Programme description

The MPhil is a one-year research degree where students get the opportunity to study a specific research project. The MPhil degree can act as a stand-alone degree for applicants who would like to gain experience in a specific area, or can be linked to a PhD programme. Rather than register on a direct entry 3 or 4 year PhD, some postgraduates may first register on a one-year MPhil programme. Subsequently students may then wish to transfer on to a full PhD programme with a further 2 or 3 years of study.

Advances in cell biology are at the cutting edge of biological research. The Faculty has considerable breadth and expertise underpinned by state-of-the-art facilities in confocal, electron and light microscopy. Much of the research carried out is focussed on understanding the molecular basis of cell division, organelle biogenesis and protein targeting, differentiation, adhesion and secretion. These investigations are carried out using a diversity of model animal, plant and microbial systems such as: Drosophila, Caenorhabditis elegans, Xenopus, Arabidopsis thaliana, E. coli and yeasts along with mammals, parasites and crops. Examples of research programmes include:

• Cytoskeleton & Control of the Cell Cycle
• Molecular Mechanisms of Chromosome Segregation
• Mechanisms of DNA Repair
• Animal and Plant Apoptosis
• Palate & Epidermal Development
• Protein Targeting
• Translocation & Secretion
• Adhesion & the Extracellular Matrix
• Vascular Development in Plants
• Ultrastructure of Eukaryotic Microbes & Fungi
• Host Immune Responses

Coursework and assessment

All research degree programmes are based on supportive supervision in an outstanding research environment. As well as a supervisor each PhD student also has an advisor who is available to oversee the progression of the student and provide additional support during their research degree.

The Faculty of Life Sciences is proud to have one of the largest and most innovative training and development programmes for postgraduate students in Europe, which has undergone continual development over the past 10-15 years. The Graduate Training Programme (GTP) is a series of compulsory and optional workshops, seminars, and skills training modules that are designed to complement a student's research laboratory training. Every student benefits not only from the outstanding academic environment, but also from the opportunity to acquire a broad and individualised range of personal and transferable skills that are of great value in future careers. For more information about the Graduate Training Programme please see the Faculty of Life Sciences website.

Each year the postgraduate community is joined by all members of the Faculty of Life Sciences to formally celebrate their substantial research achievements at the Faculty Research Symposium. During this important day in the Faculty calendar, a selection of postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers present their work, through talks and posters, to their peers, academic and support staff and invited guests. This event provides all of our postgraduates with an important opportunity to showcase their research.

Facilities

The Faculty of Life Sciences at The University of Manchester comprises 250 independent research groups, and is one of the largest and best biology research groupings in Europe. The Faculty's research encompasses the entire spread of life sciences from the molecule to cell to organism to population.

The Faculty occupies a series of superb new buildings, each of which incorporates an enviable collection of equipment core facilities. These include analytical research facilities, bioimaging facility, bioinformatics facility, biomolecular analysis and mass spectrometry facilities, microarray facility, botanical experimental grounds, electron microscopy facility, fermentation facility, flow cytometry facility, histology facility, mammalian transgenic technologies facility, nuclear magnetic resonance facility, and x-ray crystallography facility.