Biology (Microbiology) - (Professional Placement Year) BSc (Hons)

We live in a microbial world and this pathway will introduce you to that world and its relevance to Biology. You will be taught by lecturers with expertise in food microbiology, environmental microbiology and health microbiology, and those topics will form the basis of this pathway. From the basics of microbial cell structure and function, through to microbial metabolism and genetics, microbial systems and ultimately real world applications of microbiology, this pathway will equip you with a broad base understanding of this topic and open up careers and post-graduate study in the field.The key modules in this pathway will introduce you to the microbial world, and teach you the skills to grow and identify microbes and explore their role in the environment, in health and in food safety and production. You will also develop your laboratory and microscopy skills enabling you culture and identify microbes safely. Laboratory skills will be developed across the entire programme enabling you to design your own research project to investigate an aspect of microbiology for your final year dissertation. This pathway will focus primarily on bacteria but fungi, archaea, viruses and some eukaryotic microbes will also be investigated. The modules will develop your understanding of microbes, beginning with cell structure and function and microbial evolution. Microbial metabolism and genetics will lead to an understanding of microbial systems and how microbes live in diverse and dynamic communities and interact with other organisms in both beneficial and detrimental ways. Ultimately you will gain an understanding of the nature and role of microbes and their fundamental role in life processes. This microbiology pathway is part of the broader Biology programme allowing you to study other Biology modules to give you a broad biology degree with a specific focus on microbiology.**More about the Professional Placement Year**A Professional Placement Year (PPY), traditionally known as a sandwich year, is where a student undertakes a period of work with an external organisation for between 9-13 months. The placement occurs between the students' second and third years of undergraduate study. Students can engage in up to 3 placements to make up the total time and are required to source the placement(s) themselves with support from the Careers & Employability Team.