This unit is designed to engage students with those topics currently dominating the chemical and biomolecular sciences. It will expose students to current research questions across the range of the broad discipline. Activities are based on seminar attendance, as well as directed reading of research papers and the discussion and critiquing of research topics in written and seminar forms. Students will be guided to a range of readings that engage new directions of scientific thought and break-through methodologies, such as recent Nobel Prize-winning outcomes. This unit will allow students to reflect on current trends and to communicate changes underway.

Seminar attendance and critique

Departmental research seminars generally occur in MolSci on selected Tuesdays, although special seminars are often arranged at short notice. Remember to check the Department's website regularly for updates. Seminars within formal series sponsored within other University/Medical Research Departments serve as an excellent educational opportunity to become aware of areas of current research focus. You must obtain record for a total of 10 seminar experiences by June 4. It is your responsibility to retain and collate sign-off on the Unit-approved class sheet as participation record. A printed card will be distributed to all students at the start of the Unit. Your final presentation in Week 12 (or Week 13) must focus on one selection from the 10 seminar experiences documented on your personal attendance record.

News of seminars on offer around Sydney and of relevance in the molecular sciences will be regularly placed on the iLearn site. You may wish to include seminars held in other university departments or research institutes, as well as those formally hosted in the metropolitan area by professional organisations such as Royal Australian Chemical Institute, Joint Microbiological Associations (JAMS), Sydney Protein Group, etc.

Technology essay and viva

As noted within the semester schedule above, once you have selected your technology topic from those offered this year, it is your responsibility to contact and arrange interview and viva times with the relevant supervising academic.

This Unit consists of self-directed tasks, with formal classroom experience only occurring in first and last weeks of semester. You will also need to make times available for one-on-one meetings with your designated theme leader, as well as Tuesday lunch-time Research Seminars.

It is your responsibility to organise your work according to the following schedule:

Week 1-12:

An introductory briefing will be held during Week 1 to outline the Unit organisation and to distribute seminar attendance sheets. Following this, you will attend ~1 research seminar weekly as part of your research training in this Unit. Seminars will most likely be selected from the Molecular Sciences Research Seminar series at Macquarie (Tuesdays, 1pm) as advertised on the Departmental website. However, you are invited to attend other departmental/institutional research seminars that interest you.

Week 2:

A workshop will be held by the University's Science HDR Learning Skills Advisor covering literature searching and construction of an annotated literature review. You will be notified within iLearn of the Breakthrough Technology topics available for review, together with the academic staff theme leader. It is your responsibility to coordinate contact with the supervising academic for direction concerning appropriate reading literature. You must compile a written critical review of background methodology and contemporary applications of this breakthrough technology (as detailed in assessment tasks).

Week 6, Mid-semester Task (April 1):

5pm deadline for electronic submission of (i) draft technology essay and (ii) annotated literature review via the Turnitin portal on the iLearn site. Late submissions will be subject to a 10% penalty per day.

Weeks 7-8, Viva:

Viva covering your technology topic with designated supervising academic. It is your responsibility to arrange and schedule this interview in advance at a mutually convenient time.

Week 11 (May 21), Final Review Submission:

5pm deadline for electronic submission of revised technology essay via the Turnitin portal on the iLearn site. Late submissions will be subject to a 10% penalty per day.

Weeks 12 and 13 (May 28 or Jun 4), Peer Seminars:

Student presentations and discussion sessions will be held within scheduled 3hr workshops both weeks. You must attend and engage on both days. You will be informed of your allocated speaking day / time in advance. Your contribution to peer discussion during these seminar sessions will be graded, as well as your own presentation.