MBG 309 - Methods Used in Molecular Biology I

This course aims to enable students to grasp the fundamental concepts and basic laboratory-based techniques of molecular biology; to learn the theoretical foundations of DNA and RNA isolation, PCR and qPCR techniques, gene expression analyses, and recombinant DNA technologies (restriction, ligation, and transformation); and to understand the applications of these methods in biological research.

This course provides an introduction to molecular biology and fundamental concepts, including the structure and properties of nucleic acids, the basic principles of DNA and RNA isolation, and various RNA isolation techniques. The working principles, application areas, and advantages of PCR and real-time PCR (qPCR) techniques are explained; and the fundamentals of gene expression analysis using the RT-PCR method are discussed. Furthermore, the basic applications of recombinant DNA technologies, including restriction enzymes, ligation, and transformation steps, are examined.