Agricultural Biochemistry (AGRC2001)

Course overview

In this foundational agricultural biochemistry course, you will explore the processes that regulate energy and information pathways in animals and plants, with a special focus on agriculturally important species. Additionally, you'll study the biochemistry of nutrients and energy sources in different biological contexts and examine how domestication and artificial selection within agriculture have influenced the genetic code and protein synthesis.

This course will be last offered in external mode in 2024.

During this foundational biochemistry course, you will learn about energy and information flow in animals and plants. Wildlife species and biomedical models will be studied alongside production animals and crops. You will study the biochemistry of the various nutrients and energy sources used by their cells and tissues under different biological circumstances. You will learn about the nature of the genetic code and how proteins are synthesised. Connections will be drawn between biochemical pathways and applied outcomes.

When you have successfully completed this course, you will be able to undertake more specialised courses in the animal and plant sciences, such as nutrition, reproduction and genetics. You will understand how cells use nutrients and how they build the cellular machinery to do so. This will prepare you to think strategically about the more applied aspects of animal and plant sciences, such as husbandry practices and agronomy. For example, why are certain practices recommended and under what circumstances might they be changed?

Course requirements

Assumed background

Although this is an introductory biochemistry course, it is assumed that you have a working knowledge of organic chemistry, especially the structures and chemical properties of carbohydrates, amino acids, fatty acids, polysaccharides, proteins and fats. Preferably you will have completed CHEM1004 andﾠAGRC1021.

Prerequisites

You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:

CHEM1100 or CHEM1004; AGRC1021; ANIM1020 or both AGRC1041 and VETS1060

Incompatible

You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:

AGRC1020; BIOC2000

Course contact

Course staff

Timetable

The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.

Additional timetable information

Live lectures, lectorials and tutorials will be recorded using Zoom and the recordings will be made available through the course BB site. Slide decks and other learning resources will also be placed into the appropriate Learning Resources folders. Practicals are compulsory.

For a week-by-week guide to approaching your semester of study, please refer to the Learning Activities section.

If you have any concerns regarding your official timetable or course allocations, or there are no suitable class times available, contact Faculty of Science Timetable science.mytimetable@uq.edu.au for advice.  

If you have any questions about missing class activities, please contact your course coordinator.  

Aims and outcomes

This foundational course aims to build theoretical, practical and applied knowledge in the control of biomolecular information in animals and plants. We will use relevant examples to demonstrate how these biochemical concepts are applicable across the agricultural disciplines. Your understanding will be built on the 1. biology of nutrient processing, delivery and use by tissues, cells and organelles and 2. the biomolecular components of the genome.

Learning outcomes

After successfully completing this course you should be able to:

Assessment

Assessment summary

A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.

Assessment details

Spectrophotometry data analysis and written report

• Online

Mode

Written

Category

Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Tutorial/ Problem Set

Weight

40%

Due date

17/04/2025 2:00 pm

Learning outcomes

L04

Task description

Submission guidelines

You must submit your Assessment task, in Blackboard, via the correct Turnitin link by the submission deadline (14:00). You should also retain an electronic copy of every piece of assessment you submit.

Legal Declaration

By submitting your work via this website, you formally declare that (1) it is your own original work, and no part of the work has been copied from any other source or person except where due acknowledgement is made; (2) no part of the work has been previously submitted for assessment in this or any other institution; and (3) you have read the Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy (https://policies.uq.edu.au/document/view-current.php?id=149) and understand its implications.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

Assessment deadlines are firm and must be met. Late submission without permission or non-submission of assessable work will result in penalties being applied. Late submission of assessment will only be granted for documented medical reasons, accident, bereavement, jury service and other circumstances allowed in the UQ Policies and Procedures Library (PPL).  

Submission of an Extension of Assessment Due Date (EADD) should be completed online through your My Requests tab via my.UQ Dashboard before the due date of the assessment item. 

Practical Theory Questions

• Team or group-based
• In-person

Mode

Activity/ Performance, Written

Category

Practical/ Demonstration

Weight

20% Each Question Set contributes 5% towards the Practical Theory Questions 20% total

Due date

Question Set 2 25/03/2025 - 26/03/2025

Question Set 3 8/04/2025 - 9/04/2025

Question Set 4 6/05/2025 - 30/04/2025

Question Set 5 20/05/2025 - 14/05/2025

Due in specified practical class

Task description

Submission guidelines

Students submit written answers to the prac tutors in hard copy, prior to leaving their scheduled practical session.

Legal Declaration

By submitting your work via this website, you formally declare that (1) it is your own original work, and no part of the work has been copied from any other source or person except where due acknowledgement is made; (2) no part of the work has been previously submitted for assessment in this or any other institution; and (3) you have read the Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy (https://policies.uq.edu.au/document/view-current.php?id=149) and understand its implications.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

If a student is unable to attend a practical, they will be given the opportunity to attend another session. Failing this they will be given online resources to support them in completing the assessment. Formal documentation, such as a medical certificate, will be required for us to accommodate these changes, for both a practical session change and an extension request.

Late submission

1) Students are unable to submit late as the assessment is conducted in class.

2) Students who have been approved for an extension (see 'Deferral or extension'), should you submit your assessment item after your approved due date and time, your submission will be subject to the following late submission penalty:

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

Assessment deadlines are firm and must be met. Late submission without permission or non-submission of assessable work will result in penalties being applied. Late submission of assessment will only be granted for documented medical reasons, accident, bereavement, jury service and other circumstances allowed in the UQ Policies and Procedures Library (PPL).  

Submission of an Extension of Assessment Due Date (EADD) should be completed online through your My Requests tab via my.UQ Dashboard before the due date of the assessment item. 

Final Exam

• Hurdle
• Identity Verified
• In-person

Mode

Written

Category

Examination

Weight

40%

Due date

End of Semester Exam Period

7/06/2025 - 21/06/2025

Learning outcomes

L01, L02

Task description

Hurdle requirements

Exam details

Submission guidelines

Deferral or extension

You may be able to defer this exam.

Course grading

Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.

Additional course grading information

Course Grading Rules and Assessment Hurdles

• Students must meet the pass mark requirement on the end of semester exam in order to pass the course. 

If a student obtains an overall percentage greater than the cut-offs set to achieve a 4 or higher for the course based on marks from a combination of assessments and the final exam and the student does NOT meet the pass mark requirement in the final exam, they are unable to achieve a grade higher than a 3 (failing grade) for the course.

Supplementary assessment

Supplementary assessment is available for this course.

Should you fail a course with a grade of 3, you may be eligible for supplementary assessment. Refer to my.UQ for information on supplementary assessment and how to apply. 

Supplementary assessment provides an additional opportunity to demonstrate you have achieved all the required learning outcomes for a course.  

If you apply and are granted supplementary assessment, the type of supplementary assessment set will consider which learning outcome(s) have not been met.  

Supplementary assessment can take any form (such as a written report, oral presentation, examination or other appropriate assessment) and may test specific learning outcomes tailored to the individual student, or all learning outcomes. 

To receive a passing grade of 3S4, you must obtain a mark of 50% or more on the supplementary assessment. 

Additional assessment information

The University has adopted criterion-based assessment.ﾠIn the context of this course this means that your grade will reflect your mastery of the facts, theories and concepts underpinning biochemistry.

There will be different types of assessment:

Theory: Marks will be awarded according to your ability to recall,ﾠpresent, evaluate and interpret information relevant to the questions asked.ﾠExams may be a mixture of multiple choice, short answer or essay questions.ﾠThey may be marked by staff.

Practical assessment:ﾠThis assessment(s) will focus on the practical component of the course.ﾠMarks will be awarded according to your ability to recall,ﾠpresent, calculate, evaluate, analyse and interpretﾠinformation relevant to the questions asked.ﾠ

Please note the following when writing assignments

You must not re-use past work from previous assessments in your assignments.

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism 

All reported work must be done by the individual student. Assignments that look and sound alike will be reported as plagiarism – a serious offence at UQ. Please note the university’s policy on academic integrity and plagiarism which can be accessed at Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy. 

Turnitin

Assignments that are required to be submitted through TurnItIn, must only be uploaded to the assessment specific Turnitin link on the relevant course Blackboard site. If you submit any version of your assessment item to any alternative Turnitin link, this is considered cheating and you will be held liable for this action.ﾠ

Practical class attendance

You must complete and adhere to the OHS paperwork/relevant inductions to attend practical classes. 

For In Person students, there are Practical Classes scheduled as per your timetable. The practicals run for approximately 3 hours and may be a combination of laboratory-based and field-based activities. To obtain a grade for the practical classes students must participate and complete the associated exercises (submitting their question sets in class). If you do not participate in a practical class, or do not provide evidence of your attendance (i.e. signing attendance sheet/scanning student ID card at the beginning of your practical session), your report will not be marked.

Practical non-attendance

Students need to submit an assessment extension request on my.UQ > myRequests, for missing a practical session. The Practical sessions are timetabled activities, and if students miss a practical and request exemption/access to online material as relevant, they must provide documentation that shows they were unable to attend the practical on the relevant day. Documentation for ongoing conditions, such as Student Access Plans, are not acceptable evidence for missed Practical sessions.

Release of marks

Unless specifically indicated by the lecturer involved,ﾠevery attempt will be made to haveﾠthe results for progressive assessment tasks available within 3 weeks of submission. For items of assessment submitted in the last 2 weeks of the semester, the results will be available before the day of your end of semester examination in the course, unless otherwise indicated by the Course Coordinator. Results and feedback availability will be advised to you by email or announced via the course Blackboard site.ﾠ

Re-mark Applications – refer to the University's Re-mark Policy to check your eligibility

Before applying for a remark, students should consider the following:

• You have consulted the course coordinator for feedback
• Your academic grounds for remark have been discussed and are valid
• Wanting a higher grade is not grounds for a remark. A remark can decrease your grade.

Remark applications will not be considered without first having contacted your course Co-ordinator.

Deferred and Supplementary assessment (including Deferred In-Semester Examinations)

Deferred and Supplementary information can be located on theﾠmy.UQﾠwebsite

• Apply for a deferred examination
• Information on supplementary assessment

Learning resources

You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.

Library resources

Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.

Other course materials

Additional learning resources information

The following text is available on line and from 2021:

"Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry" by David L. Nelson and Michael M. Cox.

The recommended learning resources documented here are a guide only. The lecture slide decks and associated notes contain the foundational examinable material for this course. Particular lectures may also contain suggestions for other recommended material. This may include internet links to bothﾠtext and videos that help provide a complementary perspective.

Supporting material for the practical classes may also be uploaded to Blackboard.

Learning activities

The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.

Policies and procedures

University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:

• Student Code of Conduct Policy
• Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
• Assessment Procedure
• Examinations Procedure
• Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure

Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.

You'll also need to be aware of the following policies and procedures while completing this course:

• Occupational Health and Safety in the Laboratory Guideline