Faculty of Science

GPCR Structure - Function: Suitable Methods and Tools
Provider: Department of Chemistry

Activity no.: 5788-25-10-10
	Enrollment deadline: 30/04/2025

Place

Frederiksberg Campus
Bülowsvej 17, 1870 Frederiksberg C

Date and time

02.06.2025, at: 00:00 - 11.06.2025, at: 00:00

Regular seats

ECTS credits

2.50

Contact person

Karen Laurence Martinez E-mail address: martinez@chem.ku.dk

Enrolment Handling/Course Organiser

Karen Laurence Martinez E-mail address: martinez@chem.ku.dk

Written language

English

Teaching language

English

Exam requirements

You will have to present a poster during Day 5. Some abstracts will be submitted for oral presentations during Day 3. Deadline for abstracts (1 page max): 23/05/2025

Grading scale

Approved / Not approved

Criteria for exam assessment

Active particpation during the course

Course workload

Course workload category	Hours
Preparation	35.00
Lectures	34.00

Sum	69.00

Enrolment guidelines

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) represent the largest family of membrane proteins. They are involved in most physiological processes and are involved in numerous pathologies, which makes them highly relevant drug targets. Understanding GPCR signaling requires a multidisciplinary approach combining methods and techniques to investigate the structure and function of GPCRs, both in cells and in purified samples

The course will give an overview of our current knowledge about GPCR structure and function, with introductions to the methods and tools used today.
Four topics will be covered with introductory lectures and presentations of state-of-the-art knowledge:

• GPCR biochemistry: from heterologous expression to GPCR reconstitution in artificial systems
• GPCR structure at the molecular level: Xray crystallography and CryoEM
• GPCR function in cells: from cell-based assays in bulk to single molecule studies in cells
• New molecules for GPCRs: ligands and biosensors

During the course, you will meet international speakers in the field, and hear about GPCR investigation in the Pharmaceutical industry.

Learning outcome

Knowledge:
• Standard cell-based assays used to study GPCR signaling
• Principles of techniques used today to determine GPCR structure and GPCR function
• State-of-the-art understanding of GPCR structure/Function

Skills:
• select suitable techniques and methods to address a specific question about GPCR signaling
• Analyze and interpret results in scientific publications related to the topic of the course

Competences:
• critical assessment of the pros and cons of the method used in publications in the field (e.g. cell-based assays, detection method, etc)
• The design of experimental procedures

Target group

The course is a multidisciplinary course.
It aims at providing an overview of the methods and tools used for the investigation of GPCR structure and function.

It will be suitable for students having a background:
• in biology willing to learn about the biophysical approaches to investigate GPCRs.
• in chemistry and physics willing to learn more about GPCRs

Relevant MSc educations at SCIENCE:
• Biochemistry
• Biology
• Biotechnology
• Bioinformatics
• Computer Science
• Physics
• Nanoscience
• Chemistry
• Molecular Biomedicine
• Medicinal Chemistry

Recommended Academic Qualifications:
The participants should have some basic knowledge in biochemistry (eg. introductory courses in biochemistry).

Teaching and learning methods

The course will consist of lectures and workshops, during which participants will learn about our current understanding of GPCR structure and function, and get introduction about the method and techniques used.
- 3 days lectures with active participation
- ½ workshop “Meet the Pharma”
- ½ day Virtual Reality workshop
- 1 day Symposium with international guests speakers

They will also provide space where students can present their own research and course participants will be expected to contribute actively.

Lecturers

From University of Copenhagen

- Prof Trond Ulven
- Prof. Mette Rosenkilde
- Associate Pr. Martin Gustavsson
- Assistant Pr. Signe Mathiassen
- Associate Pr. Henriette Autzen
- Associate Pr. Karen Martinez

The course will include several international guests lecturers (one day Symposium):
- Brian Kobilka, Professor of Molecular & Cellular Physiology at Stanford University, Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry 2012
- Jin Zhang, Professor University of California
- Annette Beck-Sickinger, Professor University of Leipzig

Remarks

The course is co-organized with ISBUC. (https://isbuc.ku.dk/).

It will be concomitant to the international conference “Chemical Solutions for Structural Biology”, coorganized with Pr Morten Meldal https://isbuc.ku.dk/chemical-solutions-to-structural-biology/

Course Fee:
Students from Danish Universities: None
Students from non-Danish Universities: 3000 DKK

Course period:
Mon 02/06/2025 - Wed 04/06/2025
Tue 10/06/2025 - Wed 11/06/2025

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