BIOTECH 7001 - Drug Discovery and Development

North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2024

Societies across the world are looking to combat a greater range of human diseases but at the same time contain spiralling healthcare costs. This, together with global competition and increasing regulatory standards, puts enormous pressure on the pharmaceutical industry to discover and develop a greater number of therapeutic candidates even faster and cheaper than ever before. This course develops the key themes in the drug discovery and development pipeline and highlights the multi-disciplinary nature of the research and development process. Topics include: Target identification and validation, Hit discovery, Hit-to-lead optimisation, pre-clinical and clinical testing, regulatory and manufacturing considerations.

Open All

Course Details

Course Code	BIOTECH 7001
Course	Drug Discovery and Development
Coordinating Unit	Molec & Biomedical Science
Term	Semester 1
Level	Postgraduate Coursework
Location/s	North Terrace Campus
Units	3
Contact	Up to 4 hours per week
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	N
Assumed Knowledge	BIOCHEM 2500 or equivalent
Restrictions	Available to Graduate Certificate & Graduate Diploma in Biotechnology (Biomedical), Master of Biotechnology (Biomedical), Master of Biotechnology (Biomedical) (Advanced) and Master of Biopharmaceutical Engineering students only
Assessment	Essay, written assignment, tests, and group presentation

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Dr Kate Wegener

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

Course Learning Outcomes

A successful student should be able to:

1	Demonstrate an awareness of the current approaches to global drug discovery and their advantages and limitations.
2	Demonstrate an understanding of the steps involved in the drug discovery and design process
3	Demonstrate an awareness of the important contributions the different discipline areas make to the drug discovery and development process.
4	Critically analyse biological pathways for their potential as drug targets for a given disease.
5	Demonstrate the ability to use evidence-based approaches to guide decision making during the drug discovery and development process.
6	Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of strict quality control and regulation in the drug development process, and an awareness of issues associated with the manufacturing of medicines such as good manufacturing practice.
7	Critically analyse and integrate information from the scientific literature.
8	Present to an audience in summary the critical evaluation of the scientific literature and experimental data

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

University Graduate Attribute	Course Learning Outcome(s)
Attribute 1: Deep discipline knowledge and intellectual breadth Graduates have comprehensive knowledge and understanding of their subject area, the ability to engage with different traditions of thought, and the ability to apply their knowledge in practice including in multi-disciplinary or multi-professional contexts.	2,4,6,7
Attribute 2: Creative and critical thinking, and problem solving Graduates are effective problems-solvers, able to apply critical, creative and evidence-based thinking to conceive innovative responses to future challenges.	2,4,5,7
Attribute 3: Teamwork and communication skills Graduates convey ideas and information effectively to a range of audiences for a variety of purposes and contribute in a positive and collaborative manner to achieving common goals.	2,3,5,8
Attribute 4: Professionalism and leadership readiness Graduates engage in professional behaviour and have the potential to be entrepreneurial and take leadership roles in their chosen occupations or careers and communities.	1,2,3,5,6,8
Attribute 5: Intercultural and ethical competency Graduates are responsible and effective global citizens whose personal values and practices are consistent with their roles as responsible members of society.	1,3,5,8
Attribute 6: Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural competency Graduates have an understanding of, and respect for, Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander values, culture and knowledge.	.
Attribute 7: Digital capabilities Graduates are well prepared for living, learning and working in a digital society.	2, 3, 4, 7, 8
Attribute 8: Self-awareness and emotional intelligence Graduates are self-aware and reflective; they are flexible and resilient and have the capacity to accept and give constructive feedback; they act with integrity and take responsibility for their actions.	1,5,7,8

Learning Resources

Required Resources

Molecular Graphics Software
Access to the free molecular grpahics software "Chimera" is required for the drug design workshops

Recommended Resources

MyUni:
Course resources as provided including video/audio recording of lectures and copies of PowerPoint slides, as well as additional reading/recommended texts

Weblinks:
As specified during the course
Scientific literature and journal articles
Learning & Teaching Activities
Learning & Teaching Modes

This course will be delivered by the following means:
1 or 2 x 1 hour lectures per week
1 x 2 hour workshop/tutorial per week

Workload

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

Contact Hours (45 hours)
Lectures 18 x 1 = 18 hours
Workshops 12 x 2 = 24 hours
Exam 1 x 3 hours = 3 hours

Non-contact Hours (110 hours)
Weekly reading/other study hours per lecture = 36 hours
Preparation for workshops 2 hour per week = 24 hours
Preparation for presentations = 6 hours
Major essay = 20 hours
Exam preparation= 24 hours

Total = approximately 155 hours

Learning Activities Summary
The topics covered in the course and supported by online resources are as follows:
- Introduction to drug discovery and target product profiles
- High throughput screening methods.
- Medicinal chemistry
- Pharmacology and ADME toxicology
- Clinical Trials
- Fragment- and Structure-based Drug Design
- Biological therapeutics
- Case studies in drug discovery.

The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
Assessment must maintain academic standards.

Assessment Summary

Assessment Task	Task Type	Due	Weighting	Learning Outcome
Quizzes	Formative and Summative	Weekly	5%	1-6
Target Product Profile Presentation	Formative and Summative	Week 6	15%	1-8
Written Assignment	Formative and Summative	Week 10	25%	4,7
Drug Design Workshop Portfolio	Formative and Summative	Week 13	15%	1-3,5
Mid-Semester theory test	Summative	Week 7	20%	1-6
End of semester theory test	Summative	Week 13	20%	1-6

Assessment Detail

Quiz (5%) - A short quiz testing the students on what they have learned from the first series of lectures.

Target Product Profile Presentation (15%) - This is a group assignment where a small group of students (4-6) investigates the drug discovery opportunities for a particular disease and develop a plan for how they would produce a therapeutic for treatment. The group presents their findings as an oral presentation.

Essay (25%) - In this individual assignment, students select a current drug discovery publication (from a provided selection) and write an essay discussing where and how the research fits into the drug discovery pipeline.

Drug Design Workshop Portfolio (15%) - In the workshops, students learn how to visualise and manipulate protein structures, as well as the basics of in silico molecular docking, using simple software on their own devices. Students then complete an online assignment, providing details about how they completed each step of the procedure and what they learned.

End of Semester Theory Exam (40%) - Students complete a three-hour exam on the theoretical concepts they have learned in lectures, as well as the application of this knowledge to the analysis of a provided research paper.

Submission

Late Submission
If an extension is not applied for, or not granted then a penalty for late submission will apply. A penalty of 10% of the value of the assignment for each calendar day that the assignment is late (i.e. weekends count as 2 days), up to a maximum of 50% of the available marks will be applied. This means that an assignment that is 5 days late or more without an approved extension can only receive a maximum of 50% of the marks available for that assignment.

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
Grade	Mark	Description
FNS		Fail No Submission
F	1-49	Fail
P	50-64	Pass
C	65-74	Credit
D	75-84	Distinction
HD	85-100	High Distinction
CN		Continuing
NFE		No Formal Examination
RP		Result Pending

Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

Student Feedback

The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
Student Support
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
Fraud Awareness

Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.

Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator