Cynlluniau Astudio

N/A

November 2016

The main educational aims of this programme are to:

• Provide students with a detailed understanding of the principles and processes that underpin industrial biotechnology, including the social and environmental contexts;

• Develop students' intellectual, practical, numeracy, communication, information and communication technology (ICT), interpersonal / teamwork, self-management and professional development skills, in pasture-based food production context;

• Inculcate the values of scholarship: inquiry, reflection, integrity, open-mindedness, evidence-based thinking, collegiality

• Equip students who already have work experience in the bio-based industries to implement the latest research into their work, and to facilitate cutting edge careers for those who want to enter the industry.

The training will be delivered through a rolling programme of 20 credit distance learning (DL) modules. The focus of the five core optional modules will be as follows:

• Biorenewable Feedstocks (BDM7620) - This module, driven by on-going research at AU, will focus on research into a range of feedstocks including dedicated crops, agricultural waste and food waste streams. We will explore how and why research programmes on dedicated crops can improve feedstocks and how this drives the bio-economy. The course will consist of a series of lectures detailing the objectives and methodologies involved in crop breeding and matching feedstock composition to end use. Students will gain understanding and appreciation of the technologies used to identify variation in feedstocks and to improve yield and composition including: trait analysis, imaging and spectral analysis, conventional breeding, GM and association genetics. The scale of the challenge facing land-based crop production in the 21st century and the role of emerging technologies to meet these needs sustainably will be highlighted throughout.

• Biorefining Technologies (BDM7720)(formerly entitled Conversion, Transformation and Separation Technologies) –drawing on research from AU and BU this module will look in detail at current and emerging biorefining technologies along the pipeline from harvest to product including: pre-processing, conversion and final product isolation. It will examine layered approaches to valorisation of multiple products from an integrated biorefining process. Learning units will focus on: The biorefining concept, matching feedstock composition to process, pre-treatments and up-stream technologies, fermentation including AD, chemical and thermal conversions, microbial and enzyme discovery and development including synthetic approaches and metabolic engineering. Units will also cover separation and fractionation technologies in relation to natural product discovery and product isolation as well as ‘design of experiment’ a powerful computer based technique used by industry to reduce the number of experiments required to understand a given process. The theory and application of life cycle and economic analysis tools to overall industrial processes will be highlighted.

• Biobased Product Development (BDM7820) – Drawing on ongoing research driven by the Biocomposite centre, this module focuses on end products from: fuels, platform chemicals to fine chemicals (food ingredients, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals), resins, coatings and plastics, biocomposities (packaging) and forest products - students will specialise in their own areas of interest. The main product manufacturing processes will be discussed as well the relevant product performance tests. The module will also pay attention to the innovation chain including commercial elements such as assessment of need, commercial viability targets and competitive landscaping to enable students to gain a realistic grasp of the viability of a product. We will also consider the regulatory position of all new molecules and look at lifecycle analysis in terms of assessing positive environmental impacts of the new products.

• Drivers of the Bio-economy (to be validated). This module examines the societal drivers that shape the bio-economy and looks at what makes production viable. The need for energy efficient will be highlighted, along with vertically integrated production pipelines. There will be a focus on global policies and economic trends and we will look at the implications, restrictions and opportunities they present to biobased industries, and we will consider the approaches used to underpin and evaluate them, such as LCA and the application of green chemistry to conversion processes.

• Waste Stream Valorisation (to be validated) This module explores the potential to valorise a range of waste streams and will include case studies of exemplary waste streams as well as from students’ own chosen areas of interest. The methods, technologies and equipment used to separate and fractionate waste, both downstream and upstream, will be discussed, as will the biotechnologically important metabolites that we can expect to be in demand in the future.

The two core modules for the MSc award are

• Research Methodologies and Advances in Bioscience (BDM5520) The learning outcomes for the research methodologies module are as follow:

- Apply statistical knowledge in the context of postgraduate research.

- Identify appropriate methods for different types of data.

- Analyse and interpret the results from a range of different statistical analyses.

- Generate appropriate research hypotheses and research objectives.

- Assimilation and synthesis of information from published research and databases.

- Clearly describe and communicate research findings.

• Dissertation (BDM 3560) The dissertation builds on the skills and the research proposal developed in the ‘Research Methods’ module. Structured academic support will be provided as to carry out applied research at work. Milestones within both types of dissertation will be:

- Further development of the research proposal

- Deeper development of the literature review

- Carrying out the research competently and efficiently

- Evaluating the results using an appropriate statistical analysis

- Presenting and discussing the findings

- Producing a learned report of the investigation in the form of a dissertation in accordance with University Guidelines

- In working on the dissertation the student will develop the advanced skills and discipline required to write a scholarly paper or report on a specified subject. The dissertation will provide the opportunity for the student to specialize in a particular aspect of the discipline.

The focus of all of the four optional complementary modules is to increase understanding of the challenges facing the sector and awareness of current relevant research. To ensure academic coherence throughout the optional taught modules all work towards common learning outcomes, as follows:

• The challenges facing land based agriculture to substitute for fossil carbon

• Communicating scientific issues to both the scientific community and other stakeholders including policy makers and the public

• An awareness of the social and societal issues associated with the application (and non-application) of different biotechnology options

• Limiting impacts and integrating policy frameworks into development strategies

• The nature of scientific investigation and the application of results into practice to foster greater sustainability and efficiency within industrial biotechnology

The four optional complementary modules are designed to allow students to develop skills and knowledge in technical areas applicable to their work and research needs. The optional taught modules are drawn from the MSc in Sustainable and Efficient Food Production and from the MSc in Food Security in a Changing Environment (Bangor). These are:

• Genetics and Genomics in Agriculture (BDM5820)

• Anaerobic Digestion (ATP Bangor)

• Climate Change (ATP Bangor)

• Carbon Footprinting and Life Cycle Assessment (ATP Bangor)

Teaching and Learning:

The learning, teaching and assessment regimes encourage progressive acquisition of subject specific knowledge and skills by moving from supported study methods towards the development of the autonomous and reflective learner within each module.

Each is made up of 10 units focussing on separate themes and building the students’ knowledge. Each unit comprises:

• An introduction to its theme

• A guided (and optional extra) reading list

• Unit Study Guide - an interactive pdf on Blackboard that takes students through all the resources for the unit and linking to extra resources on the web

• 2-3 Audio or video lectures

• Relevant peer reviewed papers

• Formative questions and model answers

• An assessed forum

The first unit of each module is ‘Unit 0’. All students are obliged to work through this unit and fulfil its requirements before moving on. This unit introduces students to the key techniques and features which they will be required to use to study the module, e.g. literature searches and reviews, referencing and report writing. It also provides an introduction to studying via Blackboard and a check to ensure that all is working correctly at the student’s place of study.

IBERS distance learning team are currently reviewing moving this information to a stand-alone ‘study skills’ module.

Assessment:

There is no exam for the scheme and we have broken the coursework within each module down into fairly short assignments (2 per module plus assessed forum posts throughout each), so that they remain compatible with the students’ working life whilst developing their skills and knowledge. Each of the assignments is keyed to the learning outcomes in the module. Every two to three units, asappropriate, students are provided with:

• a summative assessment

• a forum on a current topic

The assessed outputs of the Research Methodologies module are: answers to statistical problems; an initial research proposal; and literature review.

Skills and knowledge acquired from the taught modules are ultimately applied and tested via the dissertation which applies the generic and core degree scheme skills acquired.

10.2.1 Intellectual skills

Students will develop independent learning and 'process' skills necessary to:

• Comment on the basic concepts of the subject.

• Critically analyse literature, and use the literature to expand interests in industrial biotechnology.

• Synthesise, manipulate and evaluate primary and secondary data from a variety of sources.

• Design and carry out individual research project and write research reports.

Teaching and Learning:

The students’ key skills, particularly those of communication, research, IT and problem solving, will be developed through formative as well as assessed coursework programmes which will be accompanied by detailed feedback on performance. As such students will have 3 strands to their developmental learning i.e. structured contact, self-directed learning and key skills. An example of this is the research training, which offers strong progression from basic skills, to the Dissertation.

Assessment:

Each of the assignments is keyed to the learning outcomes in the module. Every two to three units, as appropriate, students are provided with:

• a summative assessment

• a forum on a current topic

Intellectual skills acquired from the taught modules are ultimately applied and tested via the dissertation which applies the generic and core degree scheme skills acquired.

10.2.2 Professional and practical skills

On the whole students participating on this course are expected to already be professionals in the agri-food sector. Professional skills developed will include:

• Tackling problems by collecting, analysing and evaluating and interpreting appropriate qualitative and quantitative information and using it creatively and effectively

• Planning and executing research or development work, evaluating the outcomes and draw valid conclusions

• Writing field based and management reports to meet the objectives of multitudinous stakeholders

• Engaging with current research and providing effective knowledge transfer

Teaching and Learning:

These will be developed through formative as well as assessed coursework programmes which will be accompanied by detailed feedback on performance. As such students will have 3 strands to their developmental learning i.e. structured contact, self-directed learning and key skills.

On completion of the MSc the student will be able to:

• Develop independent learning skills necessary for the foundation of lifelong learning

• Develop ‘process skills’ to become an effective post graduate scientist

• Communicate clearly, concisely and confidently in spoken and written format

Teaching and Learning:

These will be developed through formative as well as assessed coursework programmes which will be accompanied by detailed feedback on performance. As such students will have 3 strands to their developmental learning i.e. structured contact, self-directed learning and key skills.

Assessment:

Each of the assignments is keyed to the learning outcomes in the module. Every two to three units, as appropriate, students are provided with:

• a summative assessment

• a forum on a current top

Transferable skills acquired from the taught modules are ultimately applied and tested via the dissertation which applies the generic and core degree scheme skills acquired.