Job announcement: Substitute instructor for MSc course in Molecular Biology at INN The Department of Biotechnology at Inland Norway University of Applied Science (INN) is looking for postdoctoral candidates or Associate Professors who can cover instruction in our MSc course entitled Methods in Molecular Biology during January – mid-March 2024 (negotiable). Enrolment in this course for spring semester is expected to be 6-9 students.
The instruction involves 20 hours of lectures in the topics listed below, where all the PowerPoint presentations and previous exam questions will be made available. In addition to lecturing, authoring exam questions and grading exams are also tasks candidates will need to perform.
It should be noted that an additional 20 hours of lectures will be conducted by departmental academic staff member, Robert Wilson, who will also devise half of the exam questions which he will also grade.
In addition, there is a set of two laboratory exercises collectively spanning 6 days, but, if needed, the lab course can instead be assigned to PhD students who can serve as instructors. The lab manual will be provided; the first exercise involves RNA extraction from two Arabidopsis tissue samples (one untreated and one cold-treated), reverse transcription, quantitative PCR and data analysis. The second exercise involves In Fusion-based construction of an inducible, reporter gene construct for His-tagged recombinant protein expression in E. coli. Induced transformants will be analyzed by confocal microscopy. Lab instructors will be required to assess a preliminary laboratory report and a final submission report from each student on a passed/not passed basis. Candidates interested in this engagement are encouraged to contact Head of Department, Dr. Frøydis D. Myromslien (froydis.myromslien@inn.no; +47 957 88 918) for terms of employment and renumeration.
LECTURE TOPICS to be covered by the substitute instructor
Molecular cloning methods
- Traditional cloning § In Fusion Cloning
- Gateway cloning
- Golden Gate/Brain cloning and assembly
- TOPO cloning
- Weakness and strength of the methods
Analysis of RNA
- RT-qPCR (including various chemistries, data analysis, controls and interpretation of results)
- Northern Blotting (principle, usage today)
- RNA FISH (principle, usage)
- RNA sequencing (not how to generate the sequences, but methods for analyzing the data, including strengths and limitations)
Metaomics
- Case study approach
- 16S rDNA sequencing
- Meta-omics
- Meta-transcriptomics
Genome engineering
- Type of genome editing (knockouts, site[1]directed mutagenesis, transgenesis and cisgenesis, etc.)
- Selection of the appropriate gene editing technology
- CRISPR/Cas9 (including base-editing and prime-editing)
- CRISPR/Cas13 § CRISPR/Cas12
- Application of the CRISPR technology in agriculture and medicine (both treatment and diagnostics)
- Case study: how to perform a base[1]editing experiment in plants from A to Z
- RNAi (principles and vector design)
- Homologous recombination
Proteomics
- YH2
- 3D electrophoresis and DIGE
- Introduction to MS