Central University of Rajasthan School of Life Sciences Syllabus for the pre-phd course work for the next academic session PSLS-101 (credit-4) Research methodology with quantitative methods and computer application Objective: The objective of the pre-phd course work is to augment the aptitude of research among the Ph.D. aspirants and exposed them to the systematic research methodology. This course willfacilitate the students in understanding the tools and techniques of conducting their research. Unit 1: Research Basics (Common for all 20 Departments) Research Basics: definition, purpose and types (qualitative, quantitative, cross-sectional, longitudinal, pure, applied, action, evaluation, historical, survey, exploratory and case study); Significance of research in applied sciences/ arts/ social sciences; Process of Research; Objectives and Dimensions of Research Research problem, Research questions, Research design Tools of Research: Library, Field, Laboratory; Methods of research: Qualitative and Quantitative Systematic review of literature in applied sciences/arts/social sciences Features of good research study Preparation of Research proposal/ synopsis Research Ethics (Issues relating to referencing and documentation, copyrights, plagiarism etc.), Impact Factor, H-Index, Citation Index, references/ bibliography Structuring the Ph.D. Thesis: chapter format, pagination, identification, using quotations, footnotes, abbreviations, presentation of tables and figures, referencing, documentation, use and format of appendices, indexing
Unit 2 (A): Statistical Techniques (For Science Stream) (Departments - Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Chemistry, Commerce, Economics, Environment Science, Management, Microbiology, Pharmacy, Social Work) Data: Types (primary and secondary data), collection methods; presentation (Graphical and diagrammatical); relevance, limitations and cautions. Data Processing: checking, editing, coding, transcriptions, classification and tabulation. Data analysis: meaning and methods; quantitative and qualitative analysis Bivariate Data Analysis using Correlation and Regression analysis Analysis of time series, Interpolation and Extrapolation Statistical fallacies: Bias, Faulty generalization, inappropriate comparison, misuse of various tools like mean, median, mode, dispersion, correlation etc., technical errors. Theoretical distribution: Normal, Poisson, Binomial with application in various area/ disciplines Sampling: types, steps; sampling errors Sampling of attributes (including chi square test), Sampling of small and large sample variables (including Anova) Hypothesis Testing: fundamentals of hypothesis testing in applied sciences/arts/social sciences Statistical decision theory Parametric vs. non-parametric tests Computer application Bibliographic resources and management tools in life Sciences Tools for digital image processing Microsoft Office for writing thesis and research papers. Basic bioinformatics tools for research Biological lab mathematics Advanced Molecular biology techniques Optical and Super resolution microscopy Electron microscopy Mass Spectroscopy Real-time PCR and advanced PCR techniques Next generation sequencing Suggested reading: Endnote user manual, Mount D. Bioinformatics: Sequence and Genome Analysis (2004), Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press. Total training video tutorials Imaging: A Laboratory Manual (2011);Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.
PSLS-102 (credit -4) Fundamental of Life Sciences Unit-I Molecular Basis of Life Lipids and Bio-membrane Nucleic acid structure Protein structure and dynamics Unit-II Genes and Genomes Genomic organization Transcription and translation Recent advances in RNA biology Unit-III Cell Signaling Fundamental of cell Signaling Cell cycle Regulation Protein transport and trafficking Regulation of cytoskeleton Regulation of gene expression Unit-IV Industrial Biotechnology Plant biotechnology Animal Biotechnology Microbial technology Suggested reading: Lodish, H., Berk A., Kaiser C. A., Krieger M., Scott M.P., Bretscher A., Ploegh H., and Matsudaira P., Molecular Cell Biology, 6th Edition, Freeman, W. H. and Co., 2008. Voet D., Voet J.G, Biochemistry 4th Edition., John Wiley and Sons, 2011. Biotechnology Journal Nature Biotechnology
Elective I PSLS-E01 (Credit 4) Current perspectives on molecular Basis of Human Diseases Unit I Major signaling pathways in human Diseases MAP Kinase Pathways, PI3K-PKB/Akt Pathway Signaling mtor Signaling, Calcium Signaling The Cyclic AMP Pathway, The Wnt Signaling Hedgehog Signaling, Notch Pathway Signaling by the TGF-â Superfamily JAK/STAT Pathway, Toll-like Receptor Signaling Immunoreceptor Signaling Unit II Tools and techniques, Animal Models of Human Diseases and Cancer Gene therapy, Pharmacogenomics, Genetic & Epigenetic Pathways of Disease Overview and concept of epigenetics, Bioinformatics analyses of human genome Recent advancement in Cancer and Stem Cell Research Hallmarks of Cancer: Gene Regulation & Apoptosis Stem Cells/Regeneration and Cancer Genetic & Epigenetic determinants of Cancer Pharmacogenetics of cancer and its perspectives in clinical applications. Regenerative medicine in Type 1 Diabetes, Cardiovascular, Central Nervous System, Stem cell based therapy, Protein aggregation in human diseases Mechanism of protein aggregation and clearance of aggregated proteins. Protein aggregates-induced toxicity, Self-propagation of pathogenic protein aggregates. Aggregated proteins in human diseases, such as Prions, Alzheimer s disease, Parkinson s diseases, Serum A amyloidosis. Role of amyloid in HIV transmission. Strategies for preventing protein aggregation in pathological conditions. Suggested readings Annual reviews of Biochemistry International Review of Cell and Molecular Biology Nature reviews, Nature Reviews Cancer Nature Reviews Focus on Stem cells, 2012 Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology Stem Cell Reviews and Reports TRENDS journals/ Trends in Cell Biology/ Trends in Biochemistry/Trends in Molecular Medicine/ Trends in Biotechnology/ Trends in Genetics
Elective II PSLS-E02 (credit 4) Drug and Gene Delivery Systems Unit I Basic concepts of drug and gene delivery Introduction to drug/gene delivery Biological barriers encountered during drug/gene delivery Controlled and targeted drug/gene delivery Unit II Delivery vectors Types of delivery vectors - Viral and non-viral vectors Liposomes and lipid based vectors Microparticles Nanoparticles Concepts of Nanomedicine Concepts of nanomedicine Nanoparticles types - Metallic and polymeric nanoparticles Nanoparticles for drug/gene delivery Tools and techniques for characterization of nanoparticles- in vitro and in vivo Nanoparticles as drug/gene delivery vectors Nanoparticles for drug delivery Nanoparticles for gene delivery Nanoparticles for sirna delivery Suggested reading: Journals in the field of Gene delivery and Nanotechnology.
Elective III PSLS-E03 (Credit 4) Advances in Parasitic Infectious Diseases Unit I Introduction: General introduction of infectious diseases, Bacterial and viral infectious diseases, Parasitic infectious diseases, Neglected tropical diseases Unit II Leishmaniasis: Types of leishmaniasis, Indian scenario of leishmaniasis, Epidemiology and geography of leishmaniasis, Vector and transmission of leishmaniasis, Host-pathogen interaction, diagnosis and treatment for leishmaniasis, B cell and T cell immunology of visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis, Genetics of leishmaniasis, Host factor role in visceral leishmaniasis, Mechanism of drug resistance and drug susceptibility for promastigotes and amastigotes. Malaria: History of malaria, Life cycle of Plasmodium, factors affecting Transmission of parasite, Vectors and epidemics, host-parasite interactions, host-vector interactions, parasite metabolisms, secondary endosymbiosis, Drug-resistant parasites, identification of drug targets. Prevention and Treatment: Current Scenario of available treatment, measures to prevent infectious diseases; diagnosis, control, chemotherapy, drug and vaccine development against causative agents of various infectious diseases. Reference Books: Stefan H.E. Kaufmann, NovelVaccinationStrategies Ed. Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH &Co., 2004. Irwin W. Sherman, Malaria ParasiteBiology, Pathogenesis, andprotection, American Society formicrobiology., 1998. www.plasmodb.org WHO technical series-949; Control of the leishmaniasis (ISBN 978 92 4 120949 6
Elective IV PSLS-E04 (Credit 4) Advanced Cancer Biology Unit I Introduction to Cancer Biology Tumor suppressors and oncogenes Cancer growth and metastasis Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition Angiogenesis, Apoptosis and Autophagy Unit II Microenvironment of Tumor cells Stroma Interaction Tumor immunonology Animal models for cancer growth and metastasis Cancer stem cells Signalling mechanisms: Cancer growth and metastasis Abnormal cell signalling for cancer growth Signalling for metastasis and stem cells Reprogramming metabolism and rewiring signalling Osteoblastic and osteolytic metastasis Role of PTHrP, CSF-1 and RANKL in cancer progression and metastasis. Therapeutic Intervention Success and failure of present therapies Micro-RNA mediated cancer treatment and targeted drug delivery, Drug resistance Molecular diagnosis and stem cell therapy. Reference Books: The Biology of Cancer, 2nd Edition, Robert AWeingberg, ISBN-10: 0815342209, ISBN-13: 978-0815342205 Cancer Biology, 4th Edition, Raymond W Ruddon, ISBN-10: 0195175441 ISBN- 13: 978-0195175448
Elective V PSLS-E05 (Credit 4) Antibody structure and engineering Unit-I Antibody gene repertoires (construction and application) Human antibody repertoires in transgenic mice Analysis of human antibody sequences Affinity maturation of antibodies Unit-II Antibody affinity: quantification in solution & using biosensors CDR grafting of antibody molecules (Rodent to human antibodies) Phage display of recombinant antibody molecules Manipulation of effector functions of antibodies Unit-III Antibody production in Escherichia coli; focus on: in- vitro refolding of recombinant antibody molecules from their misfolded inclusion body forms Single-chain antibody production (monomers and multimers) Expression of immunoglobulin genes in mammalian cells Unit-IV Engineering of therapeutic and diagnostic antibodies Crystallization of antibody molecules: native and recombinant molecules Structure determination of antibody molecules using X-ray crystallography Antigen-antibody binding interactions: structure based studies Suggestive readings Reviews and research articles published on relevant topics