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Unit of study_
BCMB3904: Beyond the Genome (Advanced)
2025 unit information
The sequencing of the human genome was a landmark achievement in science and medicine, marking the 'Age of Genomics'. Now we can access the blueprints for life, but need to uncover how those blueprints work, allowing organisms to respond to internal and external environmental changes, and how we can utilise this plethora of DNA sequence information to improve human and planetary health. This unit will investigate the function of the genome by examining the proteome, metabolome and beyond. You will investigate links between the central dogma of molecular biology and the complexities of living genomes - from modifications that massively increase diversity to the dynamic metabolome. You will explore fundamental cellular processes and discover how they are shaped by the proteome via gene expression, post-translational modification and protein complex formation. These processes will be examined in the context of human health and cardiovascular and metabolic disorders (e. g. type 2 diabetes) to demonstrate how global approaches can define, diagnose and help develop treatments for disease. You will practice methods employed in the post-genome era, including the 'Multi-omics' approaches that provide a global view of living systems, and discover how they are applied to solve problems in biology, biomedicine and agriculture. Beyond the Genome (Advanced) has the same overall structure as BCMB3004 but focuses on a more advanced level of practical work, data analysis and interpretation, using cutting-edge technologies. By the end of the unit students will understand why global 'omics approaches are needed in the post-genome era and know how best to apply such tools to given biological and biomedical problems.
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Science
| Study level | Undergraduate |
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| Academic unit | Life and Environmental Sciences Academic Operations |
| Credit points | 6 |
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Prerequisites:
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An average mark of 75 or above in 12 credit points from (AMED3001 or BCHM2X71 or BCHM2X72 or BCHM3XXX or BCMB2X01 or BCMB2X02 or BCMB3XXX or BIOL2X29 or BMED2401 or BMED2405 or GEGE2X01 or MBLG2X01 or MEDS2002 or MEDS2003 or PCOL2X21 or QBIO2001) |
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Corequisites:
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None |
| Prohibitions:
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BCHM3X92 or BCMB3004 |
| Assumed knowledge:
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Biochemistry, genetics, cell and/or molecular biology concepts at 2000-level units |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. Demonstrate an understanding of key concepts in biochemistry – including translation and post-translational modification, signalling, generation and removal of oxidants, proteases, cell-cell communication etc.
- LO2. Demonstrate an understanding of large-scale methodological approaches (proteomics, metabolomics) to study biochemical concepts shown in 1 (above)
- LO3. Evaluate concepts in large-scale approaches to appropriately select such approaches to best solve qualitative and quantitative problems in scientific context
- LO4. Identify the various ways in which proteins can be modified after translation, describe how these modifications are achieved and evaluate how they affect the physical and functional properties of proteins.
- LO5. Apply appropriate analytical and computational tools to analyse scientific data
- LO6. Find and analyse scientific literature and judge its reliability and significance in the context of experimental data
- LO7. Explain, with examples, the difference between a qualitative and a quantitative measurement; determine which of the different measurements should be used, and implement methods to analyse various aspects of the proteome/metabolome, in an accurate and reproducible manner.
- LO8. Adapt, develop and trouble-shoot experimental procedures for novel contexts and requirements at an advanced level, including self-directed data generation and research problem solving
- LO9. Assess the quality of data, interpret and draw conclusions from data obtained in the laboratory at an advanced level, against a wider research context and providing evidence of hypotheses generation.
- LO10. Demonstrate a sense of responsibility, understanding of WHS issues, ethical behaviour, and independence as a learner
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 ? |
|---|---|---|---|
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Semester 2 2025
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Normal day | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
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Modes of attendance (MoA)
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