Innovative Approaches in Metabolic Engineering

In this course unit, students work in groups to conduct a literature review on a selection of medicinal plants during tutored seminars in order to identify the plant’s biomolecules that may have biological or even pharmacological properties. Using documents provided to them, each group identifies, proposes, and implements—during laboratory sessions—an extraction protocol and a simple biological activity test protocol to assess the biostatic, antibiotic, or antioxidant activity of the targeted molecules. The literature review process, the results obtained during the practical sessions, and their analysis and interpretation will be discussed during a poster presentation session, which will be evaluated.

- Knowledge: understanding of plant secondary metabolites, their structure, and their biological activity

- Skills: Research and analyze bibliographic information; formulate a hypothesis; develop an experimental protocol to test a biological activity; implement the protocol; analyze and interpret the results; communicate the conclusions

- Interpersonal Skills: Working collaboratively in a group, presenting arguments, communicating

L2 Biology