This is an archived handbook for a previous year. The current undergraduate and postgraduate handbooks can be viewed using the links above.

Undergraduate Handbook 2010-2011 (archived)

Module BIOL3511: Biotechnology

Department: Biological and Biomedical Sciences

BIOL3511: Biotechnology

Type	Level	Credits	Availability	Module Cap	Location
Tied	3	20	Available in 2010/2011	None.	Durham

Tied To

Pre-requisites

Biochemistry AND Molecular Biology.

Corequisites

At least one other Level 3 Biology module.

Excluded Combinations

None.

Aims

To understand the processes of recombinant protein production on an industrial scale.
To understand concepts of plant genetic engineering.
To realise the potential of metabolic engineering of key pathways in microbes and eukaryotes.

Content

Expression systems and protein engineering.
Plant transformation and applications.
Crop biotechnology (disease protection herbicides, biofuels)
Bacterial transporters and signalling pathways: targets for antimicrobial drugs and use as biosensors.i.

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge

Ability to explain the strategies used for recombinant protein production.
Describe the techniques used in plant transformation and understand their application.
Evaluate metabolic pathways as potential targets for biotechnological intervention.
Evaluate components of bacterial transporters and signalling pathways for use as biosensors or targets for atimicrobial agents.

Subject-specific Skills

Students will learn the basis of transformation.
Production of recombinant proteins.
Appreciation of the steps needed to use biotechnology to improve plants and microbes for industrial application.

Key Skills

Extract, compile and review relevant scientific information from various sources and evaluate them critically.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

Lectures, Unseen exam and Data handling.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Activity	Number	Frequency	Duration	Total Hours
Lectures	40	Weekly	1 hour	40
				0
Preparation & reading				160
Total				200

Summative Assessment

Component	Component Weighting	Element	Length/Duration	Element Weighting	Resit Opportunity
Examination	90%	Unseen formal examination	3 hours	100%
Continuous Assessment	10%	Data handling		100%

Formative Assessment

None.

Students who do not attend monitored activities shown under Teaching Methods and Learning Hours, or who fail to complete the summative or formative assessment(s) specified above, may be subject to the Academic Progress procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University.