There are five study units in this course; each unit covers a state-of-the- art subject. They are organized into three categories:
- molecular and DNA technology: molecular cell biology and gene regulation (Unit 1);
- life sciences and the study of diseases: cancer therapy, stem cell technologies, and neuroscience (Units 2–4); and
- the botanical aspect: genetically modified plants (Unit 5).
Each study unit will be broken down into a number of topics, each of which covers key concepts with elaboration of ideas and discussion in different sub-topics to ensure your understanding. We will study at least one contemporary review article in each unit to allow you to identify current trends, as well as the key concepts related to the corresponding topics. Apart from the printed materials and references, links to online resources and activities will be provided in each unit. Self-test questions and feedback will be provided for checking your understanding of the unit content.
Course materials
Study units
A brief description of each study unit is given below.
Unit 1 — Molecular cell biology and gene regulation
Molecular cell biology is a fundamental concept in the contemporary biological sciences. This unit briefly introduces molecular cell biology and gene regulation in eukaryotic cells to give you a solid foundation for your understanding of later units. This unit introduces various databases for the literature search and different writing formats. This unit aims to prepare you to perform searches in your areas of interest.
Unit 2 — Cancer therapy
Cancer is marked as uncontrolled cell growth that has undergone a series of chemical reactions or cell proliferation. This unit first covers the pathway of carcinogenesis and the environmental and genetic causes of cancer. It then focuses on introducing different types of cancer therapy and identifying new strategies in combating cancer. Finally, the possibility of cancer prevention will be discussed.
Unit 3 — Stem cell technologies
Stem cell research has aroused ethical concern in the research field and in society, especially stem cells harvested from human beings. Different sources of stem cells raise different issues. This unit first discusses types of stem cell source, followed by opportunities for research in this field. Finally, different ethical concerns related to stem cell research will be introduced, and hence we will address the importance of the balance between research and ethics.
Unit 4 — Neurosciences
Human intelligence is a continuum and is usually measured by psychometric testing. Neurosciences, on the other hand, help you to understand the biological bases of differences in intelligence. Recent developments in neuroscience technologies, genetics and molecular biology serve as the important tools for our understanding. This unit first describes the special features of the nervous systems on two levels, the cellular and molecular levels. It then outlines the structure and function of the central nervous system and how the neurons communicate with other cells. This unit ends with an appreciation of the difference in human intelligence from quantitative genetics and brain imaging studies.
Unit 5 — Genetically modified plants
The plant immune system responds to pathogenic and non-pathogenic biotic stresses, to protect the plant from environmental challenges. An understanding of the responses allows scientists to engineer disease- resistant plants. This modification can be adapted by the natural enemies as co-evolution. This unit first introduces plants' immune systems and their responses to biotic stresses. It then discusses how to genetically engineer the defense mechanisms, as well as the reason for genetically modified plants. Finally, Unit 5 covers the risks and benefits to plants including co-evolution of natural enemies.
The course also has other tools, including self-assessment questions, feedback, interactive activities, related problems and case studies to facilitate your learning.
Set textbook
As the course aims to introduce cutting-edge biological sciences research, we do not require you to buy a textbook.
Readings
The course provides a list of essential readings (mainly research articles and review articles) that are included with the study units and that serve as the major component of the course materials. The study units provide further guidance on reading, reviewing and information gathering from these references. The discussion helps to arouse your interest in different areas.
E-Library E-Reserve readings
You may be instructed to read articles in the E-Library E-Reserve. To read these items, go to the HKMU E-Library and click E-Reserve. Log in, click Accept/Agree on the Copyright Restrictions page, fill in the Course Code box, and click Search.
References
Books
Katz, M J (2009) From Research to Manuscript: A Guide to Scientific Writing, 2nd edn, Springer.
Goldbort, R (2006) 'Scientific presentations' in Goldbort, R (ed.) Writing for Science, New Haven: Yale University Press.
Johnson, M D (2008) 'Cancer' in Human Biology: Concepts and Current Issues, San Francisco: Benjamin Cummings.
Kandel, E R, Schwartz, J J and Jessell, T M (2000) Principles of Neural Science, 4th edn, New York: McGraw-Hill, Health Professions Division.
Nelson, D L and Cox, M M (2008) Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry, 5th edn, New York: W H Freeman.
Rogers, S M (2007) Mastering Scientific and Medical Writing: A Self- help Guide, Berlin: Springer.
Yang, J T (1995) 'An outline of scientific writing [electronic resource]: For researchers with English as a foreign language', Singapore World Scientific.
Journal articles
Calne, R Y, Gan, S U and Lee, K O (2010) 'Stem cell and gene therapies for diabetes mellitus', Nat Rev Endocrinol, 6(3): 173–77.
Deary, I J, Penke, L and Johnson, W (2010) 'The neuroscience of human intelligence differences', Nat Rev Neurosci, 11(3): 201–11.
Ebert, A D and Svendsen, C N (2010) 'Human stem cells and drug screening: Opportunities and challenges', Nat Rev Drug Discov, 9(5): 367–72.
Harris, T J and McCormick, F (2010) 'The molecular pathology of cancer,' Nat Rev Clin Oncol, 7(5): 251–65.
Jones, J D and Dangl, J L (2006) 'The plant immune system', Nature, 444(7117): 323–29.
McLaren, A (2001) 'Ethical and social considerations of stem cell research', Nature, 414 (6859): 129–31.
Rausher, M D (2001) 'Co-evolution and plant resistance to natural enemies', Nature, 411(6839): 857–64.
Wolfenbarger, L L and Phifer, P R (2000) 'The ecological risks and benefits of genetically engineered plants', Science, 290(5499): 2088–93.
Online and multimedia materials
Online Learning Environment
BIOL S401 is supported by HKMU's Online Learning Environment (OLE). Reference articles and the latest course materials are uploaded to the OLE for easy access. You can also participate in a discussion board for communication between tutors and the Course Coordinator.
Other online resources and supplementary media
This course suggests a few programmes from free broadcasting websites, encouraging you to search for relevant and useful materials online:
Course overview
The following chart gives a general overview of the course structure.
Course component | Time allocation (weeks) | Assessment |
Unit 1 Molecular cell biology and gene regulation | 5 (Wk 1–5) | |
Unit 2 Cancer therapy | |
Unit 3 Stem cell technologies | |
Unit 4 Neurosciences | |
Unit 5 Genetically modified plants | |
Assignment | 3 (Wk 6–8) | Assignment (all units) |
Day school | 2 (Wk 9–10) | Presentation (all units) |
Course-end project | 4 (Wk 11–14) | All units |
Total | 14 | |
- Assignment: You are required to submit one assignment for the course. (For details, please refer to the 'Assessment' section.
- Day school: You will present materials on your topics of interest to familiarize yourself with presentations in scientific meetings and evaluate your understanding of topics. (For details, please refer to the 'Assessment' section.)
Equipment requirements
You need to have at least the following equipment (IT resources) for the course.
Hardware:
- Pentium III 800 MHz processor
- 512 MB – 1 GB RAM
- 1 GB of free disk space.
Software:
- English Windows XP or more recent
- Web browser: Firefox 2, Internet Explorer 6, or compatible equivalents.