Skip to Main Content

Content

Course Tabs

Overview

Course Prescription

Presents core areas of modern biochemistry. Emphasis is on macromolecular structure and function. Areas covered include protein structure, oxygen and carbon dioxide transport in humans and other species, metabolism in mammals, proteases and human disease, cholesterol metabolism and transport and signal transduction.

Course Overview

Biochemistry is the study of biological processes at the molecular level, and this molecular description underpins all of biology and medicine. As such, it is key to an understanding of the life sciences. BIOSCI 203 presents core areas of modern biochemistry with an emphasis on how they are best understood in the context of macromolecular structure and function. Areas covered include protein structure and folding; molecular mechanisms of enzyme catalysis; allosteric proteins and molecular machines; metabolic regulation in mammals in health and disease; proteases in human disease with a focus on Alzheimer's disease; human nutritional energy balance; and signal transduction. Students interested in biomedical science, medicinal chemistry, food science and nutrition, or any other aspect of molecular biology should consider this course.

BIOSCI 203 is a core requirement in both the Biochemistry and Cellular Biology pathway and the Cell and Molecular Biomedicine Pathway  within the Biological Sciences Major and Biomedical Science Specialisation. It is also a component of many pathways within the Biomedical Science program. BIOSCI 203 leads into our Stage 3 BIOSCI papers BIOSCI 353: Cellular Regulation and BIOSCI 350: Protein Structure and Function. 

Key Topics

1. Protein Structure and Enzyme Function 2. Metabolism 3. Biochemistry of Alzheimer's Disease 4. Multimeric Proteins 5. Nutrition 6. Signal Transduction

Course Contacts

Course Coordinator: Kathryn Jones (ks.jones@auckland.ac.nz)

Course Director: Shaun Lott (s.lott@auckland.ac.nz)

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect 3 hours of lectures per week, 3 hours of labs per fortnight, and a total of 66 hours of independent reading and thinking about the content, including work on laboratory assignments, practice questions/revision quizzes, test/exam preparation. This is a minimum of 5.5 hours per week outside lectures and labs. 

If you choose to not attend lectures you miss out on active learning, handouts and discussions held in the lectures. In addition you will need to be doing a minimum of 8.5 hrs independent study to stay on track with the course. 

Course Prerequisites, Corequisites and Restrictions

Prerequisite

Advice on Course Limits

This is a limited entry course: there is a limit on the number of enrolments due to staff or space capacity. In cases where the courses is taught under two separate codes (e.g. concurrently taught courses, general education courses) the course limit specified is the total across both versions of the course. For more information, please see the Programme and Course Limitations section of the University Academic and General Statutes and Regulations.

Locations and Semesters Offered

LocationSemester
City

Teaching and Learning

Campus Experience

Attendance is required at scheduled activities including labs to complete components of the course.

This course offers two lecture streams to choose from: an in-person stream for those students who prefer the in-person experience, and an alternative online lecture stream for students that are unable to attend in person or who prefer to learn using lecture recordings. We strongly recommend that students come to class in person to optimise their learning outcomes. Please note that the on-line stream is not a live zoom, it is the provision of lecture recordings. All teaching materials are the same in both streams. In-person labs remain compulsory for all students. 

The course will not include live online events.

The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Learning Resources

Taught courses use a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas to provide students with learning materials including reading lists and lecture recordings (where available). Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Additional Information on Learning Resources

Lab guide is required this is available through from Ubiq, the university bookstore, and  as a PDF on Campus.Text Book: Biochemistry Concepts and Connection by Appling, Anthony-Cahill and Matthews (Pearson 2nd edition)

Copyright

The content and delivery of content in this course are protected by copyright. Material belonging to others may have been used in this course and copied by and solely for the educational purposes of the University under license. You may copy the course content for the purposes of private study or research, but you may not upload onto any third-party site, make a further copy or sell, alter or further reproduce or distribute any part of the course content to another person.

Health and Safety

Lab coat and safety glasses required for laboratories.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Similarly, research students must meet the University’s expectations of good research practice. This requires:

  • Honesty - in all aspects of research work
  • Accountability - in the conduct of research
  • Professional courtesy and fairness – in working with others
  • Good stewardship – on behalf of others
  • Transparency – of research process and presentation of results
  • Clarity - communication to be understandable, explainable and accessible

For more information on the University’s expectations of academic integrity, please see the Academic Conduct section of the University policy hub.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about taught courses is made available to enrolled students in Canvas.

Students may be asked to submit assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.


Assessment and Learning Outcomes

Course Learning Outcomes

CLO #OutcomeProgramme Capability Link
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Assessments

Assessment TypeAssessment PercentageAssessment Classification

Additional Information on Assessment

Students must pass the practical (laboratories) and the theory (quizzes, test and exam) components independently to pass the course overall. 

Special Requirements

Attendance is required at the evening test (after 6pm); the date and time for the test is published on the BIOSCI 203 Canvas course.Students are required to supply and wear a lab coat and safety glasses while in the teaching lab.

Assessment to CLO Mapping

Assessment Type12345678910

Student Feedback, Support and Charter

Student Feedback

Feedback on taught courses is gathered from students at the end of each semester through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions. Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students. In addition, class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Additional Information on Student Feedback

Staff welcome feedback on the course throughout the semester, including the SET evaluations. Please contact your course coordinator or student representative at any time with your feedback.

Class representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Tuākana

Tuākana is a multi-faceted programme for Māori and Pacific students providing topic specific tutorials, one-on-one sessions, test and exam preparation and more. Explore your options at Tuakana Learning Communities.

Additional Information on Tuākana

The School of Biological Sciences Tuākana programme offers tutorials for BIOSCI 203.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor. Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website.

Wellbeing

We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - please see the Support Services page for information on support services in the University and the wider community.

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed work is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due. If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page. This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter.

Student Academic Complaints and Disputes

Students with concerns about teaching including how a course is delivered, the resources provided, or supervision arrangements, have the right to express their concerns and seek resolution. The university encourages informal resolution where possible, as this is quicker and less stressful. For information on the informal and formal complaints processes, please refer to the Student Academic Complaints Statute in the Student Policies and Guidelines section of the Policy Hub.