Postgraduate Course: Practical Skills in Biochemistry A (PGBI11098)
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 | The programme provides thorough training and hands-on experience in fundamental practical skills required for employment as a biochemical scientist. The course will cover wet laboratory work, laboratory bookkeeping, health and safety, a small amount of bioinformatic analysis and numeracy. |
| Course description |
The course will be mostly taught in a dedicated practical laboratory with occasional workshops in a computer laboratory for database mining, experimental design and data analysis.
Initial Introduction to Health and Safety requirements for working in a laboratory.
Training in correct operation of common laboratory equipment and techniques.
Preparation of analytical quality solutions and dilution series to determine concentrations of biological molecules by two different, but standard, methods.
Design and execution of a strategy for cloning of recombinant proteins, from primer design to the amplification, purification, restriction enzyme digest, ligation and transformation of DNA; through to the analysis of DNA sequencing data.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | Students MUST NOT also be taking
Automation and Industry (PGBI11118)
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Other requirements | Pre-requisite: Undergraduate degree in either a biological or chemical science |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2021/22, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: 32 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
100
(
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 33,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
65 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Three in-course assessments:
Practical skills and laboratory book are assessed weekly (20 %)
written report - results and analysis of data collected (own and whole class) in weeks 3 and 4 (20 %)
full experimental write-up of practicals in weeks 6-10 (60 %)
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| Feedback |
Students will receive individual verbal feedback weekly on their skills and lab books during the laboratory sessions. Individual written feedback will be provided on each of the two written assessments within 15 working days of the submission deadline. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Prepare analytical quality solutions and dilution series ; determine concentrations of biological molecules by, and understand relative advantages of, a range of methods
- Design and execute a strategy for cloning of recombinant proteins, from primer design to the amplification, purification, restriction enzyme digest, ligation and transformation of DNA; through to the analysis of DNA sequencing data.
- Correctly operate and calibrate, or understand principles of calibration of, fundamental laboratory equipment.
- Analyse and manipulate experimental data, and present experiments and results in appropriate format.
- Understand the health and safety responsibilities required for a laboratory
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Reading List
Read an occasional, relevant chapter, not necessarily for purchase.
"Principles and Techniques of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology" by A. Hoffman and S. Clokie, Cambridge University Press.
"Practical Skills in Biomolecular Sciences" by R. Reed et al, Pearson Education.
For very detailed experimental protocols:
Molecular cloning: a laboratory manual by Sambrook et al. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
confidence in laboratory environment
report writing
data management
appreciation of health and safety responsibilities
time management
organisation
group work |
| Keywords | Bio1 |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Janice Bramham
Tel: (0131 6)50 4786
Email: janice.bramham@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Andrea Nichol
Tel: (0131 6)50 8643
Email: Andrea.Nichol@ed.ac.uk |
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