Synthetic Microbes
PowerPoint Presentation Synthetic Microbes Assessment Synthetic Microbes [20% of overall course mark] Your opportunity to design your own microbe – presentation based assessment. You are provided with two powerpoint slides (see Slides 4 and 5 below) that contain a collection of bacterial ‘genes’ which encode different cellular components, processes and other phenotypes. In this case, it is assumed that each ‘gene’ encodes each individual function, although in reality, many genes will be involved in some of these functions. For each category (A to J), you will choose a number of genes (as indicated) which then comprises the genome for your Synthetic Microbe. Genes can be copied and pasted from the slides below for use in your presentation. You should choose the genes needed for your microbe to live within a named environment and then generate and submit a Powerpoint file containing a presentation with animation and audio The presentation/animation should be a maximum of two minutes in length (time) This presentation should describe your Synthetic Microbe, its structure, key phenotypes (features), functions and its adaptation for the environment (a named habitat which you define) in your microbe will live. For each category, there are a set number of genes available (as indicated) for you to choose from. There is one category (Category J) which allows you to include two genes and their functions of your choice You are encouraged to review the notes and slides from course lectures to inform your choice of genes and functions. Heterotroph Chemoautotroph Photoautotroph Aerobe Facultative Anaerobe Obligate Anaerobe DNA replication Transcription Translation Cell Membrane Outer Membrane Thick Peptidoglycan Thin Peptidoglycan Membrane transporters Rod Shaped Cocci Filamentous Prosthecate Electron Transfer Chain Flagellum Ribosomes Psychrophile Mesophile Thermophile Hyperthermophile Non-Halophilic Halophile Halotolerant Extreme halophile Microaerophile A) Cell structure & processes Choose up to 10 ‘genes’ B) Mode of growth Choose up to 2 ‘genes’ C) Oxygen Requirement Choose 1 ‘gene’ D) Cellular morphology Choose 1 ‘gene’ G) Salt tolerance Choose 1 ‘gene’ F) Temperature tolerance Choose 1 ‘gene’ Acidophilic Alkaliphilic Neutral pH E) pH tolerance Choose 1 ‘gene’ Biofilm formation Spore formation Antibiotic resistance Plasmid replication Toxin production Heavy metal resistance Hydrocarbon degradation Chemotaxis Conjugative plasmid transfer Denitrification Ammonium oxidation Iron oxidation Nitrite oxidation Sulphate reduction Nitrogen fixation Radiation resistance Chlorine resistance Resistance to Bacteriophage Phosphate production User-defined Function 1 User-defined Function 2 H) Nutrient cycling Choose up to 2 ‘genes’ I) Additional phenotypes Choose up to 5 genes J) User designed phenotypes You should chose 2 ‘genes’ for you to define phenotypes of your choice. Names of genes in the red ‘gene arrows’ below can be edited. In designing your Synthetic Microbe, consider the following questions: What is the shape of your bacterium? What cellular structures does your bacterium have? What Gram reaction does your bacterium have? How does it generate energy? How does it make and/or break down organic carbon? Is your microbe motile? Where does your microbe live? (e.g. environmental conditions, including temperature, pH, salt, oxygen availability, nutrients) What additional functions does your bacterium have? Animation Basics on Powerpoint: https://support.office.com/en-us/article/animation-basics-for-your-presentation-4fbc7d35-3548-431a-a871-709945f9352c https://support.office.com/en-gb/article/video-add-animations-to-slides%E2%80%8B-7db07067-4d78-40b5-bc87-5ff4f5ff6ff7 https://support.office.com/en-us/article/video-trigger-an-animation-effect-09e0ddab-5be5-488e-a99d-719304572f95 Insert or add audio to your presentation on Powerpoint: https://support.office.com/en-us/article/video-add-and-record-audio-eeac1757-5f20-4379-95f2-0d0cd151d5b8 …or look for video tutorials on YouTube Getting started on animations and audio in Powerpoint Marking Rubric (Overview) You are assessed on three criteria as follows with marks allocation for each criterion as indicated: Detailed Rubric Breakdown High Distinction >80%Distinction 70-79%Credit 60-69%Pass 50-59%Fail <50% quality of presentationsuperb animations/images, and audio/video. imaginative use of animations, audio and other media. presentation of appropriate length (around 2 minutes)excellent animations/images, and audio/video. excellent balance of animations and audio and text. presentation a little too long or too short.good animations/images, and audio/video. good balance of animations/images and audio and text. presentation too long or too short.basic animations/images, and audio/video. mostly text with little audio and/or animation. presentation far too long or too short.poor animations/images. audio and/or video absent (very little content). presentation far too long or too short. structure and function of microbemicrobe is fully functional and will be capable of living, growth and replication.microbe is largely functional but may have some functions impacting upon likely survival.microbe is functional but has or lacks some key functions like to negatively impact on survival.microbe not likely to survive and/or replicate. substantive weaknesses meaning survival is compromised.microbe would not live, grow and/or replicate. suitability of synthetic microbe for named habitatmicrobe very well suited to existence and success in named habitat. outstanding evidence of suitability to survive and be successful.microbe adapted to its named habitat for the majority of its functions. excellent evidence of suitability to survive.microbe has some functions that allow it to survive in its named habitat. good evidence of suitability to survive.microbe not likely to survive well in its named habitat. some evidence of suitability to survive.microbe would die in its named habitat. little to no evidence of suitability to survive. synthetic microbes deadline deadline of 23.59 on friday 11th october) (late submission penalties will apply of 10% for each day or part thereof for which the assessment is late) this is an individual (not a group assignment). each student should complete this assignment on their own. synthetic microbes prizes two prizes will be awarded to students as follows: best synthetic microbe prize - for the microbe which is assessed to be the best microbe capable of living in its given environment best animation prize – for the best animation/presentation prize awardees (and details of the prizes) will be announced via the canvas site, after all assignments have been assessed. awardees will be asked if their presentations can be released and shown on the biol2256 canvas site (permission will be sought in advance). quality="" of="" presentation="" superb="" animations/images,="" and="" audio/video.="" imaginative="" use="" of="" animations,="" audio="" and="" other="" media.="" presentation="" of="" appropriate="" length="" (around="" 2="" minutes)="" excellent="" animations/images,="" and="" audio/video.="" excellent="" balance="" of="" animations="" and="" audio="" and="" text.="" presentation="" a="" little="" too="" long="" or="" too="" short.="" good="" animations/images,="" and="" audio/video.="" good="" balance="" of="" animations/images="" and="" audio="" and="" text.="" presentation="" too="" long="" or="" too="" short.="" basic="" animations/images,="" and="" audio/video.="" mostly="" text="" with="" little="" audio="" and/or="" animation.="" presentation="" far="" too="" long="" or="" too="" short.="" poor="" animations/images.="" audio="" and/or="" video="" absent="" (very="" little="" content).="" presentation="" far="" too="" long="" or="" too="" short.="" structure="" and="" function="" of="" microbe="" microbe="" is="" fully="" functional="" and="" will="" be="" capable="" of="" living,="" growth="" and="" replication.="" microbe="" is="" largely="" functional="" but="" may="" have="" some="" functions="" impacting="" upon="" likely="" survival.="" microbe="" is="" functional="" but="" has="" or="" lacks="" some="" key="" functions="" like="" to="" negatively="" impact="" on="" survival.="" microbe="" not="" likely="" to="" survive="" and/or="" replicate.="" substantive="" weaknesses="" meaning="" survival="" is="" compromised.="" microbe="" would="" not="" live,="" grow="" and/or="" replicate.="" suitability="" of="" synthetic="" microbe="" for="" named="" habitat="" microbe="" very="" well="" suited="" to="" existence="" and="" success="" in="" named="" habitat.="" outstanding="" evidence="" of="" suitability="" to="" survive="" and="" be="" successful.="" microbe="" adapted="" to="" its="" named="" habitat="" for="" the="" majority="" of="" its="" functions.="" excellent="" evidence="" of="" suitability="" to="" survive.="" microbe="" has="" some="" functions="" that="" allow="" it="" to="" survive="" in="" its="" named="" habitat.="" good="" evidence="" of="" suitability="" to="" survive.="" microbe="" not="" likely="" to="" survive="" well="" in="" its="" named="" habitat.="" ="" some="" evidence="" of="" suitability="" to="" survive.="" microbe="" would="" die="" in="" its="" named="" habitat.="" ="" little="" to="" no="" evidence="" of="" suitability="" to="" survive.="" synthetic="" microbes="" deadline="" deadline="" of="" 23.59="" on="" friday="" 11th="" october)="" (late="" submission="" penalties="" will="" apply="" of="" 10%="" for="" each="" day="" or="" part="" thereof="" for="" which="" the="" assessment="" is="" late)="" this="" is="" an="" individual="" (not="" a="" group="" assignment).="" each="" student="" should="" complete="" this="" assignment="" on="" their="" own.="" synthetic="" microbes="" prizes="" two="" prizes="" will="" be="" awarded="" to="" students="" as="" follows:="" best="" synthetic="" microbe="" prize="" -="" for="" the="" microbe="" which="" is="" assessed="" to="" be="" the="" best="" microbe="" capable="" of="" living="" in="" its="" given="" environment="" best="" animation="" prize="" –="" for="" the="" best="" animation/presentation="" prize="" awardees="" (and="" details="" of="" the="" prizes)="" will="" be="" announced="" via="" the="" canvas="" site,="" after="" all="" assignments="" have="" been="" assessed.="" awardees="" will="" be="" asked="" if="" their="" presentations="" can="" be="" released="" and="" shown="" on="" the="" biol2256="" canvas="" site="" (permission="" will="" be="" sought="" in="">