A two-semester practical module that underpins the content of the lecture modules Cells & their Molecules and Organisms & Disease in Semesters 1 and 2 by practical experience, lectures and workshops.

In laboratory sessions you'll learn generic laboratory skills to help build core skills in biological chemistry (biochemistry, immunology, pharmacology), microscopy, microbiology and physiology.

Workshops and lectures also cover the statistics and calculations that underpin biomedical research, and you'll learn to write abstracts and design a research poster using your own findings.

This module introduces the cell as the basic unit of life. It covers the structure and function of cells, both generic and specialised, and the molecules inside them that drive their activity and their dysfunction. You will study how DNA carries coding information, how cells generate and distribute energy, how protein regulation governs cellular activity, how signals pass from the membrane to the nucleus when a cell responds to an external stimulus, and how the control of cell division underpins health and disease.

This module introduces the biology of whole organisms. It covers evolution and the diversity of life, how organisms develop from a single fertilised cell, and how they interact with and respond to their environment. You will study the main types of infectious agent, how they invade the body and how the immune system responds, and the organisation of mammalian organ systems and how their dysfunction leads to disease.

This module will strengthen the awareness of nucleic acids, proteins, carbohydrates and natural products at the molecular level, with special emphasis on demonstrating how fundamentals of organic chemistry lead to a precise understanding of the origins of biomolecular shapes, interactivity and mechanism. By the end of the module, it is intended that, for example, students will be able to associate names of amino acids with their molecular structures, functional group chemistry and stereochemical impact on protein shape.

This module introduces pharmacology through the drugs people actually take. It covers medicines used in cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, inflammatory disease, peptic ulcer, pain, cancer and mental health, and the mechanisms by which each produces its effect, alongside complementary, herbal and traditional medicines.

You'll also study the health risks of commonly abused drugs such as tobacco, alcohol, heroin, cocaine and hallucinogens, the controversies surrounding drug testing in animals and humans, and the use of banned substances in sport.

After completion of the module you will be able to:

• understand basic physiology and how drugs work affect this.
• understand fundamental aspects of pharmacology and how drugs are tested in experimental models and man.
• have a knowledge of drug discovery from a historical and modern perspective.
• understand how drug delivery and distribution affects the effectiveness of drugs.
• have a knowledge that drug development is not always associated with treatment of disease

A year-long practical module that develops laboratory, analytical and professional skills required by each discipline. You’ll gain hands-on experience in biochemistry, immunology, microbiology and pharmacology, supported by practical competency checks. Workshops cover statistics, ethics, data analysis and presentation skills, alongside student-led sessions exploring science in the media, technology and society.

This module introduces the fundamental concepts of immunology. You will study the anatomy of the immune system and the cells within it, the difference between innate and adaptive immunity, and how immune cells recognise antigens. You will look at humoral and cell-mediated responses, how the body responds to bacteria, parasites and viruses, and how B and T cells are activated. The module also covers immune tolerance, and what happens when responses become harmful, in autoimmunity, immunodeficiency, allergy and hypersensitivity.

This module covers the fundamentals of biochemistry and cell biology across five themes. You will study how genes are expressed and how that control fails in disease, and how human genetic variation is used in medicine and forensics. You will look at the structure and function of proteins, lipids and carbohydrates and how proteins work as enzymes, how cells obtain energy and how metabolic pathways are regulated in health and disease, and the pathways that control cell growth and death.

This module introduces the fundamental concepts of microbiology and the ways microorganisms shape human, animal and planetary health. You will study how microbes are classified and how they differ from one another, their roles in health and disease, and how infection is controlled at both individual and population level. The module also covers the part microorganisms play in climate regulation and ecosystem function, how they adapt to hostile environments, and how they can be harnessed for biotechnology in medicine, industry and sustainable manufacturing.

This module introduces how drugs act on the body and what the body does to drugs. You will study the principles of drug and receptor interaction and four main targets drugs act on: receptors, enzymes, ion channels and transporter proteins. You will cover introductory principles of toxicology, including exposure, dose and mechanisms of toxicity; the pharmacology of the autonomic nervous system and the heart; and of the central nervous system. The module ends with pharmacokinetics, how drugs are absorbed, distributed, metabolised and eliminated, and the role of the pharmacologist in developing new medicines.

A year-long practical module that develops your technique in the subjects you've chosen. You'll take the laboratory blocks matching your degree (biochemistry, biomedical science, immunology, microbiology or pharmacology) across twenty three-hour sessions, each with a competency check. Workshops prepare you for the laboratory work and take you through the analysis afterwards, alongside sessions on skills that apply across every discipline.

This module covers the biochemical processes that underlie disease. You'll study the cellular signalling pathways that convert a stimulus into a cellular response, and how proteins, membranes and organelles are trafficked and secreted. The module covers molecular processes that underpin health and disease, including ageing and cellular toxicity, and the genomic basis of human disorders and how genetic testing is used. You'll also learn about the part biochemistry plays in drug discovery and development, and the effects of drugs and pollutants in the environment.

This module introduces the fundamental principles of immunology, exploring how the immune system recognises, responds to, and remembers pathogens. Students will develop an understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying innate and adaptive immune responses, immune regulation, and host defence. The module also introduces experimental approaches used to investigate immune function and incorporates skills workshops to develop scientific communication, critical analysis, and data interpretation, preparing students for further study and careers in the biological and biomedical sciences.

This module covers how microbial pathogens cause disease in humans, and how they can be identified and controlled. You will study the classification and identification of clinically important bacteria, viruses and fungi, their structure and growth, the molecular mechanisms by which they cause disease, and their epidemiology, treatment and control. Pathogens are grouped by the site of infection, so you can compare how very different organisms establish disease.

The aims of this module are to:

• introduce haematology & immunohaematology
• familiarise you with the intermediate concepts of the immune system & aspects of clinical & laboratory practice
• this will include material delivered by the Scottish Blood Transfusion service

This module helps you to develop your research skills in a capstone project. Six types of research project are available:

1. Laboratory based research
2. Data-based analysis research
3. Educational research
4. Critical analysis
5. Science communication
6. Knowledge Exchange

There will be concurrent workshops on research methods and ethics. This will reinforce and develop learning in areas such as the ethics of scientific research, statistical analysis, database searching and annotation, writing a thesis and presenting a seminar. In addition, you will choose from and attend a series of tutorials & workshops on supplementary skills topics that relate to the projects. The material will be delivered using staff/student led workshops.

The aims of this module are to:

• use your skills to critically interpret data and develop conclusions or hypotheses based upon your findings
• use your skills to analyse and present data
• gain knowledge in a key area that is relevant to your career aspirations
• have the opportunity to carry out original research

This module covers aspects of major organ/disease systems, with examples such as pregnancy, calcium/bone, diabetes, liver, poisoned patient, kidney, lipids, thyroid, heart and cancer within a clinical biochemistry context. Aspects of nutrition are also covered focusing on vitamins/micronutrients, obesity, and the monitoring of enteral/parenteral feeding. This module also covers point-of-care devices as an alternative to large laboratory analytical devices.

This module covers the immune responses underlying major immunological diseases and how understanding them informs treatment. You'll study autoimmunity and the breakdown of immune tolerance, the immune response to transplantation and to blood transfusion, tumour immunology and how cancers evade immune attack, hypersensitivity and allergic disease, and immunodeficiency. Throughout, you will look at how immunotherapeutic approaches are developed from an understanding of the underlying disease mechanisms.

The aims of this module are to:

• diagnose disease based on cell and molecular pathology techniques
• define the molecular basis of cell injury caused by toxic compounds and drugs
• describe the morphological changes associated with cell damage and relate this to specific disease processes
• appreciate the role of the biomedical scientist in the histopathology lab
• this includes material delivered by the NHS Biomedical Scientists and Pathologists

This module covers the principles of clinical microbiology: how infections are diagnosed, treated, tracked and controlled. You will study how microorganisms are identified in a clinical setting, using both genotyping and culture-based approaches, and the principles of epidemiology in infectious disease. The module covers how antimicrobial agents work and how resistance develops, including the part biofilms play, and how infection is controlled in immunocompromised patients.