Module Identifier
RS30510
Module Title
EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES IN ANIMAL SCIENCE
Academic Year
2008/2009
Co-ordinator
Dr Neil R McEwan
Semester
Semester 1
Other Staff
 

Course Delivery

Delivery Type Delivery length / details
Other 2 x 3 hour student oral presentations
Lecture 1 x 1 hour lecture per week
Practical 3 x 3 hour laboratory practicals
Other 3 x 2 hour visits to external laboratories
 

Assessment

Assessment Type Assessment length / details Proportion
Semester Assessment Assessed Laboratory practical  20%
Semester Assessment Seminar presentation  Outcome assessed: 3  30%
Semester Exam 2 Hours   Written examination  Outcomes assessed: 1, 2, 3  50%
Supplementary Exam 2 Hours   Written examination  Single examination, to assess all outcomes  100%

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:

1. Understand the principles of genomics, proteomics, metabolomics and bioinformatics

2. Evaluate how such technologies might be used in animal science

3. Discuss and evaluate the role and public acceptability of such technologies in the continued development of animal agriculture.

Aims

The module aims to introduce final year animal science students to recent innovations in biological science and to integrate these into discussions of current research projects, both within and outwith IRS, relevant to animal science.

Brief description

This module aims to explore how recent technical innovations in biological research in regards to the various 'omic' technologies (eg, genomics, proteomics, metabolomics etc) might be applied to research in the animal sciences and what the consequences of such research for animal agriculture might be.

Content

The course will consist of three main strands:

a. Technical advances in biological research will be introduced through the discussion of key current publications. The basis and background of the techniques will be presented as will interpretation of the data generated. Initially this will focus on the recent advances in genomics, proteomics and metabolomics, however the flexibility to integrate new technologies as they become available will be retained. This will be backed up by a series of visits to genomic, proteomic, metabolomic and bioinformatic resources at IRS, IBS and IGER.

b. Research staff at IRS and IGER will present a series of tutorials indicating how these technologies are being integrated into their own research area. It is intended that ongoing projects in digestive microbiology, reproduction, cellular metabolism, animal breading, diet evaluation and development of novel forages will be discussed.

c. The consequences of 'omic' driven research and the public acceptability of the products of such research will be addressed in a series of student driven seminars.

Primary literature in :

Nature
Trends in Biotechnology
Proceedings of the Nutrition Society
Proceedings of the National Academy of Science
Journal of Animal Science
Journal of Dairy Science
British Journal of Nutrition
Theriogenology
Reports produced by Friends of the Earth, the Food Standards Agency, the USDA, the EU commission etc


Module Skills

Skills Type Skills details
Communication Oral communication in seminars, written in exams
Improving own Learning and Performance Developed for seminars and exam
Information Technology Use of web resources for seminar presentation
Research skills Use of the primary literature in preparation of seminar material

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 6