Biochemistry (Molecular and Cellular)

The study of living things at the molecular level has undergone tremendous expansion in recent years, leading to ever increasing insights into topics as various as the origin of life, the nature of disease and the development of individual organisms. Powerful new techniques, such as those of molecular genetics and NMR spectroscopy, enable us to analyse biological phenomena in more and more precise molecular terms. These studies have led to commercially valuable developments in drug design and synthesis, forensic science, environmental sensing and a whole range of other areas. Furthermore, advances in biochemistry are largely responsible for the breakdown of traditional boundaries between cell biology, medicine, physics and chemistry as their applications become increasingly wide reaching.

The Biochemistry Department in Oxford is one of the largest in Europe, and includes academic divisions of: Cell and Chromosome Biology; Genes and Development; Molecular Biophysics; Molecular and Systems Biochemistry; and the Glycobiology Institute/Drug Discovery Research Unit. The department is extremely active in research, with about 300 postgraduate students and research staff. The breadth and excellence of these activities are reflected in the scope of the undergraduate course and underpins the teaching.

The department has superb research facilities – having moved into our brand new building in September 2008 – and excellent teaching facilities, computer network and access to a wide range of online and hard copy journals.

An important aspect of the Oxford Biochemistry course is its fourth-year project, lasting 18 weeks full-time, which allows you to explore both laboratory-based research and specific recent advances in biochemistry in detail. You choose the project yourself. Under the supervision of a group leader, you will design your own experiments, and will learn to plan research programmes and present your results and ideas – orally and in written form – to other workers in the field. The experience gained is much valued by employers. The project also gives you the opportunity to reflect on your aptitude and enthusiasm for a research career.

Biochemists are playing an increasingly wide role in biological, environmental and clinical fields, with employment areas stretching from health care to agriculture. Biochemical analysis is used in clinical and forensic science, such as DNA fingerprinting, and in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Other areas of employment include biotechnology and bioinformatics. Typically about 60% of our biochemistry graduates go on to do research or further study, mostly in the biochemistry field, while others find employment in industry, commerce or other areas, such as finance. Further details of careers in biochemistry can be found on the UK Biochemical Society website.

Recent Biochemistry graduates include a PhD researcher in clinical medicine, a financial analyst, a market research executive, and a research assistant at a Chinese university. Becky, who graduated in 2008, is now a medical copywriter at CDM London. She says: ‘Following an internship in science publishing, I fell into pharmaceutical advertising. As a promotional and technical writer, I get to exercise both the creative and scientific sides of my brain.’