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.
This academically challenging and career-developing programme focuses on research and development using biological and chemical principles and systems to create new products, services and industries.
You will employ elements of the developing field of synthetic biology to bring about significant changes and major innovations that address the challenges of rapidly changing human demographics, resource shortages, energy economy transition and the concomitant growth in demand for more and healthier food, sustainable fuel cycles, and a cleaner environment.
You will learn through a variety of activities, including:
You will attend problem-based tutorial sessions and one-to-one meetings with your personal tutor or programme director.
You will carry out research at the frontier of knowledge and can make a genuine contribution to the progress of original research. This involves carrying out project work in a research laboratory, reviewing relevant papers, analysing data, writing reports and giving presentations.
Compulsory courses:
Option courses:
By the end of the programme you will have gained:
You will enhance your career prospects by acquiring current, marketable knowledge and developing advanced analytical and presentational skills, within the social and intellectual sphere of a leading European university.
The School of Biological Sciences offers a research-rich environment in which you can develop as a scientist and entrepreneur.
We offer an opportunity to train in one of the newest areas of biology: the application of engineering principles to the understanding and design of biological networks. This new approach promises solutions to some of today’s most pressing challenges in environmental protection, human health and energy production.
This MSc will provide you with a thorough knowledge of the primary design principles and biotechnology tools being developed in systems and synthetic biology, ranging from understanding genome-wide data to designing and synthesising BioBricks.
You will learn quantitative methods of modelling and data analysis to inform and design new hypotheses based on experimental data. The University’s new centre, SynthSys, is a hub for world-leading research in both systems and synthetic biology.
The programme consists of two semesters of taught courses followed by a research project and dissertation, which can be either modelling-based or laboratory-based.
Compulsory courses:
Option courses:
The programme is designed to give you a good basis for managerial or technical roles in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. It will also prepare you for entry into a PhD programme.
This course provides you with a balance of molecular biology, engineering, computing and modelling skills necessary for a career in synthetic biology. Computational design of biological systems is important as the field of synthetic biology grows. This allows the construction of complex and large biological systems.
While laboratory approaches to engineering biological systems are a major focus, the course specialises in computational design. This provides you with essential computing and engineering skills to allow you to develop software to program biological systems.
Our course is designed for students from both biological and computational backgrounds. Prior experience with computers or computer programming is not required. Students with mathematical, engineering or other scientific backgrounds are also welcome to apply. It is ideal if you are aiming for careers in industry or academia.
We provide a unique, multidisciplinary experience that is essential for understanding synthetic biology. The programme draws together the highly-rated teaching and research expertise of our Schools of Computing Science, Mathematics and Statistics, and Biology, as well as the Medical Faculty and the Institute of Human Genetics.
Research is a large component of this course. The emphasis is on delivering the research training you will need in the future to meet the demands of industry and academia effectively. Newcastle's research in life sciences, computing and mathematics is internationally recognised.
The teaching staff are successful researchers in their field and publish regularly in highly-ranked systems synthetic biology journals.
Our experienced and friendly staff are on hand to help you. You gain the experience of working in a team in an environment with the help, support and friendship of fellow students.
Your five month research project gives you real research experience in Synthetic Biology. You will have the opportunity to work closely with a leading research team in the School and there are opportunities to work on industry led projects. You will have one-to-one supervision from an experienced member of the faculty, supported with supervision from associated senior researchers and industry partners as required.
The project can be carried out:
-With a research group at Newcastle University
-With an industrial sponsor
-With a research institute
-At your place of work
We have a policy of seeking British Computer Society (BCS) accreditation for all of our degrees, so you can be assured that you will graduate with a degree that meets the standards set out by the IT industry. Studying a BCS-accredited degree provides the foundation for professional membership of the BCS on graduation and is the first step to becoming a chartered IT professional.
The School of Computing Science at Newcastle University is an accredited and a recognised Partner in the Network of Teaching Excellence in Computer Science.
Facilities:
You will have dedicated computing facilities in the School of Computing. You will have access to the latest tools for system analysis and development. For certain projects, special facilities for networking can be set up.
You will enjoy access to specialist IT facilities to support your studies, including:
You will have access to a Linux based website that you can customise with PHP hosting services.
We have moved to the new £58m purpose-built Urban Sciences Building. Our new building offers fantastic new facilities for our students and academic community. The building is part of Science Central, a £350 million project bringing together:
The AIV Master is a 2-year international program designed to help students prepare their career in science and to find their way in research. At AIV, we believe that the future of Biology-related disciplines lies in the interaction with the other sciences - Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Engineering and so on. We teach students to speak a common language of science, and to interact with experts from different fields in order to tackle research questions with a multifaceted, comprehensive approach.
It is hosted in the Center for Research and Interdisciplinarity (CRI) of Paris, an international environment that fuels creativity and openness, both in Science and in Education.
You will study of Life Sciences with an innovative, interdisciplinary approach based on the convergence of Biology, Physics, Computer Science and many other disciplines, to answer research questions in a more comprehensive way.
You will gain substantial, meaningful research experience thanks to our program, rich in internships (4 over the course of the 2 years).
You will be trained by prominent researchers from different backgrounds, who experience innovative teaching methods.
You will work in an international environment that promotes teamwork and collaborations. You will build long-lasting ties with prominent researchers and fellow students from all over the world.
Do you want to be trained in Systems and Synthetic Biology? Do you want to build the skills you need to achieve your PhD? Do you want to help us building an open and collaborative scientific community and be part of something unique and special? If the answer to any of these question is yes, apply now!
Our students learn both hard and soft skills fundamental to be scientists, while gathering a significant amount of research experience in labs, start-ups or companies. The Master is designed to adjust around the student's needs for building his or her desired portfolio of experience. It is also possible to integrate the program with courses from the other two AIRE tracks, Learning and Digital Sciences.
The first year of the AIV Master is designed to teach you primarily Systems, Synthetic and Computational Biology. The first semester is entirely devoted to full-time courses, in which students will also familiarize with the main tools that will help them study Life Sciences in an interdisciplinary way (Mathematical modelling, Physics, Statistics). After the core courses of the first semester, you will have the chance of learning through research with a 6-months internship in the lab of your choice. You can also choose to participate in the iGEM competition, an international competition in Synthetic Biology.
The second year of the Master is designed to emphasizes training in scientific reasoning, critical analysis and project development. It includes a rotation of three 3-months research internships in labs of your choice, to give you the opportunity to taste different aspects of science, be trained in different disciplines and topics, and to let you build your own set of skills for whatever you choose to undertake after the end of your Master. Students joining directly in Master 2 have also the opportunity of following some courses of their choice from Master 1.
The AIV Master is design to adapt to the career choices of the student; although most of our students (70%) decide to continue their studies with a PhD in academia, others prefer to work in the private sector. About 80% of our students find an employment within 3 months from their graduation.
Here is the timeline for the application to AIV:
Please note that you won’t need a cover letter as you’ll be asked to fill in a specific form giving us more info about who you are, your background and your training plan through our Master Program.
Over a second phase and if your application is selected, we’ll have an interview which can be set up through Skype if you’re currently abroad. The final admission results will be broadcasted over the course of July 2018.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us by email: [email protected], or call us on + 33 1 76 53 11 27.
Our courses in detail: https://cri-paris.org/master-aiv/aiv-general-program/
FAQ: http://cri-paris.org/master-aiv/faq/
People: http://cri-paris.org/master-aiv/people/
Visit the AIV Master page on the Center for Research and Interdisciplinarity website for more details!
https://cri-paris.org/master-aiv/
Our Microbiome in Health & Disease MSc provides students with a unique background in all aspects of both analysis of microbiome and determining the role of microbiome in pathology with experience in both computational and experimental techniques.
Designed and delivered by the newly established Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions (CHMI) at King’s, the course brings together teaching on a varied course incorporating systems biology and bioinformatics with molecular biology, microbiology, immunology and physiology.
In the post-human genome project world, our health is dependent on more than our genes. High throughput sequencing reveals the amazing complexity and extent of the microbial communities that reside within or upon us. We are also beginning to understand just how dynamic the interactions between the host and members of communities are. Interactions are diverse, and variations observed between individuals depend on a multitude of microbial and host factors, including diet and inflammatory status. More importantly, it is becoming clear that different disease states are linked to significant changes in the make-up of these communities. Scientists who understand the computational analysis of the huge data sets for microbial communities, and who are also able to interpret findings in the context of human and microbial health, will be in demand across this emerging field in academia and in industry.
The MSc Microbiome in Health & Disease will provide you with a deep understanding of microbial communities and their diversity, and the impact of these communities on host health and disease. You will be exposed to the concepts and techniques involved in profiling and analysing large omics data sets associated with characterising and investigating microbial communities.
You will learn to analyse omics data sets, such as genome, transcriptome, metabolome and metagenome data, and how to integrate these data to develop a holistic understanding of the interactions between host and microbial communities in both health and disease states.
You will also learn how these skills apply in industry and have the opportunity to undertake research in collaboration with industrial partners. You will study the intersection between microbiome and engineering and learn how to identify and develop innovative products in different microbiome fields, applying learning from computational, multiomics analysis and basic biology, through advanced synthetic biology tools, and integrative analysis and modelling, to design new engineered therapeutic microbial communities and optimize their effectiveness in clinical, agricultural and environmental challenges.
You will also undertake a 10,000 word supervised dissertation on a subject within the field of microbiome in health and disease.
The course aims to develop students' knowledge of the microbial communities that reside within or upon us, and how they impact our health and disease processes.
It is designed for students who wish to improve their background knowledge and skills prior to applying for a PhD studentship, and also for students who wish to enhance their knowledge and skill set for analysing and interpreting the large, multiple omics data sets that are involved in microbiome research.
The MSc Microbiome in Health & Disease consists of 4 taught modules (two covering microbiology, microbial diversity and host-microbiome interactions, and two covering computational analysis of microbiome, and systems and synthetic biology), followed by a lab-based research project. The taught component will run from September until January, with the research component running from February until August.
Teaching comprises conventional lectures, tutorials and computational workshops, supported by example sessions, project work and independent learning via reading material and online courses. During the computational modules, you will be provided with data sets to analyse for written and oral projects.
After completing the taught component, you will undertake a lab-based research project for which you will provide a proposal and subsequent dissertation and presentation under the guidance of a supervisor.
Teaching
The typical hours you will spend as you progress through your studies are as follows:
Lectures, seminars & feedback: 214 hours
Self-study: 1586 hours
Contact time is based on 24 academic weeks and self-study time is based on 31 academic weeks.
Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.
Assessment
You may typically expect assessment by a combination of coursework (76%) and examinations (24%).
The study time and assessment methods detailed above are typical and give you a good indication of what to expect. However, they may change if the course modules change.
Engineering organisms and processes to generate the products of the future
Many everyday products are generated using biological processes. Foods such as bread, yoghurt and beer rely upon microscopic organisms to generate their structure and flavour. Many drugs are made using cells, such as insulin used to treat diabetes and many anticancer chemotherapy drugs. In the future, more products will be made using biological processes as they are typically ‘greener’ than traditional chemical processes – they are less energy intensive and generate fewer harmful chemical by-products. Biological processes are also responsible for many environmentally-friendly biofuels, which aim to reduce fossil fuel use.
Biological processes are key to many UK companies, from small contract manufacturers of protein and DNA drugs to large companies making fuels, commodity chemicals, foods and plastics. Biochemical engineering is an area that is essential to UK, European and Worldwide industrial development.
This is a highly multidisciplinary subject, requiring the integration of engineering and bioscience knowledge. If you are interested in pursuing a career in industrial biotechnology, biochemical engineering, biotechnology or bioprocessing, then this programme will provide you with the basic knowledge and skills required. Optional modules expand your horizons to include specific product areas (such as pharmaceuticals) and other skills required for a career in the area (such as business skills).
Birmingham is a friendly School which has one of the largest concentrations of chemical engineering expertise in the UK. The School is consistently in the top five chemical engineering schools for research in the country.
It has a first-class reputation in learning, teaching and research, and is highly placed in both The Guardian and The Times league tables.
Biochemical Engineering concerns the use of biological organisms or processes by manufacturing industries. It is a multidisciplinary subject, requiring the integration of engineering and bioscience knowledge to design and implement processes used to manufacture a wide range of products; from novel therapeutics such as monoclonal antibodies for treating cancer, vaccines and hormones, to new environmentally-friendly biofuels. It is also essential in many other fields, such as the safe manufacture of food and drink and the removal of toxic compounds from the environment..
This course will provide you with the skills you need to start an exciting career in the bioprocess industries, or continue research in the area of bioprocessing or industrial biotechnology.
Industry involvement
Academics working at Birmingham have strong links with industry, through collaborative projects, so allow students to make contact with companies. Graduates from the MSc programme have gone on to careers in biochemical engineering world-wide, in large and small companies working in diverse areas.
There are also guest lectures from academics working at other institutions.
Practical experience
You will gain practical experience of working with industrially applicable systems, from fermentation at laboratory scale to 100 litre pilot scale, in the Biochemical Engineering laboratories. Theory learned in lectures will be applied in practical terms. In addition, theoretical aspects will be applied in design case studies in a number of modules.
All MSc students complete a summer research project, working on a piece of individual, novel research within one of the research groups in the school. These projects provide an ideal experience of life as a researcher, from design of experimental work, practical generation of data, analysis and communication of findings. Many students find this experience very useful in choosing the next steps in their career.
Special Features
The lecture courses are supplemented with tutorials, seminars and experimental work. Industrial visits and talks by speakers from industrial and service organisations are also included in the course programme.
Pilot Plant
The Biochemical Engineering building houses a pilot plant with large-scale fermentation and downstream processing equipment. The refurbished facility includes state-of-the-art computer-controlled bioreactors, downstream processing equipment and analytical instruments
Course structure
The MSc is a 12-month full-time advanced course, comprising lectures, laboratory work, short experimental projects and a research project. You will take an introductory module, four core modules, and then choose 50 credits of optional themed modules. The course can also be taken on a part-time basis. The Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) lasts for 8 months from the end of September until June.
For the first eight months you have lectures, tutorials and laboratory work. Core module topics include:
There are numerous optional modules available across three themes:
From June to September you gain research training on your own project attached to one of the teams working in the bioprocessing research section.
Related links
The MSc is a 12-month full-time advanced course, comprising lectures, laboratory work, short experimental projects and a research project. You will take an introductory module, four core modules, and then choose 50 credits of optional themed modules. The course can also be taken on a part-time basis. The Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) lasts for 8 months from the end of September until June.
For the first eight months you have lectures, tutorials and laboratory work. Topics include:
You also have practical experience of working in the newly-refurbished pilot plant of the Biochemical Engineering building
From June to September you gain research training on your own project attached to one of the teams working in the bioprocessing research section.
