Chemical biology is the application of chemical tools and ideas to biological and medical problems. This programme is designed to build on an existing knowledge of chemical structure and reactivity to give you a thorough grounding in contemporary chemical biology and drug discovery as well as introducing you to topics from the research frontier.
You’ll be taught by experts from across the Astbury Centre in chemical biology, biophysics and medicinal chemistry using a "problem-based" approach. Visiting lecturers from the pharmaceutical industry will share their expertise in industrially-relevant applications of chemical biology and drug design with you.
Bridging the gap between your undergraduate degree in a core subject, and interdisciplinary research in chemical biology, you’ll develop the skills to solve real-life research problems, benefitting from a multi-million pound investment in fantastic research facilities. Rather than focusing on a single discipline, you’ll learn to use either chemical or biological approaches to tackle the problem in hand.
Royal Society of Chemistry Accreditation
The University of Leeds launched the first taught MSc degree in Chemical Biology in the UK. The course was one of the first two MSc courses in the UK to receive accreditation from the Royal Society of Chemistry; graduates from the programme with an appropriate first degree in chemistry satisfy the academic requirements for the award of Chartered Chemist (CChem) status.
Chemical Biology is an emerging discipline that sits at the interface of traditional chemistry and biology, drawing on the tools and ideas of modern Physical Sciences and applying them to the solution of biological problems at the molecular level.
This is a discipline that is perfectly poised to address the next great challenge in biological science – to understand how gene products are used in and interact with the cellular environment.
The research element provides physical scientists with the ability to bridge disparate fields and gain the confidence to grapple with biomolecular research in a multidisciplinary environment.
The programme is run by the Institute of Chemical Biology’s Doctoral Training Centre.
You can apply for a one-year stand-alone MRes course or a four-year programme (one year MRes followed by a three-year PhD).
Our MRes in Chemical Biology trains you in translational multidisciplinary research through a bespoke training and research programme.
You will graduate with an in-depth understanding of product development pipelines across a variety of sectors, acquired through first-hand experience of multi-disciplinary translational research and early stage commercialisation.
This enables you to become leaders of technology innovation and translation in the life science, personal care and agri-science industries.
For full information on this course, including how to apply, see: http://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/pg/chemistry/chemical-biology/ ;
If you have any enquiries you can contact our team at: [email protected]
This multidisciplinary course will equip you with the skills to tackle the problems that lie at the interface between plant and physical science, on a molecular level.
Advances in the understanding of biomolecular processes have often depended upon the collaborative efforts of biochemists, chemists and physicists.
This course will enable you to bridge the gap that can exist between the physical and plant science disciplines due to differences in language, perspective and methodology.
You will receive training from both academic and industrial leaders in the plant and chemical biology fields.
At the end of this course graduates will be ideally placed to undertake PhD studies in collaborative multidisciplinary plant chemical biology, or to seek employment within the agri-science industrial sector.
For full information on this course, including how to apply, see: http://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/pg/chemistry/plant-chemical-biology/
If you have any enquiries you can contact our team at: [email protected]
The Organic Chemistry: Drug Discovery MRes at UCL offers students the opportunity to follow an integrated course of research and interdisciplinary study. Students gain outstanding training in synthetic organic chemistry applied to drug design, together with a breadth of experience in several areas of synthetic methodology and chemical biology.
The programme provides a thorough foundation in drug design, advanced organic synthesis and biological chemistry, together with modules on research techniques, professional development and entrepreneurship. Students will carry out a substantial research project on organic/medicinal chemistry or chemical biology over a ten-month period.
MRes students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.
The programme consists of five core modules (75 credits) and a research project /dissertation (105 credits).
Core modules
Students take five 15-credit modules including two Master's-level chemistry modules, one transferable/research skills module, one analytical chemistry module, and one professional development module.
Optional modules
There are no optional modules for this programme.
Dissertation/report
Students will undertake a laboratory-based research project lasting 10months. An interim report is submitted after five months, and at the end of the project each student writes a dissertation, gives a short presentation and has a viva voce examination.
Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, problem classes, workshops and projects. Assessment is through unseen written examination, coursework, project reports and presentations.
Further information on modules and degree structure is available on the department website: Organic Chemistry: Drug Discovery MRes
Students can be self-funded or find sponsorship from funding agencies such as research councils, the European Union, industry or charities.
There are also a number of Graduate School Scholarships and departmental bursaries and prizes available.
For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.
The MRes has been developed in response to the needs of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors for highly qualified students as leaders in the discovery of new medicines. The pharmaceutical sector is a major employer in the UK and high-quality graduates with an understanding of the sector are always in demand. Our recent graduates have taken up PhD positions, are working in industry and have entered teacher training.
This degree involves a cutting-edge research project in the laboratory a member of research staff at UCL Chemistry. This is one of the leading research departments in the UK with staff undertaking world-leading research in all areas of chemistry and chemical biology.
This MRes Advanced Biological Sciences lets you take your enthusiasm deeper with a research project carried out over a full calendar year supported by 4 modules that further develop your skills and knowledge.
The Institute of Integrative Biology
The Institute of Integrative Biology lies at the heart of a thriving science campus in Liverpool city centre. Based primarily in the Biosciences Building with additional sites at Leahurst Veterinary Field Station and Ness Botanic Gardens, we provide one of the most diverse, vibrant and integrated biosciences environments in the UK. The Institute comprises 220 staff (including 75 Principal Investigators) and 150 postgraduate students.
We have well established world-class research facilities that support scientists across all four of the Institute's research themes:
Research in the Institute spans the complete range of biological scales from genes and genetic regulation through proteins, post-translational modification and cellular function to whole organisms, populations and ecosystems. We use state-of-the-art “omics” technologies to generate large data-sets both within and across these scales. We also develop new mathematical and computational models to make sure we can fully exploit these data.
The facilities include the Centre for Genomic Research, the GeneMill Synthetic Biology Laboratory, the Centre for Proteome Research, the Computational Biology Facility, the Centre for Cell Imaging, the NMR Centre for Structural Biology, the Barkla X-laboratory of Biophysics and the Henry Wellcome Laboratory of Mammalian Behaviour and Evolution. There are also excellent cell, microbial and plant culture facilities.
Through our research partnerships with companies such as Unilever, strong global links into major research organisations in Europe, Japan, Brazil, USA and China and our scientific outreach to schools and the community, we are having true impact across the world. Our postgraduate students enjoy a first class experience with strong supervision and mentorship in an exciting research environment. Our Athena SWAN Gold award is evidence of our full commitment to providing opportunities for development to all, regardless of background or gender.
What is in the MRes Advanced Biological Sciences ?
This Master of Research programme is designed for those who want to move on to a research career. The programme consists of a 120 credit research project, during which you will work alongside PhD students and full-time researchers as a member of one of our research groups.
This is supported by four 15 credit taught M-level modules. At least two of these will deepen your scientific knowledge relevant to your research project. They will be selected from advanced taught modules in areas such as animal behaviour, cancer biology, medical genetics, environmental biology, microbiology, bioinformatics or biochemistry. There is one compulsory module in research methods and their applications within the life sciences and a second compulsory module is taken from a selection that include statistics, programming for life sciences, professional & employability skills or bespoke skills development.
The result is many pathways to MRes awards, affording applicants the opportunity to develop their own postgraduate degree programmes.
The taught modules take place in the autumn and spring semesters, alongside your initial work on your research project. In the summer semester you concentrate on your research project.
The degree programme can therefore be based around your particular areas of interest. The title of your degree award will reflect your pathway of choice.
Example pathways
Advanced Biological Sciences (Animal Sciences)
Advanced Biological Sciences (Bioinformatics)
Advanced Biological Sciences (Biotechnology)
Advanced Biological Sciences (Cell Signalling)
Advanced Biological Sciences (Chemical Biology)
Advanced Biological Sciences (Conservation Biology)
Advanced Biological Sciences (Evolution and Behavioural Biology)
Advanced Biological Sciences (Food Security)
Advanced Biological Sciences (Functional and Comparative Genomics)
Advanced Biological Sciences (Host: Parasite Biology)
Advanced Biological Sciences (Microbiology)
Advanced Biological Sciences (Molecular Oncology)
Advanced Biological Sciences (Plant Sciences)
Advanced Biological Sciences (Structural Biology)
Advanced Biological Sciences (Post-Genomic Sciences)
The taught modules ensure that you develop the academic background and skills to excel in research.
Non-native English speakers are offered support in communication skills. This is taught by members of The University's English Language Unit and is designed to improve your English in a scientific context.
From molecules to humans, individuals to ecosystems, our research programmes – and scientists – are making a difference. Join us on the journey.
This specialisation involves studying the design and synthesis of complex molecular systems, and addressing challenging problems, such as wound healing and drug delivery. At the interface of biology and chemistry you will get a solid foundation in modern synthetic organic chemistry, physical organic chemistry and chemical biology. This multidisciplinary knowledge is essential for industries of the future, where chemistry and the life sciences become more and more intertwined. As a Chemistry for Life Master's student you will obtain the knowledge and skills you need to develop the next generation of medicines.
The Master’s specialisation in Chemistry for Life is taught at the Faculty of Science. It has a course load of 120 EC* (two years). The track consists of:
- 15 EC of compulsory courses
- 15 EC of electives
- Two internships of in total total 90 EC
If you can handle the studyload and want to add another course to personalise your Master’s programme, you are certainly free to do so.
You can either follow the above-mentioned research Master's specialisation as a whole (2 years), or you can combine the first year of the research track with an additional year of one of three societal Master’s specialisations, namely:
- Science in Society
- Science, Management and Innovation
- Science and Education (in Dutch only)
* European Credit Transfer System (ECTS)
The workload of an academic year is equivalent to 60 European credits (EC), where 1 EC point is 28 hours of study. This system allows you to check whether the courses you have followed in a particular year (along with other activities that earn credits) meet the European requirements.
In order to take part in the programme, you need to have fluency in English, both written and spoken. Non-native speakers of English without a Dutch Bachelor’s degree or VWO diploma need one of the following:
- TOEFL score of ≥575 (paper based) or ≥90 (internet based);
- An IELTS score of ≥6.5;
- Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English (CAE) or Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE), with a mark of C or higher
Career perpectives of chemical biologists are very broad: our graduates work in the pharmaceutical, biotech and life sciences industries. High tech start-ups are also an option. There are numerous opportunities for PhD positions, including at the national Graduate School in Chemical Biology.
We stimulate our Master's students to develop a critical mind and a problem solving attitude. Some of them will become the next generation of top scientists, all of them will have a job within a few months after graduation:
- 40% become PhD students at a university
- 60% work at a research institute, in the (bio)chemical industry or in one of our spin-off companies
- A small proportion do not work in science but for instance as a policymaker at a governmental organisation.
Teachers and researchers at Radboud University are very open and approachable for students, and the student-teacher ratio is low. The teachers also introduce you to their research: the knowledge from their lab is your course material. During your internships, you'll get to know them even better, as you'll become member of one of their research groups.
Research internships can be performed at the Institute of Molecules and Materials (IMM), the Radboud Institute of Molecular Life Sciences (RIMLS), or other institutes and companies. Possible research subjects are:
- Drug delivery using nanocapsules
- Developing hydrogels for wound healing
- Designing new responsive biocompatible materials
- Unraveling the structure and function of proteins
See the website http://www.ru.nl/masters/chemistryforlife
Help improve human or animal health through creating new or more effective drugs and medicines. Learn the research processes used to identify drug targets and develop new therapeutics.
Your studies will combine the biological sciences with chemistry, giving you the skills to target, design, synthesise, create and assess new drugs. You'll also learn about protecting intellectual property, assessing the financial viability of drugs and the pre-clinical and clinical trial processes.
Tailor your studies to your strengths, interests and career goals. You'll learn a mix of academic and practical skills that are closely aligned to the needs of industry.
The Master of Drug Discovery and Development is best suited to very able students with backgrounds in chemistry or relevant life-science subjects such as biochemistry, biomedical science, pharmacy or pharmacology. It is an intensive one-year taught programme, unique in New Zealand.
Learn from academics and professionals who are leaders in the field and have experience in successfully taking drugs to market. Each course is taught by at least three academics so you'll be exposed to a wide range of expertise.
Drug Discovery and Development is taught by the Schools of Chemical and Physical Sciences and Biological Sciences in collaboration with the University's Ferrier Research Institute and the Centre for Biodiscovery.
You'll be able to take advantage of the research expertise of the Ferrier Research Institute in drug design and development, and if you're doing a Master's, you'll be working alongside the more than 30 scientists who make up the largest carbohydrate research team in the world. The Institute also has its own manufacturing facility so you'll have the opportunity to observe the drug development process from discovery to product.
You'll also benefit from the programme's links with the Centre for Biodiscovery where you will interact with the research teams that are actively discovering, designing and assessing novel bioactive compounds.
Get wise to the real-world issues facing pharmaceutical development and make the most of the hard-earned experiences of staff who have worked in the local and international biotech industry. Learn not only how to handle chemicals on a large scale, but to develop the mindset to do this in a way that is safe, reliable and robust—so you end up providing medicines that will change people’s lives.
Victoria offers three postgraduate qualifications in Drug Discovery and Development. Choose the one that suits your career goals, time constraints and financial situation.
If you begin by enrolling in the Certificate or Diploma programme you can continue on to complete your Master's. Or if you enrol in the Master's but can't complete it, for whatever reason, you may have completed enough points to be awarded a Certificate or Diploma.
Each qualification includes the core courses DRGD 401 Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, and a choice between DRDG 402 Drug Design or CHEM 421 Organic Chemistry and Bio-organic Chemistry.
After that you'll choose from selected courses from the study areas of Drug Discovery and Development, Biomedical Science, Biotechnology, Chemistry, Clinical Research and Microbiology.
All three qualifications give you the opportunity to do at least some research.
Postgraduate Certificate
You'll complete four courses worth 60 points made up of the two core courses and two further choices.
Postgraduate Diploma
You're likely to take seven courses that will include the two core courses, your elective options and the 30-point Research Preparation course.
Master's
You'll study for your Master's in two parts over three trimesters. In Part 1, the first two trimesters, you're likely to take seven courses that will include the core courses and a 30-point Research Preparation course.
In Part 2, you'll complete a full research project. Choose between DRDG 561 Applied Research Project, where you'll complete one or more problem-solving projects, or DRGD 590 Research Project, where you'll focus on medicinal chemistry and the formulation of active pharmaceutical products. In some cases you may be able to replace the research project with the thesis course DRGD 595.
Your Master's may be endorsed with a specialisation in either Drug Discovery, Drug Development or Chemical Biology. Check the requirements to find out what you need to do for these.
You can expect a workload of 40–45 hours a week for much of your studies.
The MDDD can be completed in 12 months full time, or in two years of part-time study but you'll need to discuss this option with the programme directorfirst. The Diploma will take you two trimesters and the Certificate one trimester.
You'll study at Wellington's Kelburn campus where you will have access to state-of-the-art research facilities. Students doing a research programme will also work in partnership the world-renowned Ferrier Research Institute in Lower Hutt.
Be part of a dynamic and collaborative scientific research community. Past students' research areas in drug discovery and development have included:
Become part of an active community of scientists. Postgraduate study at Victoria will help you build valuable relationships and networks with peers, university staff and future colleagues. You'll have unprecedented access to world industry leaders who visit as guest lecturers and run seminars with students.
You'll have the broad skills you need to work in drug discovery in companies, universities, research institutes or with drug regulatory authorities. You might work within the pharmaceutical, bioanalytical or chemical industries, or take your skills into nutraceuticals or agrichemicals.
This MRes programme aims to train students in the fast-growing area of synthetic biology, a discipline which takes the knowledge and understanding we now have of the individual parts of biological systems and uses them in a defined way to design and build novel artificial biological systems.
Students develop an understanding of the areas involved in synthetic biology, including engineering principles, mathematical modelling, advanced molecular biology, microbiology, biochemical engineering and necessary chemistry. Modules also provide the necessary skills for acquisition and critical analysis of the primary scientific literature and transferable research development skills. The programme includes a major research project that will provide in-depth training in synthetic biology research methods.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.
The programme consists of three core modules (60 credits) and an extended research project (120 credits).
Core modules
Optional modules
There are no optional modules for this programme.
Dissertation/report
All students undertake an independent laboratory-based extended research project which culminates in a dissertation of 15,000–18,000 words.
Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through lectures, seminars and tutorials, combining research-led and skills-based modules. The taught modules are assessed by assignments and coursework. The research project is assessed by an oral presentation, submission of a dissertation and is subject to oral examination.
Further information on modules and degree structure is available on the department website: Synthetic Biology MRes
The Synthetic Biology MRes will qualify students to go on to work in the growing number of small companies engaged in synthetic biology both here in London and across the UK and the world. There are many large companies that are building their own synthetic biology potential and some of our students are already working with these groups. Our students often go on to do further research in PhDs and EngDs globally. Our graduates have practical experience of generating novel research with our unique facilities that makes them of great value to employers and collaborators.
Recent career destinations for this degree
Employability
Synthetic biology is a fast growing area of research and will have a major economic and social impact on the global economy in the coming decades. The involvement of molecular biologists, biochemists, engineers, physical scientists, chemists and biologists can create designed cells, enzymes and biological modules that can be combined in a defined manner. These could be used to make complex metabolic pathways for pharmaceuticals, novel hybrid biosensors or novel routes to biofuels. A future integration of biological devices and hybrid devices as components in the electronics industry might lead to a whole new high value industry for structured biological entities.
UCL is recognised as one of the world's best research environments within the field of biochemical engineering and synthetic biology as well as biological and biomedical science.
UCL Biochemical Engineering is in a unique position to offer tuition and research opportunities in internationally recognised laboratories that carry out synthetic biology research, and an appreciation of the multidisciplinary nature of synthetic biology research.
Students on this MRes programme undertake a major research project where topics can be chosen spanning the expertise in six departments across UCL.
The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology is home to more than thirty well-funded research groups, offering opportunities for research that is fundamental in advancing basic science and at the same time provides knowledge that is being translated to help tackle human diseases. The graduate programs in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology therefore provide advanced research-based education with the goal of preparing students for a career in academic, industrial or professional positions in British Columbia and beyond.
The Department offers MSc and PhD degree programs, with the option to transfer into the PhD track during the second year. Enrollment in the two programs combined has been steadlily increasing over the last 5 years from about 65 to 84 grads. The requirements for formal course credits are usually completed within the first two academic terms. Course topics include laboratory techniques, nucleic acids, membrane structure and function, cellular regulation, protein chemistry and molecular biology. Additional options include bioinformatics, genome analysis, cell growth and differentiation, bacterial pathogenesis and immuno-genetics. The balance of the program is research intensive and assessed by examination of a dissertation.
The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology has a rich history and on-going record of exceptional academic and research excellence. The Department was home to Nobel Laureate, Michael Smith and his legacy is sustained through involvement of a number of our professors with the Michael Smith Laboratories and the closely-associated Centre for High Throughput Biology. The majority of our research laboratories are located in the Life Sciences Institute, the largest multidisciplinary research hub at UBC. Key features of our research and graduate programs are that they are set up to enable top-notch work, with the very best facilities and with opportunities for collaboration with researchers from a range of disciplines. Research groups in the Life Sciences Institute include those with a focus on diabetes, cardiovascular disease, macular degeneration, bacterial and viral diseases, chemical biology, blood research, molecular epigenetics and others. We encourage you to visit the Department website to check out the specific research interests and achievements of the professors in the Department. A number of our professors have developed and maintain major and cutting-edge equipment that underpins research using macromolecular crystallography, mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, high-throughput imaging and a range of spectroscopic techniques for macromolecular analysis.
The Department provides tuition benefits to more than half of all students and scholarships to assist with travel to meetings. The Department makes every effort to enable students to gain teaching experience through teaching assistantships, mostly to support teaching in undergraduate laboratory and lecture courses and for which further stipend support is achieved. Overall, the average support package for graduate students exceeds $27,000 per annum.
During the past year we undertook a detailed survey of all graduates who completed their graduate programs in the period from 2003-2014. Of the total of 138 graduates, we have tracked the career progress of more than 120 so far. Of this total, 35 have completed further training in graduate and postdoctoral positions, 20 have entered a professional program (mostly in Law or Medicine), 11 have progressed to a tenure-stream faculty position and 32 have full-time research positions in academia (8), industry (21) or government departments (3). Others have established careers in technical writing or management and the most recent cohort (13) are still at a very early stage of career development. Although we need to continue to track and refine our understanding of career outcomes, it is very clear that our programs enable our graduates to achieve career success in a number of academic, professional and commercial areas.
Chemistry is the central science enabling a healthy future in a sustainable society. During this master's programme you will learn to take a fundamental approach in finding tailored solutions for complex societal problems in human health and environmental issues.
The aim of this two-year programme is to train you as an independent scientist and to develop the necessary skills and proficiency to advance your career. The master’s programme in Chemistry offers you access to cutting edge research. The research is concentrated in two major research areas:
Read more about our Chemistry programme.
Find more reasons to choose Chemistry at Leiden University.
The programme is open for students with an internationally recognized bachelor’s degree in chemistry or a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in chemistry. Chemistry is the right master’s programme for you if you are interested in fundamental chemistry and applied research. You will be trained for a career in research within or outside academia. You can also choose a specialisation where you combine one year of Chemistry research with one year of training in business, communication or education.
Read more about the entry requirements for Chemistry.
