Molecular Nutrition

BSc in any life science field. Advanced exchange students (from BSc programmes) with good knowledge on physiology, biochemistry or molecular biology are welcome.

Students learn the mechanisms of neuronal and hormonal control of digestive system, and how satiety, hunger and thirst are regulated. They get to know the specific features of brain energy supply and understand the consequences of biological rhythms on body metabolism. They learn how dietary fibers and the short chain fatty acids produced of them affect health employing the central signaling pathways of the microbiota-gut-brain axis. They understand the mechanisms how fructose and lipid-rich diets affect macrophages and lead to altered cholesterol and lipoprotein transport, and eventually cause atherosclerosis and fatty liver disease. They learn that the development of cardiovascular diseases can be influenced by choices of dietary fats. In addition to addressing humans and mammalian models, it is demonstrated that also aquatic organisms may suffer from insufficient quality of food. Students get the newest mechanistic insight how fatty acid-derived lipid mediators regulate physiology and modulate immune functions, and how nutrition affects non-coding RNA and thereby regulates metabolism, allowing to use non-coding RNA as therapeutics. The generic skills trained during this web course include fact-finding and processing, problem solving and analytical mechanistic thinking. In addition, students develop skills of writing short answers that encapsulate all the essential information from the scientific references.

All the study material (e.g., scientific articles, videos etc.) can be found in the Moodle area and its ThingLink environments.

Students accomplish in sequence several assignments in the Moodle area, and when passing one, the student is allowed to enter the following assignment. The course is passed when all the obligatory assignments are passed. The very final obligatory assignment is an oral exam in zoom.

Grading 3–5 is based on passing the web assignments of obligatory and optional levels. Passing all the obligatory quizzes and assignments provides the grade 3/5. Passing all the quizzes and assignments, obligatory and voluntary, provides the grade 5/5. The course is completed with an oral examination where student assignment answers are discussed (pass/needs updating before receiving the previously determined grade).

Primarily for master’s students in any life science field. Provided also for doctoral students in these fields. This course can be arranged in a different format and with different assessment method for open university students.

Course can be taken annually, and anytime during periods 1–4. Once students register in the Moodle area of the course, they can start to study.

English

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