Biological Sciences

Overview

We're exploring topics ranging from the evolution of life on Earth, to the huge ecological consequences of human activity, to the growing danger posed by antibiotic resistance. 

By studying for a postgraduate research degree with us, you'll play a part in our mission to turn our expertise into impact. You'll also become a part of our research community and engage in research projects supervised by academics who are specialists in their fields.

You'll work in modern laboratories with some of the latest equipment contributing to our world-class research. 72% of our research outputs in the area of Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences – which includes Biological Sciences – were classed as world leading or internationally excellent in the Research Excellence Framework 2014.

You'll get the opportunity to work across research disciplines including molecular, micro, marine and environmental biology. Your research may also be closely linked to Biomedical Science and Pharmacy, Geography, and Earth and Environmental Science.

Support and facilities

When you join us, you'll be supported by our Graduate School, alongside your assigned supervisory team, who'll help you get the most from our facilities. The Graduate School will help you become part of our thriving, collaborative research community, and help grow your skills as a researcher through the Graduate School Development Programme, which offers training, workshops and events.

You'll have access to our biophysical laboratories including equipment such as 600 MHz NMR spectrometer with cryo-probe, X-ray diffractometer, confocal-laser scanning, and transmission electron microscopes. You can also use our extensive facilities for bacterial growth and protein purification.

You can also access facilities for Synchrotron Radiation at the Diamond Light Source (Harwell) and ESRF (Grenoble), Neutron Scattering facilities at Institute Laue-Langevin (Grenoble) and protein expression facilities at OPPF (Harwell).

At our Institute of Marine Sciences, you can use the following facilities:

• Aquarium rooms with temperature-controlled flow-through sea water system

• Shallow water research and testing platform

• Quarantine facilities for non-native species

• Experimentally-controlled temperature rooms

• Molecular, general and sediment laboratories

What can a postgraduate research degree do for my career?

Once you complete your postgraduate research degree, you'll be a highly-skilled researcher with the knowledge and skills to make an impact in many different industries.

Your postgraduate research qualification demonstrates to potential employers that you're an intelligent, capable and motivated person, with provable abilities and experience in critical thinking, problem-solving, project management, communication, leadership and creativity.