Metabolism

Recommended Prerequisites

Biochemistry II.

Teaching Methods

The course unit  "Metabolism" is taught in a period of 3 weeks and includes theoretical (22 hours), theoretical-practical (10 hours) and practical classes (15 hours; groups of 10-13 students). Topics lectured in the morning theoretical classes are further discussed in theoretical-practical classes and the subject of analysis in the experimental work developed in practical classes. In the periods that students are not in classes they write a scientific project that is subject of evaluation in the 4th week. 

Learning Outcomes

The course unit “Metabolism” was developed towards granting the Biochemist, Biologist or graduated student in similar scientific areas, the capacity to look analytically at the metabolic pathways of an organism. A special emphasis is given to the structuring of a critical analysis of the metabolic pathway, not as an isolated process on itself, but in the context of whole body metabolism. The metabolic pathways, looked as being more than a complicated list of enzymes and intermediary metabolites, are explored in terms of their tissue specificity and their contribution to the generalized homeostasis, which is aimed in a functional organism. Throughout this curricular unit, several pathologies are looked in terms of their metabolic character, in search for its associated metabolic phenotype. A strong emphasis is also put into the development of analytical methodologies towards granting the Master in Biochemistry the capacity of innovating and solving metabolic problems. 

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

1. Brief introduction to central metabolic pathways;

2. Intermediary metabolism - intermediary metabolites of each metabolic pathway and monitoring possibilities;

3. Methodologies for evaluation of metabolic fluxes using stable isotopes (measurement of metabolic fluxes in steady state and non-steady state metabolic conditions);

4. Metabolic homeostasis carbohydrates;

5. Metabolic profiling (metabonomics) and evaluation of metabolic alterations associated with various diseases (Diabetes Mellitus I and II), hepatic and cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegenerative disorders.

6. Role of metabolic engineering in reversion of metabolic phenotypes - use of computational models for analysis of metabolic fluxes;

7. Clinical implementation of methodologies for evaluation of intermediary metabolism.

Head Lecturer(s)

Rui de Albuquerque Carvalho

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Frequency: 10.0%
Laboratory work or Field work: 15.0%
Project: 35.0%
Exam: 40.0%

Bibliography

Clinical diabetes research (2007). M. Roden, John Wiley & Sons.

Carbon-13 NMR spectroscopy of biological systems (1995). N. Beckmann. Academic Press.

Isotopic tracers in m etabolic research: principles and practice of kinetic analysis, 2nd edition (2005). R. Wolfe, John Wiley & Sons.

Metabolic engineering: principles and methodologies (1998). G. Stephanopoulos, A.A. Aristidou, J. Nielsen. Academic Press.

The handbook of metabonomics and metabolomics (2007). J.C. Lindon, E. Holmes, J. Nicholson, Elsevier.