Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit Convenor
Louise Brown
Contact via Email
Building E8C Room 305
Tuesday to Friday (9am to 4pm) by appointment
Lecturer
Robert Willows
Lecturer
Nicki Packer
Lecturer
Ian Paulsen
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Credit points |
Credit points
3
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
9cp from (CBMS306 or CBMS331 or CBMS332 or CBMS333 or CBMS335 or CBMS336 or CBMS337 or CBMS340 or CBMS341 or CBMS342)
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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Unit description |
Unit description
Having mastered some fundamental and practical aspects from the biomolecular science-based subjects, you have started to understand how to integrate your knowledge from these subjects into broader biomolecular areas such as systems biology, proteomics, genomics, computational biology, biotechnology and structural biology. The aim of this unit is to help you further with 'putting it all together' as we aim to provide you with additional skills, tools and preparation for future employment. An important aspect of this unit is a laboratory-based component where you will use your strong foundation in the biomolecular sciences to conduct a research project in synthetic biology. You will also develop skills to aid you in the transition into the workforce or further study.
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Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Name | Weighting | Due |
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Case Study: iGEM report | 20% | Week 4 |
Execution of Project | 10% | Weekly (weeks 1 to 8) |
Portfolio Task | 20% | Week 10 |
Seminar presentation | 20% | Week 12 |
Final research report | 30% | Week 13 |
Due: Week 4
Weighting: 20%
You will given a list of 5 presentations from teams in the 2014 iGEM competition to view. You will pick one and submit a short written report (~1,000 words) critiquing one of your selected presentations.
Due: Weekly (weeks 1 to 8)
Weighting: 10%
At the conclusion of each week, via an online blog, post a short summary of your contribution to the project for the week. Include details such as project plans, your contribution to the project, and any outcomes.
Due: Week 10
Weighting: 20%
Choose from a list of supplied job ads/job descriptions of work that you may be interested in applying. Or supply a job ad of your choosing. Prepare a cover letter and a short (~2 to 3 page) cv tailored for the job application/work description. Guidance on portfolio development and preparing job applications will be given.
Due: Week 12
Weighting: 20%
In a small group (3-4 students), you will present a short research seminar for a topic associated with the research project (15 minute + 5 min question time). Topics will vary but may include the iGEM Jamboree presentation or current topics in synthetic biology.
Due: Week 13
Weighting: 30%
A 3000 word report on your research project is to be completed at the end of the semester (week 13). The format is formal and in the style of a scientific paper. It will include the following sections: Abstract, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results and Discussion, References. Report writing skills will be given during the tutorials and via ilearn.
Classes
There are NO formal lectures to attend and NO final exam.
Tutorials/Seminars
Tutorials/Seminars will be during the Thursday class (between 9am to 5pm) and located in the ‘write-up’ room - E7B 354. However, the time and location for tutorial sessions may vary and updates will be posted on the CBMS330 ilearn.mq site. It is essential that you check the ilearn.mq website on a regular basis for updates of the laboratory and seminar schedule. This course is NOT taught from standard texts and attendance at tutorials is compulsory.
Laboratory Session (Wet-lab)
The ‘Timetables @ MQ’ for CBMS330 has the practical component scheduled on Thursdays from 9am-1pm AND 2pm to 6pm in the laboratories located in E7B 354. You should plan to put aside Thursday (9am to 5pm) as your ‘capstone day’. Outside these compulsory scheduled hours, you may also contribute to the research project during the mid-semester break (to help meet iGEM deadines) or to remove/incubate samples during other times in the week (e.g. check plates from thursday class on a friday). The laboratory sessions start in week 1. It is not unreasonable to expect that you would dedicate ~7 – 10 h/week to your research project during weeks 1 to 8. Further information regarding the laboratory session and the nature of the laboratory component will be given in week 1.
Other (Dry-lab)
Due to the nature of the research activities in this unit (participation in iGEM), there are other tasks/activities that you will need to schedule time for both during and beyond the thursday scheduled contact hours (e.g. analysing data, preparing posters, seminars, completing a wiki etc). The ‘write-up’ room (E7B 354) and notebook computers will be available for you to use during the Thursday lab session to help with these tasks. The laboratory will also be open during the mid-semester break to help you complete these tasks - times/days will be advised on ilearn.
Each student is expected to attend all tutorials and laboratory sessions which commence at 9am. Excessive absence from tutorials and laboratory sessions will be treated as grounds for incomplete work in CBMS330.
The university timetable can be found at http://www.timetables.mq.edu.au/
Required and Recommended Texts and/or Materials
This course is NOT taught from standard texts but will depend on the nature of the weekly activities and thus reading material may be advised by your CBMS academic supervisor. Lists of other suggested reading material will be issued separately. Additional printed notes and other material will be issued as required or made available via the CBMS330 website: learn.mq.edu.au.
Technology Used and Required
You will be using and receive training in modern, state of the art research equipment for conducting your research project. This will be located in the laboratories located in E7B 354 and other research laboratories of the Dept CBMS. You will use database search tools including PubMed to acquire relevant literature. You will present assessment tasks and deliver presentations including a poster and oral talk that will require access to software such as word processing software, graphics software and powerpoint. You will contribute to development of a wiki page for your participation in iGEM. General use computers will be provided during the laboratory session with internet access.
Unit Web Page
The ilearn site will be continually updated with the details of weekly schedule which will depend on the weekly progress of your research project.
Weekly tutorials/seminars are compulsory and will be structured around the five following topics and themes as specified below. The tutorial schedule will be available on the CBMS330 ilearn.mq website.
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Below are brief guidelines regarding the synthetic biology research-project you will do in this unit. Further details and updates of project results will be continuously made available on the CBMS330 ilearn.mq website during the semester.
“Which techniques/skills that I have encountered during my undergraduate experience do I wish to further develop in a given practical situation?”
Designing and Building Biological Systems: Your research-project for the capstone unit will be mentored by A/Prof R Willows, Prof N Packer, Prof I Paulsen, Dr L Brown and other academics in the department. As a researcher, you will be the drivers of this research project and your will work as part of a team. The research project will also be used to participate in the international competition ‘International Genetically Engineered Machine - IGEM’. iGEM (www.igem.org/) is a worldwide synthetic biology competition aimed at undergraduate university students.
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.
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/
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.
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Your written reports may be subjected to analysis by Turnitin. Due dates for assessment tasks are on the ilearn site and assignments must be submitted through the ilearn site, where appropriate.
No extensions will be granted, unless a case for Special Consideration has been made through the Faculty site and approved by the Unit convenor.
Late reports will be penalised by deduction of 10% of total available marks for each 24 hour period delay. It is your responsibility to ensure all documents submitted on line are correct and readable.
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Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
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.
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
To best accommodate earlier deadlines associated with iGEM for 2015 only, the project proposal task (15%) has been removed. The weightings of other tasks have increased (Case Study 20%, Final Talks 20%, Portfolio task 20%) and the weighting of the final report has decreased (30%).