Biochemistry

Biochemistry is the molecular science of life, concerned with the chemical processes and substances that occur in living organisms. It asks fundamental questions about how cells build themselves, how enzymes catalyse reactions with extraordinary specificity, how DNA is replicated and read, how energy is captured from food and used to power biological processes, and how these molecular mechanisms go wrong in disease. It is a discipline that sits at the foundation of modern biology and medicine, and advances in biochemistry over the past century have transformed our understanding of life and our ability to treat illness.

At Queen Mary University of London, this four-year full-time programme gives you a thorough grounding in the principles of biochemistry, from the structure and function of proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, and carbohydrates through the pathways of metabolism and gene expression to the frontier of research in areas such as structural biology, synthetic biology, and the molecular basis of disease. The four-year duration provides additional depth, allowing you to engage with more advanced research-level content and to develop the independent scientific thinking that distinguishes the best biochemists. QMUL's strong research environment in the life sciences means that your learning takes place within an active scientific community.

Graduates pursue careers in pharmaceutical research and development, biotechnology, clinical biochemistry, public health, science communication, academic research, and education. The biochemical understanding developed in this degree is foundational for virtually all of modern biomedical research, and biochemists are sought across the industries and institutions that work on drugs, diagnostics, food science, agriculture, and environmental science. Postgraduate study at Master's or PhD level is a common route for those who wish to develop their research expertise or to move into highly specialist scientific roles.