Unit aim
Builds on the level of understanding obtained in the units of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics. There is an increased focus on diagnosis and control of infectious diseases in humans and on analysis and interpretation of complex microbiological data. Students will develop investigative and analytical skills and be able to solve clinical cases related to infectious diseases.
Unit content
Topic 1: Pathogenic microorganisms (their handling, including safety requirements), cultivation, isolation and relationship to the indigenous flora of humans and animals)
Topic 2: Protein cecretion in bacteria.
Topic 3: Bacterial genetics and molecular biology
Topic 4: Lateral gene transfer in bacteria
Topic 5: Gene knockouts
Topic 6: Introduction to the use of prokaryotes in genetic engineering
Topic 7: Recombinant DNA Technology
Topic 8: Data processing and numerical analysis in clinical microbiology;
Topic 9: Antibiotics and antibiotic sensitivity testing.
Topic 10: A detailed study of the common and most important bacteria and yeast pathogens and the diseases they cause
Learning outcomes
Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.
Learning outcomes and graduate attributes
| On completion of this unit, students should be able to: | GA1 | GA2 | GA3 | GA4 | GA5 | GA6 | GA7 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | describe bacterial transmission to humans including concepts of virulence, opportunistic pathogens, predisposing factors to disease and the role of vaccines in protection of human hosts from infection | Intellectual rigour | Knowledge of a discipline | |||||
| 2 | compare ways in which various physical and chemical methods can be used to influence microbial growth | Intellectual rigour | Knowledge of a discipline | |||||
| 3 | compare bacterial proteins including their secretion, transport to different cellular compartments and how the proteins can be used in bacterial identification | Intellectual rigour | ||||||
| 4 | discuss bacterial DNA with special emphasis on mutations, bacterial replication, the use of DNA in the molecular taxonomy of bacterial species and the exchange DNA fragments | Intellectual rigour | Knowledge of a discipline | |||||
| 5 | evaluate the use of plant pathogens to construct transgenic plants | Intellectual rigour | Knowledge of a discipline | |||||
| 6 | solve a series of clinical cases using your knowledge of DNA, bacteria and disease in humans | Intellectual rigour | Creativity | Knowledge of a discipline | Lifelong learning | |||
Teaching and assessment
Fee information
Domestic
Commonwealth Supported courses
For information regarding Student Contribution Amounts please visit the Student Contribution Amounts.
Commencing 2016 Commonwealth Supported only. Student contribution band: 2
Fee paying courses
For POSTGRADUATE or UNDERGRADUATE full fee paying courses please check Domestic Postgraduate Fees OR Domestic Undergraduate Fees
International
Please check the international course and fee list to determine the relevant fees.