Module: Bioanalytical Practicals I

Latest Module Specifications

Current Academic Year 2025 - 2026

Module Title	Bioanalytical Practicals I
Module Code	BIO1012 (ITS: BE353)
Faculty	Biotechnology	School	Science & Health
NFQ level	8	Credit Rating	5

Description

The purpose of this module is to provide students with the skills and understanding necessary for handling and quantitation of micro-organisms in a laboratory environment. To this end, you will work through Standard Operating Procedures commonly used in food and water microbiology and use procedures for surfaces to quantify microbial contamination. Additionally, you will use standard biochemical techniques to purify a protein from egg. This is a continuously assessed laboratory module and attendance is compulsory and will be monitored.

Learning Outcomes

1. Analyse food and water samples for microbes and use these findings to determine the quality of food and water samples.
2. Culture microbes in batch and continuous culture, graphically analyse the results and use these to calculate microbial growth parameters.
3. Carry out a sequential 'multistep' protein purification scheme including ion-exchange and gel filtration chromatography and calculate yield and purification.
4. Write up reports, to be viewed by an experimental scientist and by the general public, detailing their experimental findings and the conclusions that may be drawn from them.

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full time hours per semester
Laboratory	24	Microbiology laboratory
Laboratory	24	Biochemistry laboratory
Independent Study	77	Write-up of laboratory reports
Total Workload: 125

Section Breakdown
CRN	20095	Part of Term	Semester 2
Coursework	0%	Examination Weight	0%
Grade Scale	40PASS	Pass Both Elements	Y
Resit Category	RC2	Best Mark	N
Module Co-ordinator	Jiafu Wang	Module Teacher	Denise Harold, Janosch Heller, Konstantinos Gkrintzalis, Paul Cahill

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Assessment Breakdown
Report(s)	Report on the quality of bathing or drinking water	16%	Week 2
Report(s)	Report on the quality of food	17%	Week 2
Report(s)	Assessment of the growth characteristics of model and actual microbial fermentations	17%	Week 2
Report(s)	Report on protein purification	50%	Week 2

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories; RC1: A resit is available for both^* components of the module. RC2: No resit is available for a 100% coursework module. RC3: No resit is available for the coursework component where there is a coursework and summative examination element. ^* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a coursework/summative examination split; where the module is 100% coursework, there will also be a resit of the assessment

Pre-requisite	None
Co-requisite	None
Compatibles	None
Incompatibles	None

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Assay for lyzozyme activity and protein

Preparation of crude lyzozyme from egg-white

Salt precipitation of lyzozyme by gel-filtration chromatography on sephadex G-100

Purification of 'partially-purified' lyzozyme by cation-exchange chromatography

Concentration of lyzozyme by reverse dialysis using solid polyethylene glycol

Analysis of lyzozyme fractions by native and SDS Polyacrylamide electrophoresis

Analysis of lyzozyme fractions and standards by Isoelectric focusing

Computer learning system for teaching the use of HPLC and its applications

Techniques to prepare and analyse samples for the HPLC analysis of drugs

Determination of molar growth yield in batch and continuous microbial fermentation

Food microbiology - analysis of samples by pour plates and spread plates

Water microbiology - analysis of samples by MPN and membrane filtration

Indicative Reading List

Books:

Harris & Angal: 1990, Protein purification methods,
Wardlaw: 0, Laboratory methods in Food and Dairy microbiology,

Articles:
None

Other Resources

None