Research in Microbiology (MIU44001)

Content Overview

Students carry out a 9-week research project under the direction of a member of the academic staff and write a research thesis at the end of the project. Throughout the year students attend weekly seminars provided by invited leaders in the field of microbiology. Students carry out a literature review and write a 4000-word essay on a chosen topic in Microbiology. Lectures on professional and ethical issues relating to research in the field of microbiology are provided.

Students are required to complete a 25-page thesis of their work. Theses are read and assessed by the supervisor of the chosen project and the project coordinator. These are also sent to the external examiner {Prof. Steve Gordon, University College Dublin (2020-21)} for his consideration. Students are required to attend a short interview with their assessment panel after submission of the thesis.

Review Essay, each student undertakes an independent, in-depth review of current research on a specific area of Microbiology. Students are provided with a choice of essay titles at the beginning of Michaelmas semester and submit the essays at the beginning of the Hilary semester. The review essay accounts for 7 ECTS of the Senior Sophister year.

Microbiology Seminar Series, National, and International speakers are invited to deliver seminars on the most current topics in Microbiology. Seminars are held on Thursdays at either 1pm or 4pm and attendance Online is compulsory. Students are encouraged to read up on the seminar topics and to integrate this information with that provided in their course. This will help develop a deeper understanding of topics and facilitate more in-depth answering in examinations.