The course will introduce students to a selected set of laboratory techniques that are foundational to modern biological research.

The goal is to acquire the techniques to image bacteria by electron cryotomography, resolving their structure in a native state, in 3D, and to macromolecular resolution. In a small group, students will perform wet lab experiments, data collection with stat-of-the-art equipment, data processing and analyses. The key method and its application in bacterial cell biology will be introduced by lectures

This Concept Course explores the molecular and structural mechanisms underlying key processes in gene expression and protein biogenesis. The course will present advanced mechanistic aspects of the organization and regulation of chromatin, transcription, RNA maturation, translation, and the pathways of protein folding, modification, trageting to membranes, and quality control.

Teaching of basic knowledge in microbiology with main focus on Microbial Cell Structure and Function, Molecular Genetics, Microbial Growth, Metabolic Diversity, Phylogeny and Taxonomy, Prokaryotic Diversity, Human-Microbe Interactions, Biotechnology.

Advanced lecture class providing a broad overview on bacterial cell structure, genetics, metabolism, symbiosis and pathogenesis.

Teaching of basic knowledge in microbiology with main focus on the topics: Prokaryotic Diversity, Microbial Cell Structure and Function, Molecular Genetics, Microbial Growth, Metabolic Diversity, Phylogeny and Taxonomy, as well as applied aspects of Biotechnology and the Interaction of Humans and Microbes.

Advanced lecture class providing a broad overview on bacterial cell structure, genetics, metabolism, symbiosis and pathogenesis.

This course on advanced topics in molecular biology and biochemistry covers the structure and function of large cellular protein assemblies. The lecturers will cover topics including membrane proteins, protein glycosylation, horizonal gene transfer, microbial cytomotive filaments, and microbial contractile injection systems.

This course provides an in-depth discussion of two main methods to determine the 3D structures of macromolecules and complexes at high resolution: X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy. Both techniques result in electron density maps that are interpreted by atomic models.

The course consists of a series of research seminars on Structural Biology, Biochemistry and Biophysics, given by both scientists of the National Center of Competence in Research (NCCR) in Structural Biology and external speakers. Information on the individual seminars is provided on the following websites:http://www.structuralbiology.uzh.ch/educ002.asphttp://www.biol.ethz.ch/dbiol-cal/index

The course accompanies the “Biochemie” course and covers similar topics (properties of biomolecules, metabolism, signal transduction, motor proteins etc.). However, in this course these topics will be covered from the perspective of the pathological consequences that arise when these molecules and process do not function properly.