BVB328 Applications in Biotechnology

Unit Outline: Semester 1 2025, Gardens Point, Internal

Overview

Biotechnology underpins the manufacture of a wide variety of products on which society depends. Such products include pharmaceuticals, chemicals, fuels, and foods. With the major advances in biotechnology and the ability to engineer biological systems in recent decades, biotechnology offers the generation of better products at lower cost with reduced environmental impacts. As such, both established companies and start-ups are making a major impact on the global stage to deliver products that we use every day. You will learn about a variety of biotechnology applications from both a technical and a business perspective. Your learning will be contextualised with local and international biotechnology company case studies and you will perform an entire biotechnology process during practical classes. At the end of the unit you will have a deep understanding of the biotechnology industry and the technologies that underpin it as well as an awareness of the opportunities it offers.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

1. Explain the technical basis of biotechnological processes that make a range of important products for society
2. Perform and communicate experiments that explore the theoretical basis and development of biotechnological processes.
3. Present, pitch and justify a business idea in terms of its biotechnology content, and its business and social impacts.

Content

Learning Approaches

Workshops (concept and industry focus):

Online videos and readings will be provided prior to interactive workshops that will explore the theory and concepts required for the laboratory practicals and to develop an understanding of the basis of different biotechnology applications. Authentic company case studies will be used to exemplify and contextualise the technical, theoretical, business, and entrepreneurial aspects of the biotechnology applications.

Laboratory practicals:

In the laboratory practicals you will get hands on experience of the various steps in a biotechnological process. The practical classes will include techniques and the development and validation of analytical methods required to monitor processes. The practical classes will also take you through the development and testing of a biotechnological process from its design, feedstock/substrate selection and generation, and choice of production organism. You will learn practical biotechnology techniques as well as the underlying theory and you will demonstrate your knowledge through the write-up and reporting of the practical work.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

Practical reports will be submitted progressively throughout the semester and feedback will be provided to allow you to learn and develop your reports. You will also receive feedback on your Funding Pitch after completion. Additional consultation is available on request from the Unit Coordinator as well as during workshops and tutorials. 

Assessment

Overview

You will be expected to undertake several assessment items related to the learning outcomes of this unit. The assessments are designed to develop and test both your technical and industry orientated knowledge of biotechnology applications.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Funding Pitch

In pairs, you will prepare a three minute video pitching the concept for a new biotech company to investors. The new company may be based on an existing company or based on your new ideas.  The video pitch will include technical, product and business/market aspects. The videos will be played during a workshop session to an investor panel and your peers who will then ask you questions on your ideas. Clear guidelines will be given to assist you in preparing your pitch, including during one of the workshop sessions at the beginning of the unit. 

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Assessment: Laboratory Reports

You will perform a multi-step practical that models the development and performance of a real biotechnology process. Initially you will learn laboratory techniques, process design and analytical methods. You will then perform a process for the manufacture of microbial oils including substrate/feedstock generation, microbial strain selection, cell culture, fermentation production, oil extraction and product analysis. You will write up each step to include theoretical aspects discussed in the workshops, your practical results, and a discussion that may include specific questions on the practical work.  

Assessment: Business plan and detailed case study

This assessment will build on the Funding Pitch assessment. Based on what you have learnt in the workshops including the industry case studies and practicals, you will prepare a business model canvas of your biotech company idea and then provide a detailed case study of a related existing company as a form of competitor analysis. This case study will include detailed technology and business sections. The technology section will cover such aspects as the production organism and their generation/engineering; fermentation/production processes including feedstocks, process development and process design; safety/regulatory considerations; and product characteristics, specifications and uses. The business section will include aspects such as intellectual property; funding strategy; technology commercialisation status; partnerships; customers; and the market. Based on the information you provide in the case study you will conclude with an assessment of the future prospects for the company and the strength of the competition for your business idea.

The workshops in the unit will provide a variety of company case studies as examples of the types of information to consider and include in your case study. Information will be sourced from publicly available sources such as research papers, patents, magazine articles, company stock market filings and web sources.

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.

The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Resources

Risk Assessment Statement

This unit includes a laboratory component. In order that you become proficient in necessary practical skills, you will be trained in the handling of equipment, materials and biological organisms normally associated with the biotechnology discipline. You will be provided with laboratory protocols and you will be required to adhere to the safety procedures detailed in it. You will undertake compulsory formal pre-laboratory assessment in Health and Safety matters relevant to the laboratory and QUT buildings in general. Having been provided with the relevant training and information, it is your responsibility to comply with all instructions for the safety of yourself, your fellow students, and staff.  If you have an underlying health condition you are encouraged to consult the unit coordinator, as you may be required to take additional precautions on occasions.

Standards/Competencies

This unit is designed to support your development of the following standards\competencies.

Engineers Australia Stage 1 Competency Standard for Professional Engineer

1: Knowledge and Skill Base

1. 
   Relates to: Funding Pitch, Laboratory Reports, Business plan and detailed case study
2. 
   Relates to: Laboratory Reports
3. 
   Relates to: Funding Pitch, Laboratory Reports, Business plan and detailed case study
4. 
   Relates to: Funding Pitch, Laboratory Reports, Business plan and detailed case study
5. 
   Relates to: Funding Pitch, Laboratory Reports, Business plan and detailed case study

2: Engineering Application Ability

1. 
   Relates to: Funding Pitch, Laboratory Reports, Business plan and detailed case study
2. 
   Relates to: Funding Pitch, Laboratory Reports, Business plan and detailed case study
3. 
   Relates to: Funding Pitch, Business plan and detailed case study
4. 
   Relates to: Funding Pitch, Business plan and detailed case study

3: Professional and Personal Attributes

1. 
   Relates to: Funding Pitch, Laboratory Reports, Business plan and detailed case study
2. 
   Relates to: Funding Pitch, Laboratory Reports, Business plan and detailed case study
3. 
   Relates to: Funding Pitch, Business plan and detailed case study
4. 
   Relates to: Funding Pitch, Laboratory Reports, Business plan and detailed case study
5. 
   Relates to: Funding Pitch, Laboratory Reports, Business plan and detailed case study
6. 
   Relates to: Funding Pitch, Business plan and detailed case study