Chemical Biology and Drug Design

In the first half of the year you’ll cover a core range of modules designed to build on an existing knowledge of chemical structure and reactivity to give you a thorough understanding of chemical biology and the techniques required for drug design. In the second half of the year you’ll spend the majority of your time working on an interdisciplinary research project which will allow you to work with and gain advice from two supervisors with complementary expertise.

This project will contribute 50% of the mark for your degree. The School will help you to select the project that is right for you, in an area that interests and motivates you. The project will provide you with key research experience to take your career forward. With the core modules behind you, you’ll be ideally positioned to choose an exciting problem to investigate.

The breadth of expertise available at Leeds means that you will be able to combine a wide range of techniques from computational ligand design to synthesis, protein engineering and laser spectroscopy. These techniques might span one of more of the following general areas;

• Synthesis of biologically active molecules
• Medicinal chemistry
• Enzymology and directed evolution
• Biophysical chemistry
• Chemical genetics

You’ll receive training in the generic skills that are required for the module, including scientific writing and giving oral presentations. You’ll select your project at the start of the second semester, undertaking a programme of directed reading before writing an initial report. You’ll then spend over four months in your supervisors' research laboratories working alongside PhD students and experienced postdoctoral researchers. During the research project, you’ll have access to the outstanding research facilities in chemical biology that are available in Leeds.

Course structure

These are typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our Terms and conditions.

Modules Year 1

Compulsory modules

• Foundation of Chemical Biology 10 credits
• Emerging Topics in Chemical Biology 25 credits
• Extended Laboratory Project for Chemistry-based MSc courses 90 credits
• Advanced Topics in Chemical Biology (30 Credit) 30 credits

Optional modules

• Practical Bioinformatics 10 credits
• Molecular Diagnostics and Drug Delivery 10 credits
• Medical Diagnostics 10 credits
• Drug Discovery and Development 15 credits
• Advanced Topics in Chemistry (10 Credits) 10 credits
• Advanced Topics in Chemistry (15 Credits) 15 credits

For more information on typical modules, read Chemical Biology and Drug Design MSc in the course catalogue

Learning and teaching

You will be taught by experts across the Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, meaning you’ll learn from both chemists and biologists to gain the skills and knowledge to work in a multidisciplinary environment. You’ll be taught through a series of lectures, small group workshops and practical lab sessions. You will also get involved in student led activities such as literature presentations.

Assessment

The wide range of continual assessment formats will allow you to improve your generic skills, and to hone your ability to solve problems. As part of the continual assessment of modules, you will give a wide range of oral presentations; prepare short articles, essays and research reports; perform computational exercises; and undertake group-based problem solving activities. Your research project will be assessed through your practical work and a written research report.