Information regarding our 2022/23 admissions cycle
Our updated course listings for the 2022/23 postgraduate admissions cycle will be published at the beginning of October. Applications for 2022 entry will be available shortly after this. Check our how to apply pages for updates.
MSc Medical Microbiology
Year of entry: 2021
- View tabs
- View full page
Coronavirus information for applicants and offer-holders
We understand that prospective students and offer-holders may have concerns about the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. The University is following the advice from Universities UK, Public Health England and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Course unit details:
Molecular Diagnostics
| Unit code | MEDN68631 |
|---|---|
| Credit rating | 15 |
| Unit level | FHEQ level 7 – master's degree or fourth year of an integrated master's degree |
| Teaching period(s) | Semester 2 |
| Offered by | Division of Medical Education |
| Available as a free choice unit? | No |
Overview
The Molecular Diagnostics Unit is designed to introduce students to the range of molecular technologies available for laboratory diagnosis and management of infections. The unit will be delivered as a continuous three-week block.
Subjects covered will include:
- Amplification-based techniques; design, practice and application
- Traditional and developing sequencing technology
- Molecular typing
- Bioinformatics
- Molecular approaches to diagnosis and management of infection
Aims
- To enable understanding of the principles of a range of molecular techniques as applied to medical microbiology and learn to apply this methodology for diagnostic and research purposes.
- To introduce students to some of the recent advances in molecular diagnostics including real-time PCR and nucelic acid sequence based approaches.
- To enable the student to have an understanding of the impact of molecular techniques in the clinical diagnostic laboratory, the range of techniques available, how they are effectively implemented and how they are applied to inform on clinical management.
- To help students to become more familiar with some of the core techniques used in bioinformatics analyses including data retrieval from web resources, sequence alignment, phylogenetic analyses and other DNA and protein sequence analyses.
Teaching and learning methods
Assessment methods
| Method | Weight |
|---|---|
| Other | 40% |
| Written assignment (inc essay) | 60% |
In-unit assessment
Feedback methods
- Feedback on assignments is given in accordance with University guidelines within 15 working days of submission
- Informal feedback is given on a one-one basis in practical session
- There are opportunities to repeat and practice experimental techniques in areas where the student (or tutor) considers there is weakness
- Opportunity to submit practice essays for feedback prior to written examinations
- Verbal feedback in seminar/tutorial sessions
Study hours
| Independent study hours | |
|---|---|
| Independent study | 150 |
Teaching staff
| Staff member | Role |
|---|---|
| Moustafa Alissa Alkhalaf | Unit coordinator |