Integrated Project VI

Objectives

This subject belongs to a series of subjects, Integrated Projects I-VI, on the undergraduate programme in Biomedicine which culminate each semester from the first to third year. The common objective of this set of subjects is to work at a practical level on the knowledge that students have acquired in other subjects during the semester, while facilitating the acquisition of skills related to biomedical research. The teaching methodology is problem- or project-based learning.

In particular, Integrated Project VI aims to respond to a challenge and produce a scientific document to apply for a fictitious scientific grant. The course also involves the preparation of protocols and laboratory experiments, analysis of results and discussion, all of which are incorporated into the scientific proposal. Finally, statistical data analysis and discussion of the data will be carried out.

For this purpose, we strongly recommend that students enrolling in this subject have taken Experimental Design, Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Genetic Engineering, Cell Culture and Tissue Engineering Laboratory, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Clinical Genomics and Diagnostic Imaging Techniques.

Learning outcomes

• LO1. Work appropriately in a laboratory with biological material, taking into account safety measures, handling and disposing of biological waste, as well as recording activities.
• LO2. Use specialised science and technology information sources in English.
• LO3. Know and apply the main guidelines for structuring presentations, projects and publications in the field of scientific communication.
• LO4. Manages data bases and applies advanced statistical methods to analyse this data.
• LO5. Applies their knowledge to solve problems in complex or specialised professional and work environments that require the use of creative and innovative ideas.
• LO6. Design interventions that meet the needs of the field in a multidisciplinary way.
• LO7. Show skills for critical reflection in the processes linked to the exercise of the profession.
• LO8. Prepares reports and written documents (mainly technical) and corrects spelling and grammar in Catalan, Spanish and English.
• LO9. Communicates to all types of audiences (specialised or not) in a clear and precise manner about knowledge, methodology, ideas, problems and solutions.
• LO10. Identifies own training needs and is able to organise own learning with a high degree of autonomy in all types of contexts (structured or not).

Competencies

General skills

• Show a positive attitude to innovating, creating value and integrating scientific knowledge and improving one's own training.

Specific skills

• Analyse biomedical data and biological sequences through the use of statistics and computation.
• Be able to critically interpret the results and conclusions of scientific studies.
• Formulate hypotheses and design experiments in the field of biomedical research.
• Have technical skill in a research laboratory for working on cell and tissue samples, and with experimental animals.
• Recognise the applicability of genetic engineering methods and omics technology in preclinical and clinical research.

Basic skills

• Students can apply their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional manner and have competencies typically demonstrated through drafting and defending arguments and solving problems in their field of study.
• Students can communicate information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialists and non-specialists.
• Students have developed the learning skills necessary to undertake further studies with a high degree of independent learning.

Core skills

• Develop strategies for promoting gender equality and equity for all.
• Exercise active citizenship and individual responsibility with a commitment to democratic values and sustainable development.
• Interact in international contexts to transfer knowledge to current and emerging fields of professional development and research.
• Reflect critically on knowledge of all kinds, with a commitment to professional rigour and quality.

Content

• Accurate analysis of the scientific background of a given topic
• Elaboration of protocols for the realisation of concrete laboratory experiments
• Application of molecular biology (genetic engineering) and cell culture techniques
• Experimental design and statistical data analysis
• Team development of an application for a scientific call for proposals with preliminary results from different working subgroups
• Inclusion of results obtained from image databases of the pathologies addressed

Evaluation

The course will be evaluated through:

• Active participation during all the course:
  • Participation, attitude, and attendance: 10%
    Attendance is compulsory. Absences are not allowed, but it is possible to miss 1 or 2 sessions for justified reasons. More than 2 unexcused absences mean failing the whole course.
• In laboratory:
  • Global practical evaluation: 30%
  • Laboratory competences: 10%
• In class:
  • Deep analysis of adequation of animal models for the study of diseases (scientific revision of the topic): 25% (individual assessment: 12,5% + group assessment: 12,5%)
  • Scientific presentation: 25% (individual evaluation: 12,5% + group evaluation: 12,5%)
    Excused absences do not exclude students from doing the work derived from the session they did not attend.

Excused absences allowed are:

• Hospital admission
• Court summons
• Death of a family member of 1st or 2nd degree of consanguinity or affinity
• Medically diagnosed illness that makes it impossible to attend the session
• Attendance at a scheduled visit to the hospital, which cannot be postponed and which involves diagnosis, follow-up and/or medical treatment.

In case of a justified absence

If it is not possible to make up the class, the student must do a work (proposed by the teacher) that allows him/her to recover, totally or partially, the content of the session he/she has missed. The elaboration of this work is compulsory and the non-presentation of the work implies a penalty equivalent to the reduction of 5% of the final grade of the course.

In the case of unexcused absence

It is not possible to recover the class and a penalty equivalent to the reduction of 10 % of the final grade of the course for each session to which it is missed (therefore, one absence supposes a reduction of 10 % of the final grade and two, one of 20 %).

Absence from 3 or more sessions means failing the course.

The student can do a recommended work to recover, totally or partially, the content of the session to which he/she has missed, but it is not obligatory. If the student makes up the work satisfactorily, he/she can recover 5% of the penalty imposed for the absence.

Methodology

The course is based on the problem based learning (PBL) methodology, which involves both individual and group work to respond to a challenge and produce a scientific document to apply for a fictitious scientific grant. The course also involves the preparation of protocols and laboratory experiments, analysis of results and discussion, all of which are incorporated into the scientific proposal.

Bibliography

Further reading

Teachers will provide complementary bibliography and compulsory reading throughout the course via the Virtual Campus.