2025 (Current Year) Faculty Courses School of Life Science and Technology Creative process courses
Processes for creation in science and technology【School of Life Science and Technology】
- Academic unit or major
- Creative process courses
- Instructor(s)
- Yuki Yamaguchi / Hideki Taguchi / Hiroshi Kimura / Satoshi Murakami / Kohji Seio / Kiyohiko Kawai
- Class Format
- Lecture (Face-to-face)
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 5-6 Tue
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- XLS.P101
- Number of credits
- 100
- Course offered
- 2025
- Offered quarter
- 2Q
- Syllabus updated
- Mar 24, 2025
- Language
- Japanese
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
How the green fluorescent protein (GFP) emits light is discussed from multiple perspectives including physical chemistry, organic chemistry, and biochemistry to introduce the idea that structure makes function. Through active learning with the use of molecular models and tablet PCs, students are guided to an intuitive understanding of the flow of genetic information (the central dogma), protein structure and folding, the mechanism by which the chromophore emits fluorescence, the technology behind fluorescence microscopy, and so on, leading to a higher level of interest in life sciences and technology.
Course description and aims
At the end of this course, students will be able to
1) understand how GFP emits light from multiple perspectives including physical chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, and structural biology.
2) understand and explain, at a basic level, the structure of GFP that is critical for light emission, the flow of genetic information that makes the protein, and the technology behind fluorescence microscopy.
Keywords
Green fluorescent protein (GFP), the central dogma, protein folding, fluorescence microscopy
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
Both lecture and exercise are conducted in parallel. Students are asked to solve problems using molecular models, tablet PCs, and other tools in the course.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | How GFP Emits Light ＃1: The mechanism of fluorescence emission is explained at the atomic level, with a focus on various organic molecules found in nature. | Students must be able to explain the physicochemical mechanisms by which various organic molecules emit light. |
| Class 2 | How GFP Emits Light ＃2: The physicochemical properties of p-hydroxybenzylidene imidazolinone, the chromophore of GFP, are examined to explain precisely how GFP emits fluorescence. | Students must be able to describe the molecular structure of the GFP chromophore and explain the mechanism of fluorescence emission in detail. |
| Class 3 | Protein Structure Underlying Fluorescence Emission of GFP ＃1: The molecular structure of GFP is analyzed at the atomic level from the perspective of structural biology. | Students must be able to describe the key characteristics of the tertiary structure of GFP. |
| Class 4 | Protein Structure Underlying Fluorescence Emission of GFP ＃2: The process of protein folding, which enables the formation of a specific tertiary structure from a linear sequence, is explained using GFP as an example. | Students must be able to explain the process of protein folding using GFP as an example. |
| Class 5 | The Principle of Fluorescence Microscopy: The technological principles underlying the observation of fluorescence emitted from GFP and its variants are explained. | Students must be able to explain the principles of fluorescence microscopy. |
| Class 6 | How the Genetic Information of GFP is Replicated: The molecular basis of how the genetic information for GFP is securely stored in the cell nucleus and maintained across generations is explained. | Students must be able to explain the atomic-level structure of the DNA double helix and the molecular basis for its stability across generations. |
| Class 7 | Cell Biological Studies Using GFP: The use of GFP in visualizing gene expression patterns, protein subcellular localization, and biochemical processes within the cell is discussed. Various applications of GFP are presented. | Students must be able to provide examples of cell biological studies utilizing GFP. |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To promote effective learning, students must prepare and review according to the instructor's instructions.
Textbook(s)
None required.
Reference books, course materials, etc.
None required.
Evaluation methods and criteria
Grading is based on the quality of in-class assignments. There is no final exam. Full attendance is required.
Related courses
- ENT.B101(LAS.F101) ： Frontiers of science and technology
Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites.