| 
 Postgraduate Course: Applications of Synthetic Biology (PGBI11094)
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 | Applications of Synthetic Biology will provide examples of research which has applied synthetic biology tools or techniques to a particular problem. The course will seek to teach students the theory behind the applications; encouraging understanding, which will allow new uses and application in alternative areas to become apparent. |  
| Course description | Lecture Subjects 1	Synthetic life
 2	Biofuels and bioenergy
 3      Biomaterials
 4	Engineering photosynthesis
 5      Bioremediation
 6	Global health applications
 7	Assessment guidance
 8	Synthetic communities
 9	Medical and veterinary applications
 10	Assessment
 11    Future, fun and disaster
 |  
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |  | Co-requisites |  |  
| Prohibited Combinations |  | Other requirements | None |  
Course Delivery Information
|  |  
| Academic year 2022/23, Not available to visiting students (SS1) | Quota:  40 |  | Course Start | Semester 2 |  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) | Delivery: Students will be taught by a cohort of expert practitioners through lectures and tutorials to gain a broad overview over the possible real-world applications of synthetic biology tools and practice critically assessing them in tutorials looking at recent publications from the field.
 
 Assessment:
 Students will be assessed on two assignments. The first is a presentation of a paper of their choice in week 10 that shows an application of synthetic biology (30 % of final mark). The second is a 2000-word essay that includes a brief summary of the paper presented and in-depth answers to questions arising at the presentation (70% of final mark).
 |  
| Feedback | - Presentation: Written Feedback
 
 - Essay:
 Written Feedback
 |  
| No Exam Information |  
Learning Outcomes 
| On completion of this course, the student will be able to: 
        Analytical skills, the ability to assess the relative merits of new methods and application of theseThe capacity to recognise and critically appraise the opportunities presented by new biological discoveriesThe ability to look at a wide range of problems from the perspective of solving these with innovative bio-based solutions |  
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills | This course is aimed at developing synthetic biology graduates with skills in critical and reflective thinking and communication that prepares them for a career in research, further education and employment in biotechnology and other synthetic biology related industries. |  
| Keywords | ASB,engineering biology,synthetic biology tools,application of synthetic biology |  
Contacts 
| Course organiser | Dr Louise Horsfall Tel: (0131 6)50 5363
 Email: Louise.Horsfall@ed.ac.uk
 | Course secretary | Ms Karen Sutherland Tel: (0131 6)51 3404
 Email: Karen.Sutherland@ed.ac.uk
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