Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2024 (22/07/2024 - 18/11/2024)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Chemistry & Molec Biosciences
This course focuses on the application of principles of inorganic & organic chemistry to the understanding of biological function at the molecular level. Topics covered will include functional group chemistry in a biological setting, mechanistic enzymology, chemistry of coenzymes & vitamins, chemistry of biosynthetic pathways, computational & spectroscopic methods in chemical biology, metal ion acquisition & speciation in biological systems, metallo-proteins, role of metal ions in disease states. This is a key course for Chemistry and Biochemistry students wishing to learn about chemistry with a biological connection and is also relevant to Biological & Biomedical Sciences students. This course is a pre-requisite for CHEM3020.
BIOC2052 has been created in response to the changing face of research and its increasing multidisciplinary nature.ᅠBiological research is becoming increasingly molecular and a working knowledge of the chemical processes and their mechanisms is essential in the interpretation of data generated by biological experiments.ᅠLikewise, chemical research is rarely done in isolation from other fields and chemists are often required to use their chemical skills to investigate, manipulate and affect biological systems; especially in growth research areas such as pharmaceutical science and molecular engineering.ᅠChemical Biology provides a knowledge and skill set to students who will work at the interface between chemistry and biology.ᅠAn understanding of the reactions and mechanisms involved in the major biological pathways and processes and the chemical characteristics of the important biological molecules as well as knowledge of techniques used to investigate biological molecules are essential tools in the repertoire of any scientific researcher in the 21st century.
Course requirements
Prerequisites
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
CHEM1200
Recommended prerequisites
We recommend completing the following courses before enrolling in this one:
BIOL1020
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
CHEM2041 or CHEM2001 or CHEM2052, CHEM6520 (co-taught)
Jointly taught details
This course is jointly-taught with:
Lectures, Workshops and workshop assessment.
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
Check your online timetable regularly.
Students are reminded that the workshopsᅠare an integral part of the course and your attendance is expected. Recordings of workshops are not possible, due to the interactive nature of the activities. Studentsᅠare asked to always bring their student cards to the workshops for identification during assessment items performed during workshops. THE MOLECULAR MODEL KIT REQUIRED FOR THIS COURSE SHOULD BE TAKEN TO EVERY WORKSHOP.ᅠᅠ
Aims and outcomes
1) To provide students with the fundamental chemical knowledge required to fully understand the mechanisms operating in biological systems.
2) To provide students with a biological context in which to study and appreciate chemical reactions and theories.
3) To provide students with a knowledge and skill set that will equip them to study and perform research in biological and/or chemical sciences.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Use knowledge of fundamental chemistry to investigate and understand complex biological systems and processes;
LO2.
Evaluate and interpret information from various sources, distilling the essential and accurate facts and communicating these concisely and accurately to an audience.
LO3.
Investigate and evaluate the chemical processes which occur in biological systems using a molecular mechanistic strategy and thus recognise the interconnected nature of these processes.
LO4.
Understand the structure and electronic configuration of the major functional groups present in biological molecules and how these characteristics dictate their reactivity.
LO5.
Understand the chemical processes occurring in the major metabolic and catabolic pathways and the role of chemical species such as cofactors and vitamins.
LO6.
Understand the essential role that metals play in catalysis and transport in biological systems.
LO7.
Recognise and predict mechanisms by which enzymes catalyse chemical reactions including the path of electron flow in the reactions and recognise the multi-step processes that occur in an active site to achieve an overall transformation.
LO8.
Understand the various spectroscopic techniques used to investigate biological molecules and reactions. Appreciate where and how the different techniques might be used.
Assessment
Assessment summary
Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
---|---|---|---|
Examination |
In-semester exam
|
25% |
4/09/2024 3:00 pm |
Quiz |
Workshop Quizzes
|
10% Lowest quiz of the 7 will be disregarded. |
5pm 7/08/2024 5pm 21/08/2024 5pm 11/09/2024 5pm 18/09/2024 5pm 2/10/2024 5pm 9/10/2024 5pm 16/10/2024 |
Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Presentation |
Science communication Assignment: Article & Video
|
20% 10% for article, 10% for video. |
17/09/2024 2:00 pm
News article due 2pm 10 September Video due 2pm 17 September |
Examination |
End of semester exam
|
45% |
End of Semester Exam Period 2/11/2024 - 16/11/2024 |
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
In-semester exam
- Hurdle
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Examination
- Weight
- 25%
- Due date
4/09/2024 3:00 pm
- Other conditions
- Time limited.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L03, L04
Task description
This is an in-semester exam covering all the lecture and workshop material presented by Prof. Blanchfield and Dr Kartsonaki (Module 1). More information will be provided during teaching activities and/or on Blackboard.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of Generative AI may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Hurdle requirements
See ADDITIONAL COURSE GRADING INFORMATION for the hurdle/s relating to this assessment item.Exam details
Planning time | 10 minutes |
---|---|
Duration | 60 minutes |
Calculator options | (In person) Casio FX82 series or UQ approved , labelled calculator only |
Open/closed book | Closed Book examination - specified written materials permitted |
Materials | One A4 sheet of handwritten notes , single sided, is permitted A commercial molecular modelling kit, with no instruction booklet. Structures may be brought in assembled, but cannot be labelled. |
Exam platform | Paper based |
Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Workshop Quizzes
- Hurdle
- In-person
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Quiz
- Weight
- 10% Lowest quiz of the 7 will be disregarded.
- Due date
5pm 7/08/2024
5pm 21/08/2024
5pm 11/09/2024
5pm 18/09/2024
5pm 2/10/2024
5pm 9/10/2024
5pm 16/10/2024
- Other conditions
- Time limited.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07, L08
Task description
Workshop quizzes will be held throughout semester, commencing in Week 3 of semester.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Students are advised that the use of AI technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Hurdle requirements
See ADDITIONAL COURSE GRADING INFORMATION for the hurdle/s relating to this assessment item.Submission guidelines
Workshop assessment is submitted before leaving the workshop session. You should therefore bring a device with you to the workshop capable of connecting to the internet (e.g. laptop or tablet).
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Applications for Extensions
Information on applying for an extension can be found here: my.UQ Applying for an extension.
Extension applications must be received by the assessment due date and time.
If you are unable to provide approved documentation to support your application by the due date and time, you must still submit your application by the deadline but with an attached Word document that outlines why you cannot provide the approved documentation by the deadline. You will then need to acquire and upload the approved documentation to your request within 24 hours. Please note: When an extension request has been submitted and is pending, students are expected to continue to work on the assessment item, with the aim of submitting by the requested due date and time.
Prolonged Absence
If you have been ill or unable to attend class for more than 14 days, we advise you to carefully consider whether you are capable of successfully completing your courses this semester.
Extensions with Student Access Plans (SAP)
For extensions up to 7 days, your SAP is all that is required as documentation to support your application. However, extension requests longer than 7 days (for any one assessment item) will require the submission of additional supporting documentation e.g. a medical certificate.
Science communication Assignment: Article & Video
- Hurdle
- Identity Verified
- Team or group-based
- Online
- Mode
- Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Presentation
- Weight
- 20% 10% for article, 10% for video.
- Due date
17/09/2024 2:00 pm
News article due 2pm 10 September
Video due 2pm 17 September
- Other conditions
- Student specific.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07, L08
Task description
Students will work in PAIRS on this assignment. Each pair of students is required to choose a primary research article relevant to chemical biology published in the last 24 months by a researcher in SCMB (NOT a review). BOTH students must appear and speak in their video. Students are NOT permitted to use AI-generated voices or AI-generated avatars to present their video.
Once the article is selected, then details of the article and group members should be completed in the Assessment folder on Blackboard. If this is not done before 2 p.m. 16th August, then an article may be assigned. Students may be asked to select another article if another group has already chosen that article or more than 4 groups have chosen articles written by the same author.
Students are required to write a 2-page "Chemistry in Australia" style news article detailing the journal article they have chosen. It should accurately and concisely summarise the science for an educated, non-expert audience. This news article is due for upload by 2pm Tuesday 10th September.
A three minute (approx.) video recording of a "Catalyst" style TV segment reporting on the findings in the scientific paper will be uploaded onto BlackBoard by 2pm on Tuesday 17th September. It should clearly and concisely explain the science of the article chosen for your assignment. Full instructions on how this should be performed and suggestions on how to tackle this assignment will be provided in the first workshop of the semester.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Artificial Intelligence (AI) provides emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI in completing this assessment task. Students must clearly reference any use of AI in each instance. A failure to reference generative AI use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Students are NOT permitted to use AI-generated voices or AI-generated avatars to present their video.
Hurdle requirements
See ADDITIONAL COURSE GRADING INFORMATION for the hurdle/s relating to this assessment item.Submission guidelines
Details of the proposed article will be submitted electronically using the link provided in the Assessment folder on BlackBoard and then reviewed for suitability. The video and written article will be submitted electronically also on BlackBoard.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Applications for Extensions
Information on applying for an extension can be found here: my.UQ Applying for an extension
Extension applications must be received by the assessment due date and time.
If you are unable to provide approved documentation to support your application by the due date and time, you must still submit your application by the deadline but with an attached Word document that outlines why you cannot provide the approved documentation by the deadline. You will then need to acquire and upload the approved documentation to your request within 24 hours. Please note: When an extension request has been submitted and is pending, students are expected to continue to work on the assessment item, with the aim of submitting by the requested due date and time.
Prolonged Absence
If you have been ill or unable to attend class for more than 14 days, we advise you to carefully consider whether you are capable of successfully completing your courses this semester.
Extensions with Student Access Plans (SAP)
For extension up to 7 days, your SAP is all that is required as documentation to support your application. However, extension requests longer than 7 days (for any one assessment item) will require the submission of additional supporting documentation e.g. a medical certificate.
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.
You are required to submit assessable items on time. If you fail to meet the submission deadline for any assessment item, then 10% of the maximum possible mark for the assessment item (assessment ‘marked from’ value) will be deducted as a late penalty for every day (or part day) late after the due date. For example, if you submit your assignment 1 hour late, you will be penalised 10%; if your assignment is 24.5 hours late, you will be penalised 20% (because it is late by one 24-hour period plus part of another 24-hour period). 10% will be deducted per day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point your submission will receive a mark of zero (0) unless an extension has been approved.
In most instances one or more hurdles will apply to your assessment item so you will need to submit it to fulfil the requirements of the course regardless of how late it is and the mark you are likely to be awarded.
End of semester exam
- Hurdle
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Examination
- Weight
- 45%
- Due date
End of Semester Exam Period
2/11/2024 - 16/11/2024
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07, L08
Task description
This exam will cover all workshop and lecture material presented by Profs. O'Mara & Robertson and Dr Sharpe (Modules 2 and 3). It will be held in the end of semester examination block.
This will be an on-campus, invigilated closed-book exam. No notes allowed.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Students are advised that the use of AI technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Hurdle requirements
See ADDITIONAL COURSE GRADING INFORMATION for the hurdles relating to this assessment item.Exam details
Planning time | 10 minutes |
---|---|
Duration | 120 minutes |
Calculator options | (In person) Casio FX82 series or UQ approved , labelled calculator only |
Open/closed book | Closed Book examination - no written materials permitted |
Materials | A commercial molecular modelling kit (disassembled, no instruction booklet) |
Exam platform | Paper based |
Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
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.
Grade | Description |
---|---|
1 (Low Fail) |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The grade will be assigned according to the aggregate score obtained over all pieces of assessment. The minimum percentage required for this grade is: 0% |
2 (Fail) |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The grade will be assigned according to the aggregate score obtained over all pieces of assessment. The minimum percentage required for this grade is: 30% |
3 (Marginal Fail) |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: The grade will be assigned according to the aggregate score obtained over all pieces of assessment. The minimum percentage required for this grade is: 45% |
4 (Pass) |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The grade will be assigned according to the aggregate score obtained over all pieces of assessment. The minimum percentage required for this grade is: 50% |
5 (Credit) |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The grade will be assigned according to the aggregate score obtained over all pieces of assessment. The minimum percentage required for this grade is: 65% |
6 (Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The grade will be assigned according to the aggregate score obtained over all pieces of assessment. The minimum percentage required for this grade is: 75% |
7 (High Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The grade will be assigned according to the aggregate score obtained over all pieces of assessment. The minimum percentage required for this grade is: 85% |
Additional course grading information
Assessment Hurdles
In order to pass this course, you must meet ALL of the following requirements (if you do not meet these requirements, the maximum grade you will receive will be a 3):
1. You must obtain an overall course mark of 50% or more; and
2. You must obtain a mark of 30% or more for BOTH sections of the end of semester examination; and
3. You must obtain a minimum weighted average mark of 40% across all other non-examination course assessment items (science communication assignment and workshop quizzes).
The maximum grade you will receive will be a 2 if you:
1. Obtainᅠa weighted average mark of 30% or less across the two examination components (in-semester and end of semester); and/or
2. Obtain a weighted average mark of 30% or less on the non-examination course assessment items (science communication assignment and workshop quizzes).
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
Assessment Submission
It is the responsibility of the student to ensure the on time, correct and complete submission of all assessment items.
Please ensure you receive and save the submission confirmation for all submitted items, you may be asked to produce this as evidence of your submission.
Turnitin
By submitting work through Turnitin you are deemed to have accepted the following declaration “I certify that this assignment is my own work and has not been submitted, either previously or concurrently, in whole or in part, to this University or any other educational institution, for marking or assessment”.
All students must ensure they receive their Turnitin receipt on submission of any assessments. A valid Turnitin receipt will be the only evidence accepted if one or more of your submissions are missing. Without evidence, the assessment will receive the standard late penalty, or after seven days, will receive zero. In the case of a Blackboard outage, please contact the Course Coordinator as soon as possible to confirm the outage with ITS.
Assessment/Attendance
Please notify your Course Coordinator as soon as you become aware of any issue that may affect your ability to meet the assessment/attendance requirements of the course. The my.UQ website and the Electronic Course Profile (ECP) for your course also provide information about your course requirements, the rules associated with your courses and services offered by the University.
A note for repeating students in this course
Any student who enrols in a course must not be given exemption or partial credit from their previous attempt(s) for any individual piece of assessment. Instead, the student must successfully complete all of the learning activities and assessment items within the study period of enrolment (PPL Assessment - Procedures Section: Assessment integrity).
If the same assessment item is set from one year to the next, repeating students are allowed to submit the same work they submitted in previous attempts at the course. Where possible SCMB recommends that you use the feedback you received in your last attempt to improve parts of the item where you lost marks. Resubmission of an altered or unaltered assessment item by a repeating student (where the same assessment has been set) will not be considered as self-plagiarism.
Important Note
Turnitin is to be used for assignments/laboratory reports to check for plagiarism. Penalties can be severe for plagiarism.
The University has adopted the following definition of plagiarism: Plagiarism is the act of misrepresenting as one's own original work the ideas, interpretations, words or creative works of another either intentionally or unintentionally. These include published and unpublished documents, designs, music, sounds, images, photographs, computer codes and ideas gained through working in a group. These ideas, interpretations, words or works may be found in print and/or electronic media.
Students are encouraged to read the UQ Academic Integrity and Plagiarism policy.
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
If we've listed something under further requirement, you'll need to provide your own.
Required
Item | Description | Further Requirement |
---|---|---|
Commercial molecular modelling kit | Commercial molecular modelling kits are available for purchase on campus. | own item needed |
Additional learning resources information
The texts listed in the Library resources section are alternative texts which may be helpful with various sections of the course.ᅠ A student should not buy all those listed.ᅠ Which sections of the course relate to which specific books will be made clear in lectures.ᅠ The molecular model kit is available from the School Locker shop on campus, but any molecular modelling kit will be helpful to students both as a study aid and in Workshop activities.
Blackboard
Additional supplementary material may be posted on the Blackboard site for BIOC2052 at learn.uq.edu.au
Please check the Announcements section of the Blackboard site regularly for information updates.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
---|---|---|
Multiple weeks From Week 1 To Week 5 |
Lecture |
Lectures - Prof Blanchfield and Dr Kartsonaki Principles of organic chemistry applied to biological molecules. The structure and reactivity of functional groups in biological molecules will be reviewed. Revision of basic stereochemistry of organic molecules (R/S configurations) as well as new material on stereochemistry of larger organic molecules with multiple chiral centers and the importance of chirality in biological systems. Biology and chemistry of carbohydrates from simple monosaccharides to polysaccharides (Dr Kartsonaki). Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04, L05 |
Multiple weeks From Week 1 To Week 13 |
Workshop |
Workshops Chemistry Problem Solving Week 1 Communicating Science - Assignment Preparation Week 2 Cyclic Structures and models Week 3 (Public holiday Week 4) Carbohydrates Week 5 In-semester exam revision Week 6 (In-semester exam Week 7) Enzymes in Drug Discovery (I) Week 8 Enzymes in Drug Discovery (II) Week 9 Enzymes in Drug Discovery (III) Week 10 Introduction to bio-inorganic structures Week 11 Applying spectroscopy to bioinorganic structures Week 12 End of semester exam revision session Week 13 Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07, L08 |
Multiple weeks From Week 6 To Week 9 |
Lecture |
Lectures-Profs O'Mara & Robertson-Enzyme chemistry The importance of enzymes in biological chemistry will be discussed as well as details of the mechanisms of some important enzymes and the methods of how inhibitors for these enzymes have been developed. Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04, L05, L07 |
Multiple weeks From Week 10 To Week 13 |
Lecture |
Lectures Dr Sharpe Survey of bioinorganic chemistry. Why metals? Controlling the properties of metal centres. Medicinal inorganic chemistry. Iron acquisition. Representative bioinorganic enzyme mechanisms. Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07, L08 |
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.