Programme aims
Offer students the opportunity to study biotechnology and its applications within an environment informed by current research in biotechnology, molecular biology, genomics and bioinformatics.
Provide students with core theoretical understanding and practical / bioinformatics skills in gene and protein engineering and genome analysis.
Provide a broad overview of biotechnology, with in-depth treatment of specialised areas such as industrial biotechnology, plant biotechnology and molecular medicine.
Enable students to critically analyse and interpret biological data, including molecular, sequence and biochemical data using appropriate bioinformatic and statistical tools.
Encourage students to develop an appreciation of the multi-disciplinary nature of biotechnology.
Enable students to plan and conduct a research programme in the development or application of a biotechnological discipline.
Expose students to the business of biotechnology, and provide them with practical guidance and an understanding of employment opportunities in biotechnology.
Enable students to develop skills that will enhance and widen employment opportunities, e.g. information retrieval, evaluation and synthesis, numeracy, IT skills, presentation skills, effective working with others, complex problem solving, self-evaluation and reflection, independent-learning ability.
Allow students to develop their entrepreneurship skills.
Learning outcomes and learning, teaching and assessment methods
On successful completion of the programme a graduate should demonstrate knowledge and skills as follows:
A: Knowledge and understanding
A1: The role of biotechnology in health care, industry, food production and environmental management
A2: A comprehensive, systematic knowledge and understanding of selected biotechnological applications
A3: Fundamental and advanced molecular technologies including genomics, and post-genomic methodologies and their application in biotechnology
A4: The importance of bioinformatics in molecular biology and in biotechnology as a whole.
A5: Key regulatory, ethical and socio-economic issues that are of central importance in biotechnology
A6: Research-based knowledge and research methods in a specific subject area related to biotechnology
A7: The tools and approaches available to establish a new venture
Learning methods
A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A7 - lectures, seminars and coursework.
A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, A7 - analysis of papers / case studies, self-learning.
A3 and A4 - laboratory and computer practical classes.
A6 - lectures and the research project.
Assessment methods
A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A7 - coursework (essays, action plan, literature review, group project report, oral presentations).
A1, A2, A3 - examinations.
A3, A4 - laboratory reports in scientific paper format and worksheets.
A6 - scientific paper format report of the research project, oral and poster presentations.
B: Intellectual and cognitive skills
B1: Systematically retrieve, select and integrate a variety of advanced biotechnological, and molecular information.
B2: Critically evaluate the relative strengths (and weaknesses) of a range of molecular and bioinformatics methods
B3: Analyse a given problem and propose the most appropriate biotechnological approaches and tools for its solution
B4: Analyse and interpret quantitative information such as molecular data, graphs, figures, tables and apply appropriate statistical tests
B5: Integrate and link information across course components, including material met in different years, from different disciplines and covering different scales of organisation.
B6: Review a research topic and plan and conduct a research project
Learning methods
B1, B2, B3, B5 - lectures, seminars, coursework, self-learning, practical classes and the research project.
B4 - lectures, problem sheets and practical classes, and the research project.
B6 - research project and its associated training seminars
Assessment methods
B1, B2, B3, B5 - coursework (essays, action plan, literature review, group project report, oral presentations), and scientific paper format report of the research project.
B2, B4, B5 - examinations and scientific paper format report of the research project, oral and poster presentations.
B5, B6 - scientific paper format report of the research project, oral and poster presentations.
C: Practical skills
C1: Design, plan and carry out appropriate experiments in the laboratory effectively, working within current technical, regulatory, safety and ethical frameworks.
C2: Combine, apply and develop appropriate up-to-date biological methodologies (including molecular techniques) to address biotechnological questions
C3: Describe and explain the principles and limitations of a range of current molecular and analytical methodologies
C4: Work as a member of a team, contributing to the planning and competent performance of biotechnological research.
C7: Explain and critically analyse how a new venutre is created and managed
Learning methods
C1 - practical classes, the research project and associated training seminars.
C2, C3 - lectures, seminars, practical classes and the research project.
C4 - practical classes and the research project.
C5 - lectures, seminars, self-learning.
Assessment methods
C1, C2 - laboratory reports in scientific paper format and as worksheets; scientific paper format report, oral presentation and poster from the research project.
C3 - laboratory reports in scientific paper format and worksheets, essays, examination.
C4 - group project report and oral presentations.
C5 - action plan, group project report and oral presentations.
D: Key skills
D1: Write clear, concise structured reports, including graphical material, describing complex and original material.
Construct well-argued and clearly presented essays and reviews; give oral and poster presentations to specialist and non-specialist audiences.
Write an in-depth review of the literature for selected topics.
Prepare a professional Curriculum Vitae.
D2: (i) Use current networked PC operating systems for normal file management,
(ii) Use current standard word-processing, spreadsheet, web browsing, web-page authoring, email and statistical packages,
(iii) Able to locate and use on-line catalogues and databases
D3: Apply appropriate advanced statistical and quantitative methods to analyse data.
Apply other advanced quantitative methods used in biotechnology
D4: Explore, analyse and find effective solutions for problems involving reasonably complex information
D5: Work effectively as part of a team to collect data and/or to produce reports and presentations, and organise a scientific conference.
D6: Work independently, set realistic targets, plan work and time to meet targets within deadlines and evaluate and reflect on own performance, and how this can be improved to enhance employability.
Learning methods
D1 - lectures, seminars, coursework, self-learning, the research project and its associated training seminars.
D2 - lectures, seminars, coursework, self-learning, practical classes and the research project.
D3 - lectures, seminars, coursework, self-learning, practical classes and the research project.
D4 - lectures, seminars, coursework, self-learning, practical classes and the research project.
D5 - lectures, seminars, coursework, self-learning, practical classes and the research project and its associated training seminars.
D6 - seminars, coursework, self-learning, practical classes and the research project.
Assessment methods
D2 - laboratory reports in scientific paper format and as worksheets; examinations; group project report and oral presentations; action plans; CV; scientific paper format report, oral presentation and poster from the research project.
D3 - laboratory reports in scientific paper format and as worksheets; examinations; class tests; scientific paper format report, oral presentation and poster from the research project.
D4 - laboratory reports in scientific paper format and as worksheets; examinations; essays; literature review; group project report and oral presentations; action plans; scientific paper format report, oral presentation and poster from the research project.
D5 - group project report and oral presentations; action plans; preparation of a scientific conference.
D6 - laboratory reports in scientific paper format and as worksheets; examinations; essays; group project report and oral presentations; action plans; CV; scientific paper format report, oral presentation and poster from the research project; preparation of a scientific conference.