Postgraduate Course: Tools for Synthetic Biology (PGBI11092)
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 | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
| Summary | Tools for Synthetic Biology will teach the new tools and techniques being developed and employed in the rapidly expanding field of synthetic biology. The course will seek to teach students the theory behind the methods; encouraging understanding, which will allow new uses and application in alternative areas to become apparent. |
| Course description |
1. Introduction, engineering perspectives, grand challenges. Alistair Elfick (School of Engineering)
2. Engineering genetic logic and analog circuits. Giovanni Stracquadanio (SBS)
3. DNA synthesis and assembly methods. Chris French (SBS)
4. CRISPR-Cas systems. Elise Cachat (SBS)
5. Expanding the genetic code. Sebastian Greiss (SBMS)
6. Protein engineering and de novo design. Chris Wood (SBS)
7. Recombinases and integrases. Dirk Kleinjan (SBS)
8. RNA switches. Sander Granneman (SBS)
9. Next generation sequencing. Sander Granneman (SBS)
10. Design Project: round table discussions. Elise Cachat (SBS)
11. Design Project: drop-in session. Elise Cachat (SBS)
+ Visit of the Edinburgh Genome Foundry. Valentin Zulkower (SBS)
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Academic year 2019/20, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
|
Quota: 40 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
100
(
Lecture Hours 10,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 10,
Formative Assessment Hours 4,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
74 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
The course will be assessed by:
- A weekly course blog which will require the students to report in 250 words (MAXIMUM) the key learning points from each week. (40%)
- A 2000 word design project to present a synthetic biology tool/approach discussed in class and assess its application to address a new research question. (60%) |
| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Analytical skills, ability to assess the pros and cons of new methods
- Capacity to recognise the opportunities presented by new biological discoveries
- Ability to look at pressing problems from the perspective that these may have an innovative bio-based solution
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Creative thinking
Individual initiative
Time and effort management
|
| Keywords | TSB |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Elise Cachat
Tel: (0131 6)50 7780
Email: elise.cachat@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Karen Sutherland
Tel: (0131 6)51 3404
Email: Karen.Sutherland@ed.ac.uk |
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