UCL - Rotation

[BBMC2103]

[12h + 36h] 8 credits

Teacher(s): Henri Batoko, François Chaumont, Bernard Hallet, Bernard Knoops, René Rezsohazy(coord.), Patrice Soumillion

Language: French

Level: Second

Aims
Main themes
Content and teaching methods
Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Aims

This "freshman tour" consists in short stays in laboratories representative of each of the four options opened to student enrolled into the Master in Biochemistry, Molecular and Cellular Biology. Its aim is to update the student about current research projects, methodological approaches and practices in each of the fields. This immersion into the daily life of the laboratories will help the student in making well-informed decisions regarding their final orientation and the choice of a laboratory and supervisor for the thesis.

Main themes

The activity consists in a series of four stays, each spread over three weeks, during which the student will be confronted to research activities connected to each of the Master options: one stay in a Biochemistry research team, another in a group active in molecular and cellular Microbiology, another in molecular and cellular plant Biology, and a last one in molecular and cellular animal Biology. During these stays, the student will not perform experimental work, although he will be invited to assist people in the lab. He will be asked to familiarise with ongoing research projects through recommended reading of recent scientific literature as well as through formal and informal discussions with members of the research team.

Content and teaching methods

Three stays, each two weeks long, during which the student is associated to a researcher in his/her daily life in the lab. The student will not perform experimental work, but will follow the work of his/her mentor. For each stay, the student will be present at least for 36 hours in the lab (18 hours/week). These two weeks spent in the lab are followed by a third one during which the student will prepare a short report. This report will correspond to a research project to be conceived as the continuation of the research he has been associated to during his stay in the lab.

Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Precursory courses: Bachelor

Evaluation: For each stay
-evaluation of the competences met by the student according to a series of criteria corresponding to the competences of a good scientist: searching for information, ability to analyze, synthesize, criticize, being involved in a team spirit,

Support:
- A vademcum is available for this activity
- Bibliographical resources, activity reports, etc will be made available to the student in each visited lab.

Teaching team: For each training period: a promoter (head of the lab) and a supervisor are nominated.