Facultad de Biología

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Introduction

The Master degree in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology aims to provide a thorough knowledge of contemporary Molecular Biology that will allow students to gain research experience and professional skills, before deciding on a future career in industry or academic research. This master is principally addressed to graduates in Biology, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Chemistry, Ecology, Food Technology, Medicine, Pharmacy, Nutritional Sciences and Veterinary. Other candidates with special interest in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology fields are welcome. With the Master programme the student will acquire cutting-edge research capabilities in a chosen field of specialization, as well as broad and up-to-date knowledge in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology. This will enable the student to enter a PhD programme in any area of the Master, and to grasp career in the agronomical, pharmaceutical and biotechnological industries as well as in public research units and private enterprises in the domain of life sciences.

The Programme

This is a research focused Master course. So, the core of the programme is the Master research project in a topic selected by the student himself among those listed below. After consent of the director, the student should participate actively in the project under the direct and personal supervision of experienced scientists in the relevant line of research. This enriching experience will be combined with courses designed to broaden the scope and understanding in biochemistry, genetics, cell and molecular biology, microbiology and plant biology. 
Teaching will not follow a traditional lecture-based format; instead it will be an interactive approach based on learning through seminars, workshops, lectures, small group tutorials and direct laboratory research commitments. The programme starts in October and runs for 10 months. While the language of instruction will be Spanish, every effort will be made to integrate in the course English-speaking students. In addition, the University of Murcia provides facilities for enrolling foreign candidates in Spanish language courses.
The Master degree in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology is awarded for 60 European credits: 24 for the Master research project and 36 for courses. Courses (6 credits each) can be chosen individually. The only exception is the Seminars course which is compulsory. So, students should attend 5 courses (30 credits) from the list provided below, to which with the Seminars course would total 36 credits. 

Admission information

Applicants should hold an official graduate degree in the Biology domain. Applications from non-European countries will be reviewed by a designated academic committee for final acceptance. Applications should be sent to the address: https://preincripcionposgrado.um.es. After acceptance, registration form and fee payment should be made in the Secretaría de la Facultad de Biología. Universidad de Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain, Phone: +34 868 883913, emm@um.es.

Courses


Subject		 ECTS Keywords
Applied enzymology 6 Healthcare, agriculture, feed, food, industry, environment, enzymes
Introduction to Bioinformatics 6 Biological databases, bioinformatics tools, sequence alignment algorithms and tools, phylogenetic trees, prediction tools
Biomembranes: structural and functional properties. Signal transduction. Natural surfactants 6
Phospholipid membranes, lipid polymorphism, biological surfactants, glycolipids, peripheral membrane proteins, membrane binding domains, protein kinase C 
Biotransformations 6 Directed evolution and production of biocatalysts, immobilization, enzymatic processes   
 Electrophoresis techniques 6 SDS-PAGE, Western blot, isoelectrofocusing, submarine DNA electrophoresis, capillary electrophoresis  
Gene expression and its regulation  6 Transcriptional regulation, regulatory RNAs, epigenetics, chromosome territories
Ion transport in cells: molecular and methodological aspects 6 Mitochondria, sarcoplasmic reticulum, cell membrane, ion channels, pumps  
Localization of biomolecules in cells and tissues 6 Light and electron microscopy, immunohistochemistry, animal cell culture, in vivo imaging and flow cytometry  
Molecular and cellular biology of the stress response in microorganisms 6 Signal transduction cascades, MAPK pathways, two-component regulatory systems, cell signalling
Molecular genetics 6 Next-generation/deep sequencing, genetic variation, comparative genomics, cellular reprogramming, gene therapy
Plant cell culture and its applications 6 Production of high-value metabolites, elicitation, protoplast isolation and fusion
 Molecular biology techniques in clinical microbiology    6  
Seminars in molecular biology and biotechnology 6  
Master thesis 12  

 

Research areas for Master Theses

Area Keywords Contact
Biomembranes Natural membranes, model membranes, membrane sub-domains, intrinsic proteins, peripheral proteins, lipid-protein interplay Prof. Juan Carmelo Gómez, Dpto. Bioquímica y Biología Molecular-A. Edificio de Veterinaria, jcgomez@um.es
Lipid-protein interaction Signal transducing proteins, C2 domains, C1 domains, Bcl-2 related proteins Prof. Juan Carmelo Gómez, Bioquímica y Biología Molecular-A, jcgomez@um.es.
Signal transduction Protein kinase C, C1 domain, C2 domain, phosphatidylinositols, neuronal differentiation, cancer Prof. María Senena Corbalán, Bioquímica y Biología Molecular-A, senena@um.es.
Biochemical and biophysical characterization of biosurfactants  Glycolipids, lipopeptides, lipid-lipid interactions, surfactant-protein interactions, FTIR Prof. Antonio Ortiz, Bioquímica y Biología Molecular-A, ortizbq@um.es.
Molecular interactions in membranes Phospholipid membranes, lipid polymorphism, differential scanning calorimetry, x-ray diffraction Prof. Francisco J. Aranda, Bioquímica y Biología Molecular-A, fjam@um.es
Molecular interactions in Ca2+-ATPase, an intrinsic membrane protein  Sarcoplasmic reticulum membranes, ion membrane transport José A. Teruel, Bioquímica y Biología Molecular-A, teruel@um.es
Characterization of enzymes with technological interest   Prof. Alvaro Sánchez, Bioquímica y Biología Molecular-A, alvaro@um.es
Cholinesterase in pathologies  Cholinergic signalling, neurodegenerative disorders, muscular dystrophies Prof. Cecilio J. Vidal, Bioquímica y Biología Molecular-A, cevidal@um.es
Cholinesterases in cancer  Cholinergic signalling, cell proliferation, gene silencing, transfection, apoptosis Prof. Cecilio J. Vidal, Bioquímica y Biología Molecular-A, cevidal@um.es.
Reaction mechanisms of tyrosinase Skin, melanins, phenols, quinones, copper, enzyme kinetics Prof. Fco. García Cánovas, Bioquímica y Biología Molecular-A, canovasf@um.es
Tyrosinase inhibition  Melanogenesis, melanoma, pigmentation, enzyme inhibitors, enzyme kinetics Prof. Fco. García Cánovas, Bioquímica y Biología Molecular-A, canovasf@um.es
Purification and characterization of plant peroxidases  Novel peroxidases, plant wastes, peroxidases in clinical analysis and biotechnological processes, bioremediation, protein purification, FPLC, PAGE Prof. José Neptuno Rodríguez, Bioquímica y Biología Molecular-A, neptuno@um.es
Purification and inhibition of dihydrofolate reductase  Design of novel antifolates, drug resistance, natural and synthetic inhibitors, cancer therapy Prof. José Neptuno Rodríguez, Bioquímica y Biología Molecular-A. neptuno@um.es
Biotechnological applications of polyphenol oxidases Tyrosinases, laccases, peroxidases, purification, analysis, synthesis, degradation Prof. José Tudela, Bioquímica y Biología Molecular-A, tudelaj@um.es, www.um.es/genz
Nutraceutical and cosmeceutical biomolecules   FPLC, HPLC, gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, proteomics, metabolomics Prof. José Tudela, Bioquímica y Biología Molecular-A, tudelaj@um.es, www.um.es/genz
Inhibition mechanisms of Ca2+-ATPase from sarcoplasmic reticulum  Catalytic and transport cycle, coupling ratio, phosphoenzyme, slippage of the pump. Prof. Fernando Soler, Bioquímica y Biología Molecular-A, fsoler@um.es
Intracellular Ca2+ and cell damage in myocardiac cells  Ca2+ transient, sarcoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, apoptosis Prof. Francisco Fernández, Bioquímica y Biología Molecular-A, fbelda@um.es
Technological applications of compounds with bioactivity  Cyclodextrins, betalains, dioxygenases, oxidases Prof. Francisco García Carmona, Bioquímica y Biología Molecular-A, gcarmona@um.es.
Molecular characterization of biomedical and biotechnological enzymes related to sirtuins and aging Novel sirtuin-related enzymes, aging, cloning, molecular characterization, bacterial expression screening and crystallization Prof. Álvaro Sánchez Ferrer, Bioquímica y Biología Molecular-A, alvaro@um.es
Role of wc-1 genes in light-regulated gene expression of Mucor circinelloides  Ubiquitylation, LOV domain, gene regulation, RING-finger proteins, LON domain  Prof. Víctoriano Garre, Dpto. Genética y Microbiología, Facultad de Biología. vgarre@um.es.
Gene and proteins involved in RNA-mediated gene silencing RNAi, endogenous small RNAs, gene regulation, Dicer, post-transcriptional silencing Prof. Rosa María Ruiz, Dpto. Genética y Microbiología, rmruiz@um.es.
Light regulation of the carotenogenesis in filamentous fungi Fungus, carotenes, light, gene expression, transcriptomic, RNA-seq Prof. Santiago Torres, Dpto. Genética y Microbiología, storres@um.es. 
Light response regulation in Myxococcus xanthus   Photoreceptors, singlet oxygen, carotenogenesis, vitamin B12, porphyrins, signal transduction Prof. Francisco Murillo, Dpto. Genética y Microbiología, araujo@um.es, http://www.um.es/myxoum
Global and specific transcription regulators in Myxococcus xanthus   Gene regulatory networks, protein-protein interactions, genomic analysis, transcriptomic analysis, sigma and anti-sigma factors  Prof. Montserrat Elías-Arnanz, Dpto. Genética y Microbiología, melias@um.es, http://www.um.es/myxoum
Regulation of essential processes in bacteria  DNA transactions, CarD-TRCF protein family, DNA damage, transcriptomic analysis  Prof. Montserrat Elías-Arnanz, Dpto. Genética y Microbiología, melias@um.es, http://www.um.es/myxoum
Mechanisms of chromosome segregation Myxococcus xanthus, localization of loci, protein localization, cell division, myxospore, chromosome organization, fluorescence microscopy Dr. Antonio A. Iniesta, Dpto. Genética y Microbiología, ainiesta@um.es http://www.um.es/myxoum
Regulation of cell integrity in yeasts  Cell cycle regulation, cell signalling Prof. Mariano Gacto, Dpto. Genética y Microbiología, maga@um.es. http://www.um.es/dp-genymicro/gr-fisiologia/en/
Cell cycle and stress responses in yeasts   Signal transduction, MAPK pathways, cell signalling Prof. José Cansado, Dpto. Genética y Microbiología, jcansado@um.es. http://www.um.es/dp-genymicro/gr-fisiologia/en/
Stress-activated pathways in eukaryotic microorganisms  Signal transduction cascades, stress responses, cell signalling Prof. Teresa Soto Pino, Dpto. Genética y Microbiología, teresaso@um.es. http://www.um.es/dp-genymicro/gr-fisiologia/en/
Gene expression regulation in eukaryotic microorganism under stress conditions  Stress resistance, gene expression Prof. Jerónima Vicente, Dpto. Genética y Microbiología, jerovic@um.es. http://www.um.es/dp-genymicro/gr-fisiologia/en/
Biology of water-transmitted infectious pathogens in natural water Morphology, physiology and ultrastructure of adaptations to environmental stress 
Prof. Francisco Torrella, Dpto. Genética y Microbiología, Facultad de Biología,
 
Parasitism and predation in the microbial world  Microbial diversity, natural control of microbe populations  Prof. Francisco Torrella, Dpto. Genética y Microbiología, torrella@um.es
Molecular biology of L-amino acid oxidase synthesis in bacteria L-amino acid oxidase, L-lysine-ε-oxidase, quinonic cofactors, regulatory pathways Prof. Antonio Sánchez Amat, Dpto. Genética y Microbiología, antonio@um.es, http://www.um.es/biotecmicrob/
Comparative genomics and biodiversity of marine bacteria Genome analysis, bacterial taxonomy, Marinomonas Prof. Antonio Sánchez Amat, Dpto. Genética y Microbiología, antonio@um.es, http://www.um.es/biotecmicrob/
Mechanisms of protein secretion in Gram-negative bacteria Secretory pathways, cellular protein localization, genomic analysis Prof. Patricia Lucas Elío. Dpto. Genética y Microbiología, patlucel@um.es, http://www.um.es/biotecmicrob/
Regulation of the expression of oxidase activities in bacteria Tyrosinase, laccase, multicopper oxidase, L-amino acid oxidase, two-component regulatory systems Prof. Patricia Lucas Elío. Dpto. Genética y Microbiología, patlucel@um.es, http://www.um.es/biotecmicrob/
Molecular typification of microorganisms and molecular basis of antibiotics resistance.   Antibiotics resistence Prof. Manuel Segovia, Dpto. Genética y Microbiología, Hospital Virgen de la Arrixaca, msegovia@um.es.
Molecular and lipidomic characterization of microorganisms Mycobacterium, Corynebacterium, cell wall, lipids Prof. Pedro L. Valero, Dpto. Genética y Microbiología, Facultad de Medicina, plvalero@um.es.
Characterization and localization in vivo of leukocytes with fluorescent probes  Inflammation, immunity, cancer, neutrophils, macrophages, in vivo cell tracking, zebrafish Prof. Victoriano Mulero, Dpto. Biología Celular, Facultad de Biología, vmulero@um.es, http://www.um.es/nisoft/victor1.htm
Influence of the immune system in the reproductive cycle of in teleostean fishes Immunity, reproduction, fish, aquaculture Prof. Alfonsa García Ayala, Dpto. Biología Celular, agayala@um.es,  http://www.um.es/nisoft/victor1.htm
Modulation of unspecific immune responses in teleostean fishes   Immunostimulants, stress, pollution, pathologies Prof. María Ángeles Esteban Abad, Dpto. Biología Celular, aesteban@um.es, https://curie.um.es/curie/catalogoficha.du?seof_codigo=1&perf_codigo=10&cods=E0A8*04
The use of plant cell cultures for the production of bioactive compounds and extracellular proteins (plant peroxidases) High value metabolites, elicitation, protoplast isolation and fusion Prof. María Ángeles Pedreño, Dpto. Biología Vegetal, Facultad de Biología, mpedreno@um.es
Semantic integration of biological databases  Biological databases, biological ontologies, data integration Prof. Jesualdo T. Fernández, Dpto. Informática y Sistemas, Facultad de Informática, jfernand@um.es, http://webs.um.es/jfernand
Exploitation of biomedical semantics in bioinformatics tools Biological databases, biomedical ontologies, biological knowledge management, biomedical semantics Prof. Jesualdo T. Fernández, jfernand@um.es, http://webs.um.es/jfernand