After successful completion of the course, students are able to explain the basics of biochemistry, molecular biology, microbiology and bioprocess engineering and to apply them for the upcoming laboratory exercise. These basics include:

• Microbiology and cell biology: types of microorganisms (pro- and eukaryotes), their occurrence, properties, benefits, dangers, the basic requirements for microbiological work, transgenic organisms and DNA extraction.
• Molecular biology: Genotyping PCR, agarose electrophoresis, quantitative PCR, DNA sequencing.
• Cell factories: Recombinant protein production, biotechnological process, production organisms, gene expression, post-translational modifications, protein expression on E. coli, cloning and expression vectors, vector construction, insertion of a DNA fragment into a plasmid, transcriptional regulation.
• Fermentation: production organisms, risk groups, bacterial expression systems, basic principle of bioreactors, kinetics of growth: batch, fed-batch
• Protein purification and analysis: Downstreaming processing (DSP), design of DSP, influencing factors, cell separation (centrifugation, filtration), cell disruption, protein purification: chromatography; protein analysis: Protein content, enzyme activity and immunochemical methods.
• Enzyme kinetics: definition, properties, effect, structure (co-factor, co-enzyme), classification of enzymes; enzymatic reaction, enzyme kinetics (Michaelis Menten equation, Lineweaver Burk diagram and its further developments)

Introduction to the theoretical and practical basics of selected biochemical exercises on microbiology, cell biology, molecular biology, cell factories, fermentation, protein purification and analysis and enzyme kinetics.

Lecture with the possibility to ask questions, supported by slides provided in TISS and explanations on the blackboard. Furthermore, examples of exercises are calculated with the lecturers.

After the end of the seminar a written examination will be held. The exam lasts 90 minutes and consists of 8 tasks. These tasks are composed of:

• 8 questions distributed over the subject areas

A total of 8 points are awarded for the examination; ≥ 7 points correspond to "Sehr Gut", ≥ 6 points to "Gut", ≥ 5 points to "Befriedigend", ≥ 4 points to "Genügend" and less than 4 points to "Nicht Genügend", which means that the examination must be repeated.

Attendance and a positive exam on "Biochemistry 1" is highly recommended.