Studying online
There are now 2 possible online modes for units:
Units with modes Online timetabled and Online flexible are available for any student to self-enrol and study online.
Click on an offering mode for more details.
Unit Overview
- Description
Humans place significant pressures on our environment. Population increases cause the release of contaminants, the need to rehabilitate degraded environments as well as the need to ensure nutritious food production with greater efficiency. One central requirement to these environmental pressures is the need to monitor factors such as environmental degradation, the trajectory of rehabilitation efforts and the ability to measure the health of food productions systems. This unit focuses on the recent biotechnology solutions to these requirements, from utilising microbial based toxicity sensors, the construction of highly specific biosensors for detecting key environmental agents through to whole system sensing using chemical, biological and ecological approaches. Particular attention is placed upon novel biological based strategies to detect pollutants in soils and water courses, measuring the release from toxicity in rehabilitation efforts and the adoption of targeted biosensors.
- Credit
- 6 points
- Offering
(see Timetable) Availability Location Mode Semester 2 UWA (Perth) Face to face - Outcomes
Students are able to (1) evaluate and compare the means by which sensing agents can be designed and the biotechnological approaches employed in microbes, animals and plants for environmental sensing and their current practical usage; (2) demonstrate practical experience of developing and deploying a recombinant sensor to detect a specific pollution event; (3) design field scale approaches used to ensure adequate tracking of environmental rehabilitation and constraint release from a chemical, biological and ecological standpoint; and (4) describe the use of chemical and biosensing agents in cropping and plant production systems, the current state of art and future developments.
- Assessment
Indicative assessments in this unit are as follows: (1) biosensor design and sensing applications online quiz; (2) biosensor production & diffuse pollution mapping practical; and (3) large scale field site case study employing student measures. Further information is available in the unit outline.
Student may be offered supplementary assessment in this unit if they meet the eligibility criteria.
- Unit Coordinator(s)
- Dr Sasha Jenkins
- Unit rules
- Prerequisites
- Successful completion ofone Unit(s) BIOC4002 Fundamentals of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I
- Contact hours
- lectures/tutorials: 2 hours per fortnight
field trips/practical work: 4 hours per fortnight
- The availability of units in Semester 1, 2, etc. was correct at the time of publication but may be subject to change.
- All students are responsible for identifying when they need assistance to improve their academic learning, research, English language and numeracy skills; seeking out the services and resources available to help them; and applying what they learn. Students are encouraged to register for free online support through GETSmart; to help themselves to the extensive range of resources on UWA's STUDYSmarter website; and to participate in WRITESmart and (ma+hs)Smart drop-ins and workshops.
- Visit the Essential Textbooks website to see if any textbooks are required for this Unit. The website is updated regularly so content may change. Students are recommended to purchase Essential Textbooks, but a limited number of copies of all Essential Textbooks are held in the Library in print, and as an ebook where possible. Recommended readings for the unit can be accessed in Unit Readings directly through the Learning Management System (LMS).
- Contact hours provide an indication of the type and extent of in-class activities this unit may contain. The total amount of student work (including contact hours, assessment time, and self-study) will approximate 150 hours per 6 credit points.
Face to face
Predominantly face-to-face. On campus attendance required to complete this unit. May have accompanying resources online.
Online flexible
100% Online Unit. NO campus face-to-face attendance is required to complete this unit. All study requirements are online only. Unit is asynchronous delivery, with NO requirement for students to participate online at specific times.
Online timetabled
100% Online Unit. NO campus face-to-face attendance is required to complete this unit. All study requirements are online only. Unit includes some synchronous components, with a requirement for students to participate online at specific times.
Online Restricted
Not available for self-enrolment. Students access this mode by contacting their student office through AskUWA. 100% Online Unit.
NO campus face-to-face attendance. All study and assessment requirements are online only. Unit includes some timetabled activities, with a requirement for students to participate online at specific times. In exceptional cases (noted in the Handbook) students may be required to participate in face-to-face laboratory classes when a return to UWA’s Crawley campus becomes possible in order to be awarded a final grade.
External
No attendance or regular contact is required, and all study requirements are completed either via correspondence and/or online submission.
Off-campus
Regular attendance is not required, but student attends the institution face to face on an agreed schedule for purposes of supervision and/or instruction.
Multi-mode
Multiple modes of delivery. Unit includes a mix of online and on-campus study requirements. On campus attendance for some activities is required to complete this unit.