Molecular Theory, Data & Application in the Animal Sciences (ANIM7241)

Course overview

This course provides an introduction to genomics and the molecular basis of metabolism across species, spanning aspects of zoology, wildlife and animal production science. It will assist students in developing an understanding of genetics, epigenetics, functional genomics and other levels of biological organisation. Particular emphasis is placed upon various environmental influences on genomic biology. These influences include - but are not limited to - diet, exercise and ambient conditions.

In agricultural, veterinary and wildlife science the implementation of post-genomic tools is an important step towards a more detailed understanding of the complex biological systems that control the anatomy, physiology and behaviour of animals.ﾠ

This course provides an introduction to genomics and the molecular basis of metabolism across species, spanning aspects of zoology, wildlife and production science. It will assist students in developing an understanding of genetics, functional genomics and other levels of biological organisation with respect to various environmental influences. These influences include diet, exercise and ambient conditions. It will provide an understanding of the tools and techniques, both in the wet lab and on the computer, that are now widely available and how to acquire, analyse and biologically interpret those data.

In the specific context of farm animals, nutrition is a key component of productivity. Improving diet can help maximise the expression of genetic potential. Much of the data gathered from experiments on farm animals are relevant not only for direct application in the animal sciences, but also for adding to our understanding of complex biological mechanisms of health and disease across the animal world.ﾠ

At the School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability, we are committed to creating an inclusive and empowering learning environment for all students. We value and respect the diverse range of experiences our students bring to their education, and we believe that this diversity is crucial for fostering a rich culture of knowledge-sharing and meaningful exploration. We hold students and staff accountable for actively contributing to establishing a respectful and supportive learning environment.

Bullying, harassment, and discrimination in any form are strictly against our principles and againstﾠUQ Policy,ﾠand will not be tolerated. If you have any concerns about your experience in this course, we encourage you to tell a member of the course teaching team. Your well-being and a positive learning atmosphere are of utmost importance to us.

Course requirements

Assumed background

It is assumed that students have some basic knowledge of general biology. Online learning modules will be available through Learn.UQ at the beginning of semester to help students adequately prepare for the course. 

Recommended prerequisites

We recommend completing the following courses before enrolling in this one:

ANIM7240

Incompatible

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

ANIM3061, ANIM7014

Course contact

Course staff

Timetable

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

Additional timetable information

Please refer to course materials on Blackboard for the definitive lecture and practical schedule. All lectures will be on zoom and recorded.

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 course provides an introduction to nutrigenomics and the molecular basis of metabolism. It will assist students in developing an understanding of genomics and gene regulation with respect to diet and metabolism. Students will obtain an appreciation for the role and importance of nutrition in animal health and performance with examples from a broad range of production animals and wildlife species set across the Animal Kingdom.

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

Questions relating to the practical classes

• In-person
• Online

Mode

Written

Category

Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Participation/ Student contribution

Weight

20%

Due date

19/09/2025 2:00 pm

Task description

Submission guidelines

You must submit your Assessment task, in Blackboard, via the Turnitin link by the submission deadline. 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.

The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

Submission of an Extension of Assessment Due Date (EADD) should be completed online through your My Requests tab via my.UQ Dashboard, in accordance with the University's Assessment Procedure (located in the Policies and Procedures section of this course profile) which outlines the requirements for requesting extensions to assessment due dates. Extensions require the correct evidence/documentation to support the requested length of time of the 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.

For example, a report worth a maximum of 40 marks, submitted 28 hours late will attract a penalty of 8 marks, calculated as 2 periods of 24 hours x 10% x 40 marks.

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). 

Essay: Discuss - Modern humans have ‘stone age’ genes but ‘space age’ lifestyles.

• Online

Mode

Written

Category

Essay/ Critique

Weight

20%

Due date

10/10/2025 2:00 pm

Task description

Submission guidelines

You must submit your Assessment task, in Blackboard, via the Turnitin link by the submission deadline. 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.

The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

Submission of an Extension of Assessment Due Date (EADD) should be completed online through your My Requests tab via my.UQ Dashboard, in accordance with the University's Assessment Procedure (located in the Policies and Procedures section of this course profile) which outlines the requirements for requesting extensions to assessment due dates. Extensions require the correct evidence/documentation to support the requested length of time of the 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.

For example, a report worth a maximum of 40 marks, submitted 28 hours late will attract a penalty of 8 marks, calculated as 2 periods of 24 hours x 10% x 40 marks.

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). 

Oral presentation: Discuss - Modern humans have ‘stone age’ genes but ‘space age’ lifestyles.

• In-person

Mode

Activity/ Performance, Oral

Category

Performance, Presentation

Weight

20%

Due date

16/10/2025 - 24/10/2025

Within weeks 11 and 12 practical classes and / or lecture classes.

Task description

Submission guidelines

Presentations will be delivered live in the classroom.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

Submission of an Extension of Assessment Due Date (EADD) should be completed online through your My Requests tab via my.UQ Dashboard, in accordance with the University's Assessment Procedure (located in the Policies and Procedures section of this course profile) which outlines the requirements for requesting extensions to assessment due dates. Extensions require the correct evidence/documentation to support the requested length of time of the 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.

For example, a report worth a maximum of 40 marks, submitted 28 hours late will attract a penalty of 8 marks, calculated as 2 periods of 24 hours x 10% x 40 marks.

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). 

Final Examination

• Hurdle
• Identity Verified
• In-person

Mode

Written

Category

Examination

Weight

40%

Due date

End of Semester Exam Period

8/11/2025 - 22/11/2025

Other conditions

Secure.

See the conditions definitions

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 pass the final examination 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 progressive assessment and the final examination and the student does NOT score a passing grade in the final examination, they are unable to achieve a grade higher than a 3 (failing grade) for the course.

PRACTICAL CLASSES

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

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

Please note the following when writing your 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.

Results  

Unless specifically indicated by the lecturer involved, every attempt will be made to have the 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 for progressive assessment will be announced via the course Blackboard site. 

Feedback

Feedback is welcome in this course as any information on how students find this learning experience is constructive.

Please use the evaluation form provided to you at the end of semester - or if you are enrolled in In Person, a course evaluation process will occur in the last few weeks of semester.

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

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

Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.

Other course materials

Additional learning resources information

Opportunities for wider reading and other useful resources will be discussed in the lecture series.

A brief summary ofﾠexamples of environmental influences on gene expression can be foundﾠinﾠRalston et al (2008). Environment controls gene expression: sex determination and the onset of genetic disorders. Nature Education 1(1):203.

Learning activities

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

Additional learning activity information

The practical class schedule will be made available on Blackboard. Practicals are a maximum of 3 h and cover aspects of molecular biology (PCR, gel electrophoresis and qRT-PCR), metabolomics sample preparation and a tour and Q&A of our Wildlife Facility. Any changes in practical content and / or schedule will be communicated via BB.

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 for 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