Herbal Medicinal Science (Top-Up)BSc (Hons)

Advanced Bioanalytical Science

The aims of this module are aligned with the qualification descriptors within the Quality Assurance Agency’s, Framework for Higher Education Qualifications.
The module aims to develop students’ understanding of advanced bioanalytical techniques and to enable students to determine which analytical technique is suitable for a particular type of sample. The module will reinforce and build on analysis skills introduced in CH5007 and provide an opportunity for students to interpret more advanced data, particularly spectra and chromatograms and to solve defined problems. The students will gain practical experience in selected analytical techniques.
This module aims to provide students with the qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment requiring the exercise of initiative and personal responsibility and decision-making in complex and unpredictable contexts. The module should also help students to gain the learning ability needed to undertake appropriate further training of a professional or equivalent nature.

Medicinal Chemistry

The aims of this module are aligned with the qualification descriptors within the Quality Assurance Agency’s Framework for Higher Education Qualifications.

This module will enable students to develop an understanding of the various strategies used in drug design and the molecular mechanisms by which drugs act in the body.

The module aims to: deepen students’ awareness of the major influence chemistry has had on the treatment of various diseases and debilitating conditions; enable students to assess critically the methodologies and strategies that govern whether or not a synthetic compound (i.e. new chemical entity, NCE) may be regarded as a good drug candidate.

Natural Products

The aims of this module are aligned with the qualification descriptors within the Quality
Assurance Agency’s, Framework for Higher Education Qualifications.
This module aims to enable students to develop an understanding of the chemical components of a range of natural products (e.g. terpenes, plant glycosides, alkaloids, carbohydrates, peptides/proteins and nucleic acids), as well as the methods used for their appropriate extraction and quantitation. It will also show students how to deploy a range of spectroscopic techniques for structure elucidation of some of these vitally important molecules. In addition, the module aims to develop students understanding of both the biosyntheses, and synthetic methodologies, involved in deriving the active constituents of drug-like molecules found in nature (e.g. in pharmacognosy) and provide them with contexts that will allow them to develop problem solving skills in this area. Contemporary topics of importance in natural products such as applications of combinatorial chemistry, photochemistry (industrial-scale) and semi-synthetic drug development will also be introduced via lectures, tutorials and workshops and the
students’ practical skills will be enhanced by exposure to specific techniques from
modern natural product isolation protocols. In addition, the module aims to provide students with the qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment. They will be required to exercise initiative and personal responsibility, as well as decision-making
in complex and unpredictable contexts. Finally, the module aims to provide students with the learning ability needed to undertake appropriate further training of a professional or equivalent nature.

Research Project

This module will enable students to demonstrate the skills necessary to carry out a scientific programme requiring significant research. It will allow students to demonstrate the final development of their subject knowledge, skills and understanding through extended research based on laboratory, literature or field work, or meta-analysis of databases. This research will lead to the presentation of a detailed written report and a Powerpoint presentation of results. This module aims to encourage the student to reflect and build upon their subject knowledge and expertise by means of a specific investigation requiring significant research; develop the skills necessary to plan, carry out, analyse and report upon the results of an experimental or analytical programme on a scientific topic; allow the student to demonstrate that s/he has achieved a high level of personal development through working independently with the minimum necessary supervision; allow the student to demonstrate their understanding and application of safe and considerate working practices, particularly within the laboratory.

Toxicology

This module will enable students to extend their understanding of disease and toxicity. They will study the influences of endogenous and foreign compound metabolism on pathology. Students will learn how these pathological processes can be modulated in the treatment of disease and poisonings.

The aims of this module are aligned with the qualification descriptors within the Quality Assurance Agency’s, Framework for Higher Education Qualifications. This module aims to provide students with the opportunity to understand the principles and practices of biochemical pathology . This will be by expanding a student's knowledge and understanding of human biotransformations (metabolism) particularly as they influence the nature of disease(pathology) and toxic states (toxicology). Students will engage with problems in toxicology and pathology and study a range of topics including forensic, regulatory and environmental toxicology and metabolic pathology. They will be provided with an understanding of the key role of foreign compound (xenobiotic) metabolism in biochemical toxicology and given the opportunity to study the aetiology and treatment of disease and poisonings.