| CODE | PHB2501 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| TITLE | Research Laboratory Skills with Placements | ||||||||||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 02 - Years 2, 3 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Physiology and Biochemistry | ||||||||||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | The taught component of this study-unit aims to provide an overview of the skills required to do basic scientific research considering both qualitative and quantitative aspects such as practical health and safety, keeping a lab book, and choosing a project. With the knowledge gained, the student will be able to develop an understanding of the implications of scientific questions and project design on data collection and analysis, and plan appropriately. Students will be introduced to the essentials of proper scientific writing, applicable to an abstract, literature review or undergraduate thesis, as well as, basic skills in presentation of results to get across, with confidence, their research to an audience, both professional or lay. The practical component of this study-unit will allow students to gain practical experience in laboratories that have active ongoing research. During the placement sessions the students will have the opportunity to develop the technical and transferrable skills needed to work independently in a laboratory setting. Study-unit Aims: - To provide students with the technical skills needed to design, initiate and execute independent work in the laboratory; - To allow students to work with confidence in a laboratory setting; - To help students improve their personal skills needed for students to work in a laboratory setting; and - To familiarize students with standard laboratory techniques. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Describe how to prepare appropriate chemical buffers, solutions and reagents accurately, and safely; - Explain microbiological techniques to carry out cell culture and passaging; - Explain how to prepare and carry out dilutions of bioactive compounds; - Describe how to perform sample preparation for chromatographic techniques; - Explain how to use bioinformatics software commonly used in laboratories; - Discuss the functions of the appropriate equipment for separation, detection and analysis of nucleic acids, proteins as well as bioactive molecules; and - Describe how to construct plasmid maps in silico. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Maintain an accurate and detailed scientific record of experimental data; - Write a scientific abstract; - To research and write a literature review; - Write a bibliography; - To effectively ask and answer scientific questions; - Select and prepare appropriate chemical buffers, solutions and reagents accurately, and safely; - Use microbiological techniques to carry out cell culture and passaging; - Accurately prepare and carry out dilutions of bioactive compounds; - Perform sample preparation for chromatographic techniques; - Use bioinformatics software commonly used in laboratories; - Select and correctly use the appropriate equipment for separation, detection and analysis of nucleic acids, proteins as well as bioactive molecules; - Construct plasmid maps in silico; - Dispose of laboratory materials, solutions in a safe manner; - Use laboratory equipment safely and appropriately; - Formulate the steps needed to execute a laboratory procedure; - Carry out basic trouble-shooting in laboratory procedures; - Analyse and interpret data using suitable statistics where necessary; - Select appropriate controls; - Present data in an appropriate manner; - Work safely in a team setting; - Professionally record results and data a laboratory book; - Critically analyse procedures and results; and - Gain familiarity with instrumentation. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Placement, Lecture,Ind Study & Ind Online Learning | ||||||||||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Byron Baron Marion Zammit Mangion (Co-ord.) |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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