FARM5200 – The Use of Biopolymers in Drugs and Improvement of Health

After completing the course:

• you will have an in-depth knowledge on the structure and structural characterization of biopolymers, and be able to use the knowledge to analyze the structure of carbohydrate polymers.
• you will have an in-depth knowledge on molecular weight and molecular weight determination, in addition to physical properties of carbohydrate polymers, like viscosity and gelforming ability, and can utilize this knowledge.
• you will have an in-depth knowledge on the use of biopolymer-based nanoparticles, films, gels, and other drug formulations.
• you will be able to explain the application of natural carbohydrate polymers in the development of vaccines (ie against microorganisms).
• you will be able to discuss the different health effects of natural carbohydrate polymers; cholesterol-lowering effects, influence on intestinal microbiota and immune system.

The course is mainly open to students who have been admitted to:

• Farmasi (master).
• PhD at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (phd programme) who follow an individual education plan that includes FARM5200.

How to apply:

Pharmacy students and PhD candidates at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences will be registered for the course by the study administration. For more information, please contact the study administration at the Department of Pharmacy, studieinfo@farmasi.uio.no, by August 10th.

Master`s students admitted to other master`s programmes and PhD candidates in other programmes may, upon application, be granted access to the course and allocated a place if their academic background is sufficient and there is available capacity. Knowledge in relevant subject area corresponding to the content of Semester 1 through 7 at Farmasi (master) is required.

If you are not enrolled in a study programme at UiO, or are a PhD candidate in another programme at UiO or another institution, you may apply admission to our study programmes, or within the specific deadline apply to take this course as a single course student.

For more information about admission and course registration, please contact the study administration at the Department of Pharmacy, studieinfo@farmasi.uio.no.

• FARM1100 – Pharmaceutical Chemistry
• FARM1110 – Pharmacology, Physiology and Cell Biology 1
• FARM1120 – Social Pharmacy
• FARM1130 – Pharmaceutically Based Organic Chemistry
• FARM1140 – Pharmacology, Physiology and Cell Biology 2
• FARM1150 – Pharmaceutical Based Biochemistry
• FARM2100 – Medicinal Chemistry
• FARM2110 – Pharmacotherapy 1
• FARM2120 – Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics
• FARM2130 – Pharmaceutical Analytical Chemistry
• FARM2140 – Pharmaceutical Microbiology
• FARM2150 – Formulation of Drugs and Quality Assurance in Drug Production
• FARM3100 – Pharmacognosy
• FARM3110 – Pharmacotherapy 2 and Physiology 3
• FARM3120 – Medicine Use and Public Health
• FARM3130 – Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE)
• FARM4100 – Personalised Drug Therapy
• FARM4110 – Comprehensive Biopharmacy and Formulation Technology
• FARM4120 – Drug Development
• approved the compulsory HMS-courses HMS0501 – Safety and Physical Environment, HMS0502 – Positive Learning Environment, HMS0503 – Laboratory Safety, HMS0506 – Patient Clinic Safety and HMS0507 – Fire Safety required for students at the 5-year Master`s Programme in Pharmacy.

Formal prerequisite knowledge for students admitted to "Studieløp for farmasøyter med mastergrad fra land utenfor EU/EØS" (text available in Norwegian only):

• FARM4910K – Farmakoterapi og samfunnsfarmasi med fokus på norske terapitradisjoner og norske forhold
• FARM4920K – Fra virkestoff til ferdig formulering med fokus på avanserte legemiddelformer
• FARM4930K – Kvalitetssikring ved produksjon og klinisk utprøvning av legemidler
• approved the compulsory HMS-courses HMS0501 – Safety and Physical Environment, HMS0502 – Positive Learning Environment, HMS0503 – Laboratory Safety, HMS0506 – Patient Clinic Safety and HMS0507 – Fire Safety required for students at the 5-year Master`s Programme in Pharmacy.

• Lectures (12 hours) - the introductory lecture is compulsory
• Seminars (6 hours) - compulsory
• Seminar with scientific presentation (7 hours) - compulsory
• 2 computer labs (totally 7 hours) with submission of reports - compulsory

Compulsory participation in the course must be completed and approved and compulsory submissions must be approved to sit the exam. Read more about what applies in the event of absence from compulsory activities (only in Norwegisn).

Access to teaching: A student who has completed compulsory instruction and coursework and has had these approved, is not entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework. A student who has been admitted to a course, but who has not completed compulsory instruction and coursework or had these approved, is entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework, depending on available capacity.

Compulsory participation and approved assignments are valid for 3 years.

The course may be cancelled if the number of enrolled students is low.

Final written exam which counts 100 % towards the final grade.

This course has compulsory exercises that must be approved before you can sit the final exam.

Withdrawal from an examination: It is possible to take the exam up to 3 times. If you withdraw from the exam after the deadline or during the exam, this will be counted as an examination attempt.

It will also be counted as one of the three attempts to sit the exam for this course, if you sit the exam for one of the following courses:

• FRM5110 – Polysaccharides of Pharmaceutical Interest; Physical and Chemical Properties, as well as Biological Activity (discontinued)
• FRM9110 – Polysaccharides of Pharmaceutical Interest; Physical and Chemical Properties, as Well as Biological Activity (discontinued)

This course offers both postponed and resit of examination. Read more:

• Illness at exams / postponed exams
• Withdrawal during an examination / Resitting an examination