Students
MOLS8611 – Molecular and Medical Biotechnology
2025 – Session 2, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde
General Information
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| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Sasha Tetu
Bhumika Shah
|
|---|---|
| Credit points |
Credit points
10
|
| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
Admission to GradDipRes or GradCertRes or (BMOL6401 and Admission to GradDipBiotech or MBiotech)
|
| Corequisites |
Corequisites
|
| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
|
| Unit description |
Unit description
This unit is composed of lectures, a significant hands-on practical component, student debate, workshops, 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 practical component with workshop and assignment tasks. Learning in this unit enhances student understanding of global challenges identified by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) Good Health and Well Being; Quality Education; Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure |
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
To pass this unit you must achieve a total mark equal to or greater than 50%.
Please note that regular attendance and engagement with lecture and practical activities is highly recommended, since it will be difficult to pass the unit without obtaining marks from assessments based on these activities.
Attendance and participation
We strongly encourage all students to actively participate in all learning activities. Regular engagement is crucial for your success in this unit, as these activities provide opportunities to deepen your understanding of the material, collaborate with peers, and receive valuable feedback from instructors, to assist in completing the unit assessments.
Regular engagement in laboratory classes is particularly important, as many experiments run across a number of weeks and multiple missed classes can make it difficult to develop fundamental skills and obtain sensible results. Please be aware that due to the specific culturing requirements of the microorganisms used, it is generally not possible to offer make-up activities for sessions missed.
Late Assessment Submission Penalty
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 your lab report 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. A 1-hour grace period will be provided to students who experience a technical concern. For any late submission of time-sensitive tasks, such as scheduled tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, and/or scheduled practical assessments/labs, please apply for Special Consideration.
Assessments where Late Submissions will be accepted
- Great Debate – NO, unless Special Consideration is Granted
- Lab Report – YES, Standard Late Penalty applies
- Final exam - NO, unless Special Consideration is Granted
Special Consideration
The Special Consideration Policy aims to support students who have been impacted by short-term circumstances or events that are serious, unavoidable and significantly disruptive, and which may affect their performance in assessment. If you experience circumstances or events that affect your ability to complete the assessments in this unit on time, please inform the convenor and submit a Special Consideration request through https://connect.mq.edu.au.
Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Final Examination | 45% | No | Exam Period |
| Practical Report | 40% | No | 05/10/2025 |
| The Great Debate | 15% | No | 15/09/2025 |
Final Examination
Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: Exam Period
Weighting: 45%
The final exam will cover all sections of the unit including lecture material, workshops 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.
- 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.
Practical Report
Assessment Type 1: Lab report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 35 hours
Due: 05/10/2025
Weighting: 40%
The Lab Report is based on the experiments conducted in Practical class.
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.
The Great Debate
Assessment Type 1: Debate
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: 15/09/2025
Weighting: 15%
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.
- 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.
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
Week 1 Classes
Classes begin in week 1 – the link for online activities is available on iLearn.
Online safety and skills workshop takes place on Monday week 1 – please join zoom at 2pm sharp.
Lectures begin Tuesday week 1.
There are no lab-based practicals in week 1. Please make sure you have your own lab coat prior to week 2 when practical laboratory classes commence.
Methods of Communication
We will communicate with you via your university email and through announcements on iLearn. Queries to the convenor can either be placed on the iLearn discussion board or sent to the unit convenor via the contact email on iLearn.
Lectures
The expectation is that you will engage with lecture material and carry out the additional readings and/or viewing of associated material which is provided with certain lectures.
Attending lectures during the scheduled time is highly recommended. Many lectures are delivered by academic and industry experts who are giving up their time to talk with you. These session will give you an opportunity to ask questions and participation is highly encouraged.
Looking over lecture slides is not a suitable substitute to attending the lectures. Students tend to perform poorly if they do not engage with lectures throughout the term and this will also impact your ability to prepare for and understand material in practical sessions.
Practicals and workshops
Both the lab-based practical classes and online workshop are designed to develop molecular laboratory skills, safety practices and critical and analytical thought. In order to be able to work safely and effectively in the practical classes, please make sure to read through laboratory notes prior to each practical session commencing, to familiarise yourself with planned work and ensure you are aware of biosafety considerations for the coming class.
Self-Study
The unit expectation is that you will spend time outside formal instruction reviewing notes taken in class, reading assigned materials (textbook sections and other referenced papers or articles) and exploring other sources of information on molecular biotechnology.
Required and Recommended Texts and Materials
You will be expected to bring a lab coat, closed shoes and lab notebook to each practical and to regularly refer to practical manual notes in class (either hardcopy or electronic). Laboratory Practical notes, outlining planned activities for laboratory sessions will be available on iLearn for download prior to the session, to enable you to prepare for the scheduled classes.
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:
- Academic Appeals Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progression Policy
- Assessment Policy
- Fitness to Practice Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Complaints Resolution Procedure for Students and Members of the Public
- Special Consideration Policy
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 connect.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/
Academic Success
Academic Success provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.
- Workshops
- Chat with a WriteWISE peer writing leader
- Access StudyWISE
- Upload an assignment to Studiosity
- Complete the Academic Integrity Module
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:
- IT Support
- Accessibility and disability support with study
- Mental health support
- Safety support to respond to bullying, harassment, sexual harassment and sexual assault
- Social support including information about finances, tenancy and legal issues
- Student Advocacy provides independent advice on MQ policies, procedures, and processes
Student Enquiries
Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, 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
Assessments have changed in keeping with new MQU policies
Unit information based on version 2025.06 of the Handbook