Close
Biochemistry degrees
| Programme details | 听 |
|---|---|
| Start date | September |
| UCAS code | BSc Biochemistry C700 |
| Duration | BSc 3 years Full Time |
| Location | 果冻影院 Bloomsbury |
Why study Biochemistry at听果冻影院?
听
果冻影院 is ranked number two in London for Life Sciences and number nine globally ().
Biochemistry is a practical science. You can expect to spend a significant portion of your time either in wet laboratories, where you will handle chemicals and biological materials, or in "dry" practicals.
Our biochemistry programmes have a strong focus on computational analysis.听Our students can compare the findings of their research to similar studies from around the world. This again reflects our focus on preparing our students for successful research careers.
You may transfer to BSc Biochemistry with a Year in Industry on securing and completing a placement year in an industrial setting. These are optional, competitive placements that are dependent on successful application to a placement provider. The placement is taken in third year for BSc students or fourth year for those on the MSci, and you return to campus for a final year to complete your academic studies.听
You are able to undertake two research projects in your third year - an advanced literature听based investigation and a lab听based group project where you generate your听own unique data. This process reflects how real听world labs operate and prepares you for success in this arena.听
Our students will have the opportunity to learn from the leading experts at our partner institutes as well as conducting research in their labs in some situations. These partners include the 果冻影院 Cancer Institute, thethe and our own Darwin Research Facility.
- 果冻影院's Darwin Research Facility provides state of the art centrifugation, cell culture, imaging and biomolecular structural analysis facilities and a drug discovery facility.
Course structure overview
In the first year of the programme you will take compulsory modules which provide an excellent grounding across the sciences and听will also allow you to find the areas you wish to study in more detail.
In year two, all biochemistry students take courses in molecular biology and biomolecular structure and function. Those on the pure biochemistry stream also take metabolism and physical chemistry. Students electing to take the molecular biology pathway choose a mixture of cell biology and immunity and infection modules instead. All pathways give students an optional course too.
After year two, you may apply to transfer to the more research intensive MSci degree, or the BSc with a Year in Industry, gaining invaluable experience in an academic or industrial research laboratory. These are optional competitive placements that are dependent on successful application to a placement provider. Further information on this option is provided during your degree.
The compulsory modules in the final year of the BSc Biochemistry programme will focus principally on deepening your knowledge and understanding of molecular biosciences, including carrying out an investigative research project.听 The level of choice increases in year three allowing you to further specialise. You will have the opportunity to choose optional modules in different areas of Biochemistry, Biosciences and beyond.听
Year four听is also when students are able to pursue their own research projects within the guidelines of the MSci programme.听
Year one course content (BSc and MSci)
All modules are core for year one.听
鈥嬧赌嬧赌嬧赌嬧赌嬧赌�BIOC0001听 Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (15 credits)听
Leader: Dr Amanda Cain鈥嬧赌嬧赌嬧赌嬧赌�
BIOL0003听 Introduction to Genetics (15 credits)听
Leader:听Dr Lawrence Bellamy
BIOC0002听Basics for Molecular Biosciences (0听credits)
Leader: Dr Suzanne Ruddy
BIOC0004听Introduction to Microbiology听(15 credits)
Leader: Dr Kristine Arnvig
BIOC0003听Experimental Biochemistry (30 credits)
Leader:听Professor Andrea Townsend-Nicholson
CELL0007听Cells and Development (15听credits)
Leader:听Professor Sandip Patel
CHEM0010 Chemistry for Biologists听(30听credits)
Leader:听Professor Andrea Sella
Years two, three or four Biochemistry (BSc and MSci)
| Year 2 (BSc and MSci) | Year 3 (BSc only) | Year 3 (MSci only) | Year 4 (MSci only) |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIOC0005听Molecular Biology听Professor Saul Purton | BIOC0023听Dr Toryn Poolman听or听BIOC0029听Dr Renee Vancraenenbroeck Specialist Research Project in metagenomics/or protein purification | BIOC0021听Advanced Investigative Project in Molecular Biosciences听Dr Suzanne Ruddy | BIOC0025听MSci Extended Research Project in Molecular Biosciences听Dr Amanda Cain |
| BIOC0008听Biomolecular Structure and Function听Professor Snezana Djordjevic | BIOC0021听Advanced Investigative Project in Molecular Biosciences听Dr Suzanne Ruddy | BIOC0023听Dr Toryn Poolman听or听BIOC0029听Dr Renee Vancraenenbroeck Specialist Research Project in metagenomics/or protein purification | BIOC0026听Molecular Biosciences MSci Research Techniques听Dr Eleni Makrinou |
| BIOC0010听Metabolism and its Regulation听Dr Eleni Makrinou | Must take at least 90 credits of BIOC modules in total.听 | 30 credits from: BIOC0014, BIOC0015 or BIOC0030 (you must choose 2 out of these 3 modules) | BIOC0024听MSci Investigative Project in Molecular Biosciences听听Dr Amanda Cain |
| CHEM0020听听Physical Chemistry for Medicinal Chemistry and Life Sciences听Professor Daren Caruana | Maximum of 15 credits from non-science modules, at an appropriate level.听 | 15 credits from any life sciences module (s). Please note: you can only select one module from BIOC0017, BIOS0001 and BIOC0019. | All modules are core for Year 4 |
| BIOC0012听听Research Project Foundations听 | 听 | 15 credits from any other module at 果冻影院听 | 听 |
| One of the three modules below: | 听 | 听 | 听 |
| CELL0010听Integrative Cell Biology (Cell Signalling and Regulation) -- 15 credits听Professor Geraint Thomas听 | 听 | 听 | 听 |
| CHEM0023 Chemistry of Biologically Important Modules - 15 credits听Professor Stefan Howorka | 听 | 听 | 听 |
| A 15-credit module of your choice. | 听 | 听 | 听 |
Years two, three or four BSc Molecular Biology (second year entry only)
| Year 2 | Year 3 BSc | Year 3 MSci | Year 4 (MSci only) |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIOC0005听Molecular Biology听Professor Saul Purton | BIOC0030听Advanced Molecular Biology of Protein Regulatory Networks听Professor Ivan Gout | BIOC0030听Advanced Molecular Biology of Protein Regulatory Networks听Professor Ivan Gout | BIOC0025听MSci Extended Research Project in Molecular Biosciences听Dr Amanda Cain |
| BIOC0008听Biomolecular Structure and Function听Professor Snezana Djordjevic | BIOC0020听Molecular Mechanisms of Gene Expression and Regulation听Dr Andrew Osborne | 15 credits from:听BIOC0014,听BIOC0015听or听BIOC0020听(you must choose 1 out of these 3 modules) | BIOC0026听Molecular Biosciences MSci Research Techniques听Dr Eleni Makrinou |
| BIOC0012听Research Project Foundations | BIOC0021听Advanced Investigative Project in Molecular Biosciences听Dr Suzanne Ruddy | BIOC0021听Advanced Investigative Project in Molecular Biosciences听Dr Suzanne Ruddy | BIOC0024听MSci Investigative Project in Molecular Biosciences Dr Amanda Cain |
| 听 | BIOC0023听Dr Toryn Poolman听or听BIOC0029听Dr Renee Vancraenenbroeck Specialist Research Project in metagenomics/or protein purification | BIOC0023听Dr Toryn Poolman听or听BIOC0029听Dr Renee Vancraenenbroeck Specialist Research Project in metagenomics/or protein purification | All modules are core for Year 4 |
| One of the below three modules: | 15-30 credits from any other Biosciences module(s) | 15-30 credits from any other Biosciences module(s) | 听 |
| CELL0009听Integrative Cell Biology (Cell Structure and Function) -- 15 credits听Dr Louise Cramer | 听0-15 credits from any other module at 果冻影院 | 0-15 credits from any other module at 果冻影院 | 听 |
| CELL0010听Integrative Cell Biology (Cell Signalling and Regulation) -- 15 credits听Professor Geraint Thomas听 | PLEASE NOTE THAT IF YOU TOOK 30 CREDITS OF NON-LIFE SCIENCES MODULES IN YEAR TWO, YOU CANNOT TAKE ANOTHER 15 CREDITS IN YEAR 3 | PLEASE NOTE THAT IF YOU TOOK 30 CREDITS OF NON-LIFE SCIENCES MODULES IN YEAR TWO, YOU CANNOT TAKE ANOTHER 15 CREDITS IN YEAR 3 | 听 |
| One of the three modules below: | 听 | 听 | 听 |
| INIM0005听Immunology听Dr Milica Vukmanovic-Stejic | 听 | 听 | 听 |
| INIM0007听Infection听Professor Richard Milne | 听 | 听 | 听 |
| BIOL0013听Biology of Development听 Dr Yoshiyuki Yamamoto | 听 | 听 | 听 |
Depending on choice above, 15 or 30 credits worth of modules of your choice | 听 | 听 | 听 |
Example fourth year MSci projects
The role of regulatory RNA in growth and persistence of听Mycobacterium tuberculosis.鈥�
How听specific听Plasmodium falciparum听proteins associated with severe malaria bind host immune receptors.鈥�
鈥婼tudying the folding of nascent co translational听eukaryotic proteins using NMR.鈥�
Use of optical tweezers on single molecules of DNA听to assay the tension in the DNA strand.听鈥�
鈥婭nvestigating regulation of gene expression in the microalga听Chlamydomonas听reinhardtii听for applications in听synthetic biology.鈥�
鈥婻egulation of initiation听of DNA replication听(Francis Crick Institute).鈥�
鈥婻egulation of a gene encoding a sodium channel that is necessary for pain perception (果冻影院 molecular nociception听lab at the Wolfson institute for biomedical research).鈥�
Careers
听
Most of our biochemistry students (80%) are in employment 15 months after finishing their degree and 75% of those in employment are in highly skilled work. A further 15% go on to further study (Graduate Outcomes 2018-2020).
Companies that have employed our graduates in recent years include Max Delbruck Institute, Beijing Genomics Institute, University of Cambridge, Lonza and Cera Care. Our alumni can be found in areas such as听data analysts, biochemical and biomedical scientists, management consultants, science, engineering and production technicians听and more.
In addition to听science, we focus on teaching our students highly sought after transferable skills from the first week of the programme. These include but are not limited to teamwork, problem solving, critical thinking/evaluation, data literacy, analysis and visualisation, literacy, scientific reading, presentation training,听written/verbal communication, IT skills and more.听As well as the development of these skills within the formal structure of the programme, 果冻影院 provides many other opportunities for students to practice these skills in other environments. These include our student society, our entrepreneurship/start up programs and student/staff retreats. These opportunities provide students with examples of their abilities in the key skills sought-after by employers for their CV and to use in job interviews. These are the examples that can clearly differentiate recent graduates and assist them in landing their first major career role.听
Find out听more about our graduate employability and earnings statistics at听.
Useful careers resources:
My 果冻影院 Careers
果冻影院 Neuroscience Careers Network
Innovation and Enterprise Training and Opportunities for Students
Professional Development Courses
Linked In Learning
Public Engagement Training
Public Policy听Training
Our latest Biochemistry research
听
Interested in start-ups?
Many of our biochemistry听students are interested in start-ups, social enterprises and developing entrepreneurial skills. 果冻影院's听Innovation and Enterprise division听offers training, start-up grants, competitions, communities and much more, all of which are free to students on this programme.
果冻影院's entrepreneurship community has supported over 300 果冻影院 start-ups since 2010 and raised over 拢280 million in investment.听
In addition to potentially starting a successful business, making use of the resources at 果冻影院 in this area provides students with the opportunity to develop business skills, chances to network in London's start up community and projects that will serve them well on their CVs as well as in future job interviews.听
听Find out more
For information on entry requirements, fees, how to apply and much more visit the BSc Biochemistry听Prospectus Page听and the MSci Biochemistry Prospectus Page.听
