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2020/2021

Professional and Research Practicals

Code: 42906 ECTS Credits: 15
Degree Type Year Semester
4313772 Advanced Biotechnology OB 0 A
The proposed teaching and assessment methodology that appear in the guide may be subject to changes as a result of the restrictions to face-to-face class attendance imposed by the health authorities.

Contact

Name:
Pau Ferrer Alegre
Email:
Pau.Ferrer@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
catalan (cat)

Prerequisites

For an optimal follow-up of this module it is necessary to have a basic training on Biotechnology and basic habilities in working in a laboratory.

Objectives and Contextualisation

The objective of the module of professional and research practicals is that the student integrates in a research and/or professional environment where she/he can apply her/his specific competences and develop and/or acquire transversal ones in research groups of the UAB or other institutions, and/or in different companies from the biotechnology sector.

Out of the 25 vacancies of the Master, there will be a maximum of 10 positions for master students who wish to perform their professional practicals in a company.  Selection of candidates will be done based on their CV. This module is managed by two coordinators, one in charge of assigning students to companies and the other in charge to assiging students to research laboratories from universities and research centres.

Both companies and research laboratories will have a biotechnological profile and the topic of the practicals will be related to the Master's themes. In the past recent years, the following companies and research institutions -among others- have hosted students from this Master:

 

Competences

  • Organise, plan and manage projects.
  • Solve problems in new or little-known situations within broader (or multidisciplinary) contexts related to the field of study.
  • Synthesise, weigh up alternatives and engage in critical discussion.
  • Use acquired knowledge as a basis for originality in the application of ideas, often in a research context.
  • Use advanced biotechnology tools in combination to solve problems in emerging areas of biotechnology.
  • Use and manage bibliography and IT resources related to biotechnology responsibly.
  • Work in a multidisciplinary team.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Apply the most commonly used standard techniques in biotechnology to a particular case study.
  2. Interpret experimental data obtained bearing in mind the limitations of the techniques used.
  3. Interpret results from the experiments performed in order to take appropriate decisions and propose new experiments to support the results obtained.
  4. Organise, plan and manage projects.
  5. Solve problems in new or little-known situations within broader (or multidisciplinary) contexts related to the field of study.
  6. Synthesise, weigh up alternatives and engage in critical discussion.
  7. Use acquired knowledge as a basis for originality in the application of ideas, often in a research context.
  8. Use and manage bibliography and IT resources related to biotechnology responsibly.
  9. Work in a multidisciplinary team.

Content

The final master project will be presented in a scientific article format including the following sections: Introduction, Objevtives, Materials and Methods, Results and Discussion, Conclusions and Bibliography. The work presented must be based on the research topic developed during the time allocated for the module realization.*

 

*Unless the requirements enforced by the health authorities demand a prioritization or reduction of these contents.

Methodology

The training activities are directly related to the performance of the research project and mostly correspond to the follow-up of the laboratory work, planning of experiments and evaluation of the obtained results. These are activities mostly supervised that are complemented by own work from the student, in aspects such as the study of bibliography and the preparation of the writen report of the work and its oral defense.

*The proposed teaching methodology may experience some modifications depending on the restrictions to face-to-face activities enforced by health authorities.

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Supervision of the research work 12 0.48 6, 3, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 1
Type: Supervised      
Supervision of the Master's final project 300 12 6, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 8, 1
Type: Autonomous      
Autonomous work in a research laboratory 30 1.2 6, 3, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 8, 1
Writing up and presentation of the Master's final project thesis 30 1.2 6, 3, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 8, 1

Assessment

The evaluation of the final master project is based on three aspects:

1) Report from advisor/advisors of the final master project (1/3 of final score).

2) Score given to the writen final report of the project by a comission of three professors or researchers in the Biotechnology domain (1/3 of final score)

3) Score given to the oral presentation and discussion of the work performed by a comission of three professors or researchers in the Biotechnology domain (1/3 of final score).

 

*Student’s assessment may experience some modifications depending on the restrictions to face-to-face activities enforced by health authorities.

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Evaluation of the oral presentation and discussion 1/3 of the final grade 0.9 0.04 6, 3, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 1
Evaluation of the written report 1/3 of the final grade 2 0.08 6, 3, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 1
Report from the supervisor of the master's final project 1/3 of the final grade 0.1 0 6, 3, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 8, 1

Bibliography

The blibiography will be provided by the advisor of the Master thesis according to the topic of the work to be developed.