7
Complex Development of Teaching Materials
for Molecular Bionics BSc and Infobionics MSc
Courses within Consortium
Preface to the Proceedings of the
Closing
Conference of
TÁMOP-4.1.208/2/A/KMR-2009-006 Grant
Ágnes Bércesné Novák
Pázmány Péter Catholic University
Faculty of Information Technology
Budapest, Hungary
bercesne.novak.agnes@itk.ppke.hu
Keywords - curricula development, molecular
bionics, infobionics, TÁMOP 4.1.208/2/A/KMR-
2009-006 Grant
I.
I
NTRODUCTION
Information technology and biotechnology
are two examples of the most innovative
modern technology. Considering the latter, we
are witnessing an incredibly fast development
and the emergence of a new area. This devel-
opment is even faster than the development of
information technology was in its early stages.
Bionics is the study of the functions of liv-
ing organisms for the purpose of building me-
chanical or electronic devices to copy or imi-
tate these functions. For the first time in the
history of technology we have instruments
that allow us both to observe molecules and
molecule-sized parts, and to construct mole-
cule-sized machines. At the same time, com-
puter technology opened up surprisingly new
opportunities. Micro-technology and micro-
electronics together with the recently emerged
nanotechnology made it possible to grab and
modify the electromagnetic interactions,
which determine molecular dynamics.
Using all this new technology, engineers
can build machines, that can not only detect
the changes or movements of living organ-
isms at the molecular level, but can also react
to, interact with and display these physical
phenomena. There are several types of these
machines; some of them can even be pro-
grammed.
Entire series of new molecular imaging
systems are being born. New opportunities are
opened to develop biotic and abiotic interfac-
es, smart "prostheses" and “smart” drugs.
Drugs, which can “realize” the needs of the
patient by sensing his/her biochemical proper-
ties. These properties can be measured by a
laboratory: complete chemical and biological
laboratories can be built on just one chip, pro-
duced by mass production. An example of
such a lab is a DNA-determining gene-chip.
The Pázmány Péter Catholic University,
Faculty of Information Technology (PPCU
FIT), together with the Semmelweis Universi-
ty (SU) were the first universities in Hungary
to launch the Molecular Bionics BSc in the
year 2008. Subjects, covering these above-
mentioned incredible topics are taught already
at BSc level.
From February 2012 on we also launch the
new infobionics MSc, which is probably the
first in the world with its curricula and profile.
Professionals are going to be trained here,
who would be skilled not only in the field of
information technology, as it is indicated in
the name of the Faculty, and not only in bio-
technology, but they also will be experts in
understanding and applying the fundamental
8
quantitative rules of operations of living or-
ganisms. They will have the opportunity to be
involved in the process of application of the
new technology outlined above, and will also
be able to shape the new fields in the subject
area.
The teachers of both of the molecular bion-
ics BSc and the infobionics MSc have out-
standing international reputation. Six of them
are members of the Hungarian Academy of
Sciences, which is the highest scientific
recognition in Hungary, a further ten have a
title of Doctor of Science, which is the possi-
ble highest scientific degree in Hungary.
This conference volume consists of the
summaries of all academic subjects that were
developed by the support of the TÁMOP-
4.1.208/2/A/KMR-2009-006 grant. We cover
the most important subjects of the two degree
programs.
II.
P
ROJECT
O
BJECTIVES
The PPCU FIT, SU and Dialog Campus
Publisher (DCP) formed a consortium for car-
rying out the objectives of the TÁMOP-4.1.2-
08/2/A/KMR-2009-006 project.
The main purpose of this cooperation is to
standardize the professional content of the
molecular bionics and infobionics courses,
and develop the material in a fairly detailed
way.
Teaching materials will be written in Eng-
lish and published on the World Wide Web,
so the materials will be available free of
charge to all interested parties - in order to
make the learning process of these new disci-
plines easier.
In addition, to help the individuals learning
the new concepts in the curricula both in Eng-
lish and in Hungarian, the participants will
develop a dictionary of the main notions in
English, a bilingual dictionary in English and
Hungarian and complete these dictionaries a
bilingual glossary of the keywords.
The assessment for the future development
of the curricula will be analyzed by the lead-
ers of the two universities. According to the
conditions of the TÁMOP grant, this analysis
will also lead to proposing rules for obtaining
additional credits for the academic plans of
the students, for learning some or all of the
subjects in English.
III.
R
ESULTS
The work, led by the leading professors of
the two universities, resulted in the prepara-
tion of the teaching material of seventeen
courses in English, -having at least 12 slide
presentations for each- and in one computer
animation (also in English). More than 12,000
slides organized in lectures have already been
placed in the intranet of the PPCU FIT.
The English and the English-Hungarian
dictionaries contain more than 2000 head-
words, and the same numbers of words are
extracted from the dictionary into the bilin-
gual glossary.
Among the subjects, which belong directly
or indirectly to the area of bionics and infobi-
onics, one can find an additional topic, which
we think is very important for everyone, espe-
cially for scientists doing research in the area
of bionics or infobionics. This is ethics, to be
more precise: bioethics and environmental
ethics. In this project an e-book was written in
English, dealing with the ethical problems
arising unavoidably if one deals with living
organisms, especially humans.
The subjects and other additional tasks are
listed in Table 1 and 2 at the end of this pre-
sent paper.
The curricula have been reviewed and ana-
lyzed by the leaders of the universities. A
study was written by the Dean of the PPCU
FIT, involving the future development of the
courses, and a proposal for credits for learning
the subjects in English.
The authors-, as well as other subject ex-
perts, an expert teacher and an English proof-
reader participated in the development part of
the project, which involved altogether not less
than 60 people.
The authors, who are not only lecturers but
also leading researchers, and in this latter role
they also are pioneers of these new disci-
plines, made an effort to embed the new re-