.gla.ac.uk

Content: The option will consider how transcription allows the abstract genetic information contained in DNA to become physical reality in living organisms. It will focus exclusively on eukaryotic organisms. Human diseases often result from defects in transcription and many of these will be highlighted. It is envisaged that most sessions will begin with a lecture and then, after a coffee break, will be followed by small group discussions in which students will consider relevant papers.

· Introduction. RNA polymerases. How proteins interact with DNA

· How genes are transcribed by RNA polymerase

· Chromatin

· Controlling transcription factor activity

· Cell cycle regulation of transcription

Entry Requirements: Level-3 Degree Group B courses.

Restriction on numbers: 35

Vaccine Development Strategies

Organiser: Dr G Douce, I&I, ext. 2842, email G.Douce@bio.gla.ac.uk

Deputy: Dr R Parton, I&I, ext. 5844, email R.Parton@bio.gla.ac.uk

Teaching staff: Drs Gillian Douce, Roger Parton and Lisa Ranford-Cartwright (Infection & Immunity), Drs B Carman and A MacLean (Regional Virus Laboratory), Professor Mark Roberts and Dr P Everest (Veterinary Pathology) and Professor Rick Randall (University of St. Andrews).

Content: The aim of the option is to examine the development of vaccines against a variety of bacterial, viral and parasitic diseases. For many diseases, vaccines are not yet available. For other diseases, safer and more effective vaccines are required. A resurgence of interest in vaccine development has also been prompted by the increasing problem of drug resistance in infectious agents. Current vaccine research is based on the identification of protective antigens and elucidation of the immune responses which occur in infections and after vaccination. Strategies include the development of new acellular, synthetic, nucleic acid, recombinant, live-attenuated and multivalent vaccines.

Sessions:

· Immunity to infections: lessons for vaccine design

· Vaccine formulation and delivery systems

· Bacterial acellular vaccines

· Bacterial conjugate vaccines

· Prospects for genetically-manipulated bacterial vaccines

· Development of novel mucosally-delivered vaccines

· DNA vaccines

· Parasite vaccines: why so few?

· The merits of a vaccine-based approach to combating viral infections

· Development of new influenza vaccines

· Advances in hepatitis vaccines

· The problems of developing a vaccine for HIV

· Practical vaccinology; from laboratory to licensing

Student presentations: Students are expected to present a short talk on an infectious disease and its vaccine, and to take part in one of the interactive teaching sessions.

Entry Requirements: Some knowledge of basic immunology and microbiology is necessary.

Restriction on numbers: 35