AGRI302135 Molecular genetics of filamentous fungi - advanced course

Type
Lecture and exercise
Semester hours
2
Lecturer (assistant)
Zehetbauer, Franz , Svoboda, Thomas
Organisation
Microbial Genetics
Offered in
Sommersemester 2026
Languages of instruction
Englisch, Deutsch
Content

Elective Course for Masters in biotechnology and free elective course for other BOKU Master studies, especially in the fields of agricultural sciences, food sciences, forestry sciences and BOKU Doctoral Studies

Content:
The laboratory course „Molecular genetics and genomics of hyphal fungi – advanced course“ features education on [1] the determination of the localization of a tagged protein using confocal microscopy and [2] the confirmation of sgRNA dependent binding of dead Cas (dCas) at a defined locus by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and qPCR..

Detailed description:
[1.] Confocal Microscopy: In this exercise confocal microscopy of Aspergillus nidulans will be done. This strain contains a gene (AflR), which is coupled to GFP which plays a crucial role in sterigmatocystin biosynthesis, of which the localization will be determined.

[2] Determination of localization of Cas: 2 Aspergillus nidulans strains (with and without sgRNA) will be cultivated followed by chromatin immunoprecipitation. In the next step the localization of dCas at the desired locus will be determined by qPCR.
Previous knowledge expected

Education in microbiological and molecular biological techniques Solid knowledge of molecular genetics and participation of the basic course VU „Molecular genetics and genomics of hyphal fungi – basic course“ in the winter semester
Objective (expected results of study and acquired competences)

Students gain insights into the theoretical background and experimental methods of molecular genetic analyses and fungal strain improvements. A deeper insight into novel CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing technology will be featured and practical experience will be gained. Environmental pollution with hormones and endocrine disruptors will be deeply discussed and a fungal bioreporter will be employed practically in the lab to detect these substances.
You can find more details like the schedule or information about exams on the course-page in BOKUonline.