Molecular Diagnostics (Graduate Certificate)

Basic concepts of molecular pathology and clinical diagnostics including nucleic acids, DNA replication, transcription, proteins, mutations and chromosome changes that underlie inherited and acquired/infectious disease, inheritance patterns and genetics as applied to oncology, cardiac disease and organ transplants. Covers emerging molecular/ cytologic/histologic methods (amplification, hybridization and micoarrays) to detect disease markers, monitor therapy and assess identity; pharmacogenomics and legal/ethical issues of genetic testing. Prerequisites: permission of instructor.

Course includes hands-on experience with or discussion of diagnostics instrumentation and assays using nucleic acid and protein extraction, gel electrophoresis, hybridization techniques, standard and real time polymerase chain reaction PCR), reverse transcription, DNA sequencing, autoradiography, flow cytometry, microarrays and proteomics-based methods. Pre- or corequisite: MDTS 500 or permission of instructor.

Emphasis of this course will be on primer design for PCR, advanced real time PCR, cycle sequencing, capillary electrophoresis (CE) as applied to DNA sequencing, analysis of SNPS (single nucleotide polymorphisms), microsatellite instability, microarray technology and detection of methicillin-resistant bacteria. Prerequisites: MDTS 500, MDTS 501 or permission of instructor. Pre- or corequisites: MDTS 600.