The aim of this course, composed of both lectures and workshops, is to introduce the following: basic concepts and principles of molecular biology and molecular genetics, basic technology of molecular biology in translational research, and contemporary concepts and technology of molecular genetics and molecular biology, as related to clinical research and clinical medicine. Topics will include the human genome, gene structure, gene expression, gene mutations, gene interference, gene cloning, gene therapy and animal models of human diseases. Both basic and contemporary technologies will be covered, including DNA, RNA and protein isolation, DNA amplification, mutation detection, mRNA and protein determination, microarray, proteomics and database searching.