Name of course:
N9 Bionanotools (2021)

ECTS credits:
3

Course parameters:
Language: English
Level of course: PhD course
Time of year: 19-29 January
No. of contact hours/hours in total incl. preparation, assignment(s) or the like: 33/85
Capacity limits: None

 
Objectives of the course:
The course aims to provide a comprehensive overview of nanoscale structure analysis techniques for biomolecules and biomaterials, from the atomic-resolution methods X-ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy and cryoEM, through AFM/SPM and SAXS, to molecular dynamics, mass spectrometry and an array of biophysical methods. The aim is to learn how these techniques work, what are their strengths and weaknesses, and to obtain a clear overview of their respective application areas and their availability at Aarhus University. Practical exercises aim to put the theory presented in the reading material and during lectures into practice, offer exposure to the technique in a real lab environment, and allow for questions and discussion. The course also hopes to foster a collaborative spirit between young researchers across the topics covered, helping them find interdisciplinary solutions in their own research.

 

Learning outcomes and competences:

At the end of the course, the student should be able to:

• Describe various techniques for obtaining structural insight
• Describe the (basic) experimental setup
• Understand the elementary theory behind the various experimental techniques
• Understand how data is treated during analysis, and used to derive models
• Discuss the advantages and limitations of the techniques
• Be able to rationalize which technique is suitable for a given practical research question
• Use some pieces of equipment and data analysis software demonstrated during exercises
• Know who is working with which technique

Compulsory programme:
Active participation

 

Course contents:
The course will consist of lectures, exercises and demonstrations in various labs at Aarhus University

 

Prerequisites:
Enrolment at a PhD school or a Master’s degree

 

Name of lecturers:
Bjørn Panyella Pedersen, Jan Skov Pedersen, Mingdong Dong, Victoria Birkedal, Duncan Sutherland, Thomas Boesen, Daniel Otzen, Søren Thirup, Frans Mulder and Thomas Vosegaard.

 

Type of course/teaching methods:
One week of intensive courses and practical exercises, along with self-study of literature.

 

Literature:
Found on the course page on Brightspace.

 

Course homepage:
https://events.au.dk/bionanotools2020/n9-bionanotools.html

 

Course assessment:
Pass/fail based on participation 

 

Provider:
This course is organized by iNANO, Aarhus University.

Time:
19-29 January 2021

 

Place:
Online

 

Registration:
Deadline for registration is  18 January 2021 at 8 am.

For registration, use this link: https://events.au.dk/bionanotools2020/sign-up.html If you have any questions, please contact PhD Administrator Maria Kragelund, e-mail: maria@inano.au.dk or Course Organizers Frans Mulder, fmulder@chem.au.dk