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 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 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 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 introduces the fundamental principles of immunology, exploring how the immune system recognises, responds to, and remembers pathogens. You'll 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 you for further study and careers in the biological and biomedical sciences.

The aims of this module are to:

• understand the basis of gene regulation in microorganisms and how this influence bacterial physiology
• describe the key mechanisms that drive evolution of microorganisms
• demonstrate an understanding of the principles of mathematical modelling in predicting microbial growth and death
• describe the basis of microbial form and function and how bioinformatics are fundamental to microbiology

The module is intended to integrate various molecular and cellular interactions of the immune system into an understanding of how the processes relate to clinical immunology.

The aims of this module are to:

• understand the difference between taxonomic and phylogenetic classification of microorganisms
• gain knowledge on the principles that underpin bacterial, fungal and viral identification
• become familiar with the structure, function and growth characteristics of bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa and apply that knowledge to their role in disease development
• describe the distinguishing features, pathogenic properties, epidemiology, treatment and control of medically important bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa

A year-long research project under academic supervision. Projects fall into four categories: experimental research, data science, literature-based work, and industrial or societal projects. You'll work on your project through the year, analyse and interpret your results, present your findings, and write a thesis, including a statement of your project's impact and how it relates to wider societal, health and environmental challenges.

The aims of this module are to:

• understand how to analyse and interpret the genomes of microorganisms
• understand the mechanisms that permit bacteria to sense and interact with the environment
• understand of the mechanisms of bacterial growth and development
• understanding microbial populations through ‘omic analysis

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.

This module covers how the immune system responds to infection, and how that understanding informs vaccine design. You'll study protective immunity to viruses, bacteria, protozoan parasites, fungi and prions, and compare the strategies different pathogens use to evade or subvert the response. The module looks at how immune responses can both protect the host and cause disease, and covers the principles of vaccination, including adjuvants, routes of delivery, whole-organism and molecular approaches, and personalised vaccines. Workshops develop your ability to interpret primary research data and figures.

The aims of this module are to:

• understand the principles of epidemiology in infectious diseases
• become familiar with the diagnosis of microbial identification using genotyping and viable and non-viable approaches
• understand the mechanisms of antimicrobial agents and antimicrobial resistance as well as the significance of biofilms in antimicrobial resistance
• recognise the mechanisms and importance of infection control in the immune-compromised host