Course

Unit 1

Protein Sorting: Sorting Signals, Types of Transport, Protein Sorting to different Organelles- Nucleus, Endoplasmic Reticulum, Golgi apparatus, Mitochondria, Chloroplast, Peroxisomes, Lysosome, Vesicular Transport, Diseases associated with impaired Transport processes. 

Unit 2

Cell Signaling: Basics of animal Communications, Modes & Types of Cellular Signals, Receptors: GPCRs, RTKs, Cytokine Receptors & NRTKs, Enzyme linked receptors, GPCRs in vision, smell and taste, Mechanism of actions of toxins, Nitric oxide signaling, signaling in developmental pathways like Wnt, Notch and Hedgehog, NF-KB signaling, signaling in plants- Auxin, Ethylene and Phytochromes, signaling involved in Circadian rythm in Humans, Drososphila and Cyanobacteria. 

Unit 3

Cell Division and Cell cycle: Mitosis and Meiosis. Biochemical analysis of cell cycle control systems in animal embryos and mammalian cell culture. Cell cycle check points. Role of cyclins and Cdks in cell cycle regulation.

Unit 4

Cytoskeleton: Introduction to major cytoskeletal elements in eukaryotes. Self-assembly and dynamic structure of cytoskeleton.

Unit 5

Advanced Cell Biology: Cell Death & Cancer, Cell Culture Techniques & Assays

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

The course provides in depth knowledge of various concepts of cell biology that involves understanding mechanisms underlying protein sorting into the different organelles and diseases associated with impaired sorting processes, different aspects of Cell signaling, Cell Cycle and its regulation, Cancer, Apoptosis and basics of animal cell culture. 

COURSE OUTCOMES:

After completing the course, students shall be able to

CO1. Students will identify the different types of sorting signals and their mechanism and their significance in various disease states when impaired.

CO2. Students will explain basic concepts of cell signaling including the types of signals and receptors, signaling mechanisms and associate the signaling pathways with various disease conditions.

CO3. Students will understand the regulation of cell cycle and cell death in Cancer. 

CO4. Students will describe the role of cytoskeleton in maintaining cell architecture and rigidity

CO5. Understand the basic techniques used to culture animal cells.

REFERENCES:

2013. The Cell, A Molecular Approach – 6th Edition – Geoffrey M. Cooper, Robert E. Hausman – Sinauer Associates, Inc. 2013.
2014. Molecular Biology of the Cell – 5th Edition – Alberts et al – Garland Science. 2008.
2015. Molecular Cell Biology 5th Edition by Harvey Lodish, Arnold Berk, Paul Matsudaira, Chris Kaiser, Monty Krieger, Matthew Scott, Lawrence Zipursky and James Darnell. H Freeman and Company. 2003.