Biochemistry

Biochemistry is the chemistry of life: the discipline that examines the molecular processes that underlie all biological phenomena, from the replication of DNA and the synthesis of proteins to the metabolism that provides energy for cellular activity and the signalling pathways that allow cells to communicate and respond to their environment. By combining aspects of biology and chemistry at the molecular level, as the current description accurately captures, biochemistry enables students to understand the biological processes that influence all living organisms, from bacteria and yeast to the human body in health and disease.

At the University of Northumbria at Newcastle, this four-year full-time Extended Degree programme builds in extra time and academic support to allow students to reach their potential in a demanding scientific discipline. You will develop expertise in the molecular biology of the cell, including nucleic acid biochemistry, protein structure and function, enzyme kinetics, metabolic pathways, and cell signalling, alongside the techniques that underpin modern biochemical research, including chromatography, spectroscopy, electrophoresis, and molecular biology methods. The course also includes a sandwich year, a year abroad, and a work placement, providing an exceptional combination of professional and international experience.

Placements in pharmaceutical companies, research institutes, NHS laboratories, or biotechnology organisations give you direct exposure to professional biochemical practice and are often a route to graduate employment.

Biochemistry is a discipline in rapid development, with research in areas including drug discovery, genomics, proteomics, synthetic biology, and structural biology all advancing rapidly, and the programme connects you to these active frontiers.

Biochemistry graduates work in pharmaceutical research and development, biotechnology, clinical biochemistry in the NHS, academic research, medical diagnostics, food science, and environmental science. Postgraduate study, including doctoral research, is a well-established route for those seeking careers in research or in senior scientific roles in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors.