3 ECTS credits
90 h study time
Offer 1 with catalog number 4021496ENR for all students in the 2nd semester at a (E) Master - advanced level.
Antibodies have an exceptional competency to recognize specific molecules via their antigen-binding region. Therefore, they play an important role in cancer imaging and therapy. Indeed, antibody-based imaging can provide a sensitive way to non-invasively visualize, characterize and quantify molecular and cellular processes, and antibody-based therapies have proven to be successful alternatives to traditional cancer treatments. However, antibodies also have their shortcomings and limitations and are the subject of molecular engineering to generate more optimal compounds.
This course aims to provide an extensive overview of applications of antibodies and antibody-fragments in various applications of molecular imaging and targeted therapies. The core of this knowledge will be provided during a one-week intensive workshop where national and international experts will give an introduction of their respective research field during 1,5-2h lectures. The lectures will be supplemented with discussion fora that aim to dig deeper in particular research topics. The one-week workshop will be preceded by an introductory lecture and also a feedback session is foreseen.
This course aims to develop students into critical, self-sufficient and confident researchers by bringing them into contact and stimulating discussions with national and international researchers (peers and non-peers) who are active in the field on immuno-imaging and -therapy.
More in particular, the following topics will be provided:
The core of this course is a one-week workshop that consists of lectures and discussion fora. This workshop usually takes place in the last week of April at the Health Campus. A detailed program of the workshop, including the content and timing of the various lectures, and a biosketch of each lecturer will be provided beforehand. The presence at this workshop is obligatory.
In addition, a 3h introductory lecture (obligatory presence) will be given one week before the start of the workshop, and a 4h interactive session (optional presence) is foreseen one week after the workshop to provide feedback on the course content.
All lectures and hands-on sessions will be accompanied with powerpoint presentations: a printout of the handouts of these presentations will be provided before the start of the lectures. They will also be provided digitally by uploading them on the learning platform.
The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Other Exam determines 100% of the final mark.
Within the Other Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:
Students will be evaluated on 3 aspects: 1) active participation in the workshop; 2) presentation of a self-chosen scientific paper dealing with several aspects related to the course content; 3) knowledge of the course content. Students will not be scored for the correct use of the english language during the workshop, scientific presentation or oral examination.
1) 1/4 of the grading will depend on the course participant's active participation. The tutor who will be present during all workshop sessions will make this evaluation. The tutor will evaluate the ability of the student to ask critical questions, participate in discussions with peers and lecturers during lectures, hands-on sessions and a poster session (where non-VUB workshop participants present their personal research field).
2) 1/4 of the grading will depend on the presentation of a self-chosen scientific paper to the course lecturers. At least 3 workshop lecturers will be present during this presentation to participate in the evaluation. The student is asked to present in a short powerpoint presentation the key aspects of a scientific paper that involves topics that were discussed during at least two workshop lectures. The student will be graded on presentation skills, attitude, introduction of the topic, presentation layout, correctness of the presented data and interpretation of the conclusions
3) 1/2 of the grading will depend on the knowledge of the course content. This will be evaluated during an oral exam that will take place after the presentation of the self-chosen scientific paper. Again, at least 3 lecturers will participate in the evaluation, and a mean grading of all examinators will be calculated. The student will be examined on knowledge of the whole course content, not only on the topics that were presented in the self-chosen scientific publication.
This offer is part of the following study plans:
Master of Molecular Biology: Standaard traject