Undergraduate Course: Biology 1C: Discovery (BILG08022)
Course Outline
| School | School of Biological Sciences |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 1 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course takes students on an extended practical project to discover potentially novel antibiotics. At the end students produce a poster describing their research and a scientific paper. Students will learn important skills that are transferable to more advanced courses. These include record-keeping, group-work, programming and modelling, and scientific communication
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| Course description |
This course takes students on an extended practical project to discover potentially novel antibiotics. At the end, students produce a poster describing their research and a scientific paper. While the labs in the first half of the course teach techniques, the second half involves an 'open lab' in which students apply the techniques to answer a research question, namely does the sample chosen by the students contain antibiotic activity and what is its likelihood to be novel? Lectures and workshops support the theoretical background for why the topic is important, and the deeper principles we learn about life through exploring the topic of anti-microbial resistance. Students will learn important skills that are transferable to more advanced courses. These include record-keeping, group-work, programming and modelling, and scientific communication.
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Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2022/23, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
196 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
100% in-course assessment:
-Quizzes: 10%
-Poster (Group): 20%
-Scientific Paper (individual): 45%
-Portfolio (individual): 25% (pass/fail)
To pass the course, the ICA must be passed (40%) and the portfolio must be passed (pass/fail).
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| Feedback |
Feedback will be given through the portfolio and script review meetings. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Link knowledge of biological processes across levels of biology by using case studies
- Discover and critically assess information gained by research or by practice
- Effectively communicate research findings
- Work effectively in a group in a practical environment to address a research question and design and implement a range of approaches to solve the problem (including data collection)
- Understand, analyse and interpret data, and gain a conceptual grasp of common quantitative principles
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Reading List
| Core textbook will be 'Biology: A Global Approach, Global Edition' (11th edition) by Campbell et al, and students will be directed to other relevant material. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Research & Enquiry
Many aspects of this course provide opportunities, particularly in relation to the exploratory aspects of your practical labs.
These aspects are designed to help develop intellectual critical judgement and assessment skills, as well as your technical skills. The scientific paper provides the opportunity to construct a manuscript which describes how scientific issues have been explored, and to convey written conclusions in a professional manner. It utilises an important skill-base and exposes students to the standards and methods utilised by the scientific community.
Communication
Different forms of communication are used for different purposes. These range from written reports to verbal interactions during workshops. It is important to develop both autonomous skills for communication and those needed for group activities.
Personal Effectiveness
The ability to organise and summarise thoughts and material in a flexible and accessible way are core features that are required for personal effectiveness. Planning, time management and reflection are central to this and are used throughout the course at many points. By providing a timetable where key submission dates are highlighted, to encourage students to develop their effectiveness throughout this course.
Personal & Intellectual Autonomy
The course is designed to provide students with training in practical labs, where they will learn to plan and interpret experiments, synthesise ideas and present and/or defend them in a written report.
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| Keywords | anti-microbial,antibiotic |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Paul McLaughlin
Tel: (0131 6)50 7060
Email: |
Course secretary | Dr Edward Dewhirst
Tel: (0131 6)50 8649
Email: |
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