NES3303 : Biotechnology: Applications
- Offered for Year: 2025/26
- Available to incoming Study Abroad and Exchange students
- Module Leader(s): Dr Maxim Kapralov
- Lecturer: Professor Angharad MR Gatehouse, Professor Paul Race, Professor William Willats
- Owning School: Natural and Environmental Sciences
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 2 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
Biotechnology provides food and materials used by humans, and is central to modern medicine. This module aims to show how genes can be modified and transferred among organisms; to illustrate how this technology leads to practical applications.
The module’s teaching is research-led, using up-to-date scientific literature and interactive teaching sessions. Students will read research papers and learn how to critically analyse them to facilitate learning and design their own research.
Additionally students will engage with representatives from industry via guest seminars.
Outline Of Syllabus
The genetic modification of organisms to enhance their usefulness to humans is becoming increasingly important in industry, agriculture and medicine. This module deals with how and why various organisms are genetically transformed using a suite of technologies, and how these technologies have led to practical applications in industry, agriculture and medicine.
Lecture topics: The use of genetically modified organisms including microbes, plants and animals for industrial applications. Genetic modification of plants for herbicide and pest resistance, to improve food quality, and for industrial and medical applications.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structured Guided Learning | Lecture materials | 20 | 1:00 | 20:00 | In-person lectures; Online lecture materials available via Canvas |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 58:00 | 58:00 | Group based research project on genetic modification |
| Guided Independent Study | Directed research and reading | 16 | 2:00 | 32:00 | Online - lecturers will give students relevant reading for module topics throughout the semester |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 8 | 1:00 | 8:00 | In-person tutorial to facilitate group based research project on genetic modification |
| Guided Independent Study | Reflective learning activity | 36 | 1:00 | 36:00 | Lecture follow up |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Drop-in/surgery | 1 | 2:00 | 2:00 | In person Q&A preparatory session before the exam |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 44 | 1:00 | 44:00 | Reading of textbooks and research papers, reviewing on-line lecture materials and videos |
| Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
The lecture materials will explain key concepts and outline illustrative examples using PowerPoint slides. For each lecture 50 min videos (ReCap) or PowerPoint Audios will be made available to students. This will be followed up by scheduled sessions (4 in total) to facilitate collaborative research project on using genetic modification to solve a real world problem. Each lecturer will also engage in discussion to answer questions or set up discussion points to help students prepare for final assessments. Private study will augment the framework given by lectures and engender depth of understanding through extensive reading of primary literature with a high scientific impact. Coursework is directed towards preparing and critically synthesising information in a concise manner, encouraging teamwork, and developing practical research skills.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Exams
| Description | Length | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written Examination | 120 | 2 | A | 60 | In person, on campus |
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written exercise | 2 | M | 40 | Collaborative research project on genetic modification. Students will work in groups of 5 to 6. The work will continue over several weeks and would be assessed by the group presentation (7 slides) and the written group report (up to 10 pages long). |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
Written examination (60%) will consist of essays that will cover all topics presented in the lectures. The essay-type format of answers will allow students to demonstrate their understanding and critical synthesis of the concepts outlined by the lectures, enhanced by the depth resulting from additional reading of the scientific literature that is recommended throughout the course. The collaborative research project (40%) tests the ability of students to analyse a particular topic in depth, interpret research literature, and design their own research project in collaborative manner.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- NES3303's Timetable