Undergraduate Programme and Module Handbook 2024-2025
Module BIOL3601: BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
Department: Biosciences
BIOL3601: BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
| Type | Open | Level | 3 | Credits | 20 | Availability | Available in 2024/2025 | Module Cap | Location | Durham |
|---|
Prerequisites
- Level 2 Molecular Biology (BIOL2441); Level 2 Metabolism (BIOL2491).
Corequisites
- At least one other Level 3 Biological Sciences Module selected from the following list: Advanced Topics in Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour BIOL3561, Conservation Biology BIOL3551, Ecology in the Anthropocene BIOL3541, Advanced Topics in Development BIOL3521, Stress and Responses to the Environment BIOL3491, Crops for the Future BIOL3611, Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering BIOL3531, Ageing BIOL3591, Advanced Cell Biology BIOL3481, Biology of Disease BIOL3621, Genomics BIOL3651.
Excluded Combination of Modules
- None
Aims
- To describe systems and techniques that are relevant to industrial, pharmaceutical, and research biotechnology.
- To describe fundamental aspects of cellular biochemistry that are relevant to biotechnology.
Content
- Macromolecular crowding.
- Molecular motors.
- Nucleic acid dynamics and sequencing
- Recombinant protein production.
- Protein engineering and forced evolution.
- Microbial secretion and signalling pathways.
- Biomolecular interactions
- The roles of metal ions in proteins.
- Manipulating the cell biology of metals.
Learning Outcomes
Subject-specific Knowledge:
- Familiarity with a range of techniques used in modern biotechnology.
- An holistic knowledge of fundamental cellular biochemistry.
- An integrated knowledge of how biochemical reactions inside the cell can be manipulated for biotechnological exploitation.
Subject-specific Skills:
- To show an understanding of molecular and cellular scales in biology.
- To be able to analyse and explain quantitative data related to cellular biochemistry.
- To be able to design and analyse biochemical strategies for production of recombinant proteins.
- To be able to analyse network of metabolic pathways in cells.
- To be able to explain and analyse nucleic acid structure and dynamics.
- To be able to explain and analyse mechanisms of metal homeostasis in biological systems.
Key Skills:
- Literacy, in being able to consult and integrate information from printed and on-line research articles.
- Data analysis, in interpretation and critical analysis of data relevant to biotechnology and biochemistry.
- Self-motivation, in self-guided learning.
Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module
- Lectures deliver subject-specific knowledge.
- Workshops support the development of key and subject-specific skills.
- Self-guided learning contributes to subject-specific knowledge and self-motivation.
- Data Handling Exercises are based on subject-specific knowledge.
- Unseen examinations demonstrate achievement of the appropriate level of subject-specific knowledge of development, with an emphasis on understanding and communication (essay and problem-based questions).
Teaching Methods and Learning Hours
| Activity | Number | Frequency | Duration | Total/Hours | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lectures | 24 | Weekly | 2 hours p/w | 24 | |
| Workshops | 2 | Termly | 2 hour | 2 | ■ |
| Preparation & Reading | 174 | ||||
| Total | 200 |
Summative Assessment
| Component: Examination | Component Weighting: 100% | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Element | Length / duration | Element Weighting | Resit Opportunity |
| Unseen formal exam | 2 hours | 100% | No |
Formative Assessment:
2 formative examination exercises of 1 hr each.
■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University