Biological Sciences

The course provides students with a broad understanding of the biology of microbial infections, focusing on bacterial and fungal human infections. Students study the mechanisms of microbial pathogenicity, starting with pathogen transmission and entry into the host, progressing through adhesion and invasion, to cell and tissue damage and host responses to injury. The diseases studied include tuberculosis, cholera, listeriosis, salmonellosis, gonorrhoea, pseudomembranous colitis, and key fungal infections. 

This course examines the nearshore coastal zone. It focuses on the development of hands-on practical skills and field experiences that will include student-driven exercises and projects. This will include a multi-day field trip to Moreton Bay Research Station, where students will engage in field data collection training from experts in water quality assessment, coastal processes, seagrass monitoring and coral reef surveys. 

This course gives students an understanding of the nature and causes of cancer from a genetic, cellular, and molecular perspective. Students gain a thorough grounding in cancer cell biology, and they also develop employability skills such as working in a team, presentation skills, and interpretation of experimental datasets.

Metabolism is the set of chemical reactions that occur in living organisms to maintain life. Students focus on the metabolic pathways in the cells of mammals, with some reference to microbes and plants. Students learn about diseases caused by defects in metabolism, such as diabetes, which emphasizes the importance of metabolic control.

This course examines scales of organization from molecules to cells and organisms. It begins the journey of life with the synthesis of biomolecules, follows on through the expression and regulation of genes, to the complex communication between molecules, and then to cells and how cells are integrated to form a complex organism. It covers how single cells divide and differentiate to create simple and complex multicellular organisms which experience disease and death. Concepts of cellular energy, communication, and enzymes, all of which combine to drive life processes, will be explored.

This three-week intensive course introduces the fundamentals of cancer biology, diagnosis, treatment, prevention and survivorship. It is taught through expert-led lectures, interactive workshops, lab sessions and site visits. Core topics include molecular mechanisms of cancer, diagnosis (pathology and radiology), radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy and nanomedicine. Students take part in a structured problem-based learning (PBL) project. Working in groups, they investigate real-world cancer prevention challenges, propose solutions and assess their potential impact.

This course extends the discussion of molecules and cells presented earlier to the biology of a wide range of organisms and to the processes and mechanisms that affect their functions and activities. The course covers evolution, starting with key evolutionary concepts and the "Tree of Life".  In lectures and work groups, the differences and similarities between organisms and their genes and proteins and how these can be studied from an evolutionary perspective are covered.  The importance and diversity of microorganisms and the biological processes in which they function, e.g., nutrient cycling is explored. This section includes a hands-on microbiology laboratory session. The course then focuses on the higher eukaryotes, especially plants and animals. Here, the multicellularity, growth, development, and physiology of these organisms is discussed. In individual assignments, students explore the parallels and differences among important biological processes, such as development, chemical signals that direct growth and physiology, reproduction, immunity, electrical signaling, and neural regulation. Throughout the course, students work on a group project describing research on a biological process in a selected model organism, culminating in a plenary poster session during the course's final week.

The course involves specialization but also a broadening of earlier courses in biochemistry and basic cell biology in the Biomedicine programme. Different themes in cell biology are covered each week, such as intracellular signal transduction, gene regulation and non-coding RNA, specialized cells and basic tissue types, cell cycle and cancer, cell interactions, the extracellular matrix, and the movement of cells. The course focuses on the molecular and cellular mechanisms that control cells and the basic functions of their surroundings. The course acts as a bridge to future courses in e.g. neurobiology and immunology as well as human organ systems and homeostasis by discussing specialized cells and their role in different physiological and pathophysiological situations. In addition to knowledge of cell biology, the course provides experience in extracting, interpreting and presenting information from research articles and training in solving problems in cell biology experimentally through the application of cellular and molecular biology methods. The course contains training components for GLP and quality assurance in the development and production of drugs. The course also provides training regarding working in groups and giving and receiving constructive feedback. Entry requirements include Biology and Chemistry of the Cell 30 credits and completed courses in Biochemistry and Cellular Metabolism 7.5 credits and Genetics and Genomics 7.5 credits, or at least 37.5 credits from completed first-cycle courses of which at least 15 credits in Eukaryotic Cell Biology, 15 credits in Chemistry/Biochemistry and 7.5 credits in Human Genetics.

This course will cover practical and conceptual approaches to the study of plant and animal ecology covering population dynamics, community structure and ecosystem ecology.