Unit Guide

General Information

Unit convenor and teaching staff	Unit convenor and teaching staff Helena Nevalainen helena.nevalainen@mq.edu.au
Credit points	Credit points 3
Prerequisites	Prerequisites CBMS215 and CBMS224
Corequisites	Corequisites
Co-badged status	Co-badged status
Unit description	Unit description This unit provides an overview of contemporary biotechnology, emphasising the molecular aspects of this growing field. Several examples will be provided to demonstrate how the basic molecular sciences translate into environmental and industrial applications as well as to better health and wealth. We will discuss functional genomics and proteomics, the use of surrogate hosts for protein production, and the roles of sugars on proteins and cells. Other topics include forensics, stem cells and applications of fluorescence in biotechnology. Students will carry out hands-on laboratory work applying recombinant DNA techniques, visualise organisms and molecules using confocal fluorescence microscopy, assess production capabilities of an industrially exploited fungal cell factory, and analyse the sugars on a commercially available recombinant product.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

At the end of this unit, the students will have a fair grasp of selected areas of biotechnology and its interdisciplinary nature. The students will have developed practical skills in the hands-on laboratory work using contemporary experimental techniques as well as skills to assess and discuss experimental findings. Finally, the students will have developed good skills in report writing including extracting information from scientific literature, and arguing their point of view.

Assessment Tasks

Name	Weighting	Due
Primer design quiz	5%	04/09/2015
Report on Practical 1	15%	11/09/2015
Fluorescence quiz	5%	29/09/2015
Report on Practical 2	10%	09/10/2015
Report on Practical 3	10%	27/10/2015
The Great Debate	5%	NA
Continuing assessment	5%	10/11/2015
Final exam	45%	TBA

Primer design quiz

Due: 04/09/2015
Weighting: 5%

The ability to design oligonucleotide primers for DNA amplification is one of the most essential skills in molecular biology. Your brief is to design primers for the isolation of a specific gene. You will be given material to work with and specific questions to answer. This quiz will require some literature research and must be returned by the due date.

On successful completion you will be able to:

At the end of this unit, the students will have a fair grasp of selected areas of biotechnology and its interdisciplinary nature. The students will have developed practical skills in the hands-on laboratory work using contemporary experimental techniques as well as skills to assess and discuss experimental findings. Finally, the students will have developed good skills in report writing including extracting information from scientific literature, and arguing their point of view.

Report on Practical 1

Due: 11/09/2015
Weighting: 15%

There are three major reports describing the laboratory experiments in detail with references to literature. The reports must be submitted to iLearn for checking in turnitin by the due date (see below).

The three separate reports (P1, 2 and 3) should follow the format:

Introduction (stating aims in the last paragraph)

Materials and Methods (main points and procedures)

Results (with tables and graphs where applicable)

Discussion (reflecting on the results)

References (choose one style and stick to it)

Answers to questions (separate from other text)

Results should consist of tables, diagrams and words in between to tie them together. Presenting tables, graphs, etc. without any explanation is not acceptable. Every table, graph and diagram should be numbered and have a caption, and you should refer to them in the text by their number. Expected length for an average report is about 5-10 double spaced typewritten pages plus figures and tables. Please answer the questions after the actual report text under a heading ‘Answers to questions’ and number your answers.

On successful completion you will be able to:

At the end of this unit, the students will have a fair grasp of selected areas of biotechnology and its interdisciplinary nature. The students will have developed practical skills in the hands-on laboratory work using contemporary experimental techniques as well as skills to assess and discuss experimental findings. Finally, the students will have developed good skills in report writing including extracting information from scientific literature, and arguing their point of view.

Fluorescence quiz

Due: 29/09/2015
Weighting: 5%

This quiz will feature questions addressing matters discussed in the lectures and a tutorial conducted during Practical 2. You are expected to find and record most of the answers to these questions during the time allocated to the tutorial. The completed paper must be returned by the due date (see below).

On successful completion you will be able to:

At the end of this unit, the students will have a fair grasp of selected areas of biotechnology and its interdisciplinary nature. The students will have developed practical skills in the hands-on laboratory work using contemporary experimental techniques as well as skills to assess and discuss experimental findings. Finally, the students will have developed good skills in report writing including extracting information from scientific literature, and arguing their point of view.

Report on Practical 2

Due: 09/10/2015
Weighting: 10%

The three separate reports (P1, 2 and 3) should follow the format:

Introduction (stating aims in the last paragraph)

Materials and Methods (main points and procedures)

Results (with tables and graphs where applicable)

Discussion (reflecting on the results)

References (choose one style and stick to it)

Answers to questions (separate from other text)

Practicals 1 and 2 are interconnected and the students are requested to provide one page executive summary linking them together. The summary will be handed in together with the detailed report on Practical 2.

On successful completion you will be able to:

At the end of this unit, the students will have a fair grasp of selected areas of biotechnology and its interdisciplinary nature. The students will have developed practical skills in the hands-on laboratory work using contemporary experimental techniques as well as skills to assess and discuss experimental findings. Finally, the students will have developed good skills in report writing including extracting information from scientific literature, and arguing their point of view.

Report on Practical 3

Due: 27/10/2015
Weighting: 10%

The three separate reports (P1, 2 and 3) should follow the format:

Introduction (stating aims in the last paragraph)

Materials and Methods (main points and procedures)

Results (with tables and graphs where applicable)

Discussion (reflecting on the results)

References (choose one style and stick to it)

Answers to questions (separate from other text)

On successful completion you will be able to:

At the end of this unit, the students will have a fair grasp of selected areas of biotechnology and its interdisciplinary nature. The students will have developed practical skills in the hands-on laboratory work using contemporary experimental techniques as well as skills to assess and discuss experimental findings. Finally, the students will have developed good skills in report writing including extracting information from scientific literature, and arguing their point of view.

The Great Debate

Due: NA
Weighting: 5%

For this Debate, the students will be divided into groups of 3-5 people (depending on the total student number) who will be given a topic in the area of biotechnology (drawn out of a hat) which they either have to defend or oppose. The topics will be chosen from those suggested by the students and teaching staff. The groups will know their topic in the previous week so that they can plan ahead their debating strategy. Each debate, chaired by the course convener, will last for 10 minutes followed by questions from the audience. The audience will participate in the assessment by voting for the winning team after each debate. This is a good opportunity to practice ethical voting, i.e. voting based on a successful argument and not e.g. because you are good buddies with some individuals in one of the debating teams. There will be no individual marks but the collective mark goes to everyone in the group.

On successful completion you will be able to:

At the end of this unit, the students will have a fair grasp of selected areas of biotechnology and its interdisciplinary nature. The students will have developed practical skills in the hands-on laboratory work using contemporary experimental techniques as well as skills to assess and discuss experimental findings. Finally, the students will have developed good skills in report writing including extracting information from scientific literature, and arguing their point of view.

Continuing assessment

Due: 10/11/2015
Weighting: 5%

A continuing assessment that involves providing a brief answer to 20 questions (from the total of 26 lectures) is set up on iLearn. You are expected to listen to each of these lectures and submit a brief answer to a particular question arising from the lecture, posted on iLearn by the convener by 5 pm on the day of the lecture. Your answers to each week’s lectures must be in by the following Mon 5 pm. Best answers will be displayed on iLearn.

On successful completion you will be able to:

At the end of this unit, the students will have a fair grasp of selected areas of biotechnology and its interdisciplinary nature. The students will have developed practical skills in the hands-on laboratory work using contemporary experimental techniques as well as skills to assess and discuss experimental findings. Finally, the students will have developed good skills in report writing including extracting information from scientific literature, and arguing their point of view.

Final exam

Due: TBA
Weighting: 45%

The final course examination will be 3 hours plus 10 min reading time. The examination will cover all sections of the unit including tutorials and practicals and consists of short answers, problem solving tasks and essay questions. In their answers the students are encouraged to practise critical thinking and expanding on ideas rather than just listing facts and figures with no discussion. Dot point-style answering is not allowed. Take a calculator to the examination.

The date of the final examination will be posted by the University during the semester. You are expected to present yourself for examination at the time and place designated in the University Examination Timetable. The timetable will be available in Draft form approximately eight weeks before the commencement of the examinations and in Final form approximately four weeks before the commencement of the examinations (https://timetables.mq.edu.au/Scientia/Web/index.html).

The only exception to sitting an examination at the designated time is because of documented illness or unavoidable disruption. In these circumstances you may wish to consider applying for Special consideration. Please consult http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html.

If a Supplementary Examination is granted as a result of the Special consideration process the examination will be scheduled after the conclusion of the official examination period. The offer of a supplementary examination is at the discretion of the academic staff and you should not automatically assume that it will be provided. Supplementary Examinations are not make-up exams, i.e. a poor result in the final examination is not reason to request a supplementary examination.

It is Macquarie University policy to not set early examinations for individuals or groups of students. All students are expected to ensure that they are available until the end of the teaching semester, that is, the final day of the official examination period.

On successful completion you will be able to:

At the end of this unit, the students will have a fair grasp of selected areas of biotechnology and its interdisciplinary nature. The students will have developed practical skills in the hands-on laboratory work using contemporary experimental techniques as well as skills to assess and discuss experimental findings. Finally, the students will have developed good skills in report writing including extracting information from scientific literature, and arguing their point of view.

Delivery and Resources

Unit convenor: Prof. Helena Nevalainen

Office: E8C302, Lab: E8C320

Phone: (BH) 02-9850 8135

Fax: (BH) 02-9850 8313

E-mail: helena.nevalainen@mq.edu.au

There are no formal office hours for this unit. I am happy to receive students outside the lecture and tutorial hours other duties permitting. Please be aware that I may not be found in my office at all times so it is advisable to organise an appointment in advance.

Unit technician: Ms. Elsa Mardones

Office: E8A 172, Lab: several

Phone: 02-9850 8233 (Office)

E-mail elsa.mardones@mq.edu.au

Elsa is involved in the preparation of all practical material. She is available for technical advice and to answer any questions concerning biosafety and occupational health and safety matters. Please note Elsa’s working hours that are posted on her office door.

Biotechnology draws from different disciplines and technologies. The recommended textbook will give you a good general introduction to these areas and provide further reading and websites for more in depth studies. There are also good questions at the end of each chapter to test your learning.

Textbook: William J. Thieman and Michael A. Palladino (2012): Introduction to Biotechnology, 3^rd edition. Pearson Benjamin-Cummings Publishing Company, San Francisco CA.

The book is available at the University Bookshop. Please note that while the book provides an anchor for the studies, plenty of additional and examinable information will be provided in the lectures.

Almost every issue of the mainstream biotechnology journals will contain scientific papers related to the lecture material. Journals such as ‘Biotechnology’ and ‘Trends in Biotechnology’ are subscribed by the MQ Library and a good amount of the relevant journals are accessible through electronic databases such as PubMed (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/). Please take some time to browse through the journals for papers that you may find interesting. Getting familiar with the format in which scientific papers are presented will be of great help in your own report writing.

There are also many web resources, but material placed on the web is not necessarily checked for accuracy, so be careful when using it.

Instructions for the laboratory experiments can be downloaded from iLearn. It is essential that you bring the notes with you to each class. Additional material may be provided in the class.

Technology Used

Ability to access the Internet is necessary. General use computers are provided by the University, but it would be advantageous to have your own computer and internet access.

It would be helpful to have a (scientific) calculator to carry out various calculations during practicals. They are also needed when preparing reports and in the final examination. Text-retrieval calculators are not allowed in the final examination. Laboratory reports and essays can be produced using standard Microsoft Office software.

Classes

Timetable: Please check http://www.timetables.mq.edu.au/ for the official timetable of the unit.

Lectures: The material presented in the lectures is examinable. Please note that there is no text book coverage for a fair amount of the presented material. Therefore, regular attendance to the lectures and careful listening of the recordings is highly recommended. Lecture topics and dates can be found at the end of this guide. Lectures will be recorded and made available on iLearn. A continuing assessment that involves providing a brief answer to 20 questions (from the total of 26 lectures) is set up on iLearn.

Tutorials and Industry exposure: Attendance at the tutorials and the Industry exposure is compulsory, a medical certificate or other relevant documentation will be required for any absences. Previously announced locations for these activities may change so stay tuned. Tutorial material, which forms part of the material submitted for assessment and/or examination, will be distributed at the beginning of the class.

Laboratory work: Laboratory sessions commence in Week 2; Practical topics and the timetable are listed at the back of this guide. The 4-hour practical sessions will be offered on Tue afternoon from 2-6 pm (Group 1) or Wed morning 9 am-1 pm (Group 2) in E7B349-50. Each student should enrol in one of these sessions and stay within that group throughout the entire semester. Practical laboratory sessions are compulsory and a medical certificate or other relevant documentation will be required for any absences. It should be noted that missing any practical will make the reporting very difficult since some of the practicals continue over several weeks and plenty of data will be generated every week.

Laboratory procedures: This course will involve laboratory work with microorganisms, DNA samples, proteins and sugars. The experimental techniques feature molecular biology, microbial cultivation, fluorescent microscopy, biochemical analyses and mass spectrometry. Note that there are safety requirements concerning the use of these techniques. All students are required to adhere to the guidelines for safe laboratory conduct as detailed below.

Study the practical notes so that you understand the experimental procedures. Reading the notes beforehand is highly recommended and will speed up your work.
Wear a decent laboratory coat and safety glasses at all times within the laboratory area. Preferably bring your own.
Tie back long hair before starting laboratory work.
Do not wear open-toe shoes in the laboratory.
No eating, drinking, smoking, listening to music, chatting on a mobile phone, surfing the net for fun or applying makeup is allowed in the laboratory.
No children, friends or spouses are allowed in the laboratory.
Wash your hands and disinfect your work space before commencing work and repeat this after finishing the experiments.
Dispose of all microbiological waste in the autoclave bags and place sharps (needles, scalpels etc) in the sharps container. How to dispose of all other materials is instructed by the tutor.
Report ALL accidents and spills immediately.
If you don’t know, ASK! We love to explain.
Treat all chemicals and reagents with respect and read the labels. Also label your plates, test tubes etc.
You will need full concentration in the lab, so do not drink alcohol or use other substances that may interfere with your ability to carry out experiments safely in the classes.

It is recommended that you carry a marking pen (permanent), spatula, scissors and tweezers and a calculator. Perform the experiments in an orderly fashion and clean up afterwards.

You will be required to keep a laboratory book in which the details, results and conclusions of experiments will be recorded. The best format is an A4 ruled notebook that opens flat. This book is to be used in the practicals and notes should allow you to repeat the experiment. Tablets and laptops may be used for note-taking. You are required to write three formal reports on the practical work, which will be a lot less painful experience with good notes in hand. In addition to handing in a hard copy of the reports, all practical reports must be submitted to turnitin available at the unit iLearn site. Submission dates are found on p. 10.

Unit web page

Lecture graphics will be uploaded on CBMS331 iLearn (http://ilearn.mq.edu.au) the day before each lecture. The site also provides you with lecture recordings, videos and pictures generated in the practicals.

We will have a General discussion forum with a standing invitation to the students to suggest topics for the great debate and “What’s on your mind’ where students can leave messages and post videos and images related to biotechnology, for further discussion amongst fellow students. We will also set up a small reference library. Announcements will be used to communicate information from the unit convener.

Follow the instructions on the page to log in. If you have trouble logging in, please contact the academic staff, who may then refer you to the University Library Information technology help desk: Phone: 9850-HELP (4357); Freecall: 1800 063 191; Email One Help at ilearn.help @mq.edu.au.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html

Assessment Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy.html

Grading Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grading/policy.html

Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html

Grievance Management Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grievance_management/policy.html

Disruption to Studies Policy http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html The Disruption to Studies Policy is effective from March 3 2014 and replaces the Special Consideration Policy.

In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/

Results

Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://informatics.mq.edu.au/help/.

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Graduate Capabilities

Creative and Innovative

Our graduates will also be capable of creative thinking and of creating knowledge. They will be imaginative and open to experience and capable of innovation at work and in the community. We want them to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

At the end of this unit, the students will have a fair grasp of selected areas of biotechnology and its interdisciplinary nature. The students will have developed practical skills in the hands-on laboratory work using contemporary experimental techniques as well as skills to assess and discuss experimental findings. Finally, the students will have developed good skills in report writing including extracting information from scientific literature, and arguing their point of view.

Assessment tasks

Report on Practical 1
Report on Practical 2
Report on Practical 3
The Great Debate

Capable of Professional and Personal Judgement and Initiative

We want our graduates to have emotional intelligence and sound interpersonal skills and to demonstrate discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgement. They will exercise initiative as needed. They will be capable of risk assessment, and be able to handle ambiguity and complexity, enabling them to be adaptable in diverse and changing environments.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

At the end of this unit, the students will have a fair grasp of selected areas of biotechnology and its interdisciplinary nature. The students will have developed practical skills in the hands-on laboratory work using contemporary experimental techniques as well as skills to assess and discuss experimental findings. Finally, the students will have developed good skills in report writing including extracting information from scientific literature, and arguing their point of view.

Assessment tasks

Primer design quiz
Report on Practical 1
Report on Practical 2
Report on Practical 3
Continuing assessment
Final exam

Commitment to Continuous Learning

Our graduates will have enquiring minds and a literate curiosity which will lead them to pursue knowledge for its own sake. They will continue to pursue learning in their careers and as they participate in the world. They will be capable of reflecting on their experiences and relationships with others and the environment, learning from them, and growing - personally, professionally and socially.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

At the end of this unit, the students will have a fair grasp of selected areas of biotechnology and its interdisciplinary nature. The students will have developed practical skills in the hands-on laboratory work using contemporary experimental techniques as well as skills to assess and discuss experimental findings. Finally, the students will have developed good skills in report writing including extracting information from scientific literature, and arguing their point of view.

Assessment tasks

Report on Practical 2
Report on Practical 3
The Great Debate
Final exam

Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills

Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

At the end of this unit, the students will have a fair grasp of selected areas of biotechnology and its interdisciplinary nature. The students will have developed practical skills in the hands-on laboratory work using contemporary experimental techniques as well as skills to assess and discuss experimental findings. Finally, the students will have developed good skills in report writing including extracting information from scientific literature, and arguing their point of view.

Assessment tasks

Report on Practical 1
Fluorescence quiz
Report on Practical 2
Report on Practical 3
The Great Debate
Continuing assessment
Final exam

Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

At the end of this unit, the students will have a fair grasp of selected areas of biotechnology and its interdisciplinary nature. The students will have developed practical skills in the hands-on laboratory work using contemporary experimental techniques as well as skills to assess and discuss experimental findings. Finally, the students will have developed good skills in report writing including extracting information from scientific literature, and arguing their point of view.

Assessment tasks

Primer design quiz
Report on Practical 1
Fluorescence quiz
Report on Practical 2
Report on Practical 3
Final exam

Problem Solving and Research Capability

Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

At the end of this unit, the students will have a fair grasp of selected areas of biotechnology and its interdisciplinary nature. The students will have developed practical skills in the hands-on laboratory work using contemporary experimental techniques as well as skills to assess and discuss experimental findings. Finally, the students will have developed good skills in report writing including extracting information from scientific literature, and arguing their point of view.

Assessment tasks

Primer design quiz
Report on Practical 1
Fluorescence quiz
Report on Practical 2
Report on Practical 3
Final exam

Effective Communication

We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

At the end of this unit, the students will have a fair grasp of selected areas of biotechnology and its interdisciplinary nature. The students will have developed practical skills in the hands-on laboratory work using contemporary experimental techniques as well as skills to assess and discuss experimental findings. Finally, the students will have developed good skills in report writing including extracting information from scientific literature, and arguing their point of view.

Assessment tasks

Report on Practical 1
Report on Practical 2
Report on Practical 3
The Great Debate
Continuing assessment
Final exam

Engaged and Ethical Local and Global citizens

As local citizens our graduates will be aware of indigenous perspectives and of the nation's historical context. They will be engaged with the challenges of contemporary society and with knowledge and ideas. We want our graduates to have respect for diversity, to be open-minded, sensitive to others and inclusive, and to be open to other cultures and perspectives: they should have a level of cultural literacy. Our graduates should be aware of disadvantage and social justice, and be willing to participate to help create a wiser and better society.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

At the end of this unit, the students will have a fair grasp of selected areas of biotechnology and its interdisciplinary nature. The students will have developed practical skills in the hands-on laboratory work using contemporary experimental techniques as well as skills to assess and discuss experimental findings. Finally, the students will have developed good skills in report writing including extracting information from scientific literature, and arguing their point of view.

Assessment tasks

The Great Debate
Continuing assessment

Socially and Environmentally Active and Responsible

We want our graduates to be aware of and have respect for self and others; to be able to work with others as a leader and a team player; to have a sense of connectedness with others and country; and to have a sense of mutual obligation. Our graduates should be informed and active participants in moving society towards sustainability.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

At the end of this unit, the students will have a fair grasp of selected areas of biotechnology and its interdisciplinary nature. The students will have developed practical skills in the hands-on laboratory work using contemporary experimental techniques as well as skills to assess and discuss experimental findings. Finally, the students will have developed good skills in report writing including extracting information from scientific literature, and arguing their point of view.

Assessment tasks

The Great Debate
Continuing assessment

Changes since First Published

Date	Description
28/07/2015	No changes