Module manager: Dr Joan Boyes
Email: j.boyes2@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2025/26
| BIOC1203 | Genes to Proteins |
| BIOC2241 | Biochemistry for Natural Sciences |
Elements of BIOC2306
This module is not approved as a discovery module
This module examines how molecular and biochemical knowledge provides insight into the fundamental processes of cellular function and their implications for human health and disease. Students will explore the principles of drug discovery and development, focusing on how biomolecular interactions can be leveraged to create novel diagnostics and therapeutics. Key topics include the cytoskeleton’s role in cell motility, division, and regulation, as well as nuclear processes such as transcriptional control, DNA repair, and gene-silencing and gene-editing technologies. Through this module, students will gain a deeper understanding of the molecular basis of diseases such as cancer and the development of advanced treatments, including targeted therapies and CAR-T immunotherapies.
This module aims to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the molecular principles that underpin cellular function and their relevance to human health and disease. Students will explore how biomolecular interactions drive key processes in cells and how knowledge of these interactions can be exploited in the development of diagnostics and therapeutics.
A significant focus of the module is on the cytoskeleton, examining its structure, function, and regulation. Students will study how cytoskeletal components, such as actin and microtubules, enable cell motility, division, and other essential processes. The role of cytoskeletal dysfunction in disease and its potential as a therapeutic target will also be explored, including the development of cell cycle kinase inhibitors.
The module further investigates nuclear processes that are critical for maintaining genomic integrity and regulating gene expression. Topics include transcriptional control, DNA repair mechanisms, and the use of advanced tools such as CRISPR/Cas9 for gene editing and siRNA for gene silencing. These insights will be applied to understand the molecular basis of diseases such as cancer, highlighting therapeutic strategies including synthetic lethality, targeted therapies, and CAR-T immunotherapy.
Learning activities will focus on in-person large-group interactive lectures, supplemented by online resources designed to support independent study. These resources include revision question banks for all topics, modelled on the summative assessments, to help students evaluate and consolidate their understanding of key concepts. The module also aims to foster active engagement with the primary research literature, in preparation for Year 3 (Level 6) study. To that end, the additional reading students are directed towards will frequently include recently-published research papers, encouraging critical analysis of current scientific findings.
By engaging with these learning activities, students will develop an integrated understanding of how cellular processes relate to health and disease, as well as the skills to connect biochemical principles to therapeutic innovations and research challenges.
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
1. Apply advanced principles from chemistry and biochemistry to explain the basis of drug action and the key stages of drug development.
2. Explain key aspects of cell biology using advanced biochemical principles
3. Integrate biochemical knowledge and understanding to explain how cellular functions and responses arise from coordination of multiple cellular processes
4. Apply biochemical understanding of cellular processes to understand the molecular basis of disease and the development of therapeutics.
Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
5. To apply knowledge to solve new problems
6. To analyse and interpret scientific data
Details of the syllabus will be provided on the Minerva organisation (or equivalent) for the module
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 33 | 1 | 33 |
| Seminar | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Private study hours | 165 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 35 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200 | ||
This module will provide continual formative feedback via in-class active learning from in-person teaching. A formative coursework exercise with a timetabled feedback session will prepare students for the summative coursework exercise. Revision question banks will be provided for all topics in the same style as the end-of-module summative assessment. A revision session with a timed element and formative feedback against learning outcomes will be provided in the lead-up to the end-of-module exam.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | . | 30 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 30 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
| Exam type | Exam duration | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Standard exam (closed essays, MCQs etc) | 2.0 Hrs 0 Mins | 70 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Exams) | 70 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
The reading list is available from the Library website
Last updated: 03/03/2025
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team