James Cook University Subject Handbook - 2001

BC3022:03

Molecular Genetics for Biologists

Townsville, Cairns

Prerequisites: BM1000 or BZ1020 strongly recommended
Inadmissable Subject Combination: BC2023 BC3010

35 lectures, 5 tutorials, 24 hours practicals. December intensive block mode (Townsville campus); July intensive block mode (Cairns campus).

Staff: Dr D Miller, Dr S Vasudevan.

What DNA is and what it does (structure, characteristics and isolation; replication, transcription and translation). Methods for manipulating DNA (cloning, sequencing, PCR etc). Genes, genomes and genetic markers. Ways of getting evolutionary information from molecular data.

Learning Objectives:

  1. the components of the genome;
  2. basic DNA manipulation skills;
  3. the application of molecular genetic approaches to evolutionary and taxonomic questions.

Assessment by one three-hour examination (65%); assignments (15%); practicals (20%).