This subject is designed to allow an individual to develop the skills and knowledge required to understand the classification, nomenclature and behavioural characteristics` of common chemical substances. It examines the historical development of the periodic classification of elements and explores systematic approaches to describing physical, chemical, thermodynamic and kinetic behaviour and properties. Emphasis will be placed on the development of safe and efficient practical skills that will underpin subsequent laboratory work at this and higher levels.

This subject introduces the study of life at the cellular level. It will examine and compare the structure and function of plant, animal and bacterial cells and viruses. It emphasises metabolic pathways especially energy production and storage, growth and differentiation. The role of the nucleus in controlling cell structure and function via targeted expression of nuclear genome is discussed and the basic control of gene function and its critical importance for normal function of organisms will be examined.

This subject introduces students to the biology of microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, viruses and protozoa) and to the experimental methods used in their study. It focuses on microorganisms that are economically significant because of their effects on human, animal or plant health or their importance in industrial bioprocesses.

This subject is designed to provide students with knowledge and understanding of the biotechnology industry and the social, economic and ethical issues surrounding its growth. The development and broad applications of biotechnology are discussed both from an historical perspective and within the context of contemporary society. Students will consider the significant roles of globalisation, innovation and commercialisation in the development of contemporary biotechnology organisations and enterprises. Students will analyse the social, ethical and economic risks of new technologies against their potential benefits with reference to case studies.

This subject will provide a general understanding of biomolecular structure and function of living cells and examine in detail the structure and function of the cell nucleus and the role of nucleic acids in cell replication and biosynthesis. Students will explore the bilayer structure of the cell membrane, and its role in cell communication and in maintaining the intracellular environment. The structure and function of rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum will be compared, and the function of ribosomes and the Golgi apparatus in the synthesis, packaging and secretion of proteins will be described. The relationship between the 3-dimensional structure of proteins and their functional specificity as receptors and enzymes will be discussed and the role of lysozymes in the normal function of cells will be examined. Students will develop practical skills and knowledge to analyse biochemical processes using qualitative and quantitative techniques. The role of bioinformatics in prediction of RNA secondary structure, phylogenetic relationships, gene and protein classification and prediction is developed through practical application and laboratory classes.

This subject will introduce students to the molecular basis of genes, gene expression and heredity and the links between genetics and molecular biotechnology. The major topics covered will include: DNA and RNA structure, synthesis and DNA replication; Mendel, chromosomes, genes, gene assortment and patterns of inheritance; comparison of the structure and function of prokaryotic and eukaryotic genomes, gene transfer in bacteria and viruses; gene expression, DNA transcription and translation, protein synthesis and the regulation of gene expression; proteins and protein function; chromosome mapping; vectors and host-vector systems; restriction enzymes, cloning of DNA fragments into vectors; DNA amplification, hybridisation and sequencing; gene libraries, genome projects and an examination of the methods used to collect DNA sequences and store them in computer files along with identifiers such as organism and gene nomenclature. The practical component will provide students with skills in preparing chromosome spreads, isolating and purifying DNA, use of restriction enzymes and PCR, and DNA sequencing Methods of retrieval and database querying are also examined.

This subject extends the foundation of MICR120 to detail the selection and use of particular microbes in important industrial bioprocesses such as fermentation, biosynthesis of antibiotics, recombinant proteins, sewage treatment and other biodegradation processes, and in food production. Students will, through the laboratory component of the course, develop further practical skills in the isolation, culture and manipulation of microorganisms.

This subject will explore the use of electrophoretic techniques to separate and isolate proteins, nucleic acids and other important biological molecules and the application of a variety of standard laboratory techniques for identifying molecules, for synthesizing biomarkers such as oligonucleotides, for replicating nucleic acids and for isolating cells from tissues and growing cells and cell lines in culture. Students will develop further the skills and knowledge from MGEN210 and BIOC210 to program simple routines in BioPython or in the Victorian VPAC Bioplatform to analyse DNA sequences and related data. They will also utilise, develop and adapt open source resources available on the World Wide Web to support development of bioinformatics applications.

This subject provides students with an opportunity to put into practice the scientific knowledge and practical skills learned during the course in a relevant biotechnology industry setting. Each student will undertake a biotechnology-based project under the dual supervision of a staff member from the Centre for Biotechnology and an industry partner. The aim of the project will be to develop a new biotechnology product or service. In collaboration with the industry partner the student will: design a suitable project with appropriate objectives and methods; establish and cost a plan for the project; write a grant application to fund the project and prepare (if required) an application for ethics approval of the project; execute the research plan using approved research techniques; analyse, present and interpret the data collected during the project; communicate the results and conclusions in a short verbal presentation; and write a report of the project outcomes and applications which includes consideration of the intellectual property developed during the project, protection of any intellectual property and consideration of any patent developments. The involvement of industry in this project may give students the option of undertaking their projects during scheduled class time, during semester breaks, or in industry as a single block of time or on one day per week for a period of weeks.

The biotechnology industry has a distinct set of requirements for the project manager. Management of various discoveries, development, and testing, and manufacturing processes within a highly regulated environment pose unique project management challenges. This subject is designed to provide detailed knowledge and understanding as a foundation for initiating and managing new venture biotechnology projects. Students will gain deep understanding of the processes involved in the research and development of a product and in the commercial steps involved in the transition from laboratory to market. Traditional project scheduling methods are presented including PERT and other techniques that lead to the effective control of, and resource allocation to, competing activities. Project leadership, project risk, financial management and the development and management of high-performance teams will also be explored.

This subject focuses on biomanufacturing for medical, agricultural and other purposes. Major areas covered in the subject include: techniques for isolating cell population from biological samples; cell counting and viability assessments including flow cytometry; preparation and analysis of a blood sample; cell culture and in vitro methods for inducing and maintaining cell differentiation; cell harvesting techniques and differential analysis of cell types; production and purification of monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies; in situ hybridisation for gene product localisation; principles of biochemical engineering; fermentation technologies: bioreactor design and applications; scale-up in bioprocessing technologies; harvesting and purification of bioproducts; filtration systems; downstream processing.

This subject provides students with an opportunity to develop a broad knowledge and understanding of basic pharmacology, drugs, drug actions and the importance of biotechnology in the development and commercialisation of pharmaceutical products, including the process of development of a new drug from its discovery, isolation, synthesis, design of delivery systems, laboratory and clinical trials and approval by regulatory agencies for commercial release onto the Australian market. The major topics include: the different classes of drugs and their modes of action; pharmacokinetics, drug-membrane interactions, receptor binding and dose-responses; drug absorption, metabolism and excretion; development and use of vaccines, antibiotic antiviral drugs; principles of chemotherapy and the mechanisms of action of chemotherapeutic agents, molecular pharmacology and basic principles of toxicology associated with the misuse or accidental exposure of drugs, and the metabolism of toxic substances. Practical classes will cover basic methods in pharmacology including topics on agonists and antagonists, drug pharmacokinetics, computer modelling of drug molecules and the evaluation of the actions of common pharmacological agents. Students will also conduct a project in which they will take an approved drug and prepare a mock strategy and documentation for its development, clinical trailing, approval, registration and commercial release. Discussion of contemporary issues surrounding the use of developments in biotechnology in the pharmaceutical industry and issues of GMP, GLP, QC and QA are also considered.

This subject will explore the technological changes that have revolutionised the fields of plant and animal production. It will provide students with a broad knowledge and understanding of procedures for selecting and producing transgenic organisms and the ways that these modified organisms have been used to improve the production efficiency, sustainability and cost structures of modern farming practices, for example herbicide-tolerant and insect-resistant and disease-resistant transgenic crops. Students will examine the economic and environmental advantages and disadvantages of genetically modifying plants and animals and the practical and ethical issues of using GMOs in agriculture, especially the inclusion of GMOs in food products. The subject will also examine the role of biotechnology in detection and management of significant agricultural pest species and in the detection and treatment of animal and plant diseases.