How does the immune system know when to trigger a response, and how are immune responses regulated? You’ll examine the immune process at a molecular level and also developmental aspects of immunity and it will assist you in understanding current developments in the field. You’ll look at the way cellular and molecular components of the immune system are integrated to provide immunorecognition in health and disease. Explore how landmark concepts in immunology evolved from hypothesis to experimental discovery, and consider the ways in which clinical immunotherapy approaches allow scientists to manipulate the immune system.

This module describes the fundamental principles of stem cell biology and molecular mechanisms and factors that define their 'stemness'. It also covers the processes that govern their differentiation into specific cell types.

Biomembranes are of fundamental importance in determining the organisation and functioning of living cells. Biophysical and biochemical methods to study membranes will be discussed alongside the specific roles of membranes in the signal transduction, ion and solute transport and energy storage in cells. Energy generation and transformation by membranes is an essential feature of all cells: membrane electron transport processes will be discussed (with particular attention being given to respiratory and photosynthetic processes), together with the chemiosmotic theory for ATP synthesis by membranes. A bottom up approach building from basic thermodynamics to observed macroscopic effects and biological function is taken. Particular emphasis is placed on the quantitative description of chemical free energy changes and electron transfer reactions allowing students to analyse and interpret biophysical data in the context of actual experiments.

Imaging in biological and biomedical research and clinical settings is hugely important. In particular, there has been a dramatic development of microscopic methods for visualization of biological structures and physiological events. Microscopy is now a cornerstone of cell, clinical, molecular, neuro- and developmental biology. This course provides an overlook of imaging in biomedical sciences, then focusses on modern applications of fluorescence microscopy. Case studies from experts in the imaging field are presented. A special emphasis is on computational image quantification. A practical in digital image processing is held. Using datasets provided in the course, as well as their own (photographic) data, students learn to process images using freely available open-source software. At the end of the course, each student presents a short 'elevator pitch' talk showing an imaging-based problem, then presenting a solution for its quantification. Effective verbal communication and writing are transferable skills developed in this course.

The aim of this module is to provide you with current knowledge and understanding of cancer. We will discuss general aspects of cancer biology (cancer statistics and risk factors, origins and multistage nature of cancer, metastasis and angiogenesis). The identification and isolation of oncogenes and tumour suppressors and the mechanism of action of their products will be analysed. We will explore cancer molecular biology and signalling pathways in cancer. We will discuss cell cycle and apoptosis and their role in the maintenance of normal cell populations and in the emergence of cancer. The principles of some of the current approaches in cancer therapy will be discussed.

Be introduced to the key concepts of animal behaviour from an ethological and comparative cognition viewpoint. By taking a critical look at published work and research and identifying the frameworks that underlie animal behaviour, you will become familiar with aspects such as the evolution of behaviour and the cognitive capabilities of different species.

You’ll be introduced to the key concepts of evolutionary theory as pertaining to human psychology, and will engage with current literature in this rapidly advancing area of science. You will develop your understanding of the relevance of evolution to the scientific study of human behaviour and cognition. You’ll also identify the basic concepts and frameworks that underlie evolutionary approaches to psychology, as well as the major findings and fields within evolutionary psychology.