Applied Biotechnology Course

Lesson 1 • Cell Biology Essentials for Biotech

Covers prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell structure, organelle functions, and membrane dynamics. Provides the cellular framework needed to understand genetic and protein engineering.

Lesson 2 • Genetics and Heredity Principles

Reviews Mendelian inheritance, mutation types, and gene expression regulation. Establishes the genetic logic behind trait manipulation and selective breeding strategies.

Lesson 3 • Biochemistry of Proteins and Enzymes

Introduces amino acid chemistry, protein folding, and enzyme kinetics. Enzyme behaviour is critical for designing biocatalytic and diagnostic biotech processes.

Lesson 4 • Overview of Biotechnology Sectors

Maps the major industry sectors—medical, agricultural, industrial, and environmental—and their interdependencies. Contextualises subsequent chapters within real-world application domains.

Lesson 1 • Cell Culture and Maintenance

Introduces aseptic technique, media formulation, and passaging of mammalian and microbial cultures. Healthy cell cultures are essential for expression systems and drug testing.

Lesson 2 • Nucleic Acid Extraction and Quantification

Teaches DNA and RNA isolation protocols, purity assessment, and quantification methods. Accurate nucleic acid preparation is prerequisite to all downstream molecular techniques.

Lesson 3 • Microscopy and Imaging Methods

Surveys light, fluorescence, and electron microscopy principles and sample preparation. Imaging validates cellular phenotypes and localises proteins in biotech research.

Lesson 4 • Polymerase Chain Reaction Techniques

Covers PCR design, thermal cycling parameters, and variant methods including RT-PCR and qPCR. PCR underpins gene cloning, diagnostics, and expression analysis throughout the course.

Lesson 1 • Protein Purification and Characterisation

Covers affinity, ion-exchange, and size-exclusion chromatography, plus activity and purity assays. Purified, characterised proteins are required for therapeutic and industrial applications.

Lesson 2 • Transformation and Transfection Methods

Teaches chemical, electroporation, and viral delivery of DNA into bacterial and eukaryotic hosts. Efficient delivery is critical for generating stable or transient expression systems.

Lesson 3 • Expression Systems for Recombinant Proteins

Compares bacterial, yeast, insect, and mammalian expression platforms for yield and post-translational modification. Platform selection directly impacts protein function and downstream purification.

Lesson 4 • Restriction Enzymes and DNA Ligation

Explains restriction enzyme recognition, cutting patterns, and compatible-end ligation. These are the foundational cutting-and-joining operations in classical cloning workflows.

Lesson 1 • Metagenomics and Environmental Sequencing

Introduces shotgun metagenomics, 16S rRNA profiling, and microbiome data interpretation. Environmental sequencing expands biotech applications to uncultured microbial communities.

Lesson 2 • Next-Generation Sequencing Platforms

Surveys short-read and long-read NGS technologies, library preparation, and sequencing chemistry. Understanding platform trade-offs guides experimental design for genomic studies.

Lesson 3 • Genome Assembly and Annotation

Covers de novo and reference-guided assembly algorithms, quality metrics, and gene annotation pipelines. Assembled genomes enable identification of genes and regulatory elements.

Lesson 4 • Sanger Sequencing and Its Applications

Explains dideoxy chain-termination chemistry, capillary electrophoresis, and sequence verification. Sanger sequencing remains the gold standard for validating cloned constructs.

Lesson 1 • Editing Validation and Safety Assessment

Teaches T7E1 assay, Sanger sequencing, and deep sequencing for on- and off-target verification. Rigorous validation is mandatory before therapeutic or commercial deployment of edited cells.

Lesson 2 • Advanced CRISPR Variants and Tools

Covers base editing, prime editing, CRISPRi, and CRISPRa for precise or regulatory modifications. These variants extend editing capabilities beyond simple knockout applications.

Lesson 3 • Zinc Finger Nucleases and TALENs

Describes protein-based editing platforms, their modular design, and comparison with CRISPR. Historical context and specificity profiles inform platform selection for sensitive applications.

Lesson 4 • CRISPR-Cas9 System Mechanics

Explains guide RNA design, Cas9 nuclease activity, and DNA repair pathway outcomes. Mechanistic understanding is essential for predicting editing efficiency and off-target effects.

Lesson 1 • Monoclonal Antibody Production

Explains hybridoma technology, phage display, and humanisation strategies for therapeutic antibodies. Monoclonal antibodies are the largest class of approved biopharmaceuticals.

Lesson 2 • Downstream Processing and Formulation

Teaches capture chromatography, viral inactivation, filtration, and drug substance formulation. Downstream steps ensure purity, safety, and stability of the final biologic product.

Lesson 3 • Preclinical and Clinical Development Stages

Outlines in vitro and in vivo preclinical testing, IND filing concepts, and clinical trial phases. Understanding the development pipeline prepares students for regulatory and strategic decisions.

Lesson 4 • Upstream Bioprocessing

Covers cell line development, bioreactor design, and fed-batch culture optimisation for biologics production. Upstream process parameters directly determine yield and product quality.

Lesson 1 • Genome Editing in Plants

Applies CRISPR and other editing tools to plant genomes for precise trait modification. Plant editing accelerates breeding timelines compared to conventional mutagenesis approaches.

Lesson 2 • Food Safety and Detection Methods

Covers PCR-based GMO detection, allergen testing, and pathogen identification in food matrices. Robust detection methods support regulatory compliance and consumer safety assurance.

Lesson 3 • Microbial Fermentation in Food Production

Examines starter cultures, metabolic engineering of fermentation organisms, and process control. Fermentation underpins production of dairy, beverages, amino acids, and food additives.

Lesson 4 • Biopesticides and Biofertilisers

Introduces microbial and protein-based pest control agents and nitrogen-fixing biofertilisers. These biotech products reduce chemical inputs and support sustainable agriculture.

Lesson 1 • Enzyme Engineering for Industrial Use

Covers directed evolution, rational design, and immobilisation of industrial enzymes. Engineered enzymes enable efficient, selective catalysis under harsh industrial process conditions.

Lesson 2 • Biosensors and Environmental Monitoring

Introduces electrochemical, optical, and whole-cell biosensor designs for pollutant detection. Biosensors provide real-time, field-deployable monitoring of environmental contaminants.

Lesson 3 • Biofuel and Renewable Chemical Production

Examines lignocellulosic biomass deconstruction, microbial conversion, and metabolic engineering for biofuels. Biofuel bioprocesses reduce dependence on fossil-derived energy and chemicals.

Lesson 4 • Bioremediation of Contaminated Environments

Teaches microbial degradation pathways for hydrocarbons, heavy metals, and persistent pollutants. Bioremediation offers cost-effective, sustainable cleanup of industrial contamination sites.