Course Policy (2023-24) Elements of Biology

Mukesh Patel School of Technology Management and Engineering

Basic Sci. & Humanities Department
Course Policy
Program/Branch/Semester : B.Tech - Computer Engineering
B.Tech - Computer Science
B.Tech - Computer Science and Engineering
(Cybersecurity)
B.Tech - Information Technology
B.Tech - Data Science
B.Tech - Mechanical Engineering
B.Tech - Civil Engineering
B.Tech - Mechatronics Engineering
B.Tech - Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering

B.Tech Integrated - Computer

B.Tech Integrated - Data Science
B.Tech Integrated - Information Technology
Academic Year : 2023-24
Course Code & Name : MBCH05008
Elements of Biology (EOB)
Credit Details : L T P C
3 0 0 3

Course Coordinator : Dr. Pravin D. Patil

Faculty
Contact No. & Email : 022-42334791 | [email protected]
Office : SBMP Phase 2 Bldg, 1st Floor, 101, Cubicle 04
Office hours : 09:00AM – 05:00PM
Other Course Faculty : Course Faculty 2: Dr. Geetanjali Gokhale-Ashtekar
members teaching this Contact No.+91 98192 77108
course Email: [email protected]
Office: Mumbai campus
Office Hours: 09:00AM – 05:00PM
Course Faculty 3: Dr. Sugam Shivhare Course Faculty 4: Dr. Suman Verma
Contact No. +91 9977159739 Contact No. +91 9098561751
Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]
Office: Shirpur campus Office: Indore campus
Office Hours: 09:00AM – 05:00PM Office Hours: 09:00AM – 05:00PM
Course Faculty 5: Prof. Bhakti Bapat Course Faculty 6: Prof. Shashikant Sankhe
Contact No. +91 8511150098 Contact No. +91 77389 79478
Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]

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Course Policy (2023-24) Elements of Biology

Office: Mumbai & Navi Mumbai campus Office: Mumbai campus

Office Hours: 09:00AM – 05:00PM Office Hours: 09:00AM – 05:00PM
Course Faculty 7: Prof. Pallavi S. Course Faculty 8: Dr. Ranvir Singh Panwar
Prabhudesai Contact No. +91 95696 96569
Contact No. +91-8999307396 Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected] Office: Chandigarh campus
Office: Mumbai campus Office Hours: 09:00AM – 05:00PM
Office Hours: 09:00AM – 05:00PM
Course Faculty 9: Prof. Sharon Blessy
Contact No. +91 82474 33127
Email: [email protected]
Office: Hyderabad campus
Office Hours: 09:00AM – 05:00PM
Queries by Email are encouraged.
Course link : EOB Study Material Link

1 Introduction to the Course

1.1 Importance of the course

It is very much important for engineering students to understand the basic principles of
engineering and the introduction of biological concepts so that they can effectively interact to
concern for providing solutions to the problems related to biosystems. Today, biology is an
emerging interdisciplinary field that focuses on the application of engineering principles for
the analysis of biological systems and solving the connection problems of these systems that
are plant, animal, or microbiological with man-made machines, structures, processes, and
instruments. It is used in the design of medical devices, diagnostic equipment, biocompatible
materials, renewable energy, ecological engineering, process engineering and catalysis, and
other areas that improve the living standards of societies.

1.2 Course Objectives

The principal objective of this course is to provide a basic understanding of the
biological mechanisms of living organisms from the perspective of engineers. To
encourage engineering students to think about solving biological problems with
engineering tools. To make them aware of the application of engineering principles in
biology and engineering robust solutions inspired by biological examples.

1.3 Pre-requisite
Fundamental knowledge of physics, chemistry, and mathematics.

2 Course Outcomes (CO) and mapping with Program Outcomes (PO)

2.1 Course Outcomes

After successful completion of the course, a student will be able to-

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Course Policy (2023-24) Elements of Biology

CO1. Identify key principles of biomimicry and develop engineering solutions for different
fields.
CO2. Classify microorganisms and their molecular properties and analyze the role of DNA as
genetic material in transferring information among living organisms.
CO3. Understand the fundamental building blocks of life, including carbohydrates, amino
acids, proteins, and lipids, and illustrate their functions in cellular processes and metabolism.

2.2 CO-PO Mapping

PO1 PO2 PO3 PO4 PO5 PO6 PO7 PO8 PO9 PO10 PO11 PO12
CO1 3 2 3 - - - 1 - - - - -
CO2 - 3 - 2 2 - - - - - - -
CO3 1 2 - - - - - - - - - -
Low-1, Medium-2, High-3

Program Outcome [PO]

3 Syllabus, Pre-class activity and References

3.1 Teaching and evaluation scheme

Teaching Scheme Evaluation Scheme

Internal Continuous
Lecture Assessment (ICA) Theory
Practical Tutorial
Hours As per Institute Norms (3 Hrs,
Hours Hours Credit
per
per week per week (50 Marks) 100 Marks)
week

3 0 0 3 Marks Scaled to 50 Marks Scaled to 50

3.2 Syllabus
Detailed Syllabus: (per session plan)
Unit Description Duration
1. Introduction to Biomimicry
[CO1] Applications of biology in engineering, Biology as an independent
scientific discipline, Importance of studying biology, Exploring
biological discoveries of the 19th century: Brownian motion and
beyond. Applications of biology: Biotechnology, Bioremediation,
Bioinformatics, etc., Biologically inspired engineering. Biomimicry in 09
engineering using designs, processes, and ecosystems. Sustainable
engineering.
Case study: The Kingfisher's beak inspired high-speed Bullet trains.

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2. The fundamental building blocks of life

[CO3] Unity in diversity of life, Molecules of life. Structure and functions of
carbohydrates, amino acids, proteins, and lipids. Hierarchy in protein
structure. Primary secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structure. 06
Proteins as enzymes, transporters, receptors, and structural elements.
Nucleotides and DNA/RNA.

3. Genetics and Information Transfer

[CO2] Genetics as the foundation of biology, Mendel's laws, Segregation and
independent assortment, Gene mapping, Single gene disorders,
Molecular basis of genetic information transfer, DNA as genetic
material, Genetic code, Universality of genetic code, DNA replication, 09
Protein synthesis, Central dogma of life: transcription and translation.
Case study: Breaking the storage barrier by storing massive amounts
of data on DNA.

4. Enzymes
[CO3] Catalysis as a crucial element for life, Enzymology, Enzyme-catalyzed
reactions, Enzyme-substrate complex, Mechanism of action, Enzyme
classification, Enzyme kinetics, Enzyme inhibition, Industrial 06
applications of enzymes.

5. Metabolism
[CO3] Metabolism: catabolism and anabolism, Principles of energy
transactions, ATP as energy currency, ATP cycle, Cellular respiration, 06
Anaerobic respiration, Aerobic respiration, Metabolic regulation,
Bioenergetics.

6. Microbiology and Drug Discovery

[CO2] Introduction to biological classification: criteria of organization and
hierarchy of life. Ecological aspects of single-celled organisms,
Identification, and classification of microorganisms, Microbial growth
kinetics, Microbial biotechnology. Drug discovery, Model organisms
for biological studies E. coli, S. cerevisiae, D. melanogaster, C. 09
elegance, A. thaliana, M. musculus. Vaccines, Targeted drug delivery
Case study: Development of a nanoparticle-based vaccine delivery
system for cancer immunotherapy.
Total 45

3.3 Pre-class activity

Outline for a preliminary study to be done for each unit, will be provided prior to
commencement of each unit. Preliminary study material (video links, presentation, notes, etc.)
will be made available on the student portal. Students are expected to go through this material
before attending the upcoming session. It is expected that the students put in at least two hours
of self-study for every one hour of classroom teaching. During the lecture session, more
emphasis will be given to in-depth topics, practical applications, and doubt solving.

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3.4 References

Textbooks:
1. Arthur T. Johnson, Biology for Engineers, 2nd Edition, CRC Press Taylor & Francis group,
2018.
2. Prescott, L.M J.P. Harley and C.A. Klein, Microbiology, 12th edition, McGraw-Hill Higher
Education, 2022.
Reference Books
1. Campbell, N. A.; Reece, J. B.; Urry, Lisa; Cain, M, L.; Wasserman, S. A.; Minorsky, P. V.;
Jackson, R. B., Biology: A global approach, 12th edition, Pearson Education Ltd.,2020.
2. Nelson, D. L.; Lehninger, A. L.; and Cox, M. M., Principles of Biochemistry, 8th edition,
W.H. Freeman, 2020.
Note: The latest edition of books should be referred.

4 Laboratory/Tutorial details
No labs/Tutorials for this course

5 Assessment Policy
5.1 Component wise Continuous Evaluation Internal Continuous Assessment (ICA) and
Term End Examination (TEE)

Assessment ICA (100 Marks) TEE (100

Component (Marks scaled to 50) marks)
(Marks scaled to
50)
Class Test 1 Subject Class Presentations on
and Enrichment particip advanced topics
Class Test 2 Exercise (SEE) ation related to biology
(beyond syllabus)

Weightage 20% 10% 5% 15% 50%

Marks 20+20 20 10 30 100

Date/Week Test 1: SEE 1: Weekly Once a week 05th Nov to 21st

of activity 21st to 26th Second week of (2 presentations) Nov 2023
Aug 2023 Sep 2023

Test 2: SEE 2:
03rd to 10th Last week of
Oct 2023 Oct 2023

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Course Policy (2023-24) Elements of Biology

5.2 Assessment Policy for Internal Continuous Assessment (ICA)

Assessment of ICA comprises the following components.

1. Class test 1 and 2 (20+20 marks)

a. Two class tests will be conducted as per the academic calendar.

b. It may be conducted offline for 20 marks each

2. Subject Enrichment Exercise (SEE) (20 marks)

i. Continuous assessment for subject enrichment exercises will be
conducted. There are two exercises that will be conducted. At the end of
the course, an average of total marks will be taken to obtain marks out
of 20.
ii. The main objective of these exercises would be to provide an
opportunity for students to learn, practice, and demonstrate they have
achieved their learning goals while enriching their subject knowledge.
iii. Discussion of your work with your peers is allowed. However, each
student is expected to submit his/her original work. Submissions that are
very similar will be marked zero. Assessment of the exercises will be
carried out based on parameters such as understanding of the topic,
originality in the work, involvement of the student (15 marks), timely
completion, regularity, discipline etc. (5 marks). There would be 20%
penalty per week on late submissions.

Submission Deadlines:
SEE No. Units Deadline for submission

1 1,2,3 15th Sep 2023

2 4,5,6 31st Oct 2023

3. Class participation (10 marks)

Continuous assessment for class participation will be conducted. The faculty will
ask some questions in every class based on the content being taught. The idea is
to encourage students to pay attention in class and actively participate. These
marks will be added to the ICA class participation component. The main learning
objectives for each module and for the course will be considered and learner-
centered assessment will be encouraged.

4. Presentations on advanced topics (30 marks)

Students will be assigned a presentation topic based on advanced concepts of the
application of biology in engineering. The core engineering-related topics where
biology-inspired designs/processes/ecosystems are explored will be preferred for
the presentation. Assessment of the presentations will be carried out based on
parameters like literature research (5 marks), quality of presentation (5 marks),
understanding of the topic originality in topic selection (10 marks), Q&A session
(5 marks), timely completion, involvement of the student, etc. (5 marks).
Process:
i. Faculty will make a group of 2 students

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ii. Identify a topic/research paper based on some topic relevant to the

course.
iii. Students must get the topic approval.
iv. Assessment will be based on the presentation, originality, and
understanding, etc.

5.3 Assessment Policy for Term End Examination (TEE)

A written examination of 100 marks will be conducted for the course as per the academic
calendar.

6. Lesson Plan

Session Mapped Reference

Topics
No. CO
1 Biology as an independent scientific discipline [CO1]

Importance of studying biology [CO1]

2
Exploring biological discoveries of the 19th century: [CO1]
3
Brownian motion and beyond
4 Applications of biology in engineering [CO1]

Biologically inspired engineering and biomimicry in [CO1]

5
engineering using designs, processes, and ecosystems
6 Sustainable engineering [CO1]

Applications of biology: Biotechnology, [CO1]

7
Bioremediation, Bioinformatics, etc.
Case study: The Kingfisher's beak inspired high-speed [CO1]
8
Bullet trains
9 Review and wrap-up [CO1]

10 Unity in diversity of life [CO3]

11 Molecules of life [CO3]

12 Carbohydrates and their structure and function [CO3]

Amino acids and proteins, including hierarchy in [CO3]

13
protein structure and primary to quaternary structure
Proteins as enzymes, transporters, receptors, and [CO3]
14
structural elements
15 Nucleotides, DNA, and RNA [CO3]

Test 1 (M1) Unit 1, 2

16 Genetics as the foundation of biology [CO2]

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Mendel's laws, segregation, and independent [CO2]

17
assortment
Gene mapping and single gene disorders [CO2]
18
Molecular basis of genetic information transfer and [CO2]
19
DNA as genetic material
Genetic code and universality of genetic code [CO2]
20
DNA replication [CO2]
21
Protein synthesis and central dogma of life, including [CO2]
22
transcription and translation
Case study: Breaking the storage barrier by storing [CO2]
23
massive amounts of data on DNA
Genetics as the foundation of biology [CO2]
24
25 Catalysis as a crucial element for life [CO3]

Enzymology and introduction to enzyme-catalyzed [CO3]

26
reactions
27 Enzyme-substrate complex and mechanism of action [CO3]

28 Enzyme classification and enzyme kinetics [CO3]

29 Enzyme inhibition [CO3]

30 Industrial applications of enzymes [CO3]

Test 2 (M2) Unit 3,4,5

31 Metabolism: catabolism and anabolism [CO3]

Principles of energy transactions and ATP as energy [CO3]

32
currency
33 ATP cycle and overview of cellular respiration [CO3]

34 Anaerobic respiration [CO3]

35 Aerobic respiration [CO3]

36 Metabolic regulation and bioenergetics [CO3]

Introduction to biological classification: criteria of [CO2]

37
organization and hierarchy of life
38 Criteria of organization and hierarchy of life [CO2]

39 Ecological aspects of single-celled organisms [CO2]

40 Identification and classification of microorganisms [CO2]

41 Microbial growth kinetics and microbial biotechnology [CO2]

42 Model organisms for biological studies [CO2]

43 Drug discovery [CO2]

44 Vaccines and targeted drug delivery [CO2]

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Case study: Development of a nanoparticle-based [CO2]

45
vaccine delivery system for cancer immunotherapy

7. Teaching-learning methodology
Faculty will make a group of 2-3 students for any group-based activity such as class
participation, project, presentation, etc. The lecture will be conducted as follows-
Lectures:
o Outline for a preliminary study to be done for each unit will be provided prior to
commencement of each unit.
o Deeper concepts and applications will be explained through presentations and Video
Lectures.

Active learning techniques

Active learning is a method of learning in which students are actively or experientially involved
in the learning process. Following active learning techniques will be adopted for the course.

1. Muddiest topic: Faculty will find out the least understood point/topic in the session. This
topic is then further explained to ensure that it is understood well.
2. The "One Minute Paper": The faculty will ask students to take out a blank sheet of paper,
pose a question (either specific or open-ended), and give them one (or perhaps two - but
not many) minute(s) to respond.
3. Blended Learning: Students will be introduced to the topic at home while the in-depth
topics will be discussed by the faculty during the lecture session. Outline for a preliminary
study to be done for each unit will be provided prior to commencement of each unit.
Preliminary study material (video links, presentation, notes, etc) will be made available on
the student portal.
4. Frame a question: Students will be asked to design and frame their own questions
pertaining to the topic being taught. The idea is to stimulate students’ curiosity, engage the
students in collaborative teaching and learning, and motivate students to develop a deeper
understating of the topic.
o Frame questions for each unit of the course: At the beginning of each use, the faculty
will create a new page in OneNote Class Notebook in a collaborative section where
every student will post his/her question.
5. Brainstorming: Students will be asked to generate ideas on a certain topic, category, or
question while the faculty will facilitate and record the answers on the
blackboard/whiteboard.

8. Course Material
The following course, material is uploaded on the student portal: (portal link)
• Course Policy
• Lecture Notes
• Lecture Videos
• Lecture Presentations
• Books / Reference Books / NPTEL video lectures link
• Subject Enrichment Exercises

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• List of Program Outcomes

9. Course Outcome Attainment

The following means will be used to assess the attainment of course learning outcomes.
• Use of formal evaluation components of continuous evaluation, assignments,
laboratory work, semester-end examination
• Informal feedback during course conduction

10. Academic Integrity Statement

Students are expected to carry out assigned work under Internal Continuous
Assessment (ICA) independently. Copying in any form is not acceptable and will invite
strict disciplinary action. Evaluation of the corresponding components will be affected
proportionately in such cases. Plagiarism detection software will be used to check
plagiarism wherever applicable. Academic integrity is expected from students in all
components of course assessment.

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