Undergraduate Course: Immunology Research Project (IMMU10014)
Course Outline
| School | School of Biological Sciences |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) |
| Course type | Dissertation |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 60 |
ECTS Credits | 30 |
| Summary | Laboratory project preparation work begins in Semester 1, with a series of weekly online activities dealing with practical skills and covering methods and techniques that are crucial to modern experimental immunology (IMMU10015: Experimental Immunology - a compulsory 10 credit course of the Immunology programme). Students will be allocated projects early in Semester 1 (October) and will prepare a 2,000-word project literature review, to be handed in by the end of January.
The majority of time during Semester 2 will be occupied by the individual research project (a wide variety of topics are on offer). The work will be written up as a project report, and this together with the project literature review, project performance review and a project presentation will make up 50% of the 4th year mark. |
| Course description |
Immunology is a rapidly evolving subject that is at the forefront of many current advances in science and medicine. Immunology is fundamental to the diagnosis and treatment of important disorders including autoimmunity and allergic diseases and immune deficiencies. It is also central to transplantation science, tumour biology and to vaccine development. This integrated programme aims to provide students with an advanced knowledge and understanding of the immune system, the ability to apply that knowledge to medical, veterinary, biological and biotechnological problems, and hands-on research experience.
Immunology Honours is an inter-college programme for students of biological sciences and for medical students taking an intercalated Honours year, leading to B.Sc. Hons in either Biological Sciences (Immunology) or Medical Sciences (Immunology). Staff from both the College of Science and Engineering and from the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine teach on this programme, as well as lecturers from research institutes in and outside Edinburgh. The teaching programme is run at the Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, Ashworth Laboratories, King¿s Buildings. Practical research projects are carried out in participating biomedical and clinical research laboratories in Edinburgh.
In the first week of the course we take all the Immunology students for a reading party to Firbush, the University Centre for Sport and Exercise Field Centre on Loch Tay. This provides an early opportunity for students and staff to get to know one another. In between the outdoor leisure activities at Firbush there are some academic sessions: for instance a talk given by a leading UK research immunologist and an introductory tutorial.
Immunology Honours is a modular Programme of Courses. Of the 120 credits required for an honours degree, 90 are compulsory; other courses (electives) are optional. Two of these electives must be from the Immunology list, while the other one can be taken from other programmes (e.g. Genetics, Zoology, Molecular Biology). Semester 1 teaching consists of two core (compulsory) courses, Molecular and Cellular Immunology and Experimental Immunology, as well as two electives (home electives are: Immunobiology of Malaria; Stem Cells, Haematopoiesis and Immune Therapy; Th2 in Immunity, Allergy and Health). These titles only indicate the general areas of study; more specialised topics are selected for deeper study. Each Semester 1 course is taught on one day per week, except for the 20-credit 'Molecular and Cellular Immunology¿ that is taught on two days per week. Contact hours include lectures, tutorials, workshops, student presentations, and discussions, with about 2-3 hours/week contact time per session (running over 10 weeks). Reading of original scientific papers, preparation of oral and written presentations, and teamwork are essential components of these modules. Semester 1 modules will be assessed by a mixture of in course assessments, and exams in weeks 12-13 (December).
There are two compulsory full-year courses, the 10-credit course Experimental Immunology and the 60-credit Research Project. Experimental Immunology uses a mixture of workshops and online content to cover central aspects of experimental design, analysis, and interpretation of results, as well as important immunological experimental techniques. Laboratory research projects will be allocated by week 4 of Semester 1, once all students have made their project choices. Once projects have been allocated, supervisors meet with students to discuss the project, providing starter references and background reading material for the project. Students produce a 2,000-word project literature review for hand-in and assessment (10-credits) at the beginning of Semester 2.
In Semester 2 only one Immunology elective course is offered (Therapeutic Immunology), running two mornings per week in the first half of Semester 2. The majority of time during Semester 2 will be occupied by a compulsory individual lab-based research project (a wide variety of topics are on offer). The project provides a real flavour of how research is carried out, as the projects are all embedded in active research labs, contributing to the lab¿s research programme.
Throughout the year, there are many relevant Immunology seminars, either as part of the Edinburgh Immunology Group or the IIIR Seminar series. These seminars are regarded as an important extension of the teaching and student attendance is strongly advised.
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Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2024/25, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Full Year |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
600
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 12,
Dissertation/Project Supervision Hours 250,
Online Activities 60,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 3,
Formative Assessment Hours 3,
Summative Assessment Hours 5,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 12,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
255 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
1. Literature Review (Critical analysis): 10 credits - Literature review of 2,000 words.
2. Laboratory or Library Research Project Report: 40 credits - written dissertation of up to 8000 words.
3. Research Project presentation: 4 credits - Oral presentation.
4. Project performance: 6 credits - Assessment of performance during Laboratory or Library Research Project. |
| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- The research project carried out over 11 weeks provides an opportunity to investigate a problem and to attempt to answer specific questions that will advance understanding in a specific area of immunology.
- Key to this is the technical and practical skills acquired from the research group to which the student is assigned
- Solving technical problems and designing good experiments develops personal effectiveness and enquiry skills.
- Working alongside PhD students and postdoctoral fellows and under a senior supervisor develops skills in personal effectiveness and working in a group.
- The final stages of the project in which results are collated and the project written up involves intellectual autonomy, knowledge and understanding and communication. The writing and presentation skills acquired during the compilation of the project dissertation will improve communication skills.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | ImmResProj,Immunology |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Matthew Taylor
Tel: (0131 6)51 3625
Email: Matthew.Taylor@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr Tim MacDonald
Tel: (0131 6)51 7296
Email: Tim.MacDonald@ed.ac.uk |
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