Students

MOLS8611 – Molecular and Medical Biotechnology

2023 – Session 2, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Convener
Giuseppe Palmisano
giuseppe.palmisano@mq.edu.au
School of Natural Sciences
By appointment only
Co-convener
Alison Rodger
alison.rodger@mq.edu.au
Contact via By email
School of Natural Sciences
By appointment only
Co-Convenor
Livia Rosa Fernandes
livia.rosafernandes@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
(Admission to MBioBus or GradDipBiotech or MBiotech or MRadiopharmSc or MSc or MScInnovationChemBiomolecularSc) and (BMOL6401 or CBMS622) or (BMOL6431 or CBMS335)
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
MOLS7611
Unit description Unit description

This unit is composed of lectures, a significant hands-on laboratory component, student debate, tutorials, assignments and reports. We will explore areas of contemporary molecular and medical biotechnology by building on students' existing knowledge and showing how science is translated to applications in health, industry and the environment. Lecture topics range from the production of recombinant biomolecules in various cell factories and their industrial and medical applications to nanobiotechnology and stem cells. Instrumentation and technology supporting biotechnology will be introduced and discussed. Visiting lecturers from various academic disciplines will lead discussion on their areas of expertise. The unit also has a significant hands-on laboratory component with tutorials and assignment tasks.

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:

  • ULO1: Demonstrate an understanding of key concepts of biotechnology, its interdisciplinary nature and impact on modern society.
  • ULO2: Demonstrate good practical laboratory skills involving the use of contemporary experimental techniques in biotechnology including microbial culture, and production and characterisation of recombinant glycoproteins of therapeutic value.
  • ULO3: Relate information published in the scientific literature to practical research questions in biotechnology
  • ULO4: Explain and interpret results from the laboratory experiments carried out during the practicals reflecting published literature and relevant technical and theoretical concepts.
  • ULO5: Critique and communicate a complex biotechnology topic in writing and orally and practice the ability to form opinions on the safety and ethics issues related to gene editing in our society.
  • ULO6: Engage in curiosity-driven learning activities and critically evaluate the work of others.

General Assessment Information

Requirements to Pass this Unit: This unit is assessed as outlined below. You must gain 50% to pass the unit.

Late Assessment Submission: Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark of the task) will be applied for each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a grade of ‘0’ will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. The submission time for all uploaded assessments is 11:55 pm. If no day is specified it is 11:55 pm on Friday. A 1-hour grace period will be provided to students who experience a technical problem.

Postponement of the Great Debate requires an approved Special Consideration. 

Assessments where Late Submissions will be accepted with standard late penalties: all written assignments

Assessments where Late Submissions will NOT be accepted: the Great Debate

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Continuing assessment 5% No Weekly
Primer crafting task 5% No Week 3
Hot topic essay 10% No Week 5
The Great Debate 5% No Week 7
Report 1 15% No Week 8
Report 2 8% No Week 8
Report 3 12% No Week 12
Final Examination 40% No TBC - Final Examination timetable

Continuing assessment

Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 12 hours
Due: Weekly
Weighting: 5%

 

Continuing assessment involves providing a brief answer to a weekly question appearing on iLearn each week.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate an understanding of key concepts of biotechnology, its interdisciplinary nature and impact on modern society.
  • Relate information published in the scientific literature to practical research questions in biotechnology
  • Explain and interpret results from the laboratory experiments carried out during the practicals reflecting published literature and relevant technical and theoretical concepts.
  • Critique and communicate a complex biotechnology topic in writing and orally and practice the ability to form opinions on the safety and ethics issues related to gene editing in our society.
  • Engage in curiosity-driven learning activities and critically evaluate the work of others.

Primer crafting task

Assessment Type 1: Design Task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 6 hours
Due: Week 3
Weighting: 5%

 

You will learn how to turn a peptide sequence to a DNA sequence and design oligonucleotide primers for various purposes in the laboratory such as “catching” a gene and DNA sequencing.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate good practical laboratory skills involving the use of contemporary experimental techniques in biotechnology including microbial culture, and production and characterisation of recombinant glycoproteins of therapeutic value.
  • Relate information published in the scientific literature to practical research questions in biotechnology
  • Explain and interpret results from the laboratory experiments carried out during the practicals reflecting published literature and relevant technical and theoretical concepts.
  • Critique and communicate a complex biotechnology topic in writing and orally and practice the ability to form opinions on the safety and ethics issues related to gene editing in our society.
  • Engage in curiosity-driven learning activities and critically evaluate the work of others.

Hot topic essay

Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: Week 5
Weighting: 10%

 

This essay will be written in the “Times magazine style”, i.e. to a broader audience. Your task is to engage the reader and present your point of view.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate an understanding of key concepts of biotechnology, its interdisciplinary nature and impact on modern society.
  • Explain and interpret results from the laboratory experiments carried out during the practicals reflecting published literature and relevant technical and theoretical concepts.
  • Critique and communicate a complex biotechnology topic in writing and orally and practice the ability to form opinions on the safety and ethics issues related to gene editing in our society.
  • Engage in curiosity-driven learning activities and critically evaluate the work of others.

The Great Debate

Assessment Type 1: Debate
Indicative Time on Task 2: 5 hours
Due: Week 7
Weighting: 5%

 

The students will be divided into groups who will be given a topic in the area of biotechnology which they either have to defend or oppose.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate an understanding of key concepts of biotechnology, its interdisciplinary nature and impact on modern society.
  • Critique and communicate a complex biotechnology topic in writing and orally and practice the ability to form opinions on the safety and ethics issues related to gene editing in our society.

Report 1

Assessment Type 1: Lab report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: Week 8
Weighting: 15%

 

The written report on Practical 1 will introduce students to report writing and provide early feedback on the skills and style in report writing and extracting relevant information from various paper and electronic sources.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate an understanding of key concepts of biotechnology, its interdisciplinary nature and impact on modern society.
  • Demonstrate good practical laboratory skills involving the use of contemporary experimental techniques in biotechnology including microbial culture, and production and characterisation of recombinant glycoproteins of therapeutic value.
  • Relate information published in the scientific literature to practical research questions in biotechnology
  • Explain and interpret results from the laboratory experiments carried out during the practicals reflecting published literature and relevant technical and theoretical concepts.
  • Critique and communicate a complex biotechnology topic in writing and orally and practice the ability to form opinions on the safety and ethics issues related to gene editing in our society.
  • Engage in curiosity-driven learning activities and critically evaluate the work of others.

Report 2

Assessment Type 1: Lab report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 8 hours
Due: Week 8
Weighting: 8%

 

Report 2 is based on the experiments conducted in Practical 2. Students are expected to take into account the feedback from report 1 to improve their performance in report 2 and produce an executive summary linking together Practicals 1 and 2, as part of the report.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate an understanding of key concepts of biotechnology, its interdisciplinary nature and impact on modern society.
  • Demonstrate good practical laboratory skills involving the use of contemporary experimental techniques in biotechnology including microbial culture, and production and characterisation of recombinant glycoproteins of therapeutic value.
  • Relate information published in the scientific literature to practical research questions in biotechnology
  • Explain and interpret results from the laboratory experiments carried out during the practicals reflecting published literature and relevant technical and theoretical concepts.
  • Critique and communicate a complex biotechnology topic in writing and orally and practice the ability to form opinions on the safety and ethics issues related to gene editing in our society.
  • Engage in curiosity-driven learning activities and critically evaluate the work of others.

Report 3

Assessment Type 1: Lab report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: Week 12
Weighting: 12%

 

Written report on Practical 3.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate an understanding of key concepts of biotechnology, its interdisciplinary nature and impact on modern society.
  • Demonstrate good practical laboratory skills involving the use of contemporary experimental techniques in biotechnology including microbial culture, and production and characterisation of recombinant glycoproteins of therapeutic value.
  • Relate information published in the scientific literature to practical research questions in biotechnology
  • Explain and interpret results from the laboratory experiments carried out during the practicals reflecting published literature and relevant technical and theoretical concepts.

Final Examination

Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 14 hours
Due: TBC - Final Examination timetable
Weighting: 40%

 

The final 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.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate an understanding of key concepts of biotechnology, its interdisciplinary nature and impact on modern society.
  • Demonstrate good practical laboratory skills involving the use of contemporary experimental techniques in biotechnology including microbial culture, and production and characterisation of recombinant glycoproteins of therapeutic value.
  • Relate information published in the scientific literature to practical research questions in biotechnology
  • Explain and interpret results from the laboratory experiments carried out during the practicals reflecting published literature and relevant technical and theoretical concepts.
  • Critique and communicate a complex biotechnology topic in writing and orally and practice the ability to form opinions on the safety and ethics issues related to gene editing in our society.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

iLearn Website

As a student enrolled in this unit, you will engage in a range of online and face-to-face learning activities, including lectures, online modules and practicals. All details can be found on the iLearn site for this unit

Technology Used

Active participation in the learning activities throughout the unit will require students to have access to a tablet, laptop or similar device. Students who do not own their own laptop computer may borrow one from the university library.

COVID Information

For the latest information on the University’s response to COVID-19, please refer to the Coronavirus infection page on the Macquarie website: https://www.mq.edu.au/about/coronavirus-faqs. Remember to check this page regularly in case the information and requirements change during semester. If there are any changes to this unit in relation to COVID, these will be communicated via iLearn.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) 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 or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

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

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via AskMQ, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

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

Changes from Previous Offering

We value student feedback to be able to continually improve the way we offer our units. As such we encourage students to provide constructive feedback via student surveys, to the teaching staff directly, or via the FSE Student Experience & Feedback link in the iLearn page.

Student feedback from the previous offering of this unit was very positive overall, but most students felt there were too many assessments. As such, no change to the delivery of the unit is planned, however, we now only request one report on the first practical (it was previously submitted in two parts) and we have replaced a Hot Topics essay with the requirement to submit your great debate preparation notes. 

Changes since First Published

Date Description
21/07/2023 Added co-convenor.

Unit information based on version 2023.02 of the Handbook