Biological Sciences (Zoology)

This module will develop your skills in designing and executing field sampling techniques for UK flora and fauna, giving you appropriate experience for employment in ecology and conservation. You’ll focus on understanding and enacting current best practice field techniques for assessing the statues of key habitat types and species while staying in line with protected species legislation where applicable. This creates the opportunity to apply for statutory body (Natural England) licences to survey protected species. 

Without plants, life on Earth would look very different to what it is now. Plants provide us with energy and food, shelter, and the oxygen that we are breathing.

In this module, you’ll explore how important plants are in tackling global issues like climate change, sustainability, preserving biodiversity, finding new medicines, understanding societal inequalities, and living a healthy life. You'll study the fundamental biology of plants: how they grow, reproduce, and interact with bacteria, viruses, animals, and abiotic stresses like heat or drought. You will learn to appreciate the diversity of flowers, and how pollination drove their evolution.

You will discover how plants produce energy, oxygen, sugars and other components that are essential for life on Earth, as well as about cutting-edge research, gaining knowledge of pollen biology using a scanning electron microscope. In addition, you’ll be given the chance to create a science article all about your chosen plant genus. 

Study the biological realms of our global plight to rescue our world’s critically endangered species from extinction. You’ll be introduced to the challenges of saving endangered species, most importantly, the role of the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), and captive populations.

You'll investigate conservation genetics and how these specific environments are managed, while exploring in-situ versus ex-situ conservation. You’ll create a research project about a specific threatened species of your choice and consider how climate change increasingly impacts how populations use landscapes. You’ll draw links between biodiversity and key approaches to conservation landscapes.

You’ll interact with species reintroduction programmes, managing island flora and fauna, and you'll explore the ethical and educational aspects surrounding ex-situ collections.

You will gain an in-depth understanding of how biologists play an integral part in saving today’s endangered species.
 

You'll unravel key research ideas that are helping today’s biologists solve some of the biology world’s biggest questions. The fundamental concept of cell biology is the understanding of how organisms develop and how they interact and respond to their environment.

You’ll investigate molecular cell structures from animals, plants and fungi through a combination of practical experimental laboratory techniques and theoretical research. You'll be introduced to fascinating established methods such as fluorescent microscopy of living cells. You’ll explore recent advances in cell biology such as novel treatments and therapies for diseases, cell processes such as cell division, and the impact of the environmental on biological systems.

You’ll also take a closer look at the composition of a cell – its’ components and intrinsic functions. By the end of this module, you will have an excellent grasp of cell biology, which will allow you to progress to more advanced and specialised topics. 

In this module, you’ll be introduced to cell biology at a molecular level. Your study will incorporate exploration of the fascinating science behind combined genetic and molecular approaches leading to fundamental biological concepts and cellular processes.

Through a combination of practical work and theory-based activity, you’ll be trained in laboratory techniques and introduced to experimental evidence central to your understanding of genetic engineering, and modern molecular tools.

You’ll pay particular focus to the history of evolution (phylogeny), the study of relationships between living organisms and their physical environment (ecology), and how genetic variation is passed down to successive generations (evolution), all of which shall complement the BIOL5015 Genetics.

The ‘Work Experience’ module is a supervised work-based learning experience. You will spend a minimum of 60 hours in a working environment that is relevant to your future career path. By learning how to reflect on your learning and professional development, and how to present your insights in a written essay and in a video, you will develop useful skills for your future job applications. We strongly believe that arranging a placement yourself will give you a head start after graduation, as you will have practiced essential career management skills. Ideally, it will be your responsibility to find, apply for and secure your work experience placement. If you get stuck, your subject lead, your academic advisor or your dissertation supervisor will be able to provide you with some contacts in a wide range of suitable organisations. Cost of the opportunity: There may be some costs such as travel associated with work experience and these are not included in the course tuition fees.

Interested in how ecosystems impact our environment? In this module, you’ll have the opportunity to participate in a one-week residential field course trip which will invite you to consider the connections between topical ecological and environmental systems. You’ll be encouraged to develop high level survey design, and put your data analysis and interpretation skills into action. The field course trip will run over the summer break, and shall be supplemented by scheduled activities in the following semester.  

You'll learn about major theoretical and technological advances in Genetics and Genomics, and their significance in addressing challenges in biological and medical research. You’ll focus on the variation of population history, selection inference, and analysing variation in complex traits. You’ll also explore the use of comparative genomics and the evolutionary relatedness among groups of organisms (phylogenetics) to make connections between evolutionary relationships, and investigate genome evolution.

Your learning journey will encompass microbiomes in human health and ecosystems, and the study of gene function. You’ll get hands on with key techniques such as retrieval of data from public resources, population statistics, genome-wide association studies, gene annotation, transcriptome analysis, transcription factor binding prediction and characterisation of epigenetic modifications. You’ll devise a research programme addressing a current challenge in biological and medical science.

Immerse yourself in most exciting research and developmental topics surrounding microscopic cell biology and bio-imaging analysis. In this module, you will gain an in-depth insight and appreciation of the molecular mechanisms at play in the cell biology of mammals, yeast and plants. You’ll investigate some of the techniques underpinning the latest associated research in the field, and dive into an exploration of fundamental biological processes in topics such as cell signalling and interacting proteins, the endomembrane system, and the cell cycle. Innovative advanced experimental bio-imaging has opened up new avenues to implement highly powerful experimental methods for investigation of cell biology. Light microscopy techniques will allow you to probe important biological questions, observe living cells of animals and plants, and measure intracellular processes including protein interactions in different biological situations.

If you’ve ever been interested in the strategies behind conserving wildlife, this module is for you. You’ll study and identify key concepts which will support your ability to formulate solutions for protecting biodiversity at the local and landscape scale. You’ll focus your learning on core conservation issues, with consideration of controversies and alternative approaches to the practical issues involved in land management for successful conservation.  You’ll build on your foundational knowledge from previous modules. As your study progresses you will gain a practical and theoretical understanding of wildlife conservation and the environmental issues that threaten species. 

Science has had an impact on all aspects of our lives, and overall, you’ll learn how to set that influence in its social and historical context, in this module. You’ll address alternative views of the world, how they have been developed or replaced in the context of science, and have a clear look at the strengths and weaknesses of a scientific world view. You’ll explore ideas about the value of other life forms and consider environmental philosophy. You’ll take a refreshing perspective on modern contentious ideas and possibilities such as Genetic Modification, organic farming, fracking, stem cell research, manipulation of the human genome and designer babies. In addition, you’ll turn your focus to the political, economic, and moral context of the current environmental crisis. 

The shape, size and colour of each animal are produced during its development. This means that in order to study the evolution of animal biodiversity we need to study the evolution of development. In this module, we will not only discuss animal evolution at various timescales and levels, but we will also follow the development from egg (cell) to adult in a variety of animal species and compare the developmental programmes involved.

The ‘Work Experience’ module is a supervised work-based learning experience. You will spend a minimum of 60 hours in a working environment that is relevant to your future career path. By learning how to reflect on your learning and professional development, and how to present your insights in a written essay and in a video, you will develop useful skills for your future job applications.

A study (normally library-based) of a topic of the student's choosing that is relevant to the student's programme but not formally offered as part of the taught course. The topic will normally extend the learning achieved during Stage 2, and for a full time student the module can only be undertaken during the final year of study. A learning contract is agreed between the student and a supervising member of staff in the semester prior to the one in which the study is to be undertaken, and this must be approved by the Subject Examination Committee. Only once the learning contract has been formally approved will the module be registered on the student's programme of study.