Requirements to Pass this Unit

To pass this unit you need to:

• Achieve a total mark equal to or greater than 50% across all assessments

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. Your active participation not only enhances your own learning experience but also contributes to a vibrant and dynamic learning environment for everyone.

Late Assessment Submission Penalty 

From 1 July 2022, Students enrolled in Session based units with written assessments will have the following university standard late penalty applied. Please see https://students.mq.edu.au/study/assessment-exams/assessments for more information. 

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7^th day (including weekends). After the 7^th day, a grade of '0' will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11:55 pm. A 1-hour grace period is 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, students need to submit an application for Special Consideration.  

Assessments where Late Submissions will be accepted: 

In this unit, late submissions will be accepted as follows: 

PROTEIN PORTFOLIO - Yes, standard late penalty applies (unless Special Consideration is granted). 

LABORATORY RESEARCH PROJECT - Yes, standard late penalty applies (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.

This unit comprises:

• Two lectures per week.
• Five sets of practical sessions (3 hours) and Small Group Training Activities (SGTAs; 2 hours), scheduled on alternate weeks from Week 2.

There are no practical or SGTA classes in Week 1, Week 6 and Week 13.

Methods of Communication: Communicate will occur via your Macquarie University email and through announcements on iLearn. Queries to the Teaching Staff may be posted on the iLearn discussion board or sent directly to the Unit Convenor using the contact email listed on iLearn.

Week 1 Classes: During Week 1, two one-hour lectures will be delivered as scheduled in the university timetable.

Lectures: There are two lectures per week as per the university timetable.

• Lectures are delivered face-to-face, with video recordings available on iLearn shortly after each session.
• Due to the interactive teaching format, students are strongly encouraged to attend in person.
• Additional learning materials (including notes, animations, videos, and revision resources) provided by the textbook publisher are accessible via iLearn.
• Interactive learning activities will be incorporated into lectures. Students are encouraged to bring a mobile phone, tablet, or laptop to participate in in-class quizzes and activities.

SGTAs: SGTAs are held on campus during the scheduled two-hour sessions.

• In total there are five SGTAs, held in allocated teaching rooms, and alternating with Practicals. Please check your unit timetable carefully for your chosen class.
• SGTA sessions include practical problem-solving activities and basic mathematical applications in biochemical contexts.
• Please note that this is an in-person activity only, and no video recordings are available. On-campus attendance is highly recommended.

Practicals: Three-hour Laboratory sessions are scheduled according to the timetable, with multiple sessions available to choose from.

• Laboratory sessions are conducted in 14 Eastern Road (Building E8A), Rooms 130/150.
• Laboratory sessions alternate with SGTAs. Please check your unit timetable carefully for your chosen session.
• Students must bring their own lab coat, safety glasses and wear fully enclosed shoes to be allowed to enter the laboratories.
• Before each experiment, students must complete the pre-lab quiz on iLearn.
• Students are expected to read the experimental instructions and relevant textbook material before attending.

In total, there are FIVE lab sessions held during the semester. Attendance at all five laboratory sessions is required to collect data to complete the Laboratory Research Project assessment (30%).

Students unable to attend due to serious illness or misadventure must submit a “Disruption to Studies” request via ask.mq.edu.au as soon as possible, specifying the details of the exact Practical class missed.

• For the first approved absence, students will receive the average mark from attended sessions.
• Additional approved absences may require completion of alternative assessment tasks.
• Unapproved absences will result in a zero mark and may be liable for compulsory withdrawal from the unit.
• Anticipated absences (e.g., religious observance or scheduled events) must be communicated to the Unit Convenor in advance of the absence, to rearrange your schedule if possible, as each laboratory session is offered over two weeks, in multiple sessions.

Prescribed Textbook:

Biochemistry: Concepts and Connections (Global Edition, 2nd Edition) Dean Appling, Spencer Anthony-Cahill, Christopher Mathews

All enrolled students will be provided with free digital access to the prescribed text. Accessed via iLearn using Pearson login credentials (detailed instructions are provided on iLearn).These resources include adaptive learning tools using the Mastering Chemistry platform. Several tasks, including Practical 3, will be completed directly through the textbook platform.

Module 1: Building Blocks of Biochemistry.

• Structure and properties of amino acids found in proteins.
• Definition and properties of a peptide bond.
• Definition of primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary structure of proteins.
• Protein analysis, including protein purification, sequencing methods such as Edman degradation and MS-MS, chromatography, solubility, spectroscopic properties and gel electrophoresis.
• Protein structure determination methods and the structure-function paradigm.
• Protein stability and folding.

Module 2: Enzymes and the Chemical Logic of Metabolism

• Enzyme function, including catalytic site and enzyme mechanisms, enzyme classification, enzyme inhibition and review of thermodynamics and chemical equilibria.
• Sugars and Lipids
• Membrane structure and Transport across Membranes
• Metabolic Pathway Overview
• Metabolic Control Mechanisms
• Experimental Analysis of Metabolism

Module 3: Energy metabolism

• Glycolysis and gluconeogenesis: the key regulatory steps, enzyme mechanisms and compartmentalization of parts of the gluconeogenesis pathway in mammals.
• Tricarboxyic acid cycle in mitochondria: catalytic and synthetic roles
• Glyoxalate cycle
• Pentose phosphate pathway
• Electron transport chain and oxidative phosphorylation

Module 4: Protein, Lipid and Nucleotide Metabolism.

• Amino acid synthesis and breakdown
• Fatty acid synthesis and degradation
• Nucleotide metabolism
• Interorgan and intracellular coordination of vertebrate energy metabolism.

Module 5: Introduction to Cell Biology 

• Biochemical Signalling an introduction
• Biochemistry of pain 
• Hormonal and cellular control of metabolism

To enable students more time to focus on learning, understanding and reflecting on the content of our unit we have revised the assessment structure as follows. There are now only three assessments: a Protein Portfolio (20%), Laboratory Research Project (30%) and Final Exam (50%).

Although no marks are associated with attendance, all activities provide you with key content designed to help you understand content and complete the assessments.