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PHA-10026 - Module Specification
School of Pharmacy and Bioengineering
Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences

For academic year: 2024/25 Last Updated: 29 June 2024

PHA-10026 - Molecular Biology and Genetics
Coordinator: Gianpiero Di Leva Tel: +44 1782 671651
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 4
Credits: 30
Study Hours: 300
School Office:

Programme/Approved Electives for 2024/25

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2024/25


Aims
The module will instil basic understanding of nucleic acids, structure and organisation of the genetic materials and its inheritance, the concept of gene as well as information about gene expression and regulation.

Talis Aspire Reading List
Any reading lists will be provided by the start of the course.
http://lists.lib.keele.ac.uk/modules/pha-10026/lists

Intended Learning Outcomes

Describe the structure and function of the genome and understand the basic mechanisms of its replication.: 1,3
Describe the main key players of the central dogma of the molecular biology and understand how genetic information is used by cells.: 1,4
Explain how mutations affect cell behaviours and understand their pathological implication.: 1,3,4
Describe traditional principles of the genetic inheritance.: 1,3
Describe basic mechanisms of gene expression and gene expression regulation.: 1,4
Plan and undertake basic experimental procedures essential to create recombinant DNA molecules such as DNA extraction, DNA amplification by PCR, digestion, ligation, agarose electrophoresis.: 2,4
Perform basic bioinformatics analysis.: 2

Study hours

Lectures: 48 hours
- 12 lectures (two hours each) in each of the two semesters
External visit: 4 hours
Laboratory Activities: 40 hours. All laboratory session will be delivered in semester two:
- 8 laboratory workshops (one hour each)
- 8 laboratory sessions (four hours each)
Exams: 4 hours
- one exam per semester; each exam will be two hours long.

Independent Study Hours: 208
- reviewing module content and revising (150 hours)
- researching and drafting assignments (54 hours)
- exams (4 hours)

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Portfolio weighted 40%
Problem Set
A series of four in course assignments (4 problems for each assignment) that will be set during the module consisting of practical problems in classical genetics and molecular biology. Students will have two weeks to submit the solutions via Turnitin.

2: Portfolio weighted 20%
Laboratory activities
Four competency tests will be used to critically support the understanding of the main laboratory activities. A laboratory exam will be held at the end of the laboratory sessions as part of the Lab competency IV.

3: Exam weighted 20%
Exam
A two hours exam comprising of 40 MCQ questions (five choices, one correct answer) and short answer questions (two to be chosen out of four), covering material across the first semester of genetics.

4: Exam weighted 20%
Exam
A two hour exam comprising of 40 MCQ questions (five choices, one correct answer) and short answer questions (two to be chosen out of four), covering material across the second semester of molecular biology.

The University undertakes a continuous review of its teaching and research provision to ensure programmes are of a high quality and changes may be made to modules where it is necessary and reasonable to do so. Please be aware that minor changes to modules, such as a change to an individual assessment, can occur up until enrolment, although we endeavour to give you as much notice as possible of any changes. Details about the circumstance in which changes are made to programmes can be found in the Student Agreement, available at: https://www.keele.ac.uk/legalgovernancecompliance/governance/actcharterstatutesordinancesandregulations/studenttermsconditions/

Last Updated: 29 June 2024