| Course Title | Protein Trafficking | ||
| Course Code | BS3022 | ||
| Offered | Study Year 3, Semester 2 | ||
| Course Coordinator | Thibault,Guillaume (Assoc Prof) | THIBAULT@ntu.edu.sg | 6592 1787 |
| Pre-requisites | BS1007 and BS1100 and BS2004 | ||
| AU | 3 | ||
| Contact hours | Lectures: 26, Tutorials: 13 | ||
| Approved for delivery from | AY 2022/23 semester 2 | ||
| Last revised | 29 Nov 2022, 09:35 | ||
This course aims to introduce students to the different steps proteins are engaged through the secretory and endocytic pathways. You will learn detailed molecular processes part of the secretory and endocytic pathways. The ultimate goal of this course is to make you grasp the fine line between cellular homeostasis and cellular states leading to the development of diseases from secreted and membrane proteins.
Upon successfully completing this course, you should be able to:
Overview of the Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER), phospholipid biosynthesis, and transport
Targeting proteins to the ER, translocation, and membrane protein topology
Protein folding and protein quality control in the ER
Vesicle transport focusing on ER-Golgi trafficking
Endocytosis and polarized delivery of proteins
Vesicular trafficking
| Component | Course ILOs tested | SBS Graduate Attributes tested | Weighting | Team / Individual | Assessment Rubrics |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continuous Assessment | |||||
| Tutorials | |||||
| Essay | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | 1. a 2. d 3. b, e 5. a, b, c, d 7. c | 25 | individual | See Appendix for rubric |
| Multiple Choice Questions | 1, 2, 5 | 1. b, c 3. g 5. a, b 7. d | 25 | individual | |
| Participation | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | 1. b, c 2. b, d 3. b, e, g 4. a 5. b, c, d | 10 | individual | See Appendix for rubric |
| Examination (2 hours) | |||||
| Final Examination | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | 1. a 2. d 3. b, e 4. a 5. a, b, c, d 7. c | 40 | individual | See Appendix for rubric |
| Total | 100% | ||||
These are the relevant SBS Graduate Attributes.
1. Recognize the relationship and complexity between structure and function of all forms of life, resulting from an academically rigorous in-depth understanding of biological concepts
a. Possess a conceptual framework that identifies the relationships between the major domains in the field of biology.
b. Explain the relationship between structure and function of all forms of life at the molecular level
c. Explain the relationship between structure and function of all forms of life at the cellular level
2. Critically evaluate and analyze biological information by applying the knowledge, scientific methods and technical skills associated with the discipline
b. Create and evaluate hypotheses
d. Design experiments relevant to authentic problems and their models
3. Develop and communicate biological ideas and concepts relevant in everyday life for the benefit of society
b. Display and explain scientific results clearly and persuasively to peers both verbally and in writing (includes the ability to graph data appropriately and accurately).
e. Discuss current critical questions in the field of biology
g. Demonstrate an understanding of the history of ideas and development of the major fields of biology
4. Acquire transferable and entrepreneurial skills for career development
a. Demonstrate innovative approaches to solving problems in biological science, leading to new approaches or techniques
5. Develop communication, creative and critical thinking skills for life-long learning
a. Learn independently and then share that knowledge with others
b. Learn collaboratively and be willing to share expertise with peers
c. Demonstrate critical thinking skills such as analysis, discrimination, logical reasoning, prediction and transforming knowledge
d. Question the assumptions, sources, and contexts of scientific investigation
7. Demonstrate information literacy and technological fluency
c. Evaluate and use biological databases (literature and public datasets)
d. Complete online learning independently
Discussion in class from students answers and burning questions from students on the Readiness Assurance Tests (quiz) gives students feedback on learning outcome 1.
Discussion in class on the different answers of application exercises from different teams. General questions related to the application exercises will also be discuss in class provides feedback on learning outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.
General questions related to the application exercises will also be discussed in class, which helps students to achieve learning outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.
| Lectures (26 hours) | Multiple Choices Questions: The students are required to read and study lecture material, related discussion, and related reading and then complete shot MCQ quizzes in class. These help students achieve learning outcomes 1 and 2. Final 2-hour written examination: individual examination will contain short answer questions only. These help students achieve learning outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. |
| Tutorials (13 hours) | Application Exercises (essays): in-class activities to solved problems as a team which requires the utilization of the concepts discuss in lectures. The exercises will be designed to lead to multiple possible answers to avoid rigid right/wrong answer and to encourage inter- and intra-team discussions. These help students achieve learning outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. |
Bruce Alberts, Alexander Johnson, Julian Lewis, Martin Raff. Molecular Biology of the Cell, 6th Edition, Garland Science, 2014, ISBN: 9780815344322
Students are required to go through and understand the pre-class material (6 in total over the semester) that will be available in NTULearn prior to class.
Students are expected to attend class every week to take part of the "Readiness Assurance Test" and/or "Application Exercises".
Students are expected to be engaged within their working team and in class.
Good academic work depends on honesty and ethical behaviour. The quality of your work as a student relies on adhering to the principles of academic integrity and to the NTU Honour Code, a set of values shared by the whole university community. Truth, Trust and Justice are at the core of NTU’s shared values.
As a student, it is important that you recognize your responsibilities in understanding and applying the principles of academic integrity in all the work you do at NTU. Not knowing what is involved in maintaining academic integrity does not excuse academic dishonesty. You need to actively equip yourself with strategies to avoid all forms of academic dishonesty, including plagiarism, academic fraud, collusion and cheating. If you are uncertain of the definitions of any of these terms, you should go to the Academic Integrity website for more information. Consult your instructor(s) if you need any clarification about the requirements of academic integrity in the course.
| Instructor | Office Location | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thibault,Guillaume (Assoc Prof) | 03n-27 | 6592 1787 | THIBAULT@ntu.edu.sg |
| Week | Topic | Course ILO | Readings/ Activities |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction to the secretory pathway | 1, 3, 4 | |
| 2 | Structure and function of the ER | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | Ch 12 |
| 3 | Targeting proteins to the ER, translocation | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | Ch 12 |
| 4 | Membrane protein topology | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | pre-class lecture, individual and team MCQ, team essay |
| 5 | Protein folding and protein quality control in the ER | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | Ch 12 |
| 6 | Protein quality control in the ER | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | Ch 12 |
| 7 | Current topics in ER stress | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | Article from primary literature – tbd |
| 8 | Vesicle transport focusing on ER-Golgi trafficking | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | Ch 13 |
| 9 | Endocytosis and polarized delivery of proteins | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | Ch 13 |
| 10 | Vesicular trafficking | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | Ch 13 |
| 11 | Current topics in protein transport I | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | Article from primary literature – tbd |
| 12 | Current topics in protein transport II | 2, 3, 4, 5 | Article from primary literature – tbd |
| 13 | Revision | 2, 3, 4, 5 | Revision |
The essay question will assess your ability to apply the concepts and principles taught in the course to solve problems related to protein secretion. Each question is marked out of 12 and the total marks are scaled to 25%.
| Score / Criteria | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Content | Comprehensive, accurate and complete interpretation, analysis and/or solution. Key points(such as the concepts and hypothesis) are clearly stated, explained, and well supported in a concise manner (LO1-5). | Accurate and complete interpretation, analysis and/or solution. Key points (such as the concepts and hypothesis) are stated, explained, and supported (LO1-5). | Incomprehensive or incomplete interpretation, analysis and/or solution. Key points (such as the concepts and hypothesis) are addressed, but not well supported (LO1-5). | Partial or incomplete interpretation, analysis and/or solution. Key points (such as the concepts and hypothesis) are not clear. Question not properly answered. |
| Organization | Well organized, and easy to follow. | Organization is mostly clear and easy to follow. | Inadequate organization and not so easy to follow. | Organization and structure can not be followed |
| Writing | No errors in spelling, grammar, and sentence structure. Elegant use of paragraphs. | Few errors in spelling, grammar, and sentence structure. Adequate use of paragraphs. | Many errors in spelling, grammar, and sentence structure. Inadequate use of paragraphs. | Full of errors in spelling, grammar, and sentence structure. Use of wrong paragraphs. |
Participation will focus on the student engagement during the team-based learning activities. This will include grading from the instructors and the student's peer within the same team.
| Score/Criteria | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Ability To Work with The Group | Never participated in group discussions or was extremely disruptive to the group process | Occasionally participated in group discussion with little or no positive contribution | Usually participated in group discussion with occasional contribution to the discussion | Always participated positively in group discussions, made sure everyone had a chance to participate. | Actively contributed to help the group to achieve our goals and listened to others. Helped gets us moving forward without dominating it. |
| Amount of Effort | None | Contributed what was expected from the group | Significantly contributed towards the success of the group and beyond what was expected from him/her | ||
| Dependability | Could not be depended upon to complete any task | Got things done, but usually late | Usually got things done on time | Always got things done on time and accurately | Could always be counted on to pick up the slack |
| Intellectual Contribution | Never contributed anything to the group project | Occasionally provided contribution that met our expectation | Provided thoughtful and meaningful intellectual contribution | ||
| Overall Contribution To Project | None | Minimum | Average | Above average | Wouldn't have been possible without her/him |
Rubric for Examination: Short answer questions (40%)
| Score / Criteria | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Content | Key points are clearly stated, explained, and well supported. | Key points are stated and supported. | Few Key points are addressed. Lack sufficient supports. | Key points are not clear. Question not properly answered. |
| Organization | Writing easy to follow. | Writing mostly clear. | Writing not very easy to follow. | Writing mostly unclear. |
| Writing | No errors in spelling, grammar, and sentence structure. | Few errors in spelling, grammar, and sentence structure. | Many errors in spelling, grammar, and sentence structure. | Full of errors in spelling, grammar, and sentence structure. |
As a result of this course, it is expected you will develop the following "big picture" attributes:
Develop critical thinking skills
Willingness to contribute to team outcomes
Self-discipline to read materials before coming to class
Willing to communicate ideas with peers
Willingness to take on leadership roles in Team-based Learning activities