BSc (Hons) Biomedical Sciences with Integrated Foundation Year Bachelor's degree at Royal Holloway, University of London

Built around global issues including virtual reality, health apps, internet of medical things, mental health, climate catastrophe, global biodiversity crisis, technology for monitoring the environment and the 'One Health' approach. Develops study skills, critical thinking, and writing skills for the Integrated Foundation Programme.

Key topics in pre-HE-level biological and earth sciences through an interdisciplinary, chronological curriculum covering origins, present and future. Includes biological chemistry, metabolism, physiology, planetary science, palaeontology, communicable and non-communicable disease, climate change, biodiversity, and nucleic acid-based technologies.

Mathematical skills for Life Sciences degrees including applications in healthcare, chemistry, microbiology and marine biology. Covers unit conversions, balancing equations, functions, logs, exponentials and trigonometry.

Key topics in pre-HE level Environmental Science through an interdisciplinary, chronological curriculum. Covers origins of the planet, nutrient cycling, succession, and how the environment and species are affected by human actions and mitigation strategies.

Key systems (circulatory, ventilatory, reproductive) in a broad range of species including humans, plants, vertebrate and invertebrate species. Covers chemical concepts, anatomical and physiological adaptations, and impact of disease on these systems.

Statistics skills for Life Sciences degrees with applications in geology, ecology, biomedical sciences and health studies. Covers statistics concepts and tests including p-values, linear regression, Chi-squared tests, Wilcoxon test, and principal component analysis.

Key scientific concepts and effective science communication. Processing and critiquing different forms of information, communicating science to scientific and non-scientific audiences using diverse media, forms and methods. Examines ethical issues surrounding research and intervention.

Fundamental chemistry of life processes and laboratory experiments. Basics of biological chemistry, chemical bonding and reactivity of biomolecules, intermolecular forces, 3D structure and isomerism. Equilibria in acid/base biochemistry and basic biochemical lab techniques.

Basics of biochemistry including key techniques for biochemical analysis and spectroscopy. Fundamentals of protein structure, structure/function relationships in myoglobin, hemoglobin and serine proteases. Biochemical kinetic problems using Michaelis-Menten equation and thermodynamic problems.

Fundamental physiological systems required to maintain complex multi-cellular animals, specifically those involved in communication, transport and homeostasis. Evolution of systems and organs, nervous and endocrine systems, closed circulatory system.

Function of organ systems in humans and consequences of disease on physiological function. Brain structures, special sensory systems, mammalian kidney and lungs, adrenal gland, haematology, blood and inflammation, skeletal muscle function and neural regulation.

Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell biology and key functions of structures and organelles. Origin of life, principles of natural selection and evolution. Practical techniques in microscopy, fixation techniques for cell ultrastructure analysis and aseptic techniques for bacterial culture.

Genes and their behaviour in individual organisms, populations, and at the molecular level. Cellular genetics (mitosis, meiosis, inheritance, recombination), gene expression and its control, DNA replication, genome organisation, transcription, translation. Practical experience in microscopy and chromosome observation.

Main concepts of classic protein biochemistry including protein purification, enzyme kinetics, and enzyme structure. Basic principles of protein purification techniques, enzyme kinetics using Michaelis-Menten equation, biochemical buffers. Practical experience in analytical methods.

Function and integration of selected human physiological systems in normal physiology and disease. Endocrine control, hypothalamo-pituitary axis, thyroid hormones, nervous, cardiovascular, respiratory systems, whole muscle physiology, blood composition and haemostasis.

Chemical structure of DNA and RNA, and how genes are organised and expressed. Gene characterisation using recombinant DNA technology, DNA as template for RNA synthesis. Molecular biology techniques including preparation and handling of purified DNA, restriction enzyme digestions, and polymerase chain reaction.

Mammalian immune systems at cellular and molecular levels, antibody structure and function, complement system, immunoglobulin genetics. Role of T cells, allergic reactions, transplant rejection, HIV virus and pathogenesis of AIDS. Antibody antigen reaction techniques and lymphocyte isolation and purification.

Structure of the nervous system, main types of cells and transmission of signals within neuronal networks. Synaptic transmission (electrical and chemical synapses), neurotransmitters and receptors, intracellular signaling and second messenger signaling pathways. Practical skills in isolating and characterising synaptosomes.