YML-30803 Frontiers in Molecular Life Sciences

Course

Credits 3.00

Language of instruction:

English.

Assumed knowledge on:

Chemistry, Physics and Biology.

Contents:

Interdisciplinary research enhances scientific insights, but often the potential for interactions between research fields is not realized. The background of MLS students is ideal to bridge the gap and exploit synergistic interactions between molecular disciplines. This course aims at challenging the student to recognize and exploit the potential relationship between different molecular topics and a central research theme. Molecular topics will be presented in a start-symposium. This will be the basis for finding links with the given theme. The themes are: human health, plant health and bio-production. Each student writes a report on a link to his central theme. During the course students provide feedback on the selected links and progress of the report. Presentations for the end symposium are thoroughly rehearsed and evaluated by peer feedback. Students organise the end symposium based on a selection of links and reports of all students (programme, invitations, session moderators etc).

Learning outcomes:

After successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:
- analyse opportunities and identify key requirements for successful inter-disciplinary research;
- analyse potential connections between specializations in MSc MLS;
- recognize and deal with problems related to shared responsibilities (e.g. feedback on reports, assigning tasks, build well-structured end-symposium together)
- accomplish tasks including determination of links, execution of various team functions, defence of points of view and conclusions, assess the contribution of other team members ;
- evaluate and give feedback in writing and verbally on interdisciplinary research topics
- give a clear and scientific oral presentation

Activities:

Start symposium: 10 lectures on 'state of the art' in different molecular disciplines.
Group sessions discussing links. Feedback sessons on report progress; feedback sessions on oral presentations.
Organising all logistics and scientific content of end-symposium based on links between start symposium topics and three central themes (Human health, plant health and bio-production).

Examination:

- individual report on link (evaluation by coach) 60%;
- student feedback sessions on constructing links (evaluation by students) 20%;
- student feedback on individual pitches (evaluation by students) 20%;
- reflection report on shared responsibilities in group work (evaluation by coach) go/no go.