Molecular Pharmacology
Graduate School of Health and Medical Sciences at University of Copenhagen
This course is free of charge for PhD students at Danish universities (except Copenhagen Business School), and for PhD Students from NorDoc member faculties. All other participants must pay the course fee.
Anyone can apply for the course, but if you are not a PhD student at a Danish university, you will be placed on the waiting list until enrollment deadline. This also applies to PhD students from NorDoc member faculties. After the enrollment deadline, available seats will be allocated to applicants on the waiting list.
Learning objectives
A student who has met the objectives of the course will be able to:
1. Understand the principles and practical conditions underlying commonly used molecular pharmacological assays
2. Design and perform molecular pharmacological experiments using state-of-the-art methods
3. Analyze pharmacological data using the program GraphPad Prism
Content
Modern molecular pharmacology is characterized by the use of a broad variety of techniques in studies of receptor structure, function and pharmacology. In recent years increased focus has been on the use of fluorescent techniques to study signal transduction, activation mechanisms and trafficking. Another topic of current interest is the use of the increasing number of 3D structures and reliable models of receptors and transporters available to guide molecular pharmacological experiments, which have increased our understanding of the molecular basis for subtype selectivity, receptor activation and downstream signaling.
These topics will be covered during the course by lectures, practical exercises and workshops.
The lectures will cover:
• State of the art molecular pharmacological assays
• Theoretical background for the practical exercises
The practical exercises will cover:
• Pharmacological assays of G protein-coupled receptors and ligand-gated ion channels using e.g.:
- measurements of intracellular Ca2+ levels and membrane potential by fluorescence probes
- measurement of intracellular cAMP using time-resolved FRET and a FRET-based biosensor
- measurement of G-protein activation by a BRET assay
- measurement of receptor internalization by a SNAP-tag and FRET
- radioligand binding to receptors
- electrophysiological recordings in Xenopus oocytes using two-electrode voltage clamp
- high throughput electrophysiological recordings using the automated patch-clamp equipment Syncropatch384
- Quantitative evaluation of receptor mRNA expression by qPCR
The workshop will cover:
• Use of GraphPad Prism software to evaluate pharmacological data
Participants
PhD students working in the field of pharmacology or with some experience in this field.
Relevance to graduate programmes
The course is relevant to PhD students from the following graduate programmes at the Graduate School of Health and Medical Sciences, UCPH:
All graduate programmes
Language
English
Form
The course will be organised as an intensive 5-day course and will comprise approximately 21 hours of laboratory exercises, 3 workshop hours and 11 lectures covering current topics in molecular pharmacology. During the course it will be possible to discuss topics/problems in molecular pharmacology of special interest of the participants with the staff and fellow students.
Evaluation: A written report of the performed experiments will have to be submitted two weeks after the course. Furthermore, participants should have been present and demonstrated a satisfactory level of activity during 90 per cent of the course. A grade of passed/not passed will be given.
Experienced experimentalists from the Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen will supervise the lab-course. The participants will be supplied with study materials composed of notes and scientific publications.
Course director
Professor Anders A. Jensen (aaj@sund.ku.dk), Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, SUND, KU.
Teachers
Professor Anders A. Jensen
Professor Petrine Wellendorph
Associate Professor Jesper M. Mathiesen
Members of the Molecular Pharmacology Group and external researchers.
All at Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, SUND, KU
Dates
28 April – 2 May 2025
Course location
Molecular Pharmacology Group
Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology
University of Copenhagen
Pharma Science Building
Nørre Allé 69, 2nd floor
2100 Copenhagen Ø
Registration
Please register before 15 March 2025
Expected frequency
Yearly
Seats to PhD students from other Danish universities will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis and according to the applicable rules. Applications from other participants will be considered after the last day of enrolment.
Note: All applicants are asked to submit invoice details in case of no-show, late cancellation or obligation to pay the course fee (typically non-PhD students). If you are a PhD student, your participation in the course must be in agreement with your principal supervisor.