Teaching

ALS 320: Medical Diagnostics

MBS program, first year, 1 semester course

Instructors:
Angelika Niemz (coordinator), Jim Sterling, Ali Nadim, Gail Baura, Anna Hickerson, Robert Doebler

Course Overview and Goals:
This course provides an overview of the in vitro diagnostics industry and will enable students to acquire the basic knowledge and skills needed to understand and ultimately design diagnostic assays and devices. Students will become familiar with the fundamentals of biomolecular recognition, assay development, engineering design, artifact fabrication, optics, fluid mechanics, laboratory automation and with the regulatory framework for medical devices.

The in vitro diagnostics industry focuses on developing methods for the screening, diagnosis and monitoring of human diseases based on identification and quantification of small molecules, proteins, oligonucleotides, or of cells and tissues of a certain phenotype. Related assays and instrumentation are also applied in fundamental research, drug discovery and development, and in quality control of biologics. Developing diagnostic assays, instrumentation and devices requires input from many disciplines such as biochemistry, molecular biology, engineering, physics and computer science.

ALS 408: Advanced In Vitro Diagnostics

MBS program, second year, 1/2 semester course

Instructors:
Angelika Niemz

Course Overview and Goals:
This course covers current trends and recent technology developments of the in vitro diagnostics industry. We will discuss selected topics in emerging, high impact, and high growth rate areas. Students will acquire an overview of novel assay formats, detection principles, instrumentation, and data analysis tools, and will learn to critically evaluate the utility of different diagnostic assays and devices for specific clinical applications. The course consists of lectures supplemented by assigned readings, computer exercises, student presentations, and two labs.

ALS 409: High Throughput Technologies for Drug Discovery

MBS program, second year, 1/2 semester course

Instructors:
Angelika Niemz

Course Overview and Goals:
The goal of this course is for students to acquire an understanding of small molecule drug discovery in the pharmaceutical industry involving high throughput technologies. After recapitulating fundamental concepts of drug target identification and the mechanisms of drug action, we will discuss the design and synthesis of compound libraries, high throughput as well as high content (i.e. cell-based) screening, QSAR and lead compound optimization, structural genomics, and rational drug design. The course consists of lectures supplemented by assigned readings, computer exercises, in addition to student presentations. The course includes one wet lab utilizing KGI’s BioMek FX liquid handler to conduct an enzyme kinetics and inhibition experiment plus a mock “high throughput” screen.

Former Courses

Module 2.1: Molecular Interactions, Recognition, and Transport
Thermodynamics of Biomolecular Interactions

Module 2.3: Enzymatic Control
Enzyme Kinetics, Inhibition and Regulation

Biochemistry Ramp-up Course