| Responsible Department | Department of Basic Science and Environment | ||||||||||||
| Earliest Possible Year | BSc. 3 year to MSc. 2 year | ||||||||||||
| Duration | One block | ||||||||||||
| Credits | 7.5 (ECTS) | ||||||||||||
| Level of Course | Joint BSc and MSc | ||||||||||||
| Examination | Final Examination oral examination Some Aid allowed Description of Examination: Examination: Individual oral examination primarily based on the project report. Weight: Oral examination: 100% (50% Based on examination in the project work and report and 50% based on examination in curriculum) 7-point scale, internal examiner | ||||||||||||
| Requirement for Attending Exam | Active participation in project oriented studies, and delivery of project report. | ||||||||||||
| Organisation of Teaching | Lectures, experimental project formulation and project work in groups. Make final project report. | ||||||||||||
| Block Placement | Blok 2 Week Structure: B | ||||||||||||
| Language of Instruction | Danish | ||||||||||||
| Optional Prerequisites | Basic physics or biophysics, basic chemistry and biochemistry, basic physical chemistry (Biophysical Chemistry I, or equivalent course) | ||||||||||||
| Restrictions | None | ||||||||||||
| Course Content | |||||||||||||
| Week 1: Molecules and materials. Lectures. . The students will during week one be introduced to a variety of typical systems and topics within Biophysical Chemistry. Examples of systems that will be presented include proteins in solutions, biological membrane systems, food products, and personal care products. Examples on topics to be discussed include pharmaceutics protein formulations and drug delivery, and consistency and physical/chemical stability of emulsions in specific type of food products. The students will be divided into groups, who each will chose to work with a given system. The lectures will provide proposals on given systems, but the students are most welcome to formulate their own topic to be treated experimentally. Week 2-3: Experimental Methods (Lectures) Lectures on modern experimental methods include . Spectroscopic methods, e.g. nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), circular dichroism spectroscopy(CD), perturbed angular correlation of gamma rays (PAC), UV- and visible light spectroscopy. . Thermodynamic and macroscopic methods, calorimetry, viscosity, rheology, densitometry . Structural methods using scattering methods. Light scattering, x-ray and neutron scattering, crystallography. . Structural methods using imaging techniques. Optical microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, electron microscopy, scanning probe microscopy. The students will during the four half course-days (total 14 hours) in week 2 and 3 get a short introduction to a variety of experimental methods from the four groups of methods: 1 spectroscopy, 2) thermodynamics/macroscopy, 3) scattering methods and 4) imaging. The students shall, during the two half course days of week 2 and 3 (8 hours) and as home work independent . decide which specific system they will work with . make introductory literature search on the topic (text books and scientific articles) . formulate the problem . decide which experimental methods are relevant and to be used in the course . formulate a detailed plan for the work, including when to use which instrument (together with the instrument responsibles) Demands: The students work thoroughly with at least one experimental technique given in each of the three groups of methods. This imply that the students must work with the underlying theory and use the methods for the chosen system to be investigated. The obtained understanding must appear clearly from the project reports. Week 4-8: Project works. The students will in week 4-8 make experimental studies under supervision by the lectures of the course. The students must early in this period (week 4) present their project plan in plenum. A midterm evaluation will take place in week 6, where the students in plenum must present the results they have obtained so far. The project report must be delivered on Friday in week 8 of the course, before 12:00. Week 9. Project presentation and examination. Goal The main goal of the course is to introduce the students to modern experimental works within biophysical chemistry. | |||||||||||||
| Teaching and learning Methods | |||||||||||||
| Lectures on selected topics within biophysical chemistry and the related methods. Moreover, independent experimental project studies in groups supervised by the teachers. The project works include plenum presentation and discussions during the course with the aim to secure focus and relevant outcome of the project work. | |||||||||||||
| Learning Outcome | |||||||||||||
| The course gives a detailed introduction to common applied experimental methods within biophysical chemistry. The course gives a good background for extended experimental studies, as used for example in the final master project, a PhD project or in connection to research and development within medico and biotechnological industry. The course can also be used as a pre-project for a following master project. The main goal of the course is to introduce the students to modern experimental methods within biophysical chemistry. After completing the course, the student should be able to: Knowledge . Classify and describe the most typical experimental methods used in Biophysical Chemistry. . Express overview and express detailed insight into at least three experimental methods of Biophysical Chemistry Skills . Be able to utilize at least three different types of instruments for biophysical chemistry studies . Acquire and analyze experimental data from biophysical chemistry studies of a given system . Mutual relate and compare experimental data obtained on a given system using different categories of biophysical chemistry methods. Competences . Work out a work description and plan an independent experimental project . Apply theory and experimental methods to investigations o a given biophysical chemistry topic. | |||||||||||||
| Course Literature | |||||||||||||
| Lecture portfolio distributed during the course. The students will moreover search relevant scientific articles | |||||||||||||
| Course Coordinator | |||||||||||||
| Kell Mortensen, kell@life.ku.dk, Department of Basic Sciences and Environment, Phone: 353-32311 Lise Arleth, lia@life.ku.dk, Department of Basic Sciences and Environment, Phone: 353-32317 | |||||||||||||
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