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Course Details

Term 1 > BBMS5100 Perspectives in Biochemical Sciences

This course presents the latest developments and advancements in biochemical sciences as well as the current topics in the society. It aims to alert students the trends and recent breakthrough in biochemistry in medical research. Issues such as stem cell research and infectious diseases shall be examined in this course.

Unit: 3

Term 1 > BBMS5120 Biochemical Techniques of Forensic Analysis 

This course aims at introducing various biochemical principles and techniques for forensic analysis to the students.  Students will learn how to observe, collect, analyze and evaluate evidence found at crime scenes. The first part addresses the identification of biological fluids such as blood, semen, and saliva from crime scene. The emphasis will be on the biochemical technologies used in the presumptive and confirmatory tests. The second part of the lecture covers collection and processing of biological samples from crime scenes, DNA analysis using RFLP and PCR-STR typing methods, interpretation of DNA typing results, and court presentation of such biological evidence. Mitochondrial DNA typing and Y chromosome DNA typing will also be discussed.

Unit: 3

Term 1 > BBMS6100 Biochemistry of Food Safety and Environmental Health 

This course is concerned with the biochemical impacts in food and environment as they relate to the health of public. The first part introduces the key concepts and principles of food safety and toxicology. The nature and properties of the toxic substances in foods will be covered. Additionally, the impacts of nutrient deficiency to human health will be discussed. The second part addresses issues related to environmental health such as water management, sewage management and treatment, and pollution from hazardous biochemicals and chemicals.

Unit: 3

Term 1 > BBMS6200 Methods in Biochemistry

This course will allow students to gain theoretical and practical, hands-on knowledge of various advanced research methodologies and their applications in biochemical research and pre-clinical services. Methods include:

+ Ion exchange chromatography                        + Spectrophotometry      

SDS-Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis       + PCR & Site-directed mutagenesis

+ Bacterial transformation and Culture             + Recombinant protein expression and purification

+ Human cell culture and cytotoxicity assay

+Fluorescence technology: flow cytometry, confocal microscopy, fluorescence spectrum scanning and measurement 

Unit: 3

Term 1 > BBMS6500 Research Methods and Literature Review in Biochemical and Biomedical Sciences (Compulsory)

This course aims at providing students in the MSc programme with the essential concepts of basic research methods, project management, scientific writing and presentation skills, statistical analysis of data and academic honesty in the field of biochemical and biomedical sciences. Students must submit a literature review or a research proposal for examination by the end of the course.

Unit: 3

Term 2 > BBMS5200 Molecular Biology and Genome Science 

This course is designed to acquaint students with the field of molecular biology and genome science. The course covers the principles of genetics at the molecular level, physical and biochemical nature of hereditary materials, molecular mechanisms of DNA replication, mutation, and repair, and molecular basis of genetic disorders and their diagnosis. Additionally, the basic recombinant DNA technology, genome editing, contemporary applications of biochemical technology in DNA sequencing and genome mapping, RNA biology and technology, drug discovery and development will be introduced. Contemporary application of computing skills and tools in data analysis for biochemical/biomedical studies will also be discussed.

Unit: 3

Term 2 > BBMS5220 Biochemical and Biomedical technology

This course aims at introducing recent technologies for biochemical and biomedical analysis. It covers tools and techniques for protein analyses. Modern approaches to identify and characterize protein-protein interaction will be introduced. Moreover, bioengineering of proteins such as enzymes which are of medical and industrial importance will be illustrated. The application of x-ray crystallography in protein structural studies will also be introduced. The course also covers the contemporary applications of biochemical technology in mammalian cell culture technology, stem cell biology and CAR-T cells biotechnology.

Unit: 3

Term 2 > BBMS6120 Clinical Biochemistry and Diseases 

This course provides students with an introduction to the normal pathways of carbohydrate, lipid, nucleotide and amino acid metabolism. The course will outline the biochemical mechanisms for controlling these pathways under different physiological and nutritional conditions and discuss the importance of diseases arising from defects in these pathways. Particular emphasis will be placed on the biochemical mechanisms concerning the etiology, symptoms and treatment of diseases such as diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis and other lipid disorders, inborn errors of carbohydrates and amino acid metabolism. Also, how biochemical test results are utilized for the diagnosis and monitoring of diseases are described.

Unit: 3

Term 2 > BBMS6300 Management and Accreditation of Biochemical Laboratory

The aims of this course are to introduce basic concepts and adequate skills of laboratory management, safety and quality assurance in biochemical laboratories. Special topics such as biochemical testing and manufacturing process, good laboratory practice, laboratory accreditation, genetic testing and experimental protocols and method validation etc., will be discussed.

Unit: 3

Term 2 > BBMS6520 MSc Research Project

Students will be required to do a research project on a current topic in biochemistry or biomedical sciences under the supervision of a teaching staff of School of Life Sciences. Students must submit an MSc thesis for examination by the end of the course.

Unit: 3

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