University of Technology Sydney

60124 Infection and Immunity Research

Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.

Subject handbook information prior to 2024 is available in the Archives.

UTS: Science
Credit points: 12 cp
Result type: Grade and marks

Requisite(s): 60207 Research Methods AND 91132 Molecular Biology 1
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses.
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.

Description

This subject is designed to provide knowledge and insight into the methods and approaches used to study pathogens and the infectious diseases that they cause, as well as recent advances in the field of infection and immunity research. The subject highlights important major global infectious diseases, pathogenesis of microbial diseases and challenges of modern medicine, such as antimicrobial resistance and the use of modern whole genome sequencing technologies. Through a series of laboratories, workshops and online activities, the subject also provides a hands-on experience of frequently used microbiological techniques, as well as fundamental bioinformatics approaches to handle, visualise and analyse biological sequence data.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

Upon successful completion of this subject students should be able to:

1. Perform fundamental molecular microbiology calculations and understand the concept of standard curve
2. Perform phenotypic microbiology methods and molecular identification techniques.
3. Distinguish between microbial typing methods and the types of data that each method generates, interpret their results and their applications in real world scenarios.
4. Analyse sequence data (including DNA and protein sequence data) to answer a research question.
5. Work as a productive team member to perform a set of experiments and interpret results in a group setting.
6. Develop knowledge of Next-Generation Sequencing technology and learn bioinformatic skills for basic analysis of sequence data.
7. Locate, retrieve and evaluate information from scientific databases in order to design a study and communicate their design through formal presentation

Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)

This subject also contributes specifically to the development of following course intended learning outcomes:

  • Apply: Articulate the fundamental principles of how microorganisms cause infection, and how the host prevents and responds to infection. (.1)
  • Apply: Communicate effectively across a range of technologies and forms — writing, reading, speaking, listening, including visual and graphical, matching the mode of communication to the audience. (.1)
  • Apply: Demonstrate data collection, computing and laboratory skills, data handling, quantitative and graphical literacy skills relevant to the professions typically involved with infection and immunity. (.1)
  • Apply: Demonstrate technological and scientific skills to investigate infection and immunity issues and use initiative to adapt to novel situations. (.1)
  • Analyse: Actively illustrate how community and societal views can be shaped on complex issues surrounding microbiology or disease. (.2)
  • Analyse: Assess how microbe and host processes can be targeted in clinical applications for diagnosis, treatment, and protection against infection. (.2)
  • Analyse: Evaluate evolving concepts in infection and immunity, seeking current sources of knowledge and technology to enhance the application of scientific practice and skills in relevant professional contexts. (.2)
  • Analyse: Examine mathematical and statistical approaches to problem solving and decision-making in the context of infection and immunity in the broader community. (.2)
  • Analyse: Interpret and critically evaluate scientific evidence relevant to the fields of infection and immunity. (.2)
  • Synthesise: Develop professional interpersonal communication skills with co-workers and the general public. (.3)
  • Synthesise: Integrate principles of infection and immunity research to solve microbiological problems. (.3)

Contribution to the development of graduate attributes

The Faculty of Science has six graduate attributes that you will develop during your course at UTS. This subject is intended to develop 5 of those attributes:

1 - Disciplinary knowledge

  1. Microbiological and immunological concepts and techniques will be taught through interactive seminars. This knowledge and its applications are then investigated in hands-on laboratory classes and workshops which will develop and build your technical and practical skills. These skills will be assessed by Assessment task 1, which includes short activities covering the practical labs and workshops materials as well as written laboratory reports on your findings of one of the practical classes (Assessment task 2), which will examine your understanding of the practicals, the principles behind them and their application.

2 - Research, Inquiry and Critical Thinking

  1. Scientific curiosity is developed through laboratory extension questions and online activities designed to provoke enquiry and conceptual thinking. You are encouraged to discuss these questions with each other and with your teaching associates in practical classes. Different components of Assessment task 1 will assess this.
  2. In the practical classes, you will follow a line of scientific inquiry through the identification and characterisation of a set of bacterial strains to answer a series of questions, e.g. treatment, virulence, clonal type etc. This will be assessed by the results you will generate during the practical classes and workshops as well as by interpretation and communication of your results. You will be required to critically analyse and evaluate your data and write up 1 scientific reports. These skills will be assessed through assessment task 2.

3 - Professional, Ethical and Social Responsibility

  1. This subject will allow you to develop numerous professional skills in microbiology required for a career in science. These skills are learned via laboratory exercises and bioinformatics workshops, which will then be assessed through the reports you write on the data generated during the practical classes and workshops.

4 – Reflection, Innovation and Creativity

  1. The ability to make effective judgments about your work will be developed via a benchmarking exercise, where you will write a 500-800 word feedback report on the quality of another group's final talk using the rubric that will be provided to you through UTSOnline. The quality of this assessment will be an indication of your ability to find strengths and weaknesses of a project and will help assess and improve your work in the future through a self-assessment process. This skill will be assessed by Part 2 of the Assessment Task 3.

5 - Communication

You will be presented with numerous opportunities to enhance your scientific communication skills including formal presentation and writing throughout this subject.

  1. Excellence in written scientific communication is developed through the process of writing 1 scientific report, which will be assessed by assessment task 2. These reports are to be submitted to UTSOnline where you will receive detailed feedback from your instructors.
  2. Your verbal communication skills will also be assessed via your ability to present written scientific information cohesively and coherently through assessment tasks 3, part 1. This task will also provide an opportunity to illustrate your ability to communicate effectively to a specific audience utilising oral communication and visual stimulus.

Teaching and learning strategies

This subject will be delivered using a combination of lectures, practical classes and online independent learning activities.

Lectures: There will be a one-hour interactive lecture where you will be encouraged to be engaged in the class by asking questions and participating in discussions. Attending lectures is crucial to a full understanding of the subject content. A set of interactive online tools will be used to encourage discussion, ask your opinion, raise questions and to engage everyone in the class activities.

Practical classes: There will be two 3-hour practical sessions each week (see timetable for the details of labs/computer rooms and hours. These practical sessions differ week by week as there will be a combination of laboratory and workshops in week 6 or just workshops during weeks 9, 10 and 12). In this subject, the practical classes extend and deepen your learning from the lectures through hands-on skills with many different techniques where you will have opportunities to work collaboratively with your peers. Practical classes are an essential part of this subject that will help you learn important basic laboratory skills; thus, you are expected to attend all sessions. Throughout the semester, you will be required to motivate yourself to come prepared to classes by pre-reading the practical manual and completing online learning modules (available for some of the practicals).

  • In week 1, you will be assigned to a group (typically 3-4 students) where you will be working as a group to perform experiments, obtain your results and discuss your findings in a collaborative environment.
  • Through practical classes, you will learn how to perform basic molecular biology calculations, perform phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility tests, identify, characterise, type and track bacterial strains, e.g. in outbreaks, examine the expression level of a given gene etc., using a range of basic microbiological techniques.
  • Written laboratory reports on your findings of 3 practical classes and one workshop will demonstrate your understanding of practicals and bioinformatics analysis. Clear and logical writing that follows standard practice in scientific communication will be assessed via report marking criteria that will be provided through UTSOnline. The reports will be submitted through UTSOnline, and you will receive individual feedback from your instructors.

Workshops: In addition to laboratory skills, a series of 6 bioinformatics workshops are also included in this program. Unlike practical classes, you will be performing many of the bioinformatics techniques individually. However, there will also be a lot of opportunities to discuss your results with your peers and engage in class activities. In these workshops, a range of bioinformatics skills will be taught, and you will learn how to handle and analyse biological data, e.g. DNA and protein sequence data.

Online activities: To assist your learning and understanding of topics, you will complete four online activities (assessment task 1). These assessment tasks include short activities, e.g. calculations, performing bioinformatics analysis or multiple-choice questions (MCQs) covering the practical classes and workshops materials. These activities will help support learning and further your understanding of key concepts and will give you opportunities to practice what you have learned during the practical classes and workshops. These activities will be available through UTSOnline where you will also post your results and receive individual feedback on your performances from your instructors.

Seminar series: You are encouraged to attend the monthly ithree institute seminar series “Current Research in i3 Seminar Program (CRI3SP)" where i3 researchers as well as scientists from other universities will present their cutting-edge research findings. Details of the seminar series will be posted through UTSOnline announcements.

Group assessment

  • In week 1, your group (3-4 students) will be given a scenario, e.g. investigating the source of an outbreak of resistant bacteria, finding the source of a series of food poisonings due to contaminated food etc. You, along with your groupmates, will have the entire semester to work on the topic and design a study to be presented as your final talk. During the semester, you will have opportunities to meet with your instructors and receive feedback and guidance to ensure your ideas are well developed and can lead to a well-designed study. In this task, you will practice and learn how to collect information, develop a story and present a scientific presentation using the knowledge and skills that you will learn during the semester. There will also be a dedicated lecture that aims to teach you the principles of how to design a hypothesis-driven study using a scientific approach. Assessment task 3 is an important group assessment task, which will provide an opportunity to, initiative and innovatively, combine and utilise a range of methods learned during the semester in order to propose a study with a scientific approach to investigating a real-world problem.

Content (topics)

This subject includes the following topics, which are taught under several modules:

- Basic Molecular Microbiology and Research Design

- Biofilm and infection

- Antimicrobial Resistance and (basic approaches in phenotypic and molecular characterisation)

- Handling and analysis of Biological data

- "Diagnostic tools and gene expression assays"

- Vaccines and I Immunoassays (Blotting assays)

- Assemblying and annotating whole genomes

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Online activities

Intent:

This assessment contributes to the development of the following attributes:

1. Disciplinary knowledge

2. Research, Inquiry and Critical Thinking

Objective(s):

This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s):

1, 3, 4 and 6

This assessment task contributes to the development of course intended learning outcome(s):

1.1, 1.2, 1.3 and 2.2

Type: Exercises
Groupwork: Individual
Weight: 45%
Length:

300-500 words

Criteria:

Students will be assessed based on the correctness of their response to questions.

Assessment task 2: Written report

Intent:

This assessment contributes to the development of the following attributes:

1. Disciplinary knowledge

2. Research inquiry and critical thinking

5. Communication

Objective(s):

This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s):

2, 3, 5 and 6

This assessment task contributes to the development of course intended learning outcome(s):

1.1, 1.2, 2.2 and 5.2

Type: Report
Groupwork: Individual
Weight: 20%
Length:

1000-1500 words

Criteria:

Reports will be assessed based on the following criteria: 30% accuracy, 30% format, 20% appropriate result interpretation, and 20% for appropriate use of graphs pictures etc

Assessment task 3: Group Project

Intent:

This assessment contributes to the development of the following attributes:

3. Professional, Ethical and Social responsibility

4. Reflection, Innovation and Creativity

5. Communication

Objective(s):

This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s):

3, 4, 5, 6 and 7

This assessment task contributes to the development of course intended learning outcome(s):

3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3

Type: Presentation
Groupwork: Group, group and individually assessed
Weight: 35%
Length:

Task 3a: 15 minutes (12 min talk and 3 min questions)

Task 3b: 500 words

Criteria:

Part 1: Group project (Group assessment; weight 30%), which will be assessed on your ability to understand and develop a study based on the following criteria: 20% presentation, 40% content & literature review, 30% design and use of appropriate methods and 10% use of graphs, pictures etc.

Part 2: Peer review (Individual assessment; weight 5%), which will be assessed using the following criteria: 30% writing style (accurate and easy to follow), 40% critical review, 20% justifications and comments and 10% suggestions to improve.

Minimum requirements

You must obtain an overall mark of 50 or greater to pass the subject.

NOTE: Any assessment task worth 40% or more requires the student to gain at least 40% of the mark for that task. If 40% is not reached, an X grade fail may be awarded for the subject, irrespective of an overall mark greater than 50.

You are expected to attend all lectures during the session.

You are expected to attend each of the practical classes during the session. There is NO opportunity to catch up if a practical class is missed.

You are expected to attend all workshops during the session so that you are able to experience the expertise of lecturers, and the collaborative environment within the workshops.

Attendance at least 80% of the lab practical and workshop sessions is compulsory.