Modern Methods in Protein Research

(4 Credits)

In this course students will be involved in a semester-long project studying the Outer surface protein C (OspC) from the Lyme disease bacterial pathogen Borrelia burgdorferi. Osp C is essential for the survival (infectivity) of the pathogen after its introduction into the skin of vertebrate hosts, including humans, via tick bite, but its molecular function remains unknown. Osp C is also one of the most variable proteins in Borrelia with more than 30 genetic variants throughout the bacterial population. However, the role of the different variants is not well understood. A key goal of the course is for students to gain hands-on research experience in methods used in modern laboratories working with recombinant proteins.