DEB 263 - Biotech Fundamentals and Application

DEB263 - Biotechnology Fundamentals and Application

Note: This foundational course must be taken before the Qualifying Exam and is only offered during Winter Quarter, so please plan accordingly. If DEB263 is not taken before the QE, completion of the designated emphasis will not be possible. Below is an excerpt of key information from a recent course syllabus.

Course Description

Students will be introduced to a range of biotechnology research areas with focus on the intersection of molecular biology and engineering in the development of biomanufacturing platforms for industrial enzymes, therapeutics, biofuels and other high value products.  Lecture and discussion topics will include related life science platform technologies, such as informatics, genome editing, nanotechnology, and synthetic biology.  Placing biotech innovations in a societal context, we will discuss the role of intellectual property, government policies and regulations, marketplace economics and ethical debates on the development and use of new life science technologies. The overarching theme of the course will be the role of biotechnology in meeting challenges related to human and animal health, agriculture, and environmental resource management.

The importance of team science and communication in driving biotech innovations will be central themes throughout the quarter.  Each student will be assigned to an interdisciplinary team and will work with the group to develop a Team Project.  Team assignments will be announced in class and a roster posted to the course Canvas site.  In addition to the final project, teams will partner during class discussions and for smaller graded activities related to interdisciplinary science communication.

Learning objectives:

  • Understand core concepts in biotechnology (molecular biology, recombinant DNA technology and bioprocess engineering).
  • Work with an interdisciplinary team to develop an innovative biotechnology Team Project.
  • Practice science communication across disciplines and to diverse, non-specialist audiences via multiple platforms (Team activities, social media, formal presentations).
  • Gain familiarity with key aspects of translational research and bioentrepreneurship.

Required Reading

Required readings will be drawn from the primary literature but may also be taken from recent government tech reports, industry publications and the popular press.  PDFs of required and/or suggested readings assignments will be uploaded to the corresponding lecture resource folder on Canvas by the day of the lecture. 

Course Format

DEB263 is a 2-unit lecture course with one ~2-hour lecture per week for ten weeks. During the second hour of lecture, we will usually set aside some time for discussions of the required reading and social media assignments. During the final ~2-3 weeks of instruction/finals week, we will have Team Project presentations during scheduled class time and possibly during the scheduled final exam time to accommodate the number of teams.  Final project slides and peer review due during finals week by the end of the scheduled final exam time.

Prerequisites: Biological Sciences 101, 102 and Microbiology 102 or consent of instructor. Must be a graduate student in good standing.

As with all campus courses, we expect students to abide by the UC Davis Code of Academic Conduct, which can be found at:  http://sja.ucdavis.edu/files/cac.pdf.