HNE-34806 Applied Nutrigenomics

Course

Credits 6.00

Language of instruction:

English

Assumed knowledge on:

MIB-10306 Cell Biology 2; HNE-23306 Pharmacology and Nutrition.
Please ask your study coordinator whether your expectations will fit with the course objectives and whether your background knowledge is sufficient.

Continuation courses:

Thesis Nutrition, Metabolism and Genomics

Contents:

This course provides an in depth coverage of molecular nutrition in combination with applications of genomics technologies, focusing on the relevant examples of complex diseases relating to nutrition such as obesity, diabetes or metabolic syndrome. The students will be trained to dissect complex scientific problems in nutritional research into smaller feasible subprojects that can be studied efficiently with molecular nutrition and genomics tools. In addition, the impact of sensitizing genotypes for the understanding of complex diseases, the crosstalk between lipid and proinflammatory signaling, the design of dietary intervention studies for Nutrigenomics applications, the concept of challenge tests and early biomarkers, the impact of bioinformatics and data mining and potential future application such as personalized nutrition will be addressed.

Learning outcomes:

After successful completion of this course students are expected to:
- be able to understand the basics of genetics, genomics and gene regulation with relation to diet;
- be able to read and understand literature of the field (molecular nutrition and nutrigenomics);
- have good understanding of genomics technologies such as transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics and their applicability in nutrition research;
- have good understanding of the concepts of molecular nutrition research (signals and signaling pathways, dietary sensors (nuclear receptors);
- have good understanding of the concepts of nutrigenomics (dietary signatures, identification of very early biomarkers);
- have some basic understanding of epigenetics in relation to nutrition;
- have some understanding of the concepts of nutrigenetics (genetic susceptibility, SNPs, polygenic (complex) diseases, 'personalized' diet);
- be able to do a basic analyses of genomics data derived from nutrition studies (microarrays, bioinformatics, biostatistics, pathway reconstruction programs);
- be able to write and present a Nutrigenomics project proposal (team of students);
- be able to design a study, using human or animal models, in which Nutrigenomics is applied;
- have knowledge on the strengths and pitfalls of applying Nutrigenomic tools.

Activities:

To reach these objectives, the student will:
- prepare and follow lectures;
- follow the e-learning modules and solve the cases presented there;
- search the literature and the www (internet) and read and discuss relevant original research papers (group work), and prepare a presentation;
- discuss ideas and concepts with other students and coaches/teachers;
- write a nutrigenomics project proposal in a team effort;
- use the Blackboard site.

Examination:

- written open questions exam (50%);
- presence and participation laboratory practicals (20%);
- quality and presentation project proposal (group) (30%).

Literature:

Study material will be made available through Blackboard.