Course Information Document (CID)
The current version of this can be found on the Life Science Moodle hub, which is available for all students enrolled on a Life Sciences course. The information in the handbook complements the specific course information given in this document. Students should read this document at the start of the session, and you must refer to it as necessary.
Please check the Life Sciences Handbook for:
Absence from End-of-Course Examinations
Illness, or Adverse Circumstances affecting performance during End-of-Course Examinations
Absence from Class Tests
Illness or Adverse Circumstances affecting hand-in of Assessed Coursework
Late Submission of Coursework
Replacement assessment for students with Good Cause
Reassessment for students who fail to achieve an overall D3 grade for the course
Cheating in Examinations
Copying of Coursework: Plagiarism
Display of Personal Data
Staff-Student Liaison Committees and representation of the student voice
Appealing Against the Published Result for a Course
Assessment of Extra Answers in Examinations
Use of Electronic Devices, including Calculators, in Examinations
Use of Dictionaries in Examinations
Written Complaints
Who are the Course Coordinators?
Who are the Teaching Staff?
Who is the External Examiner?
Where to find the Life Sciences Office?
How we expect students and staff to communicate?
Course coordinators:
Dr Claire Donald Claire.Donald@glasgow.ac.uk
Dr Laura McCaughey Laura.McCaughey@glasgow.ac.uk
Deputy coordinators:
Dr Donal Wall Donal.Wall@glasgow.ac.uk
Dr Megan Macleod Megan.Macleod@glasgow.ac.uk
Any course related enquires should be emailed to the course email address lifesci-microbiology-immunology2@glasgow.ac.uk. This is checked regularly and so you will receive a response more quickly than contacting individual staff.
Teaching staff names can be found on your online timetable and contact details can be found on the University website Staff A-Z
Dr Andrew Knight, Newcastle University
The Life Sciences Office is located in Room 353 of the Sir James Black Building. Opening hours for enquiries are: Monday to Friday: 9:30am to 4:30pm.
How to Contact Staff
For all general course related queries please use the class discussion forum on Moodle where staff and fellow students can reply.
For personal course related queries please use the course-specific email address: lifesci-microbiology-immunology2@glasgow.ac.uk. Course queries sent to individual staff members that are deemed appropriate for the course email address will be redirected to the course-specific email address. Examples of this include emails about assessment extensions, attendance at labs/lectures etc.
However, if you feel you need to contact a specific member of staff directly e.g. about specific lecture content, the offices, telephone numbers and e-mail addresses of staff teaching the courses are listed on the staff A-Z. If you need to discuss a topic at length, you should arrange an appointment at a time suitable to both of you.
Please remember that lecturers also have extensive commitments to other courses and may not always be available.
The extension numbers listed are for phone calls within the University’s telephone network. If you are calling from out with the University, you should precede this number with 0141 330 ####. If you email the course specific email or staff, you should use your student e-mail address; it is School of Life Sciences policy that personal information will not be sent to non-University e-mail addresses.
Please remember that you are e-mailing a member of staff, and do not use language more suited to communicating with your friends.
Notices to Students
You should check Moodle regularly for special announcements, e.g. seminars, timetable changes or job offers etc. Important messages to the class can sometimes be sent to you at your student e-mail address; you should therefore check your e-mail regularly and ensure that your Inbox does not exceed the allocated storage limits, thereby preventing you from receiving further inbound messages.
Student Questionnaires
Questionnaires provide us with essential information about the organisation, teaching and content of the course. The questionnaires will normally be issued within a teaching period. We are keen to get the opinion of all students taking a course; therefore, we urge you to complete all questionnaires. Summaries of the returns of questionnaires will be sent to the Course Coordinating Committee for discussion. Any action taken, as a result of the questionnaires, will be reported to the appropriate Staff-Student Committee in the following session.
Course Code
BIOL2044
Course Title
Microbiology and Immunology 2
Academic Session
2023-24
Short Description of the Course
This course will provide a comprehensive overview of microbiology and immunology, ranging from microbes in diverse environments to the cells and molecules that make up the immune system, and how these act in health and disease. Students will have an opportunity to explore the wider context in which microorganisms exist as microbial communities, followed by a focus on core molecular and cellular principles of both microbiology and immunology. Students will learn how infectious agents combat host immune defences and how aberrations in the immune response can lead to disease.
Requirements of Entry
Normally, grade D in both the Level-1 Biology courses and grade D in EITHER Chemistry-1 OR in Science Fundamentals-1X and -1Y.
Associated Programmes
This is a compulsory course for programmes in Infection Biology, Microbiology and Immunology. The course is optional for all other School of Life Sciences undergraduate programmes.
Available to visiting students
Yes
Available to Erasmus students
Yes
Typically offered
Semester 2
Timetable
The course is split into five 2-week blocks and consists of daily 1hr lectures, five 3-hour labs, four 1-hour workshops and a 1-hour Virtual Reality experience.
Course Aims
The aims of the course are:
To introduce the main principles of microbiology from the wider context in which microbes exist to the intrinsic processes that allow their survival;
To provide an overview of the immune system, how it responds to infection, how it can be manipulated, and how aberrations in it can lead to disease;
To develop appropriate skills in data interpretation and analysis;
To develop practical laboratory skills in microbiology and immunology;
To develop key transferable skills and graduate attributes.
Intended Learning Outcomes of Course
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
Describe the main principles and core concepts of microbiology;
Describe the key cellular and molecular components of the immune system and how they interact to both prevent and cause disease;
Interpret information from relevant literature;
Analyse scientific data, including data collected in the laboratory;
Communicate scientific ideas effectively.
Minimum Requirements for Award of Credits
Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course’s summative assessment.
Description of Summative Assessment
The course will be assessed by means of a 2-hour examination paper in the April/May diet (50%), one class test (10 %), a group oral presentation (20%) and a lab report assignment (20%). The written examinations will normally comprise MCQ and short-answer questions.
Are reassessment opportunities normally available for all summative assessments in this course
No
Formative Assessment and Feedback
Various methods will be used to provide feedback and feedforward to help students to improve their performance in future assignments, for example:
Formative revision quizzes;
PeerWise (a web-based MCQ generation tool);
Practice exam questions in lectures and labs;
Numeracy and data interpretation exercises;
Generic formative feedback and feedforward on all assessments.
Examination Diet
April/May
Total Exam Duration
120 minutes
In a Level-2 course, the Aims and Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) are applied at course level, not for individual blocks or lectures. The Course Information Document (CID) will indicate the topics covered in each block, but the ILOs may be covered across many of the lectures within the course. All of the ILOs will be assessed during the course.
Course Aims
The aims of the course are:
To introduce the main principles of microbiology from the wider context in which microbes exist to the intrinsic processes that allow their survival;
To provide an overview of the immune system, how it responds to infection, how it can be manipulated, and how aberrations in it can lead to disease;
To develop appropriate skills in data interpretation and analysis;
To develop practical laboratory skills in microbiology and immunology;
To develop key transferable skills and graduate attributes.
Intended Learning Outcomes of Course
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
Describe the main principles and core concepts of microbiology;
Describe the key cellular and molecular components of the immune system and how they interact to both prevent and cause disease;
Interpret information from relevant literature;
Analyse scientific data, including data collected in the laboratory;
Communicate scientific ideas effectively.
Your Timetable
Lecture schedule and top tips for getting the most from each lecture
Laboratory Schedule
Attendance at Teaching Sessions
Block details
MyCampus will provide you with a personalised timetable at the start of the Semester showing which lecture and lab groups you have been assigned to. You must attend the laboratory group you have been assigned to, unless you have obtained prior permission from the Course Coordinator, giving reasonable notice.
This timetable will also note if the session is scheduled to take place on campus or online, and if online the timetable will note if it is online live (i.e. will be delivered by the lecturer live at the scheduled timeslot with an ability to interact and ask questions) or online anytime which mean it will be pre-recorded and the video will be available for you to view anytime. It is anticipated that all sessions will be delivered in person for 2023-24.
Please check this timetable regularly as some sessions might change from live to pre-recorded etc. depending on circumstances. We will of course try to minimise changes but hopefully you appreciate that this is a very unusual year and we will need to react to changing circumstances.
There is a strong correlation between the final grade awarded and recorded attendance at lectures and laboratories. Very few students with a poor attendance record achieve a grade D or above. While some absences may be unavoidable, using lecture notes from another student is a poor substitute for attending and taking your own notes.
The lectures will provide you with a guide to what information you need to know, explain difficult concepts and tell you the lecturer’s own viewpoint. The questions for the end-of-course examination in each course will be drawn largely from the lecture course.
All lectures will be delivered on campus for this session. The details of the lectures for this course are shown in the table “Course Timeline” and in the individual course information in the latter part of this booklet. Your personal timetable on MyCampus indicates your lecture group and laboratory group times. Please check Moodle carefully for lecture information as lectures for this course will only be delivered in one timeslot (e.g. 1pm). If you cannot attend these live sessions you can view the recording at a later time.
You must also attend the correct group for Class or Lab Tests unless you obtain prior permission to change your group from the Course Coordinator. If you attend the wrong group, your grade for that piece of assessment will be reduced.
Lecture Tips
Review the lecture slides on Moodle. Lecture notes should be made available on Moodle 24 hours in advance of each lecture. Checking these will allow you to identify key information to focus on in the lecture itself.
Don’t be late. Give yourself time to settle down. Lectures begin promptly at 5 minutes past the hour and finish at 5 minutes to the hour.
Learn to select the important material. Use headings and note down key words, definitions, diagrams and any specific references to textbooks.
Review your lecture notes soon after the lecture. Check that they are readable and understandable, otherwise they will be no help in your study of the text book or in revision. You may find it helpful to re-write notes with additions from a recommended textbook.
Store your notes and take care of them. Have a back-up copy. Occasionally, students lose all their notes which is a disaster!
Mobile phones must be switched off during lectures and talking during lectures is strongly discouraged.
Laboratories are designed to give you some experience of practical science and to amplify the material which has been given in the lectures. Please refer to the lab section of the course Moodle page for specific information and remember to check Moodle regularly for any updates.
Please note: attendance at teaching sessions must take precedence over jobs, charity work, sport, OTC etc.
Make sure that you arrive on time for all laboratory sessions. If you are issued with a laboratory manual before the lab, read the introductory material before you come to the lab. You must bring your lab manual with you when attend the lab.
Laboratory Safety
Safety in the laboratory is of key importance. Notes on safe practice are contained in the laboratory manual. Read these carefully. We require you to follow the practices given and any further instructions given during the laboratory.
You must bring a lab coat and padlock to each laboratory session. Also bring pens, an HB pencil, an eraser, a ruler and a calculator.
Mobile phones must not be used during laboratory classes.
An acceptable level of participation is required from you if you are to perform to the best of your ability on a course. Therefore, you should attend all scheduled meetings of the course. Attendance may be taken at pre-requisite courses, and we will also check that you are at the correct session.
This information will also be used to identify student engagement with the course and could be taken into consideration when offering places in Level-3.
All locations for lectures and laboratories are subject to change. Check Moodle and MyCampus timetable regularly for notification of any changes.
Block 1: Global Influences of Microbes - Good and Bad
Block 2: Fundamentals in Microbiology
Block 3: Fundamentals in Immunology
Block 4: Infection Biology
Block 5: Immunology in Action
In this Chapter you will find information on:
Coursework Assessment
End of course Examinations
Resit Examinations
Students with Disabilities
Assessment and Feedback Calendar
Remember that the grades you gain from coursework (which includes Class Tests) will form a significant component of your final assessment for most courses. These coursework grades will also count towards your final grade if you have to resit the end-of-course examination. Consequently it is vital for you to obtain a decent grade for your coursework, which means you must hand in submit all the required assignments and complete Class Tests, doing your best in all of these. More details of the assessments for each course are given in the Information for Individual Courses section of this booklet.
It is your responsibility to ensure that you know the time, date and place for each of your examinations. Please note that some assessments may take place online this session. Please check Moodle regularly for updated information.
As it is sometimes necessary to change the examination timetable, you should check for yourself your timetable, on the Registry web page, in the week before the examination period. If you miss an examination, for any reason, you can only take the examination at the next diet (e.g. the resits); special sittings cannot be arranged. If you are late for an examination, you will not be given extra time.
Each session, the student with the best overall results in Year 2 biology courses will be awarded the Geoffrey Moores Prize of £200. The prize is to commemorate Dr Geoffrey Moores, Senior Lecturer in Cell Biology, Head of the School of Life Sciences and Year 2 Year Coordinator.
If you are awarded a grade A, B, C, D or CR at the first examination diet, you will not normally be allowed to resit the end-of-course examination. If you have an E, F, G or H grade, or Credit Withheld result, you will be entitled to resit the examination, but normally only once and at the next available diet; the grade points awarded as the result of the resit examination will be capped at 10. You will see your actual grade on MyCampus.
The grade you gain from the coursework will again be used as part of your assessment in the resit examination. Consequently it is vital for you to as well as you can in your coursework.
It is your responsibility to check your results and to establish whether you should sit any resit exams. Admission to Year 3 is dependent on your achievement in Year 1 and Year 2 in terms of your overall grade point average, your total number of credits and your performance (i.e. grade) in specified Year 2 courses. If you are unsure, contact your Adviser of Studies.
Resit examinations take place in August (check the timetable on the Registry webpage); bear this in mind when you are planning work or holidays. It is important to register for resits at the correct time so that proper arrangements can be made for the resit exams, including any special examination requirements for students with special needs or disabilities.
If you are normally resident outside the UK, you may be permitted to take your resits at an approved centre in your home country, if you have difficulty in returning to the University to sit exams in vacations. For more information, please see the Registry’s website.
If you are resident within the UK, you are expected to take resits at the University of Glasgow.
Special provisions, including special examination and other assessment arrangements, may be made for students with a temporary or permanent disability. The special arrangements are intended to enable students to perform to the best of their ability: they are not intended to give any unfair advantage to a candidate.
All students with ongoing disabilities are encouraged to register with the Disability Service www.gla.ac.uk/services/disability/ as soon as possible and by the published deadlines in order for recommendations to be made for departmental and examination support. You should consult the Disability Service for the deadlines.
Students who are dyslexic must produce evidence of an up-to-date Dyslexia Assessment Report, which meets the requirements of the University and includes specific mention of recommendations for examinations.
Special arrangements will not be made unless a student is registered with the Disability Service and arrangements are listed on their MyCampus record.
Assessment |
% |
Format |
Final submission Date 2023/24 |
Detail |
SAQ Class Test |
10% |
SAQ |
Thur 1st Feb 9am- Fri 2nd Feb 9am |
Online, open for 24 hours, time limited No course coordinator extensions - Good Cause only |
Group oral presentation |
20% |
Presentation |
Tue 13th Feb 2-5pm or Thur 15th Feb 2-5pm |
In-person presentations No course coordinator extensions - Good Cause only |
Group peer marking |
|
Student peer marking online |
Opens Mon 12th Feb 9am until Fri 16th Feb 5pm. |
Online submission of grades. Course coordinator & Good Cause extension available |
Lab report |
20% |
Written report |
Thur 7th March 12 noon deadline |
Turnitin submission via Moodle Course coordinator extension & Good Cause |
Exam |
50% |
MCQs |
April/May (exact date tbc) |
Good Cause only Date released from registry |
During Year 2, you will be asked to apply for a place in your chosen Year 3 Honours or Designated Degree course.
The University has an excellent Careers Service situated at 3 University Gardens. You are encouraged to go along and meet the Careers Adviser and gain familiarity with the programme of events, publications and the possible types of individual advice available from the Service.
During Year 2, you will be asked to apply for a place in your chosen Year 3 Honours or Designated Degree course.
More information shall be provided as part of this course and on the Life Sciences Moodle Hub.
The University has an excellent Careers Service situated at 3 University Gardens. You are encouraged to go along and meet the Careers Adviser and gain familiarity with the programme of events, publications and the possible types of individual advice available from the Service.
www.gla.ac.uk/services/careers/