At the end of the course, the student should be able :
- to quickly understand the major mechanisms of gene expression in bacteria, as well as a few reference examples
- to understand structure and evolution of bacterial genomes
- to be able to understand new theories about early evolution of (bacterial) life on Earth
- to be able to get the main messages of experts presentations
The goal of the course is :
- to give an overview of gene expression in bacteria (transcription and translation)
- to allow the students to understand structure and evolution of bacterial genomes
- to familiarize the students with theories about the emergence of life on Earth
- to familiarize the students with seminars given by experts in the field
The course is divided in two parts. In the first part, an overview of gene expression with selected examples is provided, after which introduction to early evolution of life is discussed. In the second part, invited speakers give scientific seminars about their research topics, speakers may be different every year and could come from different countries.
1) Bacterial gene expression and genomics
2) Early evolution, from molecules to protocells
3) Presentations by external experts
4) Presentations of articles by the students to the students
The course is given as (1) regular courses, (2) scientific article readings and (3) seminars given by invited speakers.
The evaluation method will be explained during the first class. It is generally two parts:
- a summary for each invited lecture (or a subset, as may be specified by the teacher), and possibly an analysis of an article published by the guest. e
- presentation of an article in the field of bacterial genetics, and active participation in the presentation of articles by fellow students (questions/answers)
The presence of students at invited seminars is mandatory
Slides shown at the course as well as scientific articles cited during the course are available at the Webcampus website.