Course syllabus

Course-PM

TRA345 Advances in bioimaging for next generation drug delivery lp4 VT24 (7.5 hp)

Course is offered by the department of Tracks

 

Contact details

Examiner

HJ: Hana Jungová (hana.jungova@chalmers.se) 

FH: Fredrik Höök (fredrik.hook@chalmers.se) 

Teachers:

HJ: Hana Jungová (hana.jungova@chalmers.se)

FH: Fredrik Höök (fredrik.hook@chalmers.se) 

DM: Daniel Midtvedt (dmidtvedt@gmail.com) 

MH: Margaret Holme (holmema@chalmers.se)

MW: Marcus Wilhelmsson (marcus.wilhelmsson@chalmers.se)

Guest Lecturers:

RC: Rafael Camacho. Rafael works at the Centre for Cellular Imaging (CCI) - the national core facility that integrates both light and electron microscopy. His area of expertise are light microscopy, super-resolution microscopy, single molecule localization microscopy and image analysis.

TBA

 

Course purpose

The course aims to provide an in-depth knowledge of bioimaging settings used in drug design and delivery. The students will have the possibility to work jointly across discipline borders to solve practical challenges based on contemporary research.

The course is part of the theme Emerging technologies - from science to innovation in TRACKS educational initiative on Chalmers. It is not included in any educational program and/or department but is suitable as an elective course.

Course design

This course offers a comprehensive overview of nanoscale drug development, bioimaging, and microscopy techniques through lectures, including specialized topics and guest lectures from industry experts. Students engage in practical labs and workshops for hands-on experience and participate in a Journal Club to develop critical analysis skills of scientific literature. The course includes a collaborative project proposal component, allowing students to explore a topic of interest in depth, culminating in a presentation to peers and mentors.

Lectures: The initial segment of this course is dedicated to lectures that will equip you with an understanding of the fundamental concepts in nanoscale drug development, bioimaging, and essential microscopy techniques. This foundational phase is concluded with a non-graded Midterm Discussion, where we meet in small groups to recapitulate the topics covered and address any uncertainties. The second half of the course introduces specialized lectures on particular topics alongside guest presentations. Professionals from Chalmers and Astra Zeneca will share insights from their research, which presents a unique opportunity to engage with experts from industry and academia and ask about areas of personal interest.

Journal club: This component provides you with the necessary skills to efficiently access and read scientific literature. You will engage in the critical examination of two scientific papers that align with the course's subject matter. These discussions will take place over two sessions, each dedicated to one paper.

Labs, workshops and site visits: To complement the theoretical knowledge gained from lectures, this course offers practical experiences through laboratory sessions, workshops, and site visits. You will have hands-on opportunities to apply the principles discussed in class. Activities include creating lipid nanoparticles, characterizing their sizes, and exploring modern image processing techniques.

Project Proposal: In the first half of the course, you will form small groups based on your backgrounds and interests and choose a project proposal topic. This project, which spans the second half of the course, allows you to dive deeper into a subject of your choice and collaborate with peers with diverse skill sets. Your proposals are encouraged to be imaginative, outlining potential avenues for future research. Each group will be mentored by an instructor who will provide guidance and support throughout the project's duration. The project will be concluded by a presentation during the final week of the course.

Learning outcomes

General Learning Outcomes (all TRACKS courses):

• be able to critically and creatively identify and formulate advanced architectural or engineering problems
• be able to master problems with open solutions spaces which includes to be able to handle uncertainties and limited information.
• be able to lead and participate in the development of new products, processes and systems using a holistic approach by following a design process and/or a systematic development process.
• be able to work in multidisciplinary teams and collaborate in teams with different compositions
• show insights about cultural/ethnic differences and to be able to work sensitively with them.
• show insights about and deal with the impact of architecture or engineering solutions in a global, economic, environment and societal context.
• be able to identify ethical aspects and discuss and judge their consequences in relation to the specific problem
• be able to orally and in writing explain and discuss information, problems, methods, design/development processes and solutions
• fulfill project specific learning outcomes

 

Specific Learning Outcomes 

After completing the course, the student should be able to

• Understand the fundamental principles of nanoscale drug development and bioimaging, along with the essential microscopy techniques used in the field.
• Analyze and critically evaluate scientific literature within the context of nanotechnology, drug delivery and bioimaging.
• Apply theoretical knowledge in practical settings, through hands-on laboratory sessions and workshops.
• Engage in collaborative project work, demonstrating the ability to work effectively within diverse teams towards a common research goal.
• Develop and present a research proposal in a clear and coherent manner, both orally and in writing.

 

Examination form

To pass the course, you have to participate in the lectures (>80% presence) and in project work, journal club and oral exam. Final grades will be awarded through combination of, journal club (25%), project work (50%) and oral exam (25%).

 

Schedule

TimeEdit

Date	Time	Place (prel)	Topic	Lecturer
Mon 18/3	13:15 – 17	FL52	Course introduction	HJ
			Facts of life	FH
			Introduction to Nanomedicine	HJ
Thu 21/3	9 - 11:45	FL52	Virus infection, immunology and vaccine design	FH
			Design of nanocarriers - introduction	MH
Fri 22/3	15:15-17	FL52	Introduction to journal club 1	HJ
			Bio-imaging - introduction	HJ
Mon 25/3	13:15-17	Raven&Fox	Bioimaging 1, 2	HJ
			Introduction to the proposal writing
Mon 8/4	13:15 – 17:00		LAB - Preparation of LNPs
Wed 10/4	DEADLINE Paper review 1	Canvas
Thu 11/4	8 - 11:45		LAB - Characterization of LNPs
Mon 15/4	13:15-17	Raven&Fox	Surface-sensitive techniques, Journal club	HJ
Thu 18/4	9 - 11:45	Raven&Fox	Design of nanocarriers: Lipid nanoparticles	MH
Fri 19/4	15:15 - 17	Raven&Fox	Design of fluorescent probes	MW
Mon 22/4	13:15 - 17	CCI	Super-resolution techniques; Site visit to CCI	RC
Wed 24/4	DEADLINE Paper review 2	Canvas
Thu 25/4	9 - 11:45	SB3-S37	Processing and analyzing microscope images, theory and practice	DM
Fri 26/4	15:15 - 17	Raven&Fox	Journal Club 2	HJ
Mon 29/4	13:15 - 17	Fysikgränd 3, 6th floor	Midterm discussions; Proposal discussions	HJ, FH
Thu 2/5	9 - 11:45	Raven&Fox	Design of nanocarriers: Lipid nanoparticles	MH
Mon 6/5	Morning	Mölndal	Site visit to Astra Zeneca	MH
Mon 6/5	DEADLINE Proposal - submission 1
Mon 13/5	13:15 - 17	Vasa 6	Entrepreneurship / company presentations (Nanolyze, LanteRNA)
Wed 15/5	DEADLINE Proposal - peer review	Canvas
Thu 16/5	10 - 11:45	Raven&Fox	Guest lecture: Sabrina Leslie, UBC, Vancouver
Mon 20/5	14 - 17	PJ-salen	Guest lectures / Alexandra Stubelius (Chalmers) / Anders Wittrup (Lund) / Lennart Lindfors (Astra Zeneca)
Thu 23/5	9 - 11:45	Raven&Fox	Project presentations	FH & HJ
Sun 26/5	DEADLINE Proposal - final submission	Canvas
Week 27/5 - 31/5			Individual oral exam (1h times #students)	FH & HJ

 

Course literature

Lecture notes. Reading will be specified for each lecture individually.