This course will bring students up to date with the latest technological developments in molecular biology that they are unlikely to have encountered in detail in the first three years. We will also discuss and explore how new technologies with broad implications come into existence and follow the process of establishment, acceptance and dissemination through the scientific community. The actual content of the course will be updated each year to reflect the latest advances, for example a course running now would certainly consider the latest developments in high through-put sequencing technologies and genome engineering. During the module a disruptive technology that has developed rapidly over the last five years (e.g. high-throughput DNA sequencing) will be considered as a case study. During the course students will practice their presentation skills and also their ability to accurately and succinctly summarise content in written form.

1. To develop a broad understanding of the latest technological developments in molecular biology.
2. Continued development of their abilities to synthesize, summarize and present new information in a relatively short time, a key research skill.
3. Experience the application of new technical knowledge and appreciate that the nature of data produced by different technologies decides what kinds of questions it can use to answer.
4. Develop an appreciation of the research process with respect to technology development and be able to discuss in some detail specific examples.