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SECOND YEAR COURSES
MCB2020F | BIOLOGICAL INFORMATION TRANSFER
Entrance is limited to 140 students. Registration for this course is provisional until confirmed by the department. Should the limit be exceeded students will be ranked on CEM1000W (or equivalent) marks. No semester abroad students will be admitted to this course.
24 NQF credits at NQF level 6
Convener:
Dr P Meyers
Course entry requirements:
CEM1000W or equivalent, BIO1000F and BIO1004S (or equivalent).
Course outline:
This course introduces students to fundamental concepts in genetics and examines how biological information is organised, used and transferred in viruses, prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Topics covered include the biological explanations for Mendel's laws of genetics, principles of evolutionary genetics, genome organisation, horizontal gene transfer and gene structure and regulation.
Lecture times:
Monday - Friday, 4th period
DP requirements:
50% average for assignments and practical reports; attendance at all practicals and tutorials.
Assessment:
Tests and assignments count 40%; practicals count 10%; one three-hour paper written in June counts 50%. A subminimum of 40% in the examination is required.
MCB2021F | MOLECULAR BIOSCIENCE
Entrance is limited to 140 students. Registration for this course is provisional until confirmed by the department. Should the limit be exceeded students will be ranked on CEM1000W (or equivalent) marks. No semester abroad students will be admitted to this course.
24 NQF credits at NQF level 6
Convener:
Dr R Hurdayal
Course entry requirements:
CEM1000W or equivalent, BIO1000F and BIO1004S (or equivalents)
Course outline:
This course will introduce students to the concepts of biological chemistry fundamental to understanding the distinctive properties of living matter and biological processes. The course covers core principles in three major areas, (i) the structural chemistry of key components of living matter and the relationship between chemical structure and biological function of these components, (ii) metabolism - the nature of chemical reactions that occur in living matter and (iii) the chemistry of molecules and processes involved in the transmission of biological information. In addition to these core principles, students will learn about scientific method, basic biochemistry/molecular biology techniques and experimental design.
Lecture times:
Monday - Friday, 5th period
DP requirements:
50% average for assignments and practical reports; attendance at all practicals and tutorials.
Assessment:
Tests and assignments count 40%; practicals count 10%; one three-hour paper written in June counts 50%. A subminimum of 40% in the examination is required.
MCB2022S | METABOLISM & BIOENGINEERING
Entrance is limited to 140 students.
24 NQF credits at NQF level 6
Convener:
Dr M Williams
Course entry requirements:
MCB2020F and MCB2021F
Course outline:
This course will introduce students to some key aspects of metabolic energy production in eukaryotic and prokaryotic systems. It aims to raise awareness of issues at the forefront of the discipline and give students the ability to dissect problems in order to identify solutions. Topics covered may include carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, metabolic integration, the metabolic diversity in Bacteria and Archaea, and bioengineering in bacteria and plants.
Lecture times:
Monday - Friday, 5th period
DP requirements:
50% average for assignments and practical reports; attendance at all practicals and tutorials.
Assessment:
Tests and assignments count 40%; practicals count 10%; one three-hour paper written in November counts 50%. A subminimum of 40% in the examination is required.
MCB2023S | FUNCTIONAL GENETICS
Entrance is limited to 140 students
24 NQF credits at NQF level 6
Convener:
Professor N Illing
Course entry requirements:
MCB2020F and MCB2021F
Course outline:
The course lays the foundation for the major in genetics, and shows how the tools of classical and molecular genetics can be applied to understanding the regulation of gene expression, cell differentiation and patterning in bacteria and eukaryotes. Concepts covered include gene mapping, forward and reverse genetics; microbial genetics, including regulation of the lac operon; CRISPR/ Cas9 gene editing and DNA repair; alternative splicing and sex-determination; epigenetic mechanisms used in dosage compensation; the genetic analysis of cell cycle regulation; stem cell technology and axis determination in Drosophila.
Lecture times:
Monday - Friday, 4th period
DP requirements:
50% average for assignments and practical reports; attendance at all practicals and tutorials.
Assessment:
Tests and assignments count 40%; practicals count 10%; one three-hour paper written in November counts
THIRD-YEAR COURSES
NOTE: All MCB majors must complete MCB3012Z (Research project in Molecular and Cell Biology) during the second semester. This course replaces practical classes for both third year second semester MCB courses.
MCB3012Z | RESEARCH PROJECT IN MOLECULAR & CELL BIOLOGY
0 NQF credits at NQF level 7
Convener: Associate Professor R Ingle
Course entry requirements: MCB3025F or MCB3026F (or concurrent registration in MCB3023S or MCB3024S).
Course outline:
Groups of students will select and perform a research project two afternoons per week by arrangement. The work will be written up in the form of a research paper. This course replaces practical classes for all the third year second semester MCB courses.
DP requirements: None
Assessment: Project counts 100%
MCB3023S | MOLECULAR EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS & DEVELOPMENT
36 NQF credits at NQF level 7
Convener:
Dr S F Dube
Course entry requirements:
MCB2020F, MCB2021F and MCB2022S or MCB2023S
Course outline:
This course provides advanced level studies in the area of molecular evolutionary genetics and development. Focus is placed on understanding key experiments in these fields and on interpreting data. Topics covered include: The origins and molecular genetics of viruses, principles of mouse molecular genetics applied to limb and neural development; evo-devo or how genetic change leads to morphological diversity; interactions between genetics, the environment and development.
Lecture times:
Monday - Friday, 4th period
DP requirements:
None
Assessment:
Tests count 40%; one 3-hour examination written in November counts 60%. A subminimum of 40% in the examination is required.
MCB3024S | DEFENCE & DISEASE
36 NQF credits at NQF level 7
Convener:
Professor J Hapgood
Course entry requirements:
MCB2020F, MCB2021F and MCB2022S or MCB2023S
Course outline:
This course will initially examine the innate immune systems of plants. The focus will switch to the adaptive immune system, with emphasis on three major disease challenges in South Africa; namely, HIV, TB and malaria. Host-pathogen interactions will also be discussed, with a focus on viruses and how they infect mammals. Finally, the course will examine strategies to produce vaccines that enable immunity to viral infection.
Lecture times:
Monday - Friday, 5th period
DP requirements:
None
Assessment:
Tests count 40%; one 3-hour examination written in November counts 60%. A subminimum of 40% in the examination is required.
MCB3025F | STRUCTURAL & CHEMICAL BIOLOGY
36 NQF credits at NQF level 7
Convener:
Dr R Hurdayal
Course entry requirements:
MCB2020F, MCB2021F and MCB2022S or MCB2023S
Course outline:
This course addresses how modern techniques of structural and chemical biology are being used to solve biological problems. It draws on multiple aspects of macromolecular biochemistry including nucleic acid structure and interactions, signalling proteins and membrane proteins, and demonstrates how this knowledge can be used in drug discovery and protein design in biotechnology. Topics include: mechanisms of reversible and irreversible enzyme inhibitors, ligand binding, protein folding, molecular basis for protein function, regulation of protein activity, cell signalling and proteomics.
Lecture times:
Monday - Friday, 5th period
DP requirements:
50% average for assignments and practical reports; attendance at all practicals and tutorials.
Assessment:
Tests count 40%; practicals, tutorials essays and assignments count 10%; one 3-hour examination written in June counts 50%. A subminimum of 40% in the examination is required.
MCB3026F | MOLECULAR GENETICS AND GENOMICS
36 NQF credits at NQF level 7
Convener:
Associate Professor C O’Ryan
Course entry requirements:
MCB2020F, MCB2021F and MCB2022S or MCB2023S
Course outline:
This course explores various topics in molecular genetics covering humans, plants, bacteria, viruses and mobile genetic elements (MGEs). Focus is given to understanding genetic mechanisms by studying genes, proteins, antisense RNA, sRNA and the role they play in regulatory and biochemical processes. Topics include plasmid biology, regulation of viral lifecycles, bacterial biosynthetic pathways, human genetic disorders, transgenic plants and metagenomics among others. Different and cutting-edge tools in modern day molecular biology are taught with an emphasis on data analyses and interpretation and these include bioinformatics (DNA sequence analysis, assembly, annotation, databases, BLAST, primer design), phylogenetics, Next generation sequencing, RNA sequencing and genome projects.
Lecture times:
Monday - Friday, 4th period
DP requirements:
50% average for assignments and practical reports; attendance at all practicals and tutorials.
Assessment:
Tests count 40%; practicals, tutorials, essays and assignments count 10%; one 3-hour examination written in June counts 50%. A subminimum of 40% in the examination is required.