BSc (Hons) Biotechnology (BMS, Sri Lanka)

You will learn how to plan a literature investigation on a specific research topic, exploit appropriate sources and databases to search for information, evaluate and critically review the primary literature articles and assess their significance in the broader context, evaluate experimentation protocols required to carry out the proposed research, conduct experiments in a safe and effective manner and discuss the validity and significance of the data provided, present the project work in the form of an oral presentation and written report in an appropriate style and format.

In the early part of the module you will learn about mammalian cell signalling processes correlated with their role in disease pathogenesis and cellular responses to toxic compounds. These lectures will provide a sound theoretical understanding of concepts that will be further explored in material designed to consider the molecular mechanisms underpinning carcinogenesis. To augment this approach you will then also learn about the molecular basis of bacterial signalling and bacterial pathogenesis. As the module further develops you will then learn about therapeutic strategies designed to alleviate disease/pathogenesis. The content of this material will include the molecular basis of therapeutic design including drug action, chemotherapy and gene therapy. These lectures will serve to provide a molecular therapeutic complement to the pathogenesis lectures. Finally through case studies and essay writing you should learn to effectively, and critically, evaluate modern molecular based research.

In this module you will explore essential advanced analytical techniques relevant to the practice of modern Biomedical Sciences. You will learn about the scientific principles underpinning these methodologies and also how they are applied to both medical diagnostics and to research. You will gain an understanding of genetic engineering strategies and purification of recombinant proteins for analysis. In addition you will also learn about advanced separation techniques such as flow cytometry and Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) as well as automated enzyme analysis. You will also gain an insight into cutting edge technologies such as next generation sequencing and microarray technologies in the context of both RNA (transcriptomics), protein (proteomics) and small molecules (metabolomics). In addition to learning the theoretical aspects and gaining hands-on laboratory experience in these techniques, you will learn to evaluate, compare and make sound evidence-based choices regarding analytical approach and experimental design that will prove a key skill in your future career.

The world around us is continually being shaped by science, and by society's relationship to it. Increasingly people need to be informed users and consumers of scientific knowledge, but are unlikely ever to be producers of new scientific knowledge, thereby highlighting the importance of effective science communication, its impact on public engagement with science and the subsequent public understanding of science.
In this module you will review a range of contemporary bioscience and technology topics in terms of [i] the underpinning research/evidence base, [ii] the associated ethical, legal and social implications (ELSI), [iii] how science is communicated to the public and [iv] subsequent impact(s) on modern society. Subjects for review will include modern (bio) medical practice such as genetic screening, the allocation of scarce life saving resources, the use of animals as experimental research subjects, and biodiversity conservation. A case study based approach will be used for delivery of topics. Transferable skills in reading, research, writing, analysis and presentation will also be covered in the context of effective science communication to enable application of critical thinking skills when reading, writing and talking about science. An assessment seminar will be form part of the module schedule.
This module will give you the opportunity to explore the changing ethical, legal and social implications of research within the biosciences, with an overall aim of developing graduates who are ready to talk about science, interpret its influences in modern society and analyse contemporary science and technology based issues, so that they are able to communicate their understanding to others and contribute informed views to ongoing debates.

You will learn the fundamental importance of bioinformatics to 21st century biology and how it can be applied to the investigation of human disease, and how it shapes research in a post-genomics era. Topics include:
• The human genome
• Microarray and next-generation sequencing
• Analysis of genome-wide disease datasets
• Identification of differentially expressed genes
• Construction of classifiers
• CRISPR-Cas and its biotechnological applications
• Post-genomic approaches to research