Pharmaceutical Biotechnology

Recommended Prerequisites

It is recommended that the students exhibit consolidated knowledge in the fields of Cellular and molecular biology, immunology, medical genetics, pharmacology, microbiology, physiopathology, pharmacokinetics and pharmaceutical technology. It is also recommended that the students reveal a certain degree of authonomy over the learning process as well as a certain degree of knowledge in english language and informatic tools.

Teaching Methods

Theoretical classes consists of classes of 90 min. It mainly consists of oral presentations supported by didatic midia. The diferente topics of the programme are frequently presented within the context of the most recente and relevant scietific discoveries in the field as well as with practical exemples of application at the therapeutic and diagnosis levels, with particular emphasis for the impact in the marlet.

Learning Outcomes

The main goal of this discipline is to provide knowledge on the new products, therapeutic and diagnosis strategies that emerge from the scientific advances on the field of Biotechnology, Genetic Engineering, Genomics and Proteomics as well from the New Drug Delivery Technologies.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

- Basic concepts in Molecular Biotechnology Recombinant DNA Technology: cloning, amplification and DNA sequencing
- Molecular Diagnosis: DNA probes, Genomics and proteomics
- Farmacogenomics: impact on the pharmaceutical activity
- Production of therapeutic agents: protein engineering, development, production and control
- Regulatory aspects and quality of biotechnology products: from conception to industrial production
- Patents in Biotechnology and biosimilars
- Monoclonal antibodies: modes of obtention and application in diagnosis and therapeutics
- Application of recombinant DNA technology on the design of novel molecular therapeutic strategies: gene and cell therapy
- Gene silencing applied to therapeutics
- Gene repair
- Nanotechnology approaches to promote the intracellular delivery of nucleic acids
- Clinical appication protocols
- Ethical and regulatory aspects associated to gene therapy.

Head Lecturer(s)

Sérgio Paulo Magalhães Simões

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Synthesis work: 10.0%
Project: 20.0%
Exam: 70.0%

Bibliography

Glick BR and Pasternak JJ, Molecular Biotechnology, Principles and Applications of Recombinant DNA (3rd edition), ASM Press, Washington, 2003.
Crommelin, D; Sindelar RD and Meibohn B, Pharmaceutical Biotechnology: Fundamentals and Applications, (Third Edition), Informa Healthcare, NY, USA, 2008.
Lima, N e Mota, M, Biotecnologia: Fundamentos e Aplicações, Lidel, Lisboa, 2003.
Ho, RJY and Gibaldi, M, Biotechnology and Biopharmaceuticals: Transforming proteins and genes into drugs. John,Wiley & Sons, Inc., New Jersey, 2003.
Videira, A, Engenharia genética. Princípios e Aplicações, Lidel, Lisboa, 2001.
Strachan, T and Read, A, Human Molecular Genetics 3, Garland Science, Taylor and Francis, London, 2003.
Klug, WS and Cummings MR, Concepts of Genetics 6th Ed. Prentice Hall, Inc., New Jersey, 2000
Templeton, N and Lasic, D, Gene therapy. Therapeutic mechanisms and strategies, Marcel Dekker, New York, 2000.
Sreenivasulu, NS and Raju CB, Biotechnology and patent law, Ahmedabad, 2008.