Biomedicine - MSc

Science has a profound influence on public life. This module considers the ways in which different professional and public groups interact with science and scientists, and how this influences the work that scientists do. It considers the social roles and responsibilities of scientists beyond their own scientific research, the context in which science operates, and the careers that exist for scientists outside of the traditional laboratory environment. In considering specific scientific developments in light of ethics, policy, media and public perception, the module will develop a range of academic skills that support learning in more specialised modules. It also provides transferable skills valued in the science sector, particularly science communication.

The module aims to develop understanding and practical skills in molecular biology, based around interactive workshops, practical sessions and group work. The module will involve practical sessions covering key practical and transferable skills in molecular biology and biotechnology. The module will feature an extended mini-project focused on CRISPR-Cas9-based genome editing - a cutting-edge technology with wide application in the biological sciences – alongside presentation of findings in extended written report format to provide experience of the dissemination platform widely used in biological research.

This module will develop the advanced research skills that are required in modern biological research and transferable across biological research disciplines. This will include the development of skills in bioinformatics, statistical analysis, research publication and peer review through a combination of online exercises, seminars and group work. These skills will be discussed, enhanced and contextualised in tutorials that consider their application of these skills through consideration of literature and case studies drawn from the field of biomedicine.

This module describes the anatomy, physiology, pathology, and therapy of the blood and blood forming tissues, including the bone marrow. It covers a wide range of disorders including haematological malignancies, infection with blood-borne parasites that cause malaria, and inappropriate clotting activities such as deep vein thrombosis.

Bioinformatics Data sources & Sequence analysis: Databases and data availability. Using sequence data for analysis – sequence searching methods, multiple sequence alignments, residue conservation, Protein domains and families. Protein Bioinformatics Methods: Protein structure and function prediction. Prediction of binding sites/interfaces with small ligands and with other proteins. Bioinformatics analyses using protein data. Genomics: An introduction to the analysis of genomic data, primarily focussing on the data available from genome sequencing – how it can be used to study genetic variants and compare genomes (i.e. comparative and functional genomics).

The module deals with basic neuroanatomy and molecular and cellular neurobiology, such as transmission of signals within the nervous system and sensory perception. It explores more complex functions of the nervous system, e.g. behavioural and cognitive functions including learning, memory, emotions and appetite control. Throughout the module both the normal nervous system and disorders that arise as a consequence of abnormalities will be covered.

The module overviews the importance of studying ageing, the organisms and methods used to do so and considers how organisms age together with providing a detailed understanding of the processes and molecular mechanisms that govern ageing.

Cancer formation and progression; underlying factors, cancer cell heterogeneity, uncontrolled cell division, invasive growth/ metastasis formation. The Molecular Biology of Cancer: (Proto-)Oncogenes, tumour suppressor genes, cell cycle control, cell death. Cancer therapies.

This module covers four areas: Eukaryotic pathogens (parasites) including parasites and pathogenicity, transmission and diversity and investigations on worldwide parasitic outbreaks and their socio-economical effects; Bacterial pathogens, including applications of virulence factors in the treatment and prevention of disease; Viral pathogens, including viruses and Human Disease - transmission and spread, overview of important human virus infections, mechanisms of transmission (Aerosol, Oral-faecal, Sexual etc.), epidemiology - patterns of endemic and epidemic disease; and Human fungal pathogens, including fungi and human disease - overview of major human fungal infections, clinical picture, diagnosis and mechanisms of transmission, epidemiological aspects of fungal infections.

The module aims to develop understanding and analytical skills in virology, based around interactive seminars wherein students will analyse, present, and discuss the relevant research literature. The students will gain experience in scientific design, literature analysis, scientific communication, and the analysis of experimental data.

This module will introduce the key mechanisms, processes and factors that underpin cancer development, including oncogenes, tumour suppressor genes, growth factor signalling and angiogenesis. It will review the different types of cancer and their global incidence, comparing this with environmental and cultural risk factors. Inherited predisposition will be covered within the context of specific cancers, and the clinical and pathological manifestation of specific tumours will be explored in lectures and in the practical class associated with the module.

This module introduces and develops knowledge in the key area of genome maintenance. Students will learn how loss of genomic integrity leads to enhanced cancer incidence, and how biological processes and the environment contribute to genetic instability. The cellular mechanisms that lead to cancer incidence, together with those that protect cells from the onset of carcinogenic processes will be reviewed. This module will also examine the use of DNA damaging agents in cancer therapies, and incorporate practical experience of investigating the cellular responses to DNA damage.

This module provides students with critical perspectives upon current and emerging cancer therapies, how they are developed, and how they are applied in the clinical setting. The harnessing of scientific knowledge in the treatment of disease requires a complex series of highly regulated studies that must be performed under highly-regulated legal and ethical frameworks. This module reviews the transition from promising cancer therapy to fully realised therapeutic agent, using specific therapies as examples. It will also discuss the emerging potential for personalised medicine based on patient-specific molecular biomarkers.

The practice of reproductive medicine is underpinned by a scientific basis stretching back hundreds of years. New discoveries are being put into medical practice on a regular basis and reproductive medicine research is well known for its translational element. This module will explore the fundamentals of reproductive medicine, Obstetrics, Gynaecology, Urology, Andrology, Managing abnormal pregnancies and pre-term birth, Infectious diseases affecting reproduction, Sex determination, reproductive endocrinology, cancer and fertility, causes of infertility and Genetics. This module will be science-based, informed and led by the scientific and medical literature and modern discoveries.

Around 1-2% of all babies in the UK are born by IVF, with varying figures in many other countries. Internationally, reproductive medicine generally, and IVF in particular, is an area in which the UK is world-leading. This module will explore the many aspects of practical IVF (including ICSI, and PGD) and the factors that affect it. A feature of the module will be the presentation of similar issues from different perspectives e.g. that of the clinician, the counsellor and the laboratory manager.

A career as a scientist in reproductive medicine (e.g. clinical embryologist) is a popular path. Although the proposed module does not aim to address the specific goal of training prospective clinical embryologists in how to perform their operational tasks (such training is provided in-house in a highly regulated clinical environment and leads to a vocational qualification), this module will give students a realistic expectation of the likelihood of them excelling in, and enjoying this popular career path. This module will thus explore the basics of lab technique and good practice, pipette making, egg collection and in-vitro maturation, sperm assessment, insemination, ICSI, embryo grading, assisted hatching, spreading and preimplantation diagnosis. For obvious reasons embryos from non-human model species (e.g. mouse, bovine, pig) will be used.

This module will consider key areas of biotechnology and bioengineering including an introduction to drug discovery and design, systems biology and synthetic biology, gene expression and the engineering of cells to modulate cellular processes, the mechanics of cells from an engineering perspective, industrial biotechnology (specifically biofuels and small molecule systems biology), protein and vaccine based drugs, regenerative medicine and bionanomaterials. This will be delivered through workshops and seminars by specialists within the CMP and involve a number of course work assignments that will consider the most current research and thinking in these areas. This will be complemented by two three day practical's, one on mammalian cell engineering and the other on synthetic biology.

This module will consider key areas of analytical technologies used for the analysis of proteins, small molecules and cells. This will include mass spectrometry techniques (GC-MS, ESI-MS, MALDI-ToF MS), crystallography and NMR, spectroscopy (UV-vis, IR, Raman, fluorescence, ESR), chromatography, DNA and RNA sequencing, bioinformatics, microscopy (AFM, EM), electrophoresis, (qRT)-PCR, 'omics' approachs, glycosylation profiling, cell based assays, simple fermentation control and measurements. Industrial case studies will be covered to demonstrate how different techniques and approaches are integrated in a commercial environment. Students will also be expected to design and implement a protocol aim at recovering and characterising a protein molecule from mammalian cell culture within set constraints and parameters. There will also be a visit to an industrial analytical laboratory to demonstrate such technologies in the work place. This will be delivered through workshops and seminars by specialists within the CMP and involve a number of course work assignments that will consider the most current research and thinking in these areas. This will be complemented by a one week practical where the students are asked to design a process to purify and characterise a molecule and then use this to setup a crystallisation screen.

As microbial pathogens pose an increasing threat to human health, it is imperative to improve our fundamental understanding of how these organisms survive during infection and cause disease. This module will cover the molecular pathogenicity of a variety of globally important microbial pathogens, and will provide students with the ability to critically analyse the molecular mechanisms that enable certain key pathogens to cause disease.  Examples may be drawn from bacteria, fungi, viruses and/or eukaryotic parasites.

As COVID-19 has clearly demonstrated, there is an urgent need to improve our understanding of disease outbreaks and how to mitigate their impact upon human health. This module will cover the fundamentals of epidemiology, including the theory and practical approaches to study disease outbreaks. High profile examples will be analysed in terms of their human impact and disease tracking, and aspects of public health strategies and policy will be addressed.

As we face the threat of a post-antimicrobial era, it is of paramount importance that we understand the mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance in the context of infection. This module will cover the fundamentals of clinical microbiology, antimicrobials and their targets, mechanisms underpinning antimicrobial resistance, and the host:pathogen interactions that influence antimicrobial efficacy.

As recent outbreaks of infectious diseases have illustrated, it is imperative to develop rapid diagnostics, effective therapeutics and new vaccines to combat emerging infections that are difficult to treat. This module will cover the approaches used in pathogen diagnosis as well as the cutting edge therapeutics available for the treatment of infectious diseases. The module will also focus on the biotechnological aspects of vaccine development.

Recent events have illustrated the importance of ensuring that science is communicated effectively to non-scientific audiences. This module considers best practice in science communication, making use of case studies that illustrate its importance in developing an informed and empowered public, while developing skills in different modes of communication that enhance future employability.

The module aims to develop understanding and analytical skills in order to fully embed students within the culture of cancer research. Based around seminars and interactive workshops, the initial stages of the module will involve an intensive rotation of seminars covering recent key developments in the field of cancer, delivered by experts, accompanied by critical evaluation and analysis of research articles exploring these research themes. Students will analyse, present and discuss the relevant research literature. They will gain experience in scientific design, literature analysis, scientific communication and the analysis and statistical interpretation of complex experimental data. The later stages will focus on the students' own extended research project and will involve the preparation of a research proposal.

The aim of this module is to give students a basic understanding of molecular and cytogenetic techniques and their applications in the field of clinical diagnosis e.g. for infertility or prenatal diagnosis and biological research. Throughout the course there will be both theoretical and practical elements to the course enabling them to have hands-on experience with molecular cytogenetic tools. Students will be examined on both theoretical and practical elements to assess hands-on skills and understanding of the techniques involved. They will be provided with a lab book in which they should take notes during each of the sessions, the quality of this will also be assessed.

Students will undertake an independent research project that will be designed by the student, in consultation with an academic supervisor, to address specific research questions. Students will be trained in key techniques relating to the project, and will work independently under the supervisor's guidance to design and execute experiments that will address the questions formulated earlier. The students will spend approximately 14 weeks in the laboratory and with then write up their findings in the style of a scientific report for publication in a high impact factor scientific journal. They will present a poster and an oral presentation in research symposia arranged by the School.