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Unit of study_

AVBS3888: Laboratory Disease Investigations

2025 unit information

The laboratory investigation of animal diseases requires an interdisciplinary approach that may involve collaboration between pathologists, microbiologists, geneticists, epidemiologists, biotechnologists, statisticians, livestock managers, ecologists, public health workers, and governmental biosecurity agencies. The ability to identify and explore interdisciplinary links is a crucial skill for emerging professionals and researchers alike. This unit presents the opportunity to bring together the concepts and skills you have learnt in your discipline and work with students from other disciplines or industry partners to investigate a real-world problem. In this inquiry- based unit, students will engage in projects that engages students in a real-life animal disease-based investigation in collaboration with students from other disciplines or industry partners, supervised by a range of industry-engaged academics. The focus is on developing interdisciplinary skills, an investigative approach, and critical thinking and analysis in the context of the many faces of animal disease investigation. In this unit, you will continue to understand and explore disciplinary knowledge, while also meeting and collaborating with students from across the University or industry partners through project-based learning; identifying and solving problems, collecting and analysing data and communicating your findings to a diverse audience. All of these skills are highly valued by employers. This unit will foster the ability to work in interdisciplinary teams, and this is essential for both professional and research pathways in the future.

Unit details and rules

Managing faculty or University school:

Science

Study level Undergraduate
Academic unit Life and Environmental Sciences Academic Operations
Credit points 6
Prerequisites:
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AVBS2001 and AVBS3001
Corequisites:
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None
Prohibitions:
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None
Assumed knowledge:
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Fundamental mechanisms of disease, basic microbiology and parasitology, basic epidemiology

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. Evaluate relevant literature and results of investigations to develop hypotheses and investigative approaches within the framework of interdisciplinary disease investigations.
  • LO2. Assess the advantages and limitations of contemporary disease investigation techniques and use this assessment to inform the development of hypotheses and investigative approaches.
  • LO3. Justify proposed disease scenario investigation approaches with specific reference to both the validity of the technical strategies and the applicability and relevance of the approach across broad social, scientific, and economic realms.
  • LO4. Describe and successfully carry out simple laboratory techniques associated with animal disease investigations.
  • LO5. Describe basic occupational health and safety and quality control issues and associated procedures and regulations associated with disease investigations in the laboratory.
  • LO6. Critically reflect upon completed disease investigations holistically and explain the importance of this reflection in the scientific process.

Unit availability

This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.

The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.

Session MoA ?  Location Outline ? 
Semester 2 2024
Normal day Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Session MoA ?  Location Outline ? 
Semester 2 2025
Normal day Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Outline unavailable
Session MoA ?  Location Outline ? 
Semester 2 2020
Normal day Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Semester 2 2021
Normal day Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Semester 2 2021
Normal day Remote
Semester 2 2022
Normal day Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Semester 2 2022
Normal day Remote
Semester 2 2023
Normal day Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

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Modes of attendance (MoA)

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