Biological Sciences

Microbes, extremely diverse both in form and in function, play a critical role in the global ecosystem. Students explore how these organisms evolved from more primitive lifeforms to colonize new environmental niches. Students study their interactions with plants, animals, and insects and how they impact on our everyday lives.

In this course, students review the development and prospects for genomic analysis. There are three components to the course: a lecture series, computer based bioinformatics workshops, and a practical. In the lectures, through the presentation of key genomes, both prokaryotic and eukaryotic, students consider the structure, function, and evolution of genomes. They then look at tools, both experimental and statistical, to further their knowledge of genes and their functions. 



 

This course provides individual research training for students in the Junior Year Engineering Program through the experience of belonging to a specific laboratory at Tohoku University. Students are assigned to a laboratory with the consent of the faculty member in charge. They participate in various group activities, including seminars, for the purposes of training in research methods and developing teamwork skills. The specific topic studied depends on the instructor in charge of the laboratory to which each student is assigned. The methods of assessment vary with the student's project and laboratory instructor. Students submit an abstract concerning the results of their individual research each semester and present the results near the end of the program.

The course explores the history of beekeeping, apiculture legislation, basic bee biology, plant science and pollination, genetics, metabolism and nutrition, pathology, bee welfare, colony collapse disorder, and several aspects of honey production, including its harvest and quality assessment. It includes theory classes as well as practical sessions at the UABee apiary and UAB laboratories.  

This special lab course nurtures international students' creative competency by offering them opportunities for learning in communities of research practice. The student's supervisor arranges the research topic. Students give three oral presentations during the study period. In the presentations, students integrate ideas and analyses on laboratory results into creative and academically coherent work. FrontierLab program coordinators and supervisors attend and evaluate the final oral presentation.

Eukaryotic cells are characterized by the presence of intracellular organelles. Membrane trafficking is the essential process of maintaining these organelles and allowing the transport of proteins and lipids from one compartment to another and to the correct destination. This course introduces students to the world-leading research in this area taking place at UCL, and focuses on presenting a data-led accumulation of knowledge. Students will learn how to critically analyze research papers and gain experience in scientific writing and presentation.

Biotechnology is an exciting subject that combines the application of knowledge and expertise in biochemistry, chemistry, genetics, microbiology, molecular biology, and physics. Biotechnology is relevant to several areas of activity: agriculture and food production; public health and medicines; ecological and environmental management; creation of novel products; development of new advanced techniques. Biotechnology is a very innovative scientific area and is well supported by UK Government Research Councils, in particular the BBSRC. Biotechnology also involves a high level of commercial activity, creation of new intellectual property and start-up companies, and job opportunities (requiring scientific, business and legal skills) in industry. 

This course provides an understanding of metabolic processes in eukaryotes and prokaryotes. It covers areas such as strategies for cellular regulation, fed and fasting state metabolism, exercise metabolism, fat metabolism, electron transport and ATP synthesis, photosynthesis, copper/iron/zinc homoestasis in health and disease, prokaryotic metabolism of inorganic compounds (such as iron, sulphur and arsenic) and how they are controlled.

“Cancer” is among the most encountered terms in our daily lives, but few beyond the biomedical profession truly understand what cancer is. This course helps students understand this complex disease. The course starts from the era of the ancient Greeks, through the world wars and their role in advancing cancer treatment, to the most cutting-edge research ongoing today and what the future holds. Students also learn about important techniques involved in modern day research, including gene editing, cancer modelling, and computational biology. They also discuss key scientific publications in the field of cancer biology.  

Antibiotics were once regarded as miracle drugs. However, they are becoming less effective as bacteria develop resistance against them. The increasing occurrence of micro-organisms that are resistant to multiple antibiotics constitutes a serious threat to human health. The course addresses fundamental questions and problems concerning antibiotics such as what is the role of antibiotics in nature? How are they synthesized? What are their modes of action? How can new antibiotics be discovered? How can we attack problems with antibiotic-resistant microorganisms? The course brings a comprehensive understanding of the biology and chemistry of antibiotics. It provides insight into bacterial physiology and also industrial and clinical aspects of antibiotics and the evolution of antibiotic resistance.