PDF for printing» Department of BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
Introduction
The Department of Biology and Biochemistry is a vibrant and ambitious Department with 47 academic staff, 42 postdoctoral researchers, 75 postgraduate research students, 16 taught postgraduate students and 51 support staff. The Department is one of the largest and most successful in the University and is firmly committed to excellence both in research and teaching.
Current research grants are valued at over £16 million, the Department scored grade 5 in the 1996 and 2001 national Research Assessment Exercises and a maximum of 24 points in the 1999 national Teaching Quality Assurance review. The department is an EU Marie Curie Training Site in Regeneration Medicine and was ranked 7th in The Times 2009 national league table for Biological Sciences.
The Department adopts an integrated approach embracing the view that tomorrow's breakthroughs are likely to occur at the interfaces of traditional biological subdivisions.
To address this, the Department’s research is based in two adjacent buildings, which have received £9 million of investment over the past 11 years. A further £4 million has been invested in a new research building due for completion in September 2007. The buildings include a multi-purpose central area with a coffee bar, a reading room with key journals and a photocopier, and seminar rooms. Both research and taught Masters degree students work alongside post-doctoral scientists and academic staff in stateof- the-art laboratories.
Main areas of research
Research is carried out on animals, plants and microorganisms at the level of molecules, cells, organisms and populations. The Department has four inter-departmental Centres:
- The Centre for Mathematical Biology
- The Centre for Extremophile Research
- The Centre for Regenerative Medicine
- The Centre for Biomimetic and Natural Technologies
These are run in conjunction with other departments in the faculties of Science, Engineering & Design and the School for Health. The combination of first class research facilities, a stimulating intellectual environment and a structured graduate training programme makes the Department an outstanding centre for postgraduate studies.
Research is currently taking place in the following areas:
- Enzymes and Extremophiles
- Including prion proteins, properties and biotechnological applications of extremophile enzymes.
- Evolution/Mathematical Biology
- Including epidemiology, bird breeding, and evolution of genetic systems.
- Genomics
- Including genomics and proteomics of mammals, insects, plants and bacteria. Imprinting in mammals and plants including imprinted genes in development, growth and cancer.
- Membrane Trafficking & Signalling
- Including insulin and calcium channel signalling, signal transduction pathways and endo/exocytosis.
- Microbial Host Interactions
- Including pathogenicity and symbiosis, biofilms, and bacterial virulence proteins.
- Molecular Entomology
- Novel insecticides, nematode associations and insect immune systems.
- Molecular Neuroscience
- Including prion disease, neuronal nicotinic receptors and ion channels.
- Plant Development & Defence
- Including Arabidopsis genomics, pollen-stigma recognition, reproduction, hormones, signalling and tropical crops.
- Regenerative Medicine
- Including developmental biology topics, regeneration, growth factors, transdifferentiation and tumour suppressor genes.
- Structural Molecular Biology
- Including molecules involved in inflammatory processes and microbial infection and immunity.
Facilities and equipment
Key facilities include:
- X-ray crystallography
- 600MHz NMR facility
- phosphorimaging service
- high throughput DNA sequencing
- genomics facility
- transgenic mouse, Xenopus and Drosophila facilities
- Xenopus and zebrafish aquaria
- GM glasshouse
- controlled environment rooms for GM plants and insects
- new Bioimaging suite including modern electron microscopy and confocal microscopy
International and industrial links
The Department enjoys formal and informal research links with scientists in a wide range of university, institute and industry laboratories around the world. Most postgraduate research projects involve some international collaboration.
Some postgraduate research projects involve collaboration with industrial partners who make financial contributions to the project. We currently have research students working with seven UK and international companies including Atlas Genetics Ltd, GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, and Syngenta.
Careers information
We are committed to ensuring that postgraduate students acquire a range of subject-specific and generic skills during their research training in line with the Joint Skills Statement of the Research Councils, including personal effectiveness, communication skills, networking and career management. Our graduates generally go on to take up appointments as researchers or managers in the commercial sector, or in universities or research institutes. Some take up academic positions.
Other resources
Postgraduate students are encouraged to become members of professional societies and to present the results of their research at national and international scientific meetings.