This module concerns global biodiversity, what we understand by it and why it is in crisis, and current efforts to conserve and manage it. We begin with an appraisal of different values of diversity at scales from genetic to species, communities and ecosystems. We then consider the causes and consequences of losing biodiversity, the nature and scale of its loss, countermeasures at global, national and local scales, and the costs we may face in replacing services that depend on biodiversity. During the second half of the module, we take a community ecology approach, focusing on interactions between species, rather than species per se. We look at networks of interactions, and consider how they have been used to address practical issues in conservation. Finally, we consider global impacts on ecosystems, how they interact with one another, and how we might mitigate their impacts. The module seeks to engage discussion and debate,and inform opinion, on biodiversity and conservation. We recommend that students have studied ecology previously in Southampton, or elsewhere, to make the most of this module.
The module explores critical aspects of biodiversity in a changing world and ways to restore and enhance it. The course covers biodiversity concepts, key threats (such as invasive species, climate change and habitat fragmentation), restoration science and applied restoration methods. There will be a diversity of teaching and assessment methods, including fieldwork and field trips. We recommend that students have studied ecology previously.
The bioenergy industry is undergoing rapid growth due to the policy drivers underpinning the current interest in bioenergy, such as energy security and climate change. This module provides an overview of key topics on sustainable bioenergy production, including the main biomass systems for bioenergy generation and the wide range of bioenergy conversion and utilisation methods. This module adopts a whole systems approach and enables students to critically appraise the sustainability of various biomass energy production routes. The module teaching and learning will comprise lectures and a site visit. The coursework requires students to either design a biofuel/bioenergy production system, or critically review a biofuel/bioenergy production system and its real-world application.
This module aims to provide an understanding of bacterial biofilms and the environmental, industrial and health care problems related to complex microbial consortia of societal importance. Students will learn to describe and explain the basis for biofilm development in nature and in chronic infections, as well as to understand and interpret the outputs of modern techniques in microbial biofilm research. Biofilms and Microbial Communities' follows our foundation microbiology courses BIOL2038 and BIOL2044 (either of which will be a prerequisite for the 3rd year module), and directly addresses Southampton's cross-faculty strengths in biofilm research, and as lead for the National Biofilms Innovation Centre. As such lectures on this module will be contributed by academic members of staff from working on interdisciplinary projects with Health Sciences, Medicine, Engineering, and Ocean and Earth Sciences.
BIOL6047 ‘Biofilms and Microbial Communities’ aims to provide an understanding of bacterial biofilms and the environmental, industrial and health care problems related to complex microbial consortia of societal importance. Students will learn to describe and explain the basis for biofilm development in nature and in chronic infections, as well as to understand and interpret the outputs of modern techniques in microbial biofilm research. Biofilms and Microbial Communities’ follows our foundation microbiology courses BIOL2038 and BIOL2044 (either of which will be a prerequisite for the 3rd year module), and directly addresses Southampton’s cross-faculty strengths in biofilm research, and as lead for the National Biofilms Innovation Centre. As such lectures on this module will be contributed by academic members of staff from working on interdisciplinary projects with Health Sciences, Medicine, Engineering, and Ocean and Earth Sciences.
This module looks at the operation of the Ocean as a biogeochemical entity within the larger Earth System. There is a strong focus on how the Earth System will respond to anthropogenic impacts and global change.
The module includes an introduction to bioinformatics and its role in modern 'Omics' technologies; developments in DNA sequencing technologies; bioinformatic analyses of DNA; sequence alignment and biological databases.
Large-scale approaches at the molecular, cellular, organismal and ecological level are revolutionizing biology by enabling systems-level questions to be addressed. In many cases, these approaches are driven by technologies that allow the components of biological systems to be surveyed en masse. For example, whole genome sequencing can rapidly profile complete human genomes and transcriptomic analyses provide quantitative surveys of 1000s of RNA molecules. In addition to changing fundamental biology, these techniques are a central component of personalized medicine by providing molecular readouts for individual patients to improve both diagnosis and therapy. Interpreting the outcome of these large-scale experiments requires an understanding of the experimental technologies themselves as well as the underlying biological processes. Bioinformatics techniques address many of the challenges of these experiments including how to process, analyse, visualize and ultimately interpret the data. This module will introduce students to large-scale 'systems' biology as well as equipping them with the practical, hands-on skills necessary to fully utilize data resulting from these techniques.
Large-scale approaches at the molecular, cellular, organismal and ecological level are revolutionizing biology by enabling systems-level questions to be addressed. In many cases, these approaches are driven by technologies that allow the components of biological systems to be surveyed en masse. For example, whole genome sequencing can rapidly profile complete human genomes and transcriptomic analyses provide quantitative surveys of 1000s of RNA molecules. In addition to changing fundamental biology, these techniques are a central component of personalized medicine by providing molecular readouts for individual patients to improve both diagnosis and therapy. Interpreting the outcome of these large-scale experiments requires an understanding of the experimental technologies themselves as well as the underlying biological processes. Bioinformatics techniques address many of the challenges of these experiments including how to process, analyse, visualize and ultimately interpret the data. This module will introduce students to large-scale ‘systems’ biology as well as equipping them with the practical, hands-on skills necessary to fully utilize data resulting from these techniques.
