Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Laboratory Techniques and Methodologies
Other languages of instruction: Catalan, English
Teaching staff
Send an email to make an appointment:
Jennifer Olmos: jolmos@uic.es (coordinator)
José Muñoz: jmuñozl@uic.es
Raquel Obregón: robregon@uic.es
Visits will not be accepted without appointment
Introduction
The course of Basic Laboratory Techniques and Methodologies focuses on a first contact of the student with the most relevant techniques used in a laboratory. Following the guidelines governed by Good Laboratory Practices and having notions about safety and caution within a laboratory, the student must know how to function normally and be able to take this as a routine within any laboratory. This subject will set the foundations for future laboratory practices of other subjects within the degree of Bioengineering.
Pre-course requirements
No prerequisites are established, although it is recommended to have physical and chemical knowledge of the subject.
Objectives
- Knowledge about what are the most common operations in the laboratory and be able to apply them accordingly knowing their possibilities
- Acquisition by the student of good work habits in a laboratory so that they can correctly develop the practical subjects of subsequent courses.
- Knowledge of the different equipment and materials used in a laboratory and their corresponding applications.
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- CN01 - Describe aspects related to bioengineering based on subject-specific books together with scientific publications at the forefront of knowledge.
- CN04 - Integrate the fundamentals of materials science and technology taking into account the relationship between microstructure, synthesis or processing and material properties.
- CP02 - Work proactively within a multidisciplinary team, being aware of the role that needs to be performed.
- CP04 - Produce fixed and removable structures in medical device applications.
- HB01 - Convey information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
- HB03 - Validate calculations, valuations, appraisals, assessments, studies, reports, work plans and other similar works.
- HB04 - Assess the social and environmental impact of technical solutions through the analysis and application of quality principles and methods.
- HB05 - Integrate a third language, usually English, in a multilingual and multidisciplinary environment, with an adequate oral and written level and applying the terminology of bioengineering
- HB11 - Apply the fundamentals of elasticity and resistance of materials to the behaviour of real solids.
- HB14 - Identify engineering concepts that can be applied in the field of biology and health.
Learning outcomes of the subject
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Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
• Safely use chemical products and assess the risks involved in laboratory and industrial procedures.
• Solve problems related to manufacturing process engineering based on the materials that make up the component.
• Use computational tools for calculation and design in manufacturing process engineering.
• Recognize the manufacturing processes of components.
• Validate the control and verification of produced items.
Syllabus
PART I. SECURITY AND GOOD PRACTICES OF LABORATORY (GPL)
Chapter 1. Good laboratory practices.
Chapter 2. Risks at the manipulation of substances.
Chapter 3. Management of waste
Chapter 4. Techniques of cleaning, disinfection and sterilisation
Chapter 5. Standard operating procedures (SOP) and laboratory notebook
PART II. TECHNIQUES AND BASIC METHODOLOGIES OF LABORATORY
Chapter 6. Material and laboratory equipment
Chapter 7. Weighing
Chapter 8. Measures of liquid volumes
Chapter 9. Identification of substances by physical analysis-chemical analysis
Chapter 10. Mixing
Chapter 11. Mechanical separations of substances
Chapter 12. Diffusional separations of substances
Chapter 13. Crystallisation and recrystallisation
Chapter 14. RT-PCR and PCR
Chapter 15. Serial dilutions
Chapter 16. Spectrophotometry and standard curves
Chapter 17. Microscope and magnifying glass
Teaching and learning activities
In person
The subject will be divided by topics that could include one or several sessions in relation to the different biomaterials of study. Each session will consist of a previous theoretical explanation, an experimental part, analysis of the results and a group discussion.
During the sessions, students will work on a laboratory notebook where they will write down calculations, data and notes needed during the laboratory session. At the end of each session, the notebook will be supervised and stamped by the teacher.
Eventually, the teacher could use the Moodle platform that could include various resources, such as forms, exercises, multimedia material ... that the student must perform to complete the subject.
Classes will be taught in Spanish. The didactic material will be presented mainly in Spanish, although in some occasions, graphics, tables or schemes could be in English due to the sources from which they could be obtained.
The list of ECTS credits and the workload in learning hours depending on the different methodologies that will be used. Each ECTS theoretical credit has 10 hours in which the teacher has a presence in the classroom. The rest of the hours up to 25 correspond to the load of directed and autonomous learning of the student. This last teaching load can be done through autonomous activities, group work that will be presented and defended in class or individual study necessary to achieve the learning objectives of the different subjects.
Evaluation systems and criteria
In person
First call exam:
- Attendance/Punctuality (10%)
- Laboratory notebook (25%)
- Problems (25%)
- Final exam (40%)
A minimal mark of 5.0 should be obtained in the final exam in order to be taken for the calculation of the course average. The no realization of assignments will imply the failure of the subject. Assignments that are not given on time will not be evaluated and will not be accepted by email, only they will be accepted through Moodle platform. If they are submitted late, the maximum grade will be reduced to 50% of the initial grade.
The subject will be passed with a minimum mark of 5.0 in the total score grade.
The same evaluation criteria will be applied in the second sitting of the exam, without the possibility of obtaining a distinction with honors.
Attendance to laboratory practices is mandatory and it will be verified at the beginning of the session. This will have to be more than 90% to pass the course. A maximum of two missing classes are allowed, both excused and unexcused. Arriving 10 minutes late will be penalized, as well as leaving before the end of the practical lesson. Absences will have to be duly justified to the secretariat (lalastruey@uic.es). All students are required to do tasks even if they have not come to class.
In the case that a student has missed more than 2 sessions, they will have to take a practical exam in addition to the theoretical exam.
Important considerations
- Plagiarism, copying or any other action that may be considered cheating will be zero in that evaluation section. Besides, in exams it will mean the immediate failure of the whole subject.
- In the second-sitting exams, the maximum grade students will be able to obtain is "Excellent" (grade with honors distinction will not be possible).
- Changes of the calendar, exam dates or the evaluation system will not be accepted.
Exchange students (Erasmus and others) or repeaters will be subjected to the same conditions as the rest of the students.
Important considerations
- Plagiarism, copying or any other form of academic dishonesty will result in a grade of zero for the corresponding component.
- If academic dishonesty is detected during an exam, it will result in the immediate failure of the course, with no chance of resitting.
- The use of artificial intelligence tools for the completion of assessment activities is strictly prohibited, except where their use is expressly authorized by the lecturer as part of the activity.
- The use or possession of electronic devices (mobile phones, smartwatches, earbuds, etc.) during exams is strictly prohibited.
Mere possession, even if the device is turned off, will be considered an attempt to cheat.
- If this occurs during the first call, it will result in the automatic failure of the exam, and the student will be required to attend the second call.
- If it occurs during the second call, it will result in the definitive failure of the course, and the student must re-enrol in the next academic year.
- No changes to the academic calendar, exam dates or evaluation system will be accepted under any circumstances.
- Exchange students (Erasmus or others) and repeaters are subject to the same evaluation and attendance conditions as all other students.
Bibliography and resources
Not defined
Evaluation period
- E1 01/06/2026 A09 10:00h