Biotechnologies: Experimental Models in Research

Unit 1: Cell culture
Lectures
Design and equipment for a cell culture laboratory (2 hours)
Cell Culture - basic principles (main types of cell culture; the cell environment; techniques for cell culture (4 hour)
Cell culture models in animal nutrition (6 hours)
Exercises: classroom and laboratory work
Quality control (2 hours)
Preparation and storage of culture media (2 hours)
Protocols for cell quantification and viability (4 hours)
Cryopreservation and storage of cell culture (6 hours)
Cytotoxicity and viability assay (6 hours)
Culturing and subculturing cells (6 hours)
Cell culture: problem solving (team work) (2 hours)
Journal club (6 hours)
Critically evaluation of recent articles in scientific literature (team work) (2 hours)

Unit 2: Alternative methods in Toxicology
Lectures
Toxicology, Alternative Methods and 3Rs Replace, Refine, Reduce (2 hours)
Alternative Methods and Validation (2 hours)
Replacement: validated in vitro test (4 hours)
Integrating Testing Strategy (1 hour)
Skin sensitization (2 hours)
Endocrine disruptor and alternative methods (1 hour)
Carcinogenesis (2 hours)
Reproductive Toxicology and Alternative methods (2 hours)
Botulin Toxin and 3Rs (2 hours)
Laboratory activity
In vitro markers in toxicity testing (6 hours)
In silico methods (4 hours)
ITS, Integrating Testing Strategy examples (2 hours)

Unit 3: Wellbeing and care of laboratory animals
Lectures:
Welfare and behaviour of laboratory animals (2 hours)
Husbandry and breeding of transgenic Rodents (2 hours)
Husbandry and breeding of Zebrafish (Danio rerio) (2 hours)
Husbandry and breeding of African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis) (2 hours)
Husbandry and breeding of rabbit (2 hours)
Fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) as animal model (2 hours)
Practical experiences:
Research facilities visit (6 hours)
Laboratory animals breeding facility visit (6 hours)