NES3309 : Current Research in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology
- Offered for Year: 2024/25
- Module Leader(s): Professor Angharad MR Gatehouse
- Lecturer: Professor Paul Race, Dr Patricia Lopez-Calcagno
- Owning School: Natural and Environmental Sciences
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
- Capacity limit: 60 student places
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 1 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
1. To expose students directly to the research process relating to molecular biology & biotechnology: from conception of studies and hypothesis generation; data gathering methodologies and analysis; to preparation of scientific manuscripts and publication. This will be achieved by taking part in seminars given by active researchers describing their own published work and discussion of the route to successful publication.
2. To develop students' critical thinking and analysis of research work in progress and in print.
3. Develop students' ability to clearly present molecular biology and biotechnology science in written, graphical and visual form.
Outline Of Syllabus
The purpose of this module is to provide an understanding of current research related to Biology degree programmes that takes place in the Molecular Biology and
Biotechnology (MBB) Research Group.
The course will comprise a series of lectures, seminars, workshops and tutorials.
The course will include interactive talks from members of the Molecular Biology and Biotechnology
(MBB) Research Group covering recently published, or soon to be published, studies.
The interactive talks will cover the conception of scientific studies; generation of testable
hypotheses; research techniques and methods; the structure of scientific manuscripts; and power point presentations of scientific papers.
Workshops and tutorials will cover processes involved in developing effective presentations relating to published studies.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 1 | 2:00 | 2:00 | Introductory lecture - This will cover course structure, workshops and assignments. It will also cover preparation of publications |
| Structured Guided Learning | Lecture materials | 2 | 2:30 | 5:00 | Online via Canvas - introduction to the module, familiarise yourself with the topics and reading materials |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 50 | 1:30 | 75:00 | Presentation - Development of analytical and interpretative skills |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 10:00 | 10:00 | Skills practice - Development of graphical skills |
| Structured Guided Learning | Academic skills activities | 10 | 3:00 | 30:00 | PowerPoint presentations for assessment. Development of communication skills |
| Guided Independent Study | Skills practice | 5 | 2:00 | 10:00 | Development of communication skills |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 3 | 2:00 | 6:00 | Seminars - These will be provided by ‘core’ lecturers on the module |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Workshops | 6 | 1:30 | 9:00 | Seminar/journal club presenting PMB research |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Drop-in/surgery | 3 | 1:00 | 3:00 | Online - drop in sessions for Q&A on assessment preparation |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 25 | 2:00 | 50:00 | Independent reading |
| Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
An introductory seminar will introduce the course by providing a broad overview of a published research paper, with insight into the methods and data presented in the paper.
Lectures will be interactive, encouraging students to question concepts and ideas and to develop critical analytical skills when interrogating the wider literature. The development of this expertise will underpin the capacity of the students to undertake private study.
Present in Person workshops will allow students to develop skills in analysis, interpretation and presentation through guided studies relating to specific publications.
Students will be directed to supporting information to consolidate their learning by guided independent study. Students will be expected to undertake a significant amount of independent study at this stage in their programme, developing key skills such as Active Learning, Goal Setting and Action Planning, Decision Making, and Initiative.
Assessment, preparation and completion will allow students to fully prepare for their formative and summative coursework. They will have the opportunity to consolidate and build upon knowledge gained in the taught session. Furthermore, this module enhances skills the students will be developing for their dissertation module.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral Presentation | 1 | M | 70 | The students will work in groups to critically analyse a recent scientific paper; they will then develop and present a scientific power point presentation on an individual basis. |
| Written exercise | 1 | M | 30 | Prepare a graphical abstract for one of the presented scientific papers |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The power point presentation of a research paper describing a recent advance in the molecular biology and biotechnology area tests the students’ analytical skills, their capacity to interpret experimental data and their ability to explain complex scientific principles, approaches and findings in terms accessible to a broad-spanning audience.
The graphical abstract tests students' capacity to extract key ideas from papers and to adapt key textual and visual elements into an easily interpreted graphic.
Seminar sessions by the core lecturers will provide good opportunities for formative assessment and feedback.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- NES3309's Timetable