Building on the foundations established in BIOSCI 202, this course aims to develop a comprehensive understanding of what makes up genomes and how and why genomes change over time. It explores methods for detecting structural and functional elements of genomes, plus the wider genome biology of eukaryotic and prokaryotic systems. Students will learn how genomic data is generated and analysed, how genomes evolve, and how genomic information is expressed and regulated. It will also explore where the current limits of our knowledge about genomes are. The course compares and contrasts prokaryote and eukaryote genomes, including why they might differ. In doing so, it uses examples from the latest research, including molecular genomics, DNA sequence analysis, transcriptomics, computational biology, and comparative genomics. 

This course has a mix of lectures (2 per week) and tutorials (1 per week) so in terms of lecture content, it is not as hefty as other courses which I found good, especially when juggling other courses. The tutorials were always very easy to score well on as the respective lecturer thoroughly goes through the whole tutorial worksheet and you can ask them any questions you have when you attend in person so I highly recommend it!

 

Course Contacts: 

            Course director : Dr. Nobuto Takeuchi (nobuto.takeuchi@auckland.ac.nz)

 

Basic information: 

Date: Semester 2 

  Location: City Campus (Lectures and Labs) 

Prerequisites: BIOSCI 202

 

This is a required paper for  BSc Biological Sciences genetics pathway and BSc Biomed (genetics pathway) 

 

https://study.auckland.ac.nz/ords/r/uoa/catalogue/course?p6_code=BIOSCI%20355 

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Content

 

Block 1: Introduction to genome biology 

 

Block 2: Elements of genomics and transcriptomics

 

Block 3: Analysis of eukaryote genome function

 

Block 4: Prokaryote genome biology

 

Laboratories

The labs for this course are run quite differently from most others. Instead of following a set of pre‑designed experiments, you take on a genuine research project that blends molecular genomics with computational analysis. The lab work is divided into two parts: the “wet lab,” where you synthesise your own random DNA sequences and insert them into bacteria, and the “dry lab,” where you use computational tools to assess how expressing that random DNA affects the organisms. In this “dry lab” component you use python to analyse your data, but don't be afraid of this coding portion as they pretty much hold your hand through the whole process. I found the whole concept genuinely fascinating as it gives you a real taste of what postgraduate research actually feels like.

 

That said, the structure can be intense. The course has weekly labs for all 12 weeks of the semester, which I personally found overwhelming after being used to fortnightly labs throughout undergrad. Fortunately, the wet‑lab worksheets aren’t due every week; you complete the entire wet‑lab phase first and then submit all the associated worksheets together. After finishing the dry‑lab component, you write a full lab report covering the entire experiment.

You’re also required to keep a detailed lab notebook documenting every step of your wet‑lab work, which mirrors the expectations of postgraduate research as well.

One thing to keep in mind is that the turnaround time for the final lab report is quite short with it due in the last week of the semester. It’s worth chipping away at it as soon as the template is released so you’re not scrambling at the end.

Remember to ask the TAs lots of questions during the lab as I personally found the worksheets pretty confusing to figure them out by yourself at home.