# ANSC30100

**Source**: https://hub.ucd.ie/usis/!W_HU_MENU.P_PUBLISH?p_tag=MODULE&MODULE=ANSC30100&TERMCODE=202500&ACYR=2026
**Parent**: https://hub.ucd.ie/usis/!W_HU_MENU.P_PUBLISH?p_tag=COURSE&MAJR=ANS1&AUDIENCE=

Academic Year 2025/2026

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#### Applied Biotechnology (ANSC30100)

Subject:
:   Animal Science

College:
:   Health & Agricultural Sciences

School:
:   Agriculture & Food Science

Level:
:   3 (Degree)

Credits:
:   5

Module Coordinator:
:   Professor David MacHugh

Trimester:
:   Spring

Mode of Delivery:
:   On Campus

Internship Module:
:   No

How will I be graded?
:   Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This module provides an overview of modern biotechnology, particularly as it applies to plant and animal agriculture.\
\
The module covers the following topics:\
\* Genetic engineering and agriculture (transgenic crops and food products).\
\* Genome editing and agriculture (genome-edited plants and animals).\
\* New genomic technologies relevant to agriculture (bioinformatics, structural, functional, and comparative genomics).\
\* Commercial applications of genomics technologies in the agri-food industries.\
\* Biotechnology and agricultural biodiversity.\
\* Societal, economic, and environmental implications of agricultural biotechnologies.\
\
Students taking the module will also produce a literature review on a relevant biotechnology topic of their choice. In addition, there is a laboratory practical and write-up that demonstrates basic principles of DNA-based biotechnology. \
\
This module is a 7-week module and will be examined during the Spring Break in March.

## About this Module

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### What will I learn?

###### Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module students should be able to:\
\
\* Evaluate the agricultural benefits and consequences of transgenic plants and crops.\
\* Evaluate the agricultural benefits and consequences of genome editing.\
\* Discuss biotechnology and agricultural biodiversity.\
\* Discuss new genomic technologies and their relevance for agriculture and the food industries.\
\* Discuss the societal, economic, and environmental implications of agricultural biotechnologies\
\* Understand and describe a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) focused laboratory practical for human genetic identification and forensics.

###### Indicative Module Content:

This module provides an overview of modern biotechnology, particularly as it applies to plant and animal agriculture. The module covers the following topics: genetic engineering and agriculture (transgenic crops and food products); genome editing of plants and animals; biotechnology and agricultural biodiversity; new genomic technologies relevant to agriculture (bioinformatics, structural, functional, and comparative genomics); and societal, economic, and environmental implications of agricultural biotechnologies\
\
Students taking the module will also produce a literature review on a biotechnology topic of their choice. In addition, there is a laboratory practical and write-up that demonstrates basic principles of DNA-based biotechnology. \
\
On completion of this module students should be able to: evaluate the agricultural benefits and consequences of transgenic plants and crops; evaluate the agricultural benefits and consequences of genome editing; discuss biotechnology and agricultural biodiversity; discuss new genomic technologies and their relevance for agriculture and the food industries; discuss the societal, economic, and environmental implications of agricultural biotechnologies; and understand and describe their experience of a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) focused laboratory practical for human genetic identification and forensics..\
\
This module is a seven-week module and will be examined during the Spring Break in March.\

### How will I learn?

###### Student Effort Hours:

| Student Effort Type | Hours |
| --- | --- |
| Lectures | 24 |
| Laboratories | 10 |
| Specified Learning Activities | 25 |
| Autonomous Student Learning | 50 |
|  |  |
| --- | --- |
| Total | 109 |

\

###### Approaches to Teaching and Learning:

Lectures.\
Viewing of videos explaining key scientific and technical concepts.\
In-class problem-solving exercises.\
Self-directed learning using materials provided on Brightspace.\
A molecular biology laboratory practical component with a write-up assessment.\
A scientific literature review project assessment.

### Am I eligible to take this module?

###### Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

**Learning Requirements:**\

ANSC20010 - Genetics and Biotechnology\
OR\
GENE20020 - Principles of Genetics\
\
If you do not have the pre-requisite module(s) but have equivalent prior learning, please contact the module co-ordinator to approve your registration to this module.

\

###### Module Requisites and Incompatibles

**Pre-requisite:**\
ANSC20010 - Genetics and Biotechnology, BMOL20090 - Molecular Genetics and Biotech, GENE20020 - Principles of Genetics, VET20050 - Genetics & Animal Breeding\
\
**Additional Information:**\
Only one of the prerequisite modules required, not all of them.\
\
\
 \

### How will I be assessed?

###### Assessment Strategy

| Description | Timing | Component Scale | Must Pass Component | % of Final Grade | In Module Component Repeat Offered |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Assignment(Including Essay): IN-PERSON WRITTEN EXAM: Two-hour written examination, Spring (March) exam sitting. Accounts for 50% of the mark/grade weighting. | Week 8, Week 9 | Standard conversion grade scale 40% | No | 50 | No |
| Assignment(Including Essay): WRITTEN LITERATURE REVIEW PROJECT: Written project (approx. 4,000 words) on a biotechnology topic. Accounts for 30% of the mark/grade weighting. | Week 9 | Standard conversion grade scale 40% | No | 30 | No |
| Report(s): LABORATORY PRACTICAL WRITE-UP: A lab practical write-up fora DNA biotechnology practical (DNA extraction, PCR, gel electrophoresis, population genetics). Accounts for 20% of the mark/grade weighting. | Week 10 | Standard conversion grade scale 40% | No | 20 | No |

\

###### Carry forward of passed components

Yes

\

### What happens if I fail?

| Resit In | Terminal Exam |
| --- | --- |
| Autumn | Yes - 2 Hour |

*Please see [Student Jargon Buster](https://www.ucd.ie/students/services/ucdstudentjargonbuster/) for more information about remediation types and timing.* \

### Assessment feedback

###### Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment\
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment\
• Self-assessment activities\

###### How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Feedback provided on project ideas and drafts. Feedback provided to students on project work and end-of-semester examination results.

### Associated Staff

| Name | Role |
| --- | --- |
| Dr John Browne | Tutor |
| Mr Thomas Hall | Tutor |
| Gillian McHugo | Tutor |
| Mr John O'Grady | Tutor |
| James Ward | Tutor |

### When is this module offered?

**Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.**

|  |  |  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Spring | Lecture | Offering 1 | Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 | Fri 14:00 - 16:50 |
| Spring | Lecture | Offering 1 | Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 | Wed 15:00 - 16:50 |

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