Department of… Welcome Students of Faculty…

Students of Faculty Bioscience

Office hours for students

every Friday:

11-13 a.m. UFK, Voss-strasse 9, Building 4255)

(the best way to get to my office and lab is by bicycle or by tram with tram stop at Thibautstrasse/Bergheimerstrasse)

 

List of seminars

During the semesters, students of the study disciplines molecular biology, cell biology and biochemistry are offered the following seminars :

  • Molecular Reproductive Biology
  • Molecular Medicine and Human Genomics- Practical and ethical aspects in opposition ?

The (B)ioethics seminar is also open to participants from other study subjects, such as medicine, philosophy and theology.

Short descriptions of the contents:

Molecular Reproductionbiology (A)

 

University Women hospital: Room 230 in building 4210, 2nd floor; Thibautstrasse 1

Lectureres: PD Dr. rer. nat. P.H. Vogt and PD Dr. med. M. von Wolff

 

 

Preconditions to take part in this seminar is a profound knowledge in molecular and cellular Human Biology with a special interest in studying the genetic networks controlling human reproduction, Successful participation in the HP-E1/E2 courses and at least one HP-F or HP- L course is strongly recommended.

 

In this bloc seminar we will focus on specific genetic aspects of molecular reproductive biology in human and primates. Each student will contribute to a current overview of this now quickly expanding research field with a short report, which she/he will prepare after reviewing the literature of a given subchapter listed below.

 

  • Evolution and Reproduction of the primates
    • Cellbiology (1 student)
    • Moleculargenetics (1 student)
  • Implantation and early embryogenesis
    • Implantation (1 student)
    • Embryo (1 student)
  • Chromosomae anomalies and reproductiongenetics
    • (1-student)
  • Molecular Genetics
    1. CBAVD (1 student)
    2. Androgenreceptor (1 student)
    3. AZF and Y chromosome (1 student)
  • Germ cell-Diagnostics and Pre-implantationdiagnostics (PID)
    • Germ cells (1 student)
    • PID (1 student)
  • Reproduction and polymorphic human genome
    • Genetic Fitness & Load (1 student)
  • Stemcell research with human cell-lines
    • ES cell line differentiation (1 student)
  • Imprinting: Epigenetics in Germ cells and Soma cells
    • DNA methylation (1 student)
    • Histon code (1 student)

 

All participants of this seminar are also invited to have a practical IVF-day in our department.

 

Literature

Lodish H. et al. "Molecular Cell Biology", Freeman & Co.

Alberts B. et al. " Molecular Biology of the Cell"

Homepage of Section Molecular Genetics & Infertility at the department 4.2 of the University Women hospital.

 


 

Molecular Medicine and Humangenomics: Practical and ethical aspects in opposition ? (B)

 

Aims and content of this seminar

The knowledge of the complete human genome sequence has provided us with a series of novel molecular tools for the analysis of genetically based human diseases and of so called predispositions for complex diseases probably linked to specific DNA haplotypes (SNPs). This progress will not only revolutionize clinical diagnosis and therapy (Molecular Medicine) but will also become rapidly a challenge with regard to our ethical responsibilities in this matter.

In this seminar we will train ourselves to apply and distinguish ethical arguments for or against the use of molecular genetic tools diagnosing single gene defects, respectively, for or against the use of screening tools diagnosing complete human populations for genetic predispositions to certain genetic diseases.

A focus is placed on the genetic aspects of human reproduction where we will collect ethical arguments - pro and contra - the use of germ cell diagnosis and pre-implantation diagnosis (PID) in the context of applying assisted fertilization protocols with single sperms (ICSI) in the clinic.

Thereby we will try to find out, how, whether and when our ethical responsibilities are dependent on political arguments or on the given laws of our country, or simply on our own vision of moral handling.

 

For this seminar each student will get a detailed handout for background information and extensive preparation 4 weeks before the start of this seminar(costs: 5€). In this way the students will have the opportunity to start the seminar immediately with a broad discussion on the different topics.

 

All participants of this seminar are also invited to have a practical IVF-day in our department.

 

Practical courses

In the context of the biology studies at our University, an E1- and an F- practical course is offered during the semester, plus research courses (HP-L) in my lab throughout the year.

 

HP-E1: Methods of Molecular Biology (nucleic acids)

together with Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Just (BZH, INF328)

each winter semester in the last quarter

 

HP-F: Genetics of higher organisms

together with Prof. Dr. Werner Buselmaier (Landfriedh.)

in the last quarter of each semester

 

HP-L: Molecular genetics and human fertility disorders

 

Conditions for starting the lab course are a basic knowledge in human molecular and cell biology, the E1 and E2 practicals and completion of at least one HP-F course in molecular cell biology. During the research course, the student will learn how to successfully work on a small research project in the field of "Molecular Reproductive Genetics". The project may be in the field of basic research in spermatogenesis and folliculogenesis in humans and primates or of applied research using molecular-genetic diagnostic tools for patients of our infertility clinic.

 

As part of this research course it is also possible to participate in an experiment of artificial fertilisation with human oocytes and spermatocytes and to gain a comprehensive overview over modern techniques in reproductive medicine and germ cell diagnosis.

Further information: http://www.zmbh.uni-heidelberg.de/mcb/Brochure/Vogt.pdf

 

Master (Diploma) theses and Ph. D. theses

For biology students, it is also possible to prepare a master (Diploma) or Ph. D. thesis in my working group in the field of

Molecular reproductive biology of humans and primates

 

which will be supervised by me personally and also officially at the Faculty of Bioscience of our University.

 

Attention:

As my lab has only a limited number of places for thesis-related work and in view of the rising interest in this research field, early enrolment in the usual office hours would be very welcome.

 

MCB-students

All seminars offered for students in Biology with the Diploma degree are also offered for students of the Master course in the MCB graduate program.

The teaching language can be English or German or both depending on the students in the auditorium. The content of the seminars is described above.

 

In the Wintersemesters there will be also offered a:

 

Tutorial in "Molecular Biology"

in the month of January on two Mondays from 8.15-9.45 a.m.

For further information see MCB-handbook.

 

Master thesis

There is also the possibility to prepare a thesis in my research group for getting the MASTER degree.

Since I have only a limited number of lab space and because of an increasing interest in the research on human germ cells and early embryogenesis it is recommended to meet me in the student hours of my office for an appointment as soon as possible.

For further information see the content of my main homepage and the papers in the attachment

 

Peter H. Vogt

Section Molecular Genetics and Infertility