3 ECTS credits
90 h study time

Offer 1 with catalog number 4024218DNR for all students in the 1st semester at a (D) Master - preliminary level.

Semester
1st semester
Enrollment based on exam contract
Impossible
Grading method
Grading (scale from 0 to 20)
Can retake in second session
Yes
Taught in
Dutch
Faculty
Faculteit Wetenschappen en Bio-ingenieurswetensch.
Department
Bio-Engineering Sciences
Educational team
Kris Pappaert
Stefan Weckx (course titular)
Activities and contact hours
33 contact hours Lecture
Course Content

Part Industrial Biotechnology and Systems Biology: 

 

After a general introduction to industrial biotechnology, the industrial production of secondary metabolites such as biopolymers (exopolysaccharides, polyhydroxyalkanoates), single cell oils, biosurfactants, and antibiotics (including bacteriocins and lantibiotics) is discussed. Furthermore, the industrial application of enzymes in the wood and paper industry, the detergent industry, the textile industry, etc. is discussed. Next, biocatalysis in the chemical industry is discussed (fine chemicals, platform molecules, green/sustainable chemistry). Finally, the production of bioenergy (biofuels, bioelectricity, etc.) is discussed. After a general introduction to industrial systems biology, including the principles of flux balance analysis, several cases will be discussed, including production of lysine, succinic acid, biofuels and 1,3-propanediol, which indicate how bioinformatics and omics can be used to understand processes in optimize industrial biotechnology. 

 

Part Intellectual Property Rights: 

 

Principles of the protection of intellectual property (copyright, patent law, design law, trademark law...) and in particular with a focus on patent law as a legal means for protecting technological innovations. 

It focuses on acquiring knowledge and insight into the basic principles (registration, priority, novelty, inventive step, infringement, etc.) of Intellectual Property Rights and the sources that underlie them. It is important that one acquires insight into these basic principles and can thus apply them in practice. 

In addition, students are also taught how to use patent databases and how to familiarize themselves with the information contained therein, and in particular the various methods and databases that are available (freely or not) for carrying out research into, for example, the state of the art. 

Course material
Digital course material (Required) : handouts van powerpoint slides
Additional info

n.a.

Learning Outcomes

General competencies

After following this course, students will be able to: 

- Discuss, understand and be able to analyse and apply industrial biotechological processes. 

- Demonstrate, based on the cases discussed, how industrial biotechnological processes can be better understood and improved through a systems biology approach. 

- Discuss, understand and be able to analyse and apply principles of intellectual property rights. 

Grading

The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Oral Exam determines 100% of the final mark.

Within the Oral Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

  • Oral exam with a relative weight of 1 which comprises 100% of the final mark.

Additional info regarding evaluation

Part Industrial Biotechnology and Systems Biology 

 

Oral exam with written preparation about knowledge and understanding industrial biotechnological processes for the production of secondary metabolites and biofuels (1 question), knowledge and understanding principles in industrial systems biology based on a case (1 question), and knowledge of general terminology (1 question). 

 

Share Intellectual Property Rights: 

 

Oral exam with written preparation about (question 1) knowledge and understanding of the basic concepts and basic principles of Intellectual Property Rights and (question 2) being able to apply these basic principles in a practical example (case study) that will be made available for the oral exam to the students. The distribution of points is proportional for both questions. 

 

Each partim has a weight of 50% in the final mark on condition that the partial mark on each partim is at least 10/20. If the partial mark on at least one of the partims is lower than 10/20, the final mark will be equal to the lowest partial mark. The partial mark of the partim for which the student has passed is transferred to the second session. The student can relinquish the partial mark for the partim for which he has passed, provided that he notifies the titular by e-mail no later than August 15 (2nd session). Once the student has indicated that he will abandon his partial mark, he will irrevocably lose the partial mark. 

Allowed unsatisfactory mark
The supplementary Teaching and Examination Regulations of your faculty stipulate whether an allowed unsatisfactory mark for this programme unit is permitted.

Academic context

This offer is part of the following study plans:
Master of Bioengineering Sciences: Cell and Gene Biotechnology: Medical Biotechnology (only offered in Dutch)
Master of Bioengineering Sciences: Cell and Gene Biotechnology: Agrobiotechnology (only offered in Dutch)
Master of Bioengineering Sciences: Cell and Gene Biotechnology: Synthetic Biotechnology (only offered in Dutch)
Master of Bioengineering Sciences: Chemistry and Bioprocess Technology: Food Biotechnology (only offered in Dutch)
Master of Bioengineering Sciences: Chemistry and Bioprocess Technology: Sustainable Chemical Biotechnology (only offered in Dutch)
Master of Bioengineering Sciences: Chemistry and Bioprocess Technology: Micro- and Nanobiotechnology (only offered in Dutch)