By Dr Mike Wride
Functional Biology Course Director
Welcome to the Functional Biology, Trinity College Dublin blog pages for prospective, current and past Functional Biology TCD students and anyone else interested in Functional Biology. Here you will find blog articles written by Functional Biology staff and students.
The
Functional Biology course at Trinity College Dublin focuses on comparing and contrasting the
comparative physiology of plants and animals and other organisms (e.g.
parasites) by comparing the way different kinds of organisms develop
through embryogenesis and beyond and how physiological function depends
on tissue and organ structure (anatomy).
Many of the mechanisms
organisms use for survival are conserved across species, allowing the
revelation of key functional principles. Furthermore, the physiological
mechanisms organisms have evolved depend on their interactions with the
environment through time. Moreover, Functional Biology has important
roles to play in elucidating the effects of gene mutations and/or
deletions affecting protein function and environmental effects on gene
expression and epigenetics (heritable changes in gene expression or
cellular phenotype caused by mechanisms other than changes in the
underlying DNA sequence).
The Junior Sophister (Third) year provides a broad knowledge and understanding of Functional Biology, while in the final year a major component of the course is a research project chosen in Plant Science or Zoology. Final year teaching also occurs through small group tutorials in areas of specialization in plant or animal Functional Biology as well as through lectures.
Functional Biology acts as an excellent springboard for undergraduate students to go on to post-graduate Bioscience degrees; e.g. Masters and PhDs in biological/physiological disciplines. Graduates of Functional Biology are also ideally placed to contribute to the knowledge economy/society through careers with biotechnology companies and/or industry, having gained unique and valuable experience and training. The course also provides an excellent background for students who want to pursue a career in teaching biology. Furthermore, our students gain a wide portfolio of transferable skills of importance to employers - written and oral presentation skills, group/team work, effective time management, data handling, computer literacy etc. Recent graduates include those who are undertaking Masters degrees in biological disciplines and business/commerce, working for banks, doing web design, working for pharmaceutical companies and are involved in public science and society and educational outreach work, to highlight just a few.
The Junior Sophister (Third) year provides a broad knowledge and understanding of Functional Biology, while in the final year a major component of the course is a research project chosen in Plant Science or Zoology. Final year teaching also occurs through small group tutorials in areas of specialization in plant or animal Functional Biology as well as through lectures.
Functional Biology acts as an excellent springboard for undergraduate students to go on to post-graduate Bioscience degrees; e.g. Masters and PhDs in biological/physiological disciplines. Graduates of Functional Biology are also ideally placed to contribute to the knowledge economy/society through careers with biotechnology companies and/or industry, having gained unique and valuable experience and training. The course also provides an excellent background for students who want to pursue a career in teaching biology. Furthermore, our students gain a wide portfolio of transferable skills of importance to employers - written and oral presentation skills, group/team work, effective time management, data handling, computer literacy etc. Recent graduates include those who are undertaking Masters degrees in biological disciplines and business/commerce, working for banks, doing web design, working for pharmaceutical companies and are involved in public science and society and educational outreach work, to highlight just a few.
Functional
Biology started within the Science Course TR071 at Trinity College
Dublin in 2010 and the first 10 students completed their BA (Mod)
Functional Biology degrees in 2012. Functional Biology is taught jointly
by the Disciplines of Botany and Zoology from The School of Natural
Science with additional input from the School of Genetics and
Microbiology.
For more information see:
http://www.naturalscience.tcd.ie/undergraduate/functional-biology.php
We are also on facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/FunctionalBiologyTCD
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