BT2501: INTRODUCTION TO BIOBUSINESS AND BIOENTREPRENEURSHIP (2022-2023)

Last modified: 31 Jul 2023 11:19

Course Overview

This course will look at biomedical discoveries and explore the mechanisms by which these “inventions” can be developed into innovative outcomes and products with commercial and/or therapeutic value.

Entrepreneurship is so much more than just having a “Eureka!” moment. In this course we will look at how that blinding flash of inspiration (or just a “huh, that’s weird!?”) can be capitalised upon and turned into something valuable.

“Chance favours the prepared mind” (Pasteur)
“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity” (Seneca)
“The inventor turns money into innovation, but the [bio]entrepreneur turns [biomedical] innovation into money” (unknown)

This course will aim to bring out the “bioentrepreneur” in you and allow you to develop a “prepared mind” for when that stroke of genius, or just a “huh, that’s weird” comes your way.

Course Details

Study Type	Undergraduate	Level	2
Term	Second Term	Credit Points	10 credits (5 ECTS credits)
Campus	Aberdeen	Sustained Study	No
Co-ordinators	Dr I.R. Greig

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

Programme Level 2
Any Undergraduate Programme
One of Anatomy (AN) or Biochemistry (BC) or Biomedical Sciences (BM) or Biotechnology (BT) or Developmental Biology (DB) or Genetics (GN) or Immunology (IM) or Molecular Biology (MB) or Microbiology (MC) or Pharmacology (PA) or Physiology (PY) or Sports Science (SR)

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

What courses cannot be taken with this course?

BT1502 Introduction to Bio-Business (Passed)

Are there a limited number of places available?

Course Description

This course will provide you with a flavour of the ways in which scientific and biomedical ideas and discoveries can be developed, commercialised and capitalised upon.
The course will allow you to understand the issues associated with the business of biomedical science.
The main aim of this introductory course, however, is to broaden your scientific horizons by gaining an awareness of the associated non-science issues, allowing for scientific discoveries to be viewed and appreciated in their proper context.
This is the first in a 3-course option (year 2, year 3 and year 4) that can lead to you obtaining your BSc in a discipline of Medical Science with Bio-Business and open up a whole new range of career options for you. However, this Introduction also aims to open up new ways of thinking and seeing biomedical discoveries, and is designed to be of value to all students with an inquiring mind, who see possibilities where others see challenges.

Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers

Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 30 August 2024 for 1st term courses and 20 December 2024 for 2nd term courses.

Summative Assessments

Alternative Assessment

Presentation (50%)

Essay (50%)

Alternative Resit Assessment

2 Essay Style Questions

Formative Assessment

There are no assessments for this course.

Course Learning Outcomes

Knowledge Level	Thinking Skill	Outcome
Factual	Understand	Understand the initial process of commercialisation of scientific ideas.
Procedural	Create	Develop the ability to communicate these ideas and enthuse.
Conceptual	Evaluate	Learn to generate and evaluate ideas, and learn the process by which these can be developed and eventually capitalised upon.
Conceptual	Apply	Broaden your scientific horizons by gaining a greater appreciation of the wider non-science issues, allowing for scientific discoveries to be viewed in a wider context