Module manager: Dr Ewan Morrison
Email: e.e.morrison@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable
Year running 2026/27
As per programme entry qualifications
MEDM5201M
This module is not approved as an Elective
This module will prepare students for their research projects, giving awareness of all necessary Health and Safety procedures, ethical considerations, experience of a range of basic laboratory techniques, the importance and practicalities of keeping an accurate laboratory notebook, and the development of a work plan and proposal for a specific programme of research.
On completion of this module, students should be able to:
understand Health & Safety as well as ethical considerations inherent to biomedical research
have the practical laboratory skills to essential for carrying out research project by undertaking a series of practical classes, analysing and interpreting their own results, keeping a laboratory notebook and completing extension tasks.
have experience in planning and writing a research project proposal
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
LO1. Understand and be able to apply techniques commonly used in Biomedical Research through practical experience.
LO2. Understand and implement procedures and methods applicable to Biomedical Research through discussion and practical experience of correct Health & Safety, ethical and experimental practice.
LO3. Demonstrate advanced knowledge of Biomedical Research by explaining the basis and implications of experimental outcomes.
LO4. Organize, analyse and present their research data accurately and effectively in the form of a laboratory notebook.
LO5. Be able to apply advance knowledge and understanding of Biomedical research to develop a research project proposal with their project supervisor.
SLO1 Demonstrate proficient use on a range of digital tools including bibliographic databases to retrieve literature and software to analyse and present data. (working, academic, digital skills)
SLO2 Demonstrate critical evaluation of experimental approaches and published literature relevant to biomedical research. (academic skills)
SLO3 Demonstrate the ability to take a logical approach to understand, interpret, analyse and manipulate numerical data in biomedical research. (academic skills)
SLO4 Demonstrate efficient time management skills in preparing and presenting academic work. (working, academic skills)
SLO5 Demonstrate the ability to disseminate scientific information clearly, in the written form. (working, enterprise and academic skills)
SLO6 Demonstrate the ability to use the correct scientific language and good academic practice, including referencing. (academic skills)
Tutorials on Health and Safety.
Practical experience and tutorial discussion of the ethics of working with human participants in research.
Development of a project proposal with a named supervisor.
Wet lab practicals are designed as research questions to solve using:
- genomic DNA extraction
- PCR followed by restriction enzyme digestion and agarose gel electrophoresis
- PCR using cDNA templates
- Immunofluorescence staining of fixed cells
- Microscopy and Imaging
- ELISA
- Bioinformatics tasks
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supervision | 4 | 1 | 4 |
| Lecture | 4 | 1 | 4 |
| Practical | 5 | 6 | 30 |
| Seminar | 1 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| Private study hours | 260.5 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 39.5 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 300 | ||
The write-up for the first practical with associated questions will be used as a formative exercise and individual feedback provided. There will be a formative assessment for the completion of a laboratory risk assessment with individual feedback provided. Progress with the development of the project proposal will be monitored informally by the research project supervisors, who will provide individual formative feedback given to students on the first draft of the research proposal.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Lab Notebook | Write a detailed Laboratory note book and complete extension exercises after each practical session | 30 |
| Research Proposal | Write a 3000 word Research Proposal | 70 |
| Lab Notebook | Write a detailed laboratory notebook and complete extension exercises after the first practical session | 0 |
| Coursework | Write a risk assessment | 0 |
| Coursework | Write a 3000-word research proposal. | 0 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
There is no compensation between assessments for this module. Students must pass each individual assessment in order to pass the module.
Check the module area in Minerva for your reading list
Last updated: 20/05/2026
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