Course Information Document
BIOL4182
Welcome to the final year of your programme. One of the
aims of the final year is to prepare you for the years ahead. The teaching will
be structured differently, and you will be encouraged to work independently. We
expect you to develop a breadth to your thinking and writing. This is the time
to bring together knowledge gained during the past three years, looking for
general principles which can be used productively. This mature approach should
be expressed in your coursework, project report and examination answers. The
key to success in final year is good time-management.
We recommend that you read this Course Information Document at the start of your final year.
In addition, there is important information about regulations, assessment and progression in the Life Sciences Handbook: Regulations & Advice; again, you should read this document at the start of the year and you must refer to it as necessary.
Please keep this Course Information Document for future reference after you graduate; you may need to provide course details for further study or other training.
While the information contained in the document is correct at the time of printing, it may be necessary to make changes. Check your online timetable, Moodle and your email messages regularly.
The five component courses which make up the final year of
your programme are:
1 x project or dissertation course (40 credits)
1 x the core course for your programme (20 credits)
3 x Honours options (3 x 20-credits)
|
Semester |
Day |
Course block |
Suffix on Course Name |
|
1 |
Monday |
Core block |
"…4X core" |
|
1 |
Tuesday |
|
|
|
1 |
Wednesday |
|
|
|
1 |
Thursday |
|
|
|
1 |
Friday |
S1 option block |
"…4Y option" |
|
2 |
Monday |
S2-A option block |
"…4A option" |
|
2 |
Tuesday |
S2-B option block |
"…4B option" |
|
2 |
Wednesday |
S2-E option block |
"…4E option" |
|
2 |
Thursday |
S2-C option block |
"…4C option" |
|
2 |
Friday |
S2-D option block |
"…4D option" |
You should devote THREE days per week to the research
phase of the project, normally all day Tuesday,
Wednesday AM and all day Thursday during 10 weeks of Semester 1. The remaining
half day can be undertaken Monday and/or Friday and/or Wednesday PM, depending
on your own taught course timetable and the nature of your project.
You take three Honours options in total: one in Semester 1
and two in Semester 2.
The Semester 1 options are usually taught on Fridays, and you choose one option from the 4Y list.
Semester 2 options are arranged in five blocks, one for each day of the week (4A, 4B, 4C, 4D and 4E options). You choose two options from these five blocks, but no more than one for any block.
Once enrolment opens in August, you choose the options that you wish to study in final year. Please note that the list of offered Honours options changes slightly each year as options are introduced, withdrawn or moved to a different block; therefore, options you see in your MyCampus My Requirements report may not be available for you to choose when you reach final year.
Available option choices:
You do not have a free choice when choosing options. The following factors determine which options you can take.
Each programme specifies which options are compulsory and recommended for that programme. You must choose options which satisfy the stated Requirements for your programme.
In addition, each option specifies restrictions on admission (“Requirements of Entry” or “Enrolment Requirements”) to ensure that only students with the necessary academic background can enrol on that option. A few options allow any Life Sciences final-year student to enrol while other options only accept enrolment from students registered for a particular programme or set of programmes (for example Behavioural Ecology 4B option specifies the following: “Normally, only available to final-year Life Sciences students in the Animal Biology group programmes”).
A few options require you to apply in advance during Year 3. You cannot take one of these options if you have not been approved in advance. Currently, these are:
Tropical Marine Biology (with Field Course) 4Y option
Marine Mammal Biology (with Field Course) 4Y option
Ecology & Conservation of African Ecosystems (with Field Course) 4Y option
Investigating Biological Function 4B option
Most options limit the number of students that may enrol. For many options, the limit is around 30 students but some options have a lower or higher limit on class size. Enrolment is on a first-come, first-served basis.
An option may be cancelled if too few students wish to do it or if there are other circumstances which mean an option cannot run.
You undertake a piece of independent work in final year,
either a project or a dissertation. University regulations stipulate that you
MUST obtain at least D3 in the “independent work” course for an Honours degree
to be awarded.
During Year 3, you choose which type of final-year project you would like to do. There are four types of project within the Life Sciences portfolio:
Investigative (both laboratory-based “wet” projects and traditional “dry” projects)
Dissertation
Outreach (both School and Public Engagement)
Internship *
* Although the Internship type of project is available in theory to students on any programme, this will depend on internships being offered which are suitable to the programme. Until now, internships have only been available to students in Physiology & Sports Science.
The type of project you are allocated determines which project course you enrol on in MyCampus.
It may not be possible to allocate projects in line with your aspirations but staff seek to maximise each student’s preference. Your grades from Year 3 may be taken into account when project allocations are being made.
If you are a student in the Animal Biology Group (Marine & Freshwater Biology or Zoology), you are encouraged to think up possible projects yourself. However, you must find a member of staff willing to act as your supervisor.
Please refer to the current session’s Project Course Information Document for more information.
Course Coordinator: Dr Kenneth Watterson
Email: Kenneth.Watterson@glasgow.ac.uk
Deputy Course Coordinator: Professor George Baillie
Email: George.Baillie@glasgow.ac.uk
Programme Coordinator: Professor Simon Kennedy
Email: Simon.Kennedy@glasgow.ac.uk
|
Name |
School |
Building |
Ext. |
Email address |
|
Dr Kenneth Watterson (Coordinator) |
School of Molecular Biosciences |
Boyd Orr |
1900 |
|
|
Dr Brian Hudson |
School of Molecular Biosciences |
Davidson |
7160 |
|
|
Professor George Baillie (Deputy Coordinator) |
School of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Heath |
Davidson |
1662 |
|
|
Professor Graeme Milligan |
School of Molecular Biosciences |
Wolfson Link |
5557 |
|
|
Professor Harry De Koning |
School of Infection and Immunity |
GBRC |
3753 |
|
|
Dr Graeme Sills |
School of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Heath |
Sir James Black Building |
4140 |
|
All 0141 330-xxxx telephone numbers can be dialled
directly from outside the University. If dialling from a University
extension, dial the last 4 digits only
Dr David Morgan, Keele University
The Life Sciences Office is located in
Room 354 of the Sir James Black Building. Opening hours for enquiries are: Monday to Friday: 9:30am to 4:30pm.
Course Code
BIOL4182
Course Title
Core Skills in Pharmacology (Drug Discovery & Development) 4X core
Academic Session
2023-24
Short Description of the Course
This course covers core concepts in modern pharmacology set within the context of drug discovery and development. Pharmacology is a quantitative discipline and a key element of this course will be to develop skills and understanding of the quantitative aspects of pharmacology. Another strong theme is the understanding of drug action based on knowledge of drug structure and drug-receptor interactions and the discovery of good drug targets.
Requirements of Entry
Normally, only available to final-year School of Life Sciences students in a Pharmacology programme. Visiting students may be allowed to enrol, at the discretion of the School of Life Sciences Chief Adviser and the Course Coordinator.
Associated Programmes
This course is offered by the Pharmacology programme. It is a compulsory course for Honours programmes in Pharmacology.
Available to visiting students
Yes
Available to Erasmus students
Yes
Typically offered
Semester 1
Timetable
Normally, there is one 3-hour session on Mondays.
Course Aims
This course aims to provide students with a thorough background in advanced concepts in modern pharmacology and drug discovery, coupled to a detailed theoretical background, and containing a strong numerical component.
Intended Learning Outcomes of Course
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
· Plot graphs, handle data sets and calculate key pharmacological parameters;
· Discuss the fundamental role of chemistry in drug discovery;
· Evaluate the power and theoretical basis of modern drug screening approaches;
· Discuss how drug:protein interactions can be identified and quantified, both in vivo and in vitro;
· Illustrate the power of bioinformatics in drug discovery, with a clear appreciation of the technology, strengths and limitations of the approaches;
· Discuss the principles of key stages of the drug discovery process from target identification and compound screening to preclinical and clinical testing.
Minimum Requirements for Award of Credits
Students must submit at
least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course’s
summative assessment.
Description of Summative Assessment
The course will be assessed by a 2-hour examination (75%) and in-course assessment consisting of a data handling and interpretation written assignment (25%).
Are reassessment opportunities normally available for all summative assessments in this course
Not applicable for Honours courses
Formative Assessment and Feedback
Written feedback will be provided for the summative data handling and interpretation assignment. Additionally, tutorial-based formative support for the data handling and interpretation assignment will be included into the quantitative pharmacology teaching sessions.
Examination Diet
April/May
Total Exam Duration
120 minutes
Dr Kenneth Watterson
Synopsis
Pharmacology is the study of drug action. Whilst the discovery of new drugs has seen a steady evolution since antiquity, rational drug discovery is a relatively recent process. The focus of this option is to introduce the principles underlying modern drug discovery practice and to provide pointers to the future of drug design. This first session will introduce some of the events, discoveries and trends that have shaped the development of the pharmaceutical industry to date. In subsequent sessions, you will find out about the molecular revolution in biomedical science over the last 25 years and the actual and expected therapeutic revolution that is likely to follow in its wake.
Aims
At the end of this session, you should be able to describe the:
The development of the pharmaceutical industry
Antecedents and origins
A brief history of therapeutics
Developments in chemistry aiding drug discovery
Target directed drug discovery
The nature of disease and the purpose of therapy
Concepts of disease
The aims of therapeutics
Types of therapeutic interventions
The relationship between drug targets & therapeutic targets
Measuring therapeutic outcome – affect, efficacy, effectiveness and benefit
Pharmacoepidemiology and pharmacoeconomics
References
Drug Discovery and Development: Technology In Transition 2nd Ed by R.G. Hill & Humphrey Rang, Elservier, 2012
Note that this text is available as an electronic resource through the University of Glasgow library.
Dr Kenneth Watterson
Synopsis
The ability to handle numbers is essential for the analysis of quantitative biochemical data. In these‑sessions, we will cover basic aspects of numerical analysis important for the subsequent course.
Aims
By the end of this session, you will be expected to:
Conduct basic calculations and apply standard mathematical tools used in pharmacology
Plot graphs and lines to chart pharmacological effects and interactions
Use reciprocal calculations (Scatchard etc, Kd to Ka relationship)
Be confident in using logarithmic scales
Be familiar with standard unit quantities (SI terms, doses, molar concentration etc.)
Key references
Rang and Dale’s Pharmacology, Churchill Livingstone, 8th Edition. 2016.
Dr Brian Hudson
Synopsis
The session will examine conventional strategies for identifying drug targets and also analyse the impact of genomics and associated technologies on (a) the search for “druggable” targets that are theoretically most amenable to pharmacological manipulation, and (b) the search for targets that when manipulated will alleviate disease while sparing so-called normal function.
Aims
At the end of this session, you should be able to:
Appreciate the scope and diversity of potential drug targets within the “druggable genome”
Understand the basis underlying well established strategies that have been applied successfully to identify new drug targets.
Appreciate the increasing importance of genomic and post-genomic technologies coupled with bioinformatics in identifying disease-causing, disease-modifying and druggable gene products.
Key references
A.L. Hopkins and C.R. Groom, The druggable genome, Nat. Rev. Drug Discov. 1 (2002), 727–730.
Drug Discovery and Development: Technology In Transition 2nd Ed by R.G. Hill & Humphrey Rang, Churchill Livingstone, 2005.Elservier, 2012.
Professor George Baillie
Synopsis
Therapeutics are developed using procedures based on accepted principles of medical science to alleviate symptoms, improve prognosis and in some cases prevent disease. There are many classes of chemical therapeutic agents and this session will investigate the type and source of these agents as well as discussing the advantages and drawbacks of each approach.
Aims
Appreciate the diversity of chemical therapeutic agents
To investigate the different modes of action of therapeutics
To understand the pros and cons of each class of therapeutic agents
To
Key references
Drug Discovery and Development: Technology In Transition 2nd Ed by R.G. Hill & Humphrey Rang, Churchill Livingstone, 2005.Elservier, 2012.
Professor Harry De-Koning
Synopsis
This session will introduce some principles of chemotherapy using current and historic examples. What is the basis of selectivity for obviously toxic substances, and how can selectivity be optimised in the drug discovery process? Development of new chemotherapy for cancer or infection can be based on selectivity at the target Level-or by selectively targeting a non-selective toxin to the target. We will look at examples of both from current research.
Drug resistance is fundamentally the result of loss of this selectivity, when a favourable therapeutic index becomes unfavourable, and some causes of drug resistance will be discussed.
Aims
By the end of this session, you will be expected to:
Understand the principles of selectivity in chemotherapy
Be able to discuss how this can be achieved in a drug development programme
Be able to give examples of drugs achieving selectivity through different mechanisms
Have increased understanding of the nature of drug resistance
References
To be provided
Professor Graeme Milligan
Synopsis
High throughput screening (HTS), a process in which massively parallel screening is performed, is the most widely applicable technology for identifying chemistry starting points for drug discovery programmes. In this approach, large compound libraries are screened and numerous bioactive compounds are identified. These compounds are then taken through successive further screening and optimization. HTS requires a multidisciplinary approach involving assay development, reagent preparation, compound management and informatics. In this session these different aspects critical in the development of HTS will be analysed.
Aims
At the end of this session, you should be able to:
Understand the concept of lead discovery
Appreciate the criteria driving the development of assays and to understand the principles of assay validation
Gain an overview on the major types of assays and detection methods used in HTS
Understand the principles of library design and management
References
Jürgen Drews. Drug Discovery: A Historical Perspective. Science 287, 1960 (2000)
Hertzberg RP, Pope AJ. High-throughput screening: new technology for the 21st century. Curr Opin Chem Biol. 4:445-51 (2000).
Dr Graeme Sills
Synopsis
A high proportion of new chemical entities fail to reach clinical practice due to problems with pharmacokinetics. This session will outline the importance of pharmacokinetics and drug metabolism in the early stages of the drug discovery process and highlight the approaches now used to predict pharmacokinetic properties of known compounds.
Aims
At the end of this session, you should be able to:
Understand desirable DMPK properties of lead compounds for oral use
Be aware of some means of in silico prediction of ADME
Be aware of means of experimental DMPK testing
References
To be provided
Professor Mark Millan and Dr Kenneth Watterson
Synopsis
Prior to this session, students will be subdivided into teams and each team asked to generate a short presentation on a specific pharmacological topic for delivery in this session. The topic will encompass an aspect of pharmacology as it relates to the drug discovery and development process.
Aims
At the end of this session, you should be able to:
To work as a team to analyse and evaluate relevant scientific literature to produce a clear and concise presentation on a pharmacological research topic
To relate scientific information in an articulate manner that can be understood by and used as a basis for discussion with your peer group
Dr Graeme Sills
Synopsis
Issues relating to drug safety remain a significant barrier in the successful development of drugs. This session will outline the importance of drug safety tasting and discuss the range of safety tests required to determine the safety of potential new drugs.
Aims
At the end of this session, you should be able to:
Understand the importance of drug safety testing in the process of drug discovery
Be aware of means of predicting toxicity of novel compounds
References
To be provided