Please note: Due to alternative arrangements for teaching and
assessment in place from 18 March 2020 to mitigate against the restrictions in
place due to COVID-19, information shown for 2019/20 may not always be accurate.
Please note: you are viewing unit and programme information
for a past academic year. Please see the current academic year for up to date information.
| Unit name |
Advanced Options in Biochemistry |
| Unit code |
BIOC30600 |
| Credit points |
20 |
| Level of study |
H/6
|
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24)
|
| Unit director |
Professor. Mike Jones |
| Open unit status |
Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
BIOC20002 and BIOC20001
|
| Co-requisites |
Advanced Cell Biology BIOC30601 The Dynamic Proteome BIOC30604 Cellular Information BIOC30602
|
| School/department |
School of Biochemistry |
| Faculty |
Faculty of Life Sciences |
Description including Unit Aims
Students study advanced topics from a variety of specialist lecture elements. These topics are largely based around the research specializations of staff within the School. There are typically six elements available, each containing 8 lectures. Students study four of these elements. The current elements are:
- Synthetic Biology
- Protein Science in Therapy and Technology
- DNA-Protein Interactions
- Molecular Basis of Disease
- Neurobiochemistry
- Cancer
Students on the Biochemistry with Molecular Biology and Biotechnology degree programmes study elements 1-3 plus one other, while those on the Biochemistry with Medical Biochemistry degree programmes study elements 4-6 plus one other. Students on the Biochemistry degree programme have free choice of elements. The unit is be assessed by a single 3 hour examination paper.
The unit aims to develop an understanding of key concepts in specialist areas of Biochemistry. The elements aims are as follows:
Synthetic Biology
- Rational protein design and engineering
- Synthetic biology and the ethics associated with engineering biological systems
Protein Science in Therapy and Technology
- Engineering proteins for therapeutic uses
- Biotechnology for alternative energy sources
DNA-Protein Interactions
- How proteins recognise specific DNA sequences and move along the DNA molecule
- DNA unwinding and transcription
Molecular Basis of Disease
- Prion diseases
- Malaria and other blood disorders
Neurobiochemistry
- Neurological disorders
- Post-translational modification & synaptic plasticity
Cancer
- The molecular basis of cancer
- Cancer cell biology
Intended Learning Outcomes
- An in-depth knowledge and understanding of the advanced topics covered in the unit and an ability to keep abreast with recent developments in the relevant field.
- The ability to gather information from the primary scientific literature and to critically evaluate the material and appraise competing theories.
- An understanding of the importance of specialist medical biochemistry and molecular biology and biotechnology.
Teaching Information
Lectures.
Assessment Information
Assessment for learning (formative)
Students will undertake the following mock assessment exercises:
Assessment of learning (summative)
The unit will be assessed as follows:
- 100% a 3 hour examination in May/June. Students will be given a choice of essay titles and will be expected to answer 3 questions. The paper will be divided into sections, with one section related to each element. Students will only be able to answer one questions from any section. The essay marks will be moderated by a second independent marker.
Reading and References
Reviews and primary articles from the current scientific literature.
