MSc Infection Biology / Course details

Advanced technologies workshops will take place throughout the academic year, providing practical training in advanced research methods. Students will be taught the theoretical basis of advanced technologies delivered in situ in the University’s research facilities and by highly skilled researchers or facility managers. Opportunities to gain hands-on experience via practical demonstrations and real-time experimentation will be included wherever possible. Exemplar raw datasets and real data analysis exercises will be made available during workshops and on Blackboard to support your learning, when possible.

Understand and apply the theory and practice of research methods and scientific techniques basic to the discipline

Understand the practical issues and problems associated with conducting high quality research, including ethical issues

Work individually and collaboratively to identify appropriate methodology during experimental planning, interpret and present scientific data, interrogate relevant scientific literature and develop research plans

Recognise potential methodological failings and strategize accordingly

Understand state-of-the-art scientific methodology together with the philosophical contexts within which research is conducted in science and medicine 

Understand and be able to critically appreciate methodology, including the appropriate selection of quantitative or qualitative methods

Recognise the importance of rigour in collecting, analysing and interpreting data

Exhibit creativity in learning, scientific endeavour and research skills

Demonstrate practical dexterity in the commonly employed and more advanced practical techniques of molecular and cellular microbiology and immunology

Demonstrate competence in practical laboratory skills to enable sound and reproducible collection of data

Design research projects using appropriate methodologies to address specific research questions

Recognise the importance of justifying expenditure (cost and time) during experimental planning 

Effectively manage time resources and set priorities

Demonstrate a capacity for self-directed, independent learning and adopt the principles of critical reflection and evaluation

Understand and comply with the requirements of research governance

Recognise the views of others and work constructively with them in a multidisciplinary context

Applied Technology Mini Review (50%)

Data Processing, Analysis and Summary exercise (30%)

Online quizzes after each workshop via Blackboard (20%)

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Jeffrey D Martell, Thomas J Deerinck, Stephanie S Lam, Mark H Ellisman, Alice Y Ting (2017) Electron microscopy using the genetically encoded APEX2 tag in cultured mammalian cells Nature Protocols 12, 1792–1816. doi:10.1038/nprot.2017.065

Cheung RK, Utz PJ. SCREENING: CyTOF—the next generation of cell detection. Nature Reviews Rheumatology. 2011;7(9):502-503. doi:10.1038/nrrheum.2011.110.

Mora J, Chunyk AG, Dysinger M, et al. Next Generation Ligand Binding Assays—Review of Emerging Technologies’ Capabilities to Enhance Throughput and Multiplexing. The AAPS Journal. 2014;16(6):1175-1184. doi:10.1208/s12248-014-9660-1.

Atkuri KR, Stevens JC, Neubert H. (2014) Mass cytometry: a highly multiplexed single-cell technology for advancing drug development. Drug Metab Dispos. 43(2):227-33. doi: 10.1124/dmd.114.060798.

Kay AW, Strauss-Albee DM, Blish CA. Application of Mass Cytometry (CyTOF) for Functional and Phenotypic Analysis of Natural Killer Cells. Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, NJ). 2016;1441:13-26. doi:10.1007/978-1-4939-3684-7_2.

Sandra Nell, Sebastian Suerbaum, Christine Josenhans (2010) The impact of the microbiota on the pathogenesis of IBD: lessons from mouse infection models Nature Reviews Microbiology 8, 564–577. doi:10.1038/nrmicro2403

Rory M Power & Jan Huisken (2017) A guide to light-sheet fluorescence microscopy for multiscale imaging Nature Methods 14, 360–373. doi:10.1038/nmeth.4224

Charles Gawad, Winston Koh & Stephen R. Quake (2016) Single-cell genome sequencing: current state of the science Nature Reviews Genetics 17, 175–188. doi:10.1038/nrg.2015.16

40 hours face-to-face teaching in ‘Technologies’ workshops, 40 hours online learning via exemplar datasets and questionnaires, 20 hours assignment preparation, 50 hours independent study.