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Undergraduate Courses

BSc in Biochemistry

Students wishing to obtain a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry must do so through the Undenomiated science GY301. This is a four-year programme in which students are exposed to a variety of scientific subjects before deciding to specialise in one area for their final year. It is an ideal option for students who are not yet ready to pick one topic and will equip them with solid foundation in general scientific subjects.

Please check the College of Science  for further information on careers and more. You may also be interested in the a Bsc in Genetics & Genomics, BSc in Biotechnology or a Bsc in Biomedical Science. 

Biochemistry Lab BI201-1

BSc in Biochemistry over 4 Years

To obtain a BSc in Biochemistry, students must choose Biology in first year and Biochemistry in second, third and final year. It is important to note that quotas apply from second year onwards, and in the case of high demand, module placement will be determined by the overall grades obtained by the student.

Year 1 - Biology

Biology (BO101) is a joint course run by the Disciplines of Biochemistry, Botany, Zoology and Microbiology. The aim of the first-year Biology course is to build a broadly-applicable set of basic skills and knowledge, and introduce students to the various fields within the life sciences.

Lectures in Biochemistry take place in Semester 1. 

Biochemistry topics to be covered in First Year Biochemistry include: 

  •      An Introduction to Biology.
  •      The chemistry of life; Proteins; Carbohydrates; Lipids.
  •      Nucleic Acids; Eukaryotic cell structure; Cell membranes.
  •      An introduction to metabolism; Enzymes; Cellular Respiration.
  •      The cell cycle; Mitosis & Meiosis; Cellular communication.
  •      From gene to protein; Regulation of eukaryotic gene expression.
  •      Genetic engineering/biotechnology. 

Year 2 - Biochemistry

Students seeking a BSc in Biochemistry must begin to specialise after first year by taking Biochemistry in second year. The course combines lectures with hands-on laboratory-based modules, providing an introduction to the skills and knowledge most relevant to biochemists.

2nd Year Biochemistry consists of the following modules:

Semester 1

  • BO201: Molecular and Cellular Biology
  • BI208:Protein structure and function

Semester 2

  • BI206: Gene Technologies and Molecular Medicine
  • BI207: Metabolism and Cell signalling  

Year 3 - Biochemistry

The  3rd Year Biochemistry course develops the themes of the previous year’s lectures and builds on the practical skills learned in order to prepare the student for final year.

3rd Year Biochemistry consists of the following modules:

Semester 1

  • BI309: Cell Biology
  • BI319: Molecular Biology
  • BO3101: Developmental Biology

Semester 2

  • BI321: Protein Biochemistry
  • BI313: Cell Signalling
  • BI317: Human Molecular Genetics

Year 4 - Biochemistry

The focus of fourth-year Biochemistry is the development of practical skills essential to both hands-on laboratory work and scientific writing. 

Module BI453 is a 15 ECTS research project, and will form the basis of the final-year thesis.  Over 8 weeks, students will have the opportunity to work alongside researchers at NUI Galway in a lab-based research project.

In the 10 ECTS module BI447, the student will critically examine the current literature on a specific topic, in order to write a review, as well as presenting a poster on the area.

In addition, students must complete lecture modules with end-of-term written examinations (BI429, BI445, BI448, BI449), as well as modules emphasising problem-solving, information gathering and analysis of research papers (BI446, BI451, BI452).

4th Year Biochemistry consists of the following modules:

Semester 1

  • BI445: Biomolecules
  • BI448: Modern Biotechnologies
  • BI452 Biochemistry Principles and Experimental Design 

Semester 2

  • BI449: Molecular and Cellular Biology
  • BI429: Advanced Chromosome Biology 

 Semester 1 & 2

  • BI446: Current Topics in Bioscience
  • BI451: Research Paper Analysis 

Semester 1 or 2

  • BI447: Literature Review and Poster
  •  BI453: Biochemistry Research Project

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Biochemistry Lab BI201-2