Postgraduate Course: Research Project in Molecular Biology and Immunology (BILG11011)
Course Outline
| School | School of Biological Sciences |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 50 |
ECTS Credits | 25 |
| Summary | A 10 week research project in Molecular Biology and Immunology. |
| Course description |
The proposed new course forms one element of the new MSc by Research in Hosts, Pathogens and Global Health which will be taken by students during the first year of study on the Wellcome Trust Four Year PhD programme in Hosts, Pathogens and Global Health. The course will run alongside 2 other courses (Research Project in Molecular Phylogeny and Epidemiology, and Research Project in Evolutionary Biology and Ecology) in give training across the full range of pathogen and host interactions, from core molecular processes to understanding host-pathogen interactions in the field, including co-infections, zoonoses and evolutionary dynamics. This training will also give the students a rounded appreciation of how multidisciplinary approaches will allow them to address research problems in an integrated way, when they choose their main PhD project.
Students will carry out a 10-week independent research project in Molecular Biology and Immunology.
After completing the project, students will submit a research dissertation describing the background, context, results, conclusions, and potential impact of the project. The dissertation should be no longer than 2500 words (excluding figure legends, references and supplementary material). Students will also give a 15 min oral presentation based on their project to their peers and the Programme Training Committee.
The Research Project in Molecular Biology and Immunology course will be offered three times throughout the academic year, along with the Research Project in Molecular Phylogeny and Epidemiology, and Research Project in Evolutionary Biology and Ecology courses. Students will be able to take the Research Project courses in any order.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2022/23, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Flexible |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
500
(
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 10,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
490 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Students will submit a written report of their research project in Molecular Biology and Immunology which will be graded by the project supervisor and Programme Training Committee.
The project will be assessed out of 50 credits:
Practical work in laboratory 10 credits
Dissertation 35 credits
Oral presentation 5 credits
Students will present their projects to their peers and the Programme Committee in a 15 min talk, allowing 5 min for questions. Committee members will prepare written feedback for the students based on both their talk and dissertation. Students will meet with Committee members one-on-one shortly after their oral presentation to discuss feedback and any other concerns.
Dissertations will include:
300 word summary paragraph
2500 words of remaining text to describe project background, aims, results and discussion (excluding figure legends and references)
maximum 5 figures
full citations for all references
students should include materials and methods in the supplementary data, and will be able to submit up to 10 supplementary figures.
Marks will be awarded using the University of Edinburgh marking scheme.
Project supervisors will award marks for practical work. The dissertation and oral presentations will be assessed by the supervisor (30% of total marks) and the Hosts, Pathogens and Global Health PhD programme committee members (70% of total marks).
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| Feedback |
As well as the assessment feedback outlined above, students will have regular (weekly) meetings with their project supervisor during each rotation. Following each rotation, students will meet with the Programme Training Committee to discuss progress and address any questions or problems that may have arisen.
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| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- specific practical experimentation in Molecular Biology and Immunology
- general experiment design and planning
- data recording
- data analysis and presentation
- scientific thesis writing
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
- autonomy
- teamwork
- oral and written communication skills
- time management
- organisational skills
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| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Prof Keith Matthews
Tel: (0131 6)51 3639
Email: |
Course secretary | Dr Hilary Snaith
Tel: (0131 6)51 3688
Email: |
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