Qualification - Certificate In Biotechnology

Biotechnology is a boom industry; and is likely to continue so in coming decades.

Technological developments have had a huge impact across all areas of applied life sciences; from health and farm production to horticulture and environmental management.

Course Content

• Cell Biology
• Biochemistry I & II
• Tissue Culture
• Plant Breeding or Animal Breeding
• Workshop I

Alternatives to these modules may be possible -discuss with our academic staff to investigate other possibilities.

Duration:   600 hours

What's in the Modules?

Cell Biology

1. Introduction to Cells and Their Structure   Including: what is a cell, history of cell biology; prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells; cell shape and size; cell structure; the nucleus; the nucleolus; euchromatin and heterochromatin; the animal cell; the plant cell; human cells.
2. Cell Chemistry   Including: cell chemical composition; carbohydrates; lipids; nucleic acids; proteins; enzymes; cell membranes; golgi apparatus.
3. DNA, Chromosomes and Genes    Including: what is DNA, Chromosomes, Genes; DNA replication; telomeres and telomerase; genetics; case study in genetic inheritance; phenotype and genotype; gene mutations.
4. Cell Division: Meiosis and Mitosis    Including: Mitosis and meiosis overview; mitosis; meiosis.
5. Cell Membranes   Including: membranes; structure of cell membranes; movement of molecules through cell membranes; endocytosis; osmosis and filtration; hydrostatic pressure; active transport; electro-chemical gradient; nutrient and waste exhange in animal cells; mediated and non-mediated transport;.
6. Protein Structure and Function   Including: protein structure; fibrous proteins; globular proteins; protein organisation; primary to quaternary structure; protein function.
7. Protein Synthesis   Including: overview; the function of ribonucleic acid in protein synthesis; transcription and translation; initiation; elongation; termination.
8. Food, Energy, Catalysis and Biosynthesis    Including: sources of energy; metabolism within the cell; catabolic metabolism; anabolic metabolism; ATP movement; Kreb's cycle; production and storage of energy; energy production pathways from different foods; biosynthesis of cell molecules; mitochrondria; chloroplasts
9. Intracellular Compartments, Transport and Cell Communication     Including: Cell communication; endocrine signalling; paracrine signalling; autocrine signalling; cytoskeleton; actin filaments; intermediate filaments; microtubules.
10. The Cell Cycle and Tissue Formation     Including: the cell cycle; phases of the cell cycle; cell cycle regulation; cell death; cells to bodies; stem cells; animal tissues including muscle, connective, epithelial, nerve; blood.
11. Aims

Biochemistry I

There are 10 lessons as follows:

1. Introduction to biochemistry
2. Lipids and proteins
3. Enzymes and hormones
4. Nucleic acids
5. Thermo-regulation
6. Carbohydrate metabolism
7. Absorption
8. Acidity and alkalinity
9. Chemical analysis
10. Biochemical applications

Biochemistry II

There are nine lessons in this module as follows:

1. Introduction to Biochemical Molecules
2. Amino Acids
3. Structure of Proteins
4. Protein Dynamics
5. Sugars and Polysaccharides
6. Lipids (Fats) and Membranes
7. Enzymes, Vitamins and Hormones
8. DNA and RNA
9. Laboratory Techniques

Tissue Culture

There are nine lessons as follows:

1. Introduction including a review of basic plant nutrition.
2. Plant Nutrients.
3. The Laboratory
4. Micropropagation Techniques
5. Plant Hormones
6. The Tissue Culture Environment
7. Commercial Applications
8. Taking Plants out of Culture
9. Culture of Selected Species

Plant Breeding

There are 7 lessons in this module as follows:

1. The Scope and Nature of the Plant Breeding Industry
2. Introduction to Genetics
3. Gamete Production, Pollination and Fertilisation in Plants
4. Mono Hybrid and Dihybrid Inheritance in Plants
5. Systematic Botany and Floral Structures
6. Practical Plant Breeding Techniques
7. Current Developments in Plant Genetics

Animal Breeding

There are 7 lessons as follows:

1. Introduction To Genetics
2. Genetics
3. Selection
4. Pure Breeding
5. Introduction To Cross Breeding
6. Cross Breeding
7. Livestock Improvement

Workshop I

There are 3 lessons, each involving a PBL project, as follows:

1. Workplace Tools, Equipment and Materials: Identifying and describing the operation of tools and equipment used in the workplace; routine maintenance of tools and equipment; identifying and comparing materials used in the workplace; using different materials to perform workplace tasks.

2. Workplace Skills: Determining key practical skills in the workplace; identifying and comparing commonly-performed workplace tasks; determining acceptable standards for workplace tasks; implementing techniques for improving workplace efficiency.

3. Workplace Safety: Identifying health and safety risks in the workplace; complying with industry OH&S standards; developing safety guidelines for handling dangerous items.

Modules

Note that each module in the Qualification - Certificate In Biotechnology is a short course in its own right, and may be studied separately.

Learning Facilities

ACS follows the old fashioned idea that “the student comes first”. Our staff are told to treat every student as an individual and respond promptly to their enquiries; and the facilities we have developed and continue to develop, are all focused on that goal. Facilities include:

• Offices in two time zones (UK and Australia) –which means an international team of academics are responding to students 5 days a week and 16 hours a day.
• An online student room with unique resources that are only available to students studying our courses, including online library.
• Bookshop offering quality downloadable e books
• A data base of 20 million words of unique information written by our staff over 3 decades that can be drawn upon if needed by academics for use in supporting our students.
• Systems that ensure assignments are tracked, marked and returned to students, fast -commonly within a round 1 week & rarely more than 2 weeks (note: many other colleges take longer).
• The school is active in social networking and encourages students to connect with us and each other.
• No automated handling of student phone enquiries. When you call you get a real person; or leave a message and a real person will call you back within a day, but more commonly within an hour or two.
• No additional charges for extra tutor support over the phone or email.
• Free careers advice for graduates –It is our policy to provide support and advice to our students even after they graduate. If a graduate needs help with getting a CV together, or advice on setting up a business or looking for work; they only need ask.
• The quality of academic staff is higher than many other colleges.

 How our Courses Differ

• Courses are continually improved –we invite feedback from all graduates and change courses immediately the need is detected.
• Courses are relevant to the whole world –we try hard to teach make the learning transferable to any region or country because the world is increasingly a global economy
• Courses written by our staff, teach different skills to standard courses; giving a unique mix of skills and knowledge to provide a career advantage. Do you want an accredited certificate and the same skills as 100 other job applicants; or one of our courses with skills that no other applicants have?
• Certificates and diplomas are longer. They teach you more, and our qualifications have built a reputation amongst academics and industry as being a very high standard for this reason.
• We are focused on helping you learn in a way that improves your capacity to understand your discipline, apply knowledge, and continue learning and developing your capabilities beyond your course.

These things cannot be always said of other colleges.

Career Opportunities

Study alone can never guarantee career success; but a good education is an important starting point.

Success in a career depends upon many things. A course like this is an excellent starting point because it provides a foundation for continued learning, and the means of understanding and dealing with issues you encounter in the workplace.

When you have completed an ACS course, you will have not only learnt about the subject, but you will have been prompted to start networking with experts in the discipline and shown how to approach problems that confront you in this field.

This and every other industry in today’s world is developing in unforeseen ways; and while that is unsettling for anyone who wants to be guaranteed a particular job at the end of a particular course; for others, this rapidly changing career environment is offering new and exciting opportunities almost every month.

If you want to do the best that you can in this industry, you need to recognise that the opportunities that confront you at the end of a course, are probably different to anything that has even been thought of when you commence a course.

BOOKS

Visit our School bookshop at www.acsebook.com

• Downloadable ebooks that can be read on ipads, PC’s, Laptops, or readers like a Kindle.
• Titles are written by our principal and staff.
• Anyone can purchase books –ACS students are offered a student discount