Biological Sciences

This course offers a study of the general biochemical processes of signaling, the biological molecules involved, and the pathways that control essential functions –growth, differentiation, and cell death. Topics include: the mechanisms of metabolic regulation in response to extracellular signals; biochemical messengers; regulatory proteins that bind guanine nucleotides; cyclic nucleotides; protein phosphorylation and dephosphorylation; receptors-- intracellular, ionotropic, G Protein-Coupled (GPCRs), tyrosine kinase activity, enzyme-coupled, and serine/threonine kinase; regulated proteolysis-mediated signaling.  

In this subject, students are introduced to gene structure and function, DNA replication, transcription and translation; molecular biology; protein structure and its relationship to protein function.

This course examines cutting edge concepts in genetics, genomics and evolution: genome structure (the components and organization of genomes), genomics (genome sequencing and annotation), genome variation and the forces that shape it (mutation, recombination and genetic drift) and applications of genomics (conservation genomics, host-pathogen interactions, genome engineering, and systems biology). Multiple aspects of genome biology will be studied and integrated to understand how genomes function and evolve. Core concepts and methods in genomics, molecular evolution and gene regulation will be supported by an integrated set of workshops, science communication tasks and bioinformatics analysis. Modern research methods will be applied to the analyses of differential gene expression in RNA sequencing datasets.

This course will introduce general knowledge of forensic medicine and the relationship between related disciplines; a brief history of the development of forensic medicine at home and abroad; forensic medicine and its main branches; the concept of science and its research objects, methods and contents; explain with actual cases: death, corpse changes, mechanical knowledge on injury, mechanical asphyxiation, poisoning, sudden death, forensic clinical medicine, medical damage, individual identification, paternity testing, etc.

In this course, learn about fundamental principles in cell and molecular biology. Extending to workshops in R, you’ll cultivate essential research skills. Learn about advanced techniques such as CRISPR and qPCR through laboratory sessions. Participate in journal clubs and collaborative student presentations, refining critical employability skills. Enjoy lectures on contemporary research topics such as RNA vaccines in oncology and ethical considerations in AI, delivered by industry experts. With interactive teaching and learning approaches, industry visits, workshops, seminars, and active learning methodologies, this course gives students an employability-focused, current research-led course.

This graduate research course provides training in experimental skills and scientific presentation for doing research in the field of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Students choose their own research topic and perform research under the guidance of a subject matter expert in their field. The course varies depending on the research topic but it may include weekly lab meetings; presentations of up-to-date research articles, and participation in scientific discussion with the instructor and lab colleagues. 

This course is for students who are new to the subject of pharmacology. The course provides an overview of pharmacology and some of the most important mechanisms of drug action; illustrates these actions for you with specific examples of important drugs; provides a foundation in some of the basic theory for pharmacology; illustrates some of the principles of pharmacology whilst providing basic laboratory skills and experience; and introduces principles of laboratory safety. 

In this course, students gain a fundamental knowledge of microbiology, and the experimental tools used. The course focuses on microbes and techniques for studying them, through a combination of theoretical knowledge and hands-on experiments. Students examine the invisible world of microbes, investigating microbiomes of skin, soil and water, and exploring the role of probiotics. The course includes visits to a microbiology-related industry and witnessing real-world applications of their learnings. The course requires students to take General Biology as a prerequisite.

In this course, students study animal physiology, emphasizing how to compare and contrast the physiological processes across different animal groups that govern their day-to-day function. Students gain an appreciation of how response strategies are used to cope with different external environments and how physiological plasticity is key to maintaining and adjusting physiological processes in terrestrial and aquatic animals.