Biomedical Technology

Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Explain the use of gene cloning to produce recombinant proteins in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic hosts.
• Explain the use of stem cells and their use in medical applications
• Describe how gene therapy can be used, to treat human disease and how liposomes and viruses can be used to deliver the gene of interest
• Describe how pre-clinical models are used to test potential new therapies.
• Describe how antibody engineering can be used to treat human disease
• Describe how precision medicine is used in a cancer setting.
• Describe the use of ScFvs in the design of human monoclonal antibodies
• Critically appraise current methodology in Biotechnology
• Explain how we can predict and promote anti-tumour T cell responses at a personalised level.

This course is designed to illustrate the ways in which the theoretical principles of biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology presented in previous courses can be applied to yield important commercial or therapeutic products or processes. It concentrates on biotechnology that involves prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. It introduces students to the technologies of the “post genomic” era. It also presents examples of protein engineering, the manipulation of the characteristics of protein molecules such as antibodies and antibody-binding proteins. The course includes material on the production of therapeutic proteins, the use of gene therapy and stem cells to treat human disease, the pre-clinical models required to test them, and the precision technologies used to personalise medical care.

Teaching and learning methods

This course comprises:

i)20 lectures with 2 feedback/revision seminars. (For each section of the course the student is given a comprehensive reading list of recent research and review papers).

ii)A conference abstract (350 words) and poster documenting a case study of the methodology used to produce a therapeutic agent.

iii)A written examination.

Assessment strategy

Written Examination comprising a written paper requiring two questions to be answered from a choice of four where one is an either/ or (75% of total mark) AND Case study; abstract (350 words) and poster presentation (10% and 15% respectively).

Re-assessment Method: Written Examination comprising a written paper requiring two questions to be answered from a choice of four where one is an either/ or (75% of total mark) AND Coursework: marks carried forward.

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Repeat Information

Repeat type: Internal & External