Microbiome science

This unit offers a comprehensive introduction to the rapidly evolving field of studying microbial communities and their collective genomes across diverse environments. This third-year unit explores the fundamental ecological principles governing microbiomes and their crucial roles in human, animal, and environmental health. You will investigate the link between the microbiome and various health and disease states, particularly focusing on host-microbe interactions. A key focus is integrating theoretical knowledge with practical skills. The unit combines essential wet-laboratory techniques for sample processing and sequencing preparation with an intensive block of bioinformatics training, covering command-line tools, 16S rRNA data analysis, statistical interpretation, data visualisation, functional prediction, and an introduction to metagenomics. Emphasis is placed on developing critical evaluation skills through literature analysis and effective communication of complex scientific concepts. This unit will equip you with foundational knowledge and the integrated skillset required for further study or careers in biotechnology, biomedical research, and related fields requiring microbiome expertise.

Problem-based learning - You will encounter this approach when you collaboratively define a research problem and design a study for your research proposal. The bioinformatics labs inherently involve problem-solving as students troubleshoot analyses, and the individual data analysis report requires you to apply your skills to solve the specific analytical problem presented by the dataset.

Active learning - Active Learning will be used throughout this unit to ensure you directly engage with the material. This occurs through hands-on participation in scheduled workshops, wet labs and bioinformatics lab sessions focused on data analysis techniques. You will also actively learn during data exploration activities, collaborative work on group projects like the mini-symposium, participation in class discussions, and by completing the individual data analysis report.

Role play - Role-Play will be used to develop communication skills. You will engage in role-play during the mini-symposium assessment, where presenters adopt the role of experts and the audience acts as questioning peers. Further opportunities for role-play will be incorporated into class activities, such as simulating explanations of complex data to different audiences.

Case-based teaching - This approach will be used to explore complex topics and develop analytical skills by examining specific scenarios. It features mainly in sections dedicated to the human microbiome in health and disease, where case studies will illustrate key concepts. It will also be applied when discussing real-world examples during lectures.

• One 1-hour pre-recorded lectures;

• One 2-hour workshop;

• One 3-hour lab class for 10 weeks and

• Six to seven hours of independent study per week.