Molecular Biology and Biotechnology

Course description

This course is designed to develop your autonomy, experimental planning and technical skills to enable you to generate and analyse experimental data, ready to lead innovation across the fast-moving biotechnology industry.

Throughout your masters you'll learn about diverse but complementary themes across molecular biology and biotechnology, with module choices available from the School of Biosciences and the School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering. Lectures and seminars delivered by academic experts will give you a unique perspective on the cutting-edge techniques and collaborative research that’s happening in these areas.

You’ll receive extensive training in modern laboratory techniques including CRISPR genome editing, molecular cloning, organism handling, DNA sequence analysis, PCR, SDS-PAGE and western blotting.

Once you’ve mastered these fundamental molecular bioscience techniques, you’ll apply these skills to your research project. Here you’ll spend up to five months addressing a key research question in an area of molecular biology or biotechnology under the supervision of expert academic staff.

Example previous research projects themes include:

• Plastic degradation using manufactured enzymes
• Protein and enzyme engineering
• Plant genetic engineering
• Structural biology (eg X-Ray crystallography)
• Synthetic biology/industrial biotechnology (production of useful products from microorganisms)
• Molecular biology (biomedical/disease related projects)
• Intelligent protein optimisation/bioinformatics

If you have any questions about entry requirements, please contact the school/department.

Your career

Biotechnology is a rapidly developing area that’s heavily dependent upon molecular approaches, creating significant demand for graduates with strong experimental skills and knowledge of molecular bioscience and biochemical engineering.

The specialist training students receive on this course means our graduates are highly employable, with many working in biotechnology in roles including:

• Device Development Senior Associate, Pfizer
• Research Associate, Ortho Bio Therapeutics
• Research and Development Manager, EDX Medical
• Cell Scientist, Phytofrom
• Analytical Scientist, Oxford Biomedica
• Research Scientist in Enzyme Optimisation , Entropix Ltd
• Laboratory Assistant, Randox Clinical Laboratory Services
• Field Application Specialist, Genomax Technologies

Students have also gone on to PhD training in plant biotechnology, enzyme engineering, human health and disease, membrane protein biogenesis, and chemical engineering.