The science of life

Biochemistry may not sound sexy, but it teaches you the chemistry of everything on the planet. And, as Emma Haughton reports, it can lead to a lucrative career

Cells may not sound like the most scintillating of things to study for three years, but what happens within their tiny confines is becoming increasingly crucial to a whole range of industries, particularly medicine, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, environmental science and forensic science. Not surprising, then, that a biochemistry degree can be the foundation for a solid and lucrative career, according to Dr Bill Ashraf, the senior lecturer in the department of biomedical sciences at the University of Bradford.

"Employers like biochemistry degrees because they are relatively challenging. You have to acquire a whole series of skills, such as communication, report writing, mathematical and analytical skills, and all those can be applied to other sorts of work. Biochemists also have to be very numerate, very critical and very up-to-date. It's an attractive combination."

So the prospects are good, but what will you actually be studying over the course of your degree? The first year will usually be very broad, taking you through the basics of molecular biology, biochemistry, physiology and microbiology. "In the 1960s that would have included a lot about enzymes, with a bit about proteins and carbohydrates and so on," explains Professor Ian Booth, a professor of microbiology at the University of Aberdeen. "There was very little understanding then about how cells work. Today, however, we understand it very well, and we're not only looking at cells in depth, but at how they work together."

Biochemistry is the most basic of the biomolecular sciences. "It's the chemistry of life, what everything comes down to," says Booth. "You eat food and that generates energy to grow, think, do, and so on. How does that work? What is the fundamental chemistry of it?"

As you progress you'll probably look at areas like the molecular biology of the gene, and how genomes function, for example. At some institutions you can specialise towards toxicology and physiology, or give your studies a medical slant with the biochemistry of disease.

"It's really important to look carefully at the syllabus – especially what you'll be studying in your last year – and the research strengths of that particular department," points out Ashraf. "One biochemistry degree may have more of a human or medical tinge, while another puts the emphasis on plant biology or is more drug related. For example, we are really interested in the causes of human disease and how to prevent them, so we do quite a bit on the biochemistry of cancer and on cardiovascular disease."

Many universities, particularly the ex-polytechnics, will offer an optional sandwich year, in which you can disappear off into industry and learn on the hoof. "This can be very useful," explains Dr Katherine Zuzel, the programme leader for biochemistry at Liverpool John Moores University. "The laboratory training that students get in the university teaches them how to think and conduct experiments, but it is very low tech compared with what goes on in industry and the workplace."

So far, so tempting, but how likely are you to get a place? In all but the top institutions, you should get in with relatively low grades. Aberdeen requires BBC, for instance, while Bradford wants CCD – and you don't necessarily have to have either chemistry or biology in that combination. "Frankly we're prepared to accept rock bottom," admits Zuzel. "Not only are we competing with the red-brick universities, but demand for biochemistry is going down because fewer students are doing AS-level science these days."

The subject has suffered in recent years, agrees Booth. "I think it is often perceived to be more difficult than it is – people are put off it by the chemistry tag and don't understand that it's more about the cell and how it works. It's also a victim of the success of David Attenborough. Every time he goes on television, recruitment for zoology soars, and recruitment for biochemistry goes down."

Hence many institutions are combining it with other subjects, typically microbiology, immunology and genetics. "It's a bit of an abstract science subject, so we're now offering more focused degrees such as medical biochemistry and biochemistry with forensic science. It's a bit more sexy, more what students actually want."

education@independent.co.uk