585.744.8VL - Biomedical Applications of Glycoengineering

Applied Biomedical Engineering
Spring 2024

Description

Glycoengineering refers to the improvement of glycosylated molecules through manipulating their glycans (“glycans” is a broad term referring to sugars attached to proteins or lipids that includes all types of carbohydrates including monosaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides). This course will cover the basic glycobiology of sugars and then focus on the manipulation of glycans for therapeutic purposes. Specific biomedical applications covered include the role of glycoengineering in the production and efficacy of therapeutic proteins (e.g., monoclonal antibodies); the impact of dietary sugars on human health; and the prospects for carbohydrate-based therapies for intractable human diseases such as metastatic cancer and neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. Suggested prerequisites include university level cellular biology, molecular biology, or biochemistry courses.

Instructor

Profile photo of Kevin Yarema.

Kevin Yarema

Course Structure

The course is divided into weekly Modules; each week's module will be posted on Canvas. 

Course assignments will be noted in each module's "overview" page and will also appear under the "Assignments" tab to the left of the screen on Canvas.

Course Topics

Course topics are listed the pdf version of the Syllabus, which can be found on the Home page of this class's Canvas site

Textbooks

There are no required textbooks for this course

Student Coursework Requirements

Class participation: 30% (You will receive credit for each presentation that you critique; for most class periods, multiple points will be available because there will be more than one presentation). The feedback forms will be collated and put on Canvas for everybody to peruse (reading feedback for other groups is often helpful for improving your own presentation[s]…).

 

Student presentation: 20% (2.5% for selecting a published research paper; 2.5% for the “one minute” presentation, 2.5% for creating five quiz questions, and 10% for the full class presentation; and 2.5% for response to feedback).

 

Grant application proposal: 25% (2.5% for the letter of intent, 5% for the Project Narrative, Project Summary, and Specific Aims, and 17.5% for the class presentation).

 

Quizzes: 25% Please note that quizzes are not time limited and access to notes, class presentations, or any other reference or internet material is allowed. The only restriction is that you must not consult anyone other the course instructor[s] or discuss the quiz material with any of your classmates until after the deadline for quiz submission.

Academic Policies

Deadlines for Adding, Dropping and Withdrawing from Courses

Students may add a course up to one week after the start of the term for that particular course. Students may drop courses according to the drop deadlines outlined in the EP academic calendar (https://ep.jhu.edu/student-services/academic-calendar/). Between the 6th week of the class and prior to the final withdrawal deadline, a student may withdraw from a course with a W on their academic record. A record of the course will remain on the academic record with a W appearing in the grade column to indicate that the student registered and withdrew from the course.

Academic Misconduct Policy

All students are required to read, know, and comply with the Johns Hopkins University Krieger School of Arts and Sciences (KSAS) / Whiting School of Engineering (WSE) Procedures for Handling Allegations of Misconduct by Full-Time and Part-Time Graduate Students.

This policy prohibits academic misconduct, including but not limited to the following: cheating or facilitating cheating; plagiarism; reuse of assignments; unauthorized collaboration; alteration of graded assignments; and unfair competition. Course materials (old assignments, texts, or examinations, etc.) should not be shared unless authorized by the course instructor. Any questions related to this policy should be directed to EP’s academic integrity officer at ep-academic-integrity@jhu.edu.

Students with Disabilities - Accommodations and Accessibility

Johns Hopkins University values diversity and inclusion. We are committed to providing welcoming, equitable, and accessible educational experiences for all students. Students with disabilities (including those with psychological conditions, medical conditions and temporary disabilities) can request accommodations for this course by providing an Accommodation Letter issued by Student Disability Services (SDS). Please request accommodations for this course as early as possible to provide time for effective communication and arrangements.

For further information or to start the process of requesting accommodations, please contact Student Disability Services at Engineering for Professionals, ep-disability-svcs@jhu.edu.

Student Conduct Code

The fundamental purpose of the JHU regulation of student conduct is to promote and to protect the health, safety, welfare, property, and rights of all members of the University community as well as to promote the orderly operation of the University and to safeguard its property and facilities. As members of the University community, students accept certain responsibilities which support the educational mission and create an environment in which all students are afforded the same opportunity to succeed academically. 

For a full description of the code please visit the following website: https://studentaffairs.jhu.edu/policies-guidelines/student-code/

Classroom Climate

JHU is committed to creating a classroom environment that values the diversity of experiences and perspectives that all students bring. Everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect. Fostering an inclusive climate is important. Research and experience show that students who interact with peers who are different from themselves learn new things and experience tangible educational outcomes. At no time in this learning process should someone be singled out or treated unequally on the basis of any seen or unseen part of their identity. 
 
If you have concerns in this course about harassment, discrimination, or any unequal treatment, or if you seek accommodations or resources, please reach out to the course instructor directly. Reporting will never impact your course grade. You may also share concerns with your program chair, the Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, or the Office of Institutional Equity. In handling reports, people will protect your privacy as much as possible, but faculty and staff are required to officially report information for some cases (e.g. sexual harassment).

Course Auditing

When a student enrolls in an EP course with “audit” status, the student must reach an understanding with the instructor as to what is required to earn the “audit.” If the student does not meet those expectations, the instructor must notify the EP Registration Team [EP-Registration@exchange.johnshopkins.edu] in order for the student to be retroactively dropped or withdrawn from the course (depending on when the "audit" was requested and in accordance with EP registration deadlines). All lecture content will remain accessible to auditing students, but access to all other course material is left to the discretion of the instructor.