BI2BR5: The Bacterial Cell

Module code: BI2BR5

Module provider: School of Biological Sciences

Credits: 10

Level: Level 2 (Intermediate)

When you'll be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Professor Simon Andrews, email: s.c.andrews@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s): BEFORE TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST TAKE BI1S1 (Compulsory)

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 21 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

The purpose of this module is to provide students with an understanding of fundamental aspects of bacterial, metabolism, physiology and genetics. By the end of the course students should understand how bacteria manage to utilise a wide variety of nutrients through the diversity of their metabolic capabilities and how these processes are regulated. Students will also learn about the mechanisms of important bacterial processes, such as genetic exchange, membrane assembly, solute transport, cell growth, motility and taxis, and stress (e.g. osmotic and pH) resistance. At the practical level students will learn to perform membrane preparations, transposon mutagenesis, and biofilm and evolution experiments.  

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Describe how bacteria manage to utilise a wide variety of nutrients and how these processes are regulated
2. Explain the mechanisms of important bacterial processes, such as genetic exchange, membrane assembly, solute transport, cell growth, motility and taxis, and stress (e.g. osmotic and pH) resistance
3. Gain the practical skills necessary to perform membrane preparations, transposon mutagenesis, and biofilm and evolution experiments
4. Evaluate primary experimental data and draw appropriate conclusions

Module content

The module will provide a general knowledge of many key aspects of the biochemistry, metabolism and physiology of bacteria. Several topics will be covered: plasmids, transposition, conjugation, transduction, motility and taxis, transport, membrane assembly, cell growth and division, and osmotic and pH regulation and evolution. Much of the information content of the module will be in the form of lectures, with practicals used to reinforce the lectures and to introduce new laboratory skills. Use of the data-handling will provide opportunities to widen the experience beyond that of laboratory bench work.  

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

• Most weeks will include two ~45-minute lectures
• Practical classes on membrane preparations, biofilm/evolution experiments and transposon mutagenesis

Study hours

At least 38 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Reassessment

Additional costs