MICRO 2504 - Microbiology II (Biotechnology)

North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2024

This course is an introduction to microbiology that provides a strong grounding in fundamental aspects of the basic biology of bacteria and bacterial viruses as well as aspects of molecular biology and genetics. Emphasis is placed on biotechnological applications of bacteria such as the cloning of bacterial genes, expression of recombinant proteins for therapeutic and industrial uses and development of biological control agents. Topics covered include: introduction to microorganisms and their environment, microbial structure and function; microbial molecular biology and genetics; bacterial viruses; new and emerging pathogens of humans and other animals; mechanisms by which micro-organisms cause disease in plants and animals; biotechnological applications of bacteria. PRACTICAL COMPONENT worth 20% of the grade: Students enrolled in this course will need to also enrol in a separate course which is the practical component (one of SCIENCE 2100 or SCIENCE 2101 or SCIENCE 2102). To determine which practical to enrol into you are required to read the document on: https://set.adelaide.edu.au/student-support/enrolment#course-information-and-timetabling-resources please scroll down to "Level 2 BIOCHEM, GENETICS, MICRO courses".

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code MICRO 2504
    Course Microbiology II (Biotechnology)
    Coordinating Unit Molec & Biomedical Science
    Term Semester 1
    Level Undergraduate
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 3
    Contact Up to 7 hours per week (3 hours per week plus 4 hours for Practical A/B/C)
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange N
    Prerequisites (BIOLOGY 1101, BIOLOGY 1101ND, BIOLOGY 1401 or BIOLOGY 1001) and (BIOLOGY 1201 or BIOLOGY 1202)
    Corequisites One of SCIENCE 2100, SCIENCE 2101 or SCIENCE 2102; This co-requisite is the practical component that is worth 20% of your course.
    Incompatible MICRO 2500, MICRO 2502, MICRO 2000, MICRO 2004 and MICRO 3003
    Assumed Knowledge (CHEM 1100 or CHEM 1101) and (CHEM 1200 or CHEM 1201)
    Restrictions Available to BSc (Biotechnology) students only
    Course Description This course is an introduction to microbiology that provides a strong grounding in fundamental aspects of the basic biology of bacteria and bacterial viruses as well as aspects of molecular biology and genetics. Emphasis is placed on biotechnological applications of bacteria such as the cloning of bacterial genes, expression of recombinant proteins for therapeutic and industrial uses and development of biological control agents. Topics covered include: introduction to microorganisms and their environment, microbial structure and function; microbial molecular biology and genetics; bacterial viruses; new and emerging pathogens of humans and other animals; mechanisms by which micro-organisms cause disease in plants and animals; biotechnological applications of bacteria.

    PRACTICAL COMPONENT worth 20% of the grade:
    Students enrolled in this course will need to also enrol in a separate course which is the practical component (one of SCIENCE 2100 or SCIENCE 2101 or SCIENCE 2102). To determine which practical to enrol into you are required to read the document on:
    https://set.adelaide.edu.au/student-support/enrolment#course-information-and-timetabling-resources
    please scroll down to "Level 2 BIOCHEM, GENETICS, MICRO courses".
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Dr James Botten

    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes

    At the end of the course students will:

    1. Be able to describe the structure of bacterial cells, the form, arrangement and replication of genetic material within a bacterial cell; the types of mutations that may occur in bacterial DNA, evolution of bacteria; the use of nucleic acid in the molecular taxonomy of bacterial species.
    2. Be familiar with the mechanisms by which bacteria can exchange fragments of DNA, the mechanisms by which self-transmissible DNA fragments maintain their presence in bacterial cells and how they may mediate their own transfer to other bacterial cells. Be able to describe the replication strategies used by bacterial viruses.
    3. Be able to describe the nutritional and physical requirements for bacterial growth and explain the dynamics of the growth of a bacterial population and how this growth can be measured. Also, the DNA replication during growth and how bacteria regulate their gene expression during growth and in particular conditions.
    4. Be familiar with the ways in which bacterial pathogens can be transmitted to humans, and the factors that influence transmission of pathogens and the occurrence of infectious diseases. This includes the concepts of virulence and virulence factors, opportunistic pathogens, and predisposing factors to disease.
    5. Have an appreciation of the practice of microbiology.
    University Graduate Attributes

    This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

    University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s)

    Attribute 1: Deep discipline knowledge and intellectual breadth

    Graduates have comprehensive knowledge and understanding of their subject area, the ability to engage with different traditions of thought, and the ability to apply their knowledge in practice including in multi-disciplinary or multi-professional contexts.

    1-4

    Attribute 2: Creative and critical thinking, and problem solving

    Graduates are effective problems-solvers, able to apply critical, creative and evidence-based thinking to conceive innovative responses to future challenges.

    3,4

    Attribute 3: Teamwork and communication skills

    Graduates convey ideas and information effectively to a range of audiences for a variety of purposes and contribute in a positive and collaborative manner to achieving common goals.

    5

    Attribute 4: Professionalism and leadership readiness

    Graduates engage in professional behaviour and have the potential to be entrepreneurial and take leadership roles in their chosen occupations or careers and communities.

    5

    Attribute 5: Intercultural and ethical competency

    Graduates are responsible and effective global citizens whose personal values and practices are consistent with their roles as responsible members of society.

    4

    Attribute 8: Self-awareness and emotional intelligence

    Graduates are self-aware and reflective; they are flexible and resilient and have the capacity to accept and give constructive feedback; they act with integrity and take responsibility for their actions.

    4,5
  • Learning Resources
    Recommended Resources
    Any current (published in the last 5 years) Microbiology textbook.  Examples include:
    • J. Willey, K. Sandman and D. Wood. Prescott's Microbiology. 12th Edition. McGraw Hill.
    • D. Wessner, C. Dupont, T. Charles, J. Neufeld. Microbiology. 3rd Edition. Wiley.
    • J. Slonczewski, J. Foster, E. Zinser. Microbiology: An Evolving Science. 6th Edition. W. W. Norton & Company
    Online Learning
    Teaching materials and course documentation will be posted on the MyUni website (http://myuni.adelaide.edu.au/).
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    This course will be delivered in the following means:
    • 12x 2-hour workshops and up to 8x 1-hour seminars (minimum of 4 seminars).
    • Independent study of pre-workshop content/activities will be required to prepare for engagement with the workshops.
    • Practical sessions as required.  Practical class contact of 4hr per week for up to five weeks during semester, as required according to the MBS Practical ABC system (see Course Planner for details, under SCIENCE 2100/2101/2102 as required).
    Workload

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    A student enrolled in a 3 unit course such as this should expect to spend on average 12 hours per week on the studies required. This includes both the formal contact time required to the course (e.g. workshops and practicals), as well as non-contact time (e.g. reading, revision and assessment preparation).

    Learning Activities Summary
    Workshops: The workshops (1x 2 -hour sessions per week) are the primary mechanism for students to consolidate their understanding of the course content, which will be presented as pre-class recordings and other interactive activities made available via MyUni.  The workshops may include short formative quizzes, small group activities, informal presentations, individual reflection, and summative assessment tasks relevant to topics being covered.  Students will be informed of the exact content and delivery style for each workshop via MyUni, and are expected to complete any required preliminary tasks (as outlined on MyUni) prior to attending the workshop.

    NOTE: Students are required to attend their timetabled workshop sessions to access and submit specific assessment tasks.

    Seminars: The seminars will be held up to 8 times across the semester.  They will include short research style presentations designed to integrate key course concepts, along with a formal question and answer time to clarify students' understanding of the presented content.

    Practicals: Students take part in the PracABC program (see Course Description for details)
  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary

    Assessment Task Task Type Hurdle Weighting Outcomes Assessed 
    Practicals Summative No 20% 5
    Workshop Quizzes Summative No 40% 1-4
    Seminar Reflections Summative No 20% 5
    Topic Review Summative No 20% 1-5

    Assessment Detail

    The assessment methods used for this course are designed to test development of various Bachelor of Science graduate attributes. The components of assessment used are:

    Practical assessment: 20%
    This summative and formative activity will assist students to develop an understanding of the observational and experimental character of science, to value the close relationship between scientific research and development of new knowledge, develop practical laboratory skills, appreciate the need for experimental design, develop skills to interpret raw experimental data. The practical exercises are designed to develop teamwork, objective criticism and high level numerical and computing skills. The skills to effectively communicate the outcomes in written and oral reports is a significant part. The laboratory exercises will give students opportunity to learn skills made available by new technologies. The practicals include laboratory-based exercises, computer-based exercises to develop data handling skills, use of online databases and bioinformatics applications, and online journal and abstracting systems for preparation of review style reports. The practicals are assessed by a combination of written reports and oral presentations.

    Workshop Quizzes: 40% (8x 5%)
    The course content will be assessed in part by quizzes held during the workshops.  While each of the 12 workshops will have a summative quiz, only the top 8 quiz marks will be counted towards the student's final semester score.  

    Seminar Reflections: 20% (2x 10%)
    There will be up to 8 seminars held across the semester. Students will be granted an opportunity to select two seminars as the basis for this assessment. Students will be provided with a template document that includes specific questions about the seminar content, along with reflective questions that require them to identify areas of the seminar they did not understand, and the methods/approaches they used to improve their understanding, including supplying specific resources (e.g. journal articles, appropriate web posts, textbook references etc).

    Topic Review: 20% (1x 20%)
    The topic review will be a "guided essay" type assessment. Students will be given the opportunity to craft and refine a topic based on a specific area of microbiology of their choice. They will need to review relevant literature, and then using a provided template, craft a written review of this topic area. The goal is to demonstrate discipline knowledge and improve their ability to write in a suitable scientific style (training on the latter will be provided during the workshops).

    Submission

    If an extension is not applied for, or not granted, then a penalty for late submission will apply. A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark for the assignment will be applied for each calendar day after the due date (weekends count as 2 days), up to a maximum of 50% for submission 5 or more days after the due date.  Any submission after feedback has been provided to students will not receive any marks i.e. a 100% penalty.

    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
    Grade Mark Description
    FNS   Fail No Submission
    F 1-49 Fail
    P 50-64 Pass
    C 65-74 Credit
    D 75-84 Distinction
    HD 85-100 High Distinction
    CN   Continuing
    NFE   No Formal Examination
    RP   Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

  • Student Feedback

    The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

  • Student Support
  • Policies & Guidelines
  • Fraud Awareness

    Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.