Biological Sciences

Research

Research themes in the School:

Combining the expertise from the different disciplines, the researchers at the School co-operate to address some of the key environmental and medical issues that we face in the new century, and to advance our knowledge of biological processes.

Cells and Biochemistry

• Chromatin, Gene Expression and Developmental Biology
• Natural products Research
• Microbiology and bioremediation

Molecular Genetics and Forensics

• Bionanotechnology
• Forensic anthropology
• Forensic entomology
• Structure and Function of Nucleic Acid - Protein interactions

Organisms and Ecosystems

• Aquatic Environmental Chemistry
• Biodiversity
• Human Impact on the Aquatic Environment
• Marine sciences
• Materials and the Environment
• Petersfield Field Centre for Environmental Technology
• Microbiology and bioremediation

European Xenopus Resource Centre

The European Xenopus Resource Centre (ARCHIVE) is funded by the Wellcome Trust, BBSRC and NC3Rs to support researchers using Xenopus models.

The School of Biological Sciences has an established international reputation for both fundamental and applied research. Over 30 academic staff, more than 60 postdoctoral and postgraduate researchers and undergraduate project students are engaged in the research programmes. Our research activities cover a wide range of interests from the molecular level to the environment, reflecting the complexity of the modern biological sciences.

The School attracts funding from many sources including industry, Research Councils, The Wellcome Trust, Leverhulme Trust, Cancer Research UK, government agencies and the European Union, totalling many millions of pounds.

The School is renowned internationally for excellence in environmental monitoring, particularly investigating water quality and pollutants in the aqueous environment. The expertise of Portsmouth scientists in counteracting the bio-deterioration of materials is sought after in attempts to preserve national heritage monuments. Researchers in molecular and cell biology are investigating the very fabric of life, the role of genes and genomes in shaping the body. Bringing together biology, chemistry and physics, our scientists look at the structure and function of molecules at sub-microscopic detail, and aim at devising nanotechnology for medical and industrial applications. Further research areas include biodiversity, applied forensic biology, animal physiology and human impacts on the environment.