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Description
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Most physiological functions in animals are carried out by assemblies of different听specialised听cells that cooperate to form a unique听structure, that听can carry out a specific process. In man there are approximately 100 of these structures: tissues or organs. The mechanistic underpinning of how cell-types cooperate in forming organs and in executing their essential functions is now a major research focus: Molecular, 'omics, computational and imaging approaches are being combined with ex vivo cultures,听xenografts, in vivo models,听organoids, or simple cell systems to discover how tissues maintain homeostasis and recover from insult and injury.听
This module will focus on how the research is actually done,听what it can achieve, and the kind of thinking and writing that research scientists use to advance their work.听
The module will include lectures, together with a substantial component where students discuss how to design model cellular systems to investigate a disease, how to obtain and interpret data from such a model, and how to write a proposal that would fund such an investigation.听
Lectures will cover:
- Models of regeneration; nerves and liver;
- Organoids; artificial mini-organs that can carry out aspects of organ function in vitro, used in drug and mechanistic discovery, as well as potential replacements;
- The importance of genetic tractability in investigations of tissue formation and functioning;
- The role of mechanical forces in tissue formation and function;
- How interactions of different cells can create synergistic outcomes.;
- Technical issues in this area of research will also be explored, including not only how to choose cells and environment in building an organoid, but also how to choose an imaging approach to obtain key data.
Workshops will be used to take the students through a set of discussions that will guide them in writing a grant proposal using a multicellular model system designed to answer a specific disease-related question.
Seminars will discuss i) how to produce a scientific poster explaining their proposed experiments, and ii) how to give a short scientific talk.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the module students are expected to be able to:
- Understand how multiple cells come together to carry out critical physiological processes, how to analyse these processes using model systems, and the kinds of discoveries that can be made using this approach.
- Critically evaluate the scientific literature and appreciate how data can be extracted from experimental systems, and how to analyse such data.
- Design a short research project,
- Interpret data, design figures, and write legends to support a research proposal.
- Learn to write in different modes; write about a research project for different audiences - expert and lay readers.
- Produce a scientific poster that explains a research project using visual information.
Students will be assessed via a 3000-word 鈥淕rant Proposal鈥�, plus a scientific poster (L6&L7), plus an oral presentation of their proposal (L7 only). There will be no written exam.
Module organizers: Prof. Daniel Cutler (d.culter@ucl.ac.uk) and Prof. Julie Pitcher (julie.pitcher@ucl.ac.uk).
Module deliveries for 2024/25 academic year
Last updated
This module description was last updated on 8th April 2024.
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