Bio​medical Science

Level 1.1

Anatomy & Physiology

This module equips students with an understanding of the basic principles of homeostatic mechanisms and the cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, gastrointestinal, neuromuscular, endocrine and reproductive physiological systems that exist in the human body. It also covers basic skeletal system and anatomy.

Career & Professional Preparation I

This module is part of the Education and Career Guidance framework to provide students with the tools and resources necessary for their career and/ or further education. In this first module, students will undergo personal discovery and exploration of industry and career prospects. Students will learn how to plan and set achievable goals in preparation for their future. Students will also learn the importance of passion and professionalism, along with basic teamwork and interpersonal skills.

Cell Biology & Genetics

This module exposes students to key themes and experimental techniques in eukaryotic cell biology and genetics. It covers cell structure and function of cellular organelles, regulations of cell cycle and cell division, study of genes, genetic variation and heredity. Fundamentals of molecular biology such as the structure of DNA, DNA replication, transcription and protein synthesis will also be outlined.

Inorganic & Physical Chemistry

This module covers the structure of matter, chemical bonding, orbital hybridisation, thermochemistry, chemical equilibria, kinetics, electrochemistry and redox reactions, transition metal chemistry, chemistry of solutions, including acids, bases and buffers.

Mathematics

This module provides students with a fundamental analytical knowledge of mathematics essential for the study of life sciences. The module is designed to equip students with the necessary mathematical techniques to solve biological and chemical problems, as well as to carry out analytical studies in their future work. Topics include exponential and logarithmic functions, integration, differentiation and differential equations.

Level 1.2

Biosafety & Risk Management

This module is designed based on the curriculum of the WSQ “Follow Good Biosafety Practices” course. This module aims to equip students with essential knowledge and skills for safe handling of chemicals and biological agents as well as fundamentals of decontamination and waste management. Topics such as follow biosafety and biosecurity principles and practices, risk assessment and mitigation, national and international biosafety guidelines and legislation, and emergency response programme will also be covered.

Biostatistics

This module is designed to provide students with basic statistical skills to analyse and interpret simple biological, pre- clinical and clinical data. The basic statistical skills covered are descriptive statistics, data distribution, set sample size, measurement of central tendency, scatter diagram, cluster analysis, and simple linear correlation and regression analysis for linear data. Students will learn about the presentation of data in graphical forms using Microsoft Excel, including selection and preparation of different types of graphs, how to write titles and legends, and interpretation of results and draw conclusions.

Microbiology

This module introduces a basic understanding of microorganisms and techniques in microbiology. Topics include cell structure and function, classification, viruses and fungi, nutrition, growth and regulation, environmental factors affecting growth, microscopy, staining, size measurement, cell enumeration, media preparation, isolation and cultivation of pure cultures.

Organic Chemistry

In this module, students are introduced to the main classes of organic compounds e.g. alcohols, aromatic and carbonyl compounds. The properties and chemical reactivity of these compounds will be discussed especially in their application to the chemistry of life sciences. In addition, some basic organic reaction mechanisms e.g. nucleophilic substitutions (SN2 and SN1 mechanisms) will be covered.

Course Curriculum (Year 1)

​Level 2.1

Applied Microbiology

This is an advanced module in microbiology for second year students and is a continuation of the basic microbiology module. This module focuses on the importance of microorganisms as contaminating agents in the production of foods and pharmaceuticals. It focuses on the techniques and methodologies involved in the analyses and prevention of microbiological contamination. This module also provides a foundation in medical, food, environmental and industrial microbiology as well as skills and knowledge in Good Manufacturing Practices, food hygiene auditing and in the preparation of a HACCP plan.

Biochemistry

This module introduces fundamental biochemical concepts and practices. The subject integrates biological and chemical concepts as they relate to biochemistry and biochemical disorders. The module prepares students to work in biochemical industries and research institutions, and covers three major areas of protein chemistry, enzymology and metabolism.

Career & Professional Preparation II

This module is part of the Education and Career Guidance framework to provide students with the tools and resources necessary for their further career and/or education. In this module, students will explore basic job search strategies, practise writing effective resumes and cover letters, and learn interview skills. Students will also learn professional and intercultural communication skills to prepare them for a dynamic and diverse workplace.

Molecular Biology & Bioinformatics

This module covers advanced topics in molecular biology. Topics include regulation of gene expression, gene mutation and DNA repair mechanisms. In the area of recombinant DNA technology and molecular techniques, students will learn about nucleic acid isolation, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), DNA cloning, identification of recombinant clones, DNA sequencing and microarrays. Students will also be introduced to computational approaches and bioinformatics tools that can be used for the analysis of nucleic acid and protein sequences, and for designing PCR primers.​​

Electives (Choose any 1)

Biomanufacturing Practices

This module focuses on principles and practices in the manufacturing of biological agents such as vaccines, biologic drugs and antibodies by mammalian and microbial catalysts. Topics include an overview of kinetic and stoichiometric analysis of bioreactors, biomanufacturing process operations, bioreactor design principles, single use systems, agitation and mixing, heat transfer and temperature culture, process scale-up.

Food Science & Technology

This module covers key topics in modern food science, focusing on key issues which affect the import, production, testing and regulation of processed foods in Singapore. This module introduces students to local and international food standards, and they will learn to interpret data and information presented in the scientific and non-scientific literature. Laboratory classes will focus on the analyses of processed foods.

Level 2.2

Applied Biostatistics

This module covers advanced statistical skills to analyse and interpret a wide range of biological, pre-clinical and clinical data, and preparation of data for scientific presentation. The statistical skills covered are biological experiment design, hypothesis testing, quantitative data analysis by parametric and non-parametric methods, qualitative data analysis by Chi-square and Fisher tests, and simple correlation & regression analysis for non-linear data. Students will perform statistical analysis using statistical software such as SPSS and Excel. The scientific presentation section covers how to organise data, prepare and incorporate statistical results on graphs and interpretation of results.

Analytical Chemistry

This module covers various instruments which are used in analytical chemistry/biochemistry with the emphasis on their practical use. Students will study the workings of the UV-Vis, HPLC (including IEX, gel filtration, affinity chromatography), capillary and gel electrophoresis. This module also covers the interpretation of mass spectrometry as applied to small molecules and proteins; proton and 13C-NMR, infrared spectroscopy in the structural elucidation of organic molecules.

Cell Culture & Bioprocess Engineering

This module equips students with strong aseptic techniques and application of cell culture in bioprocess engineering. Topics include regulatory affairs, biologics, cell lines, media, maintenance of cell cultures, and understanding of bioprocessing. Students will also acquire practical and theoretical knowledge of developing fermentation processes and manufacturing biological products. This module covers the application of bioprocess technology principles to scale-up production, economics, and regulatory considerations of bio-products derived from recombinant organisms and animal cell culture.

Immunological Techniques

This module introduces the fundamentals of immunology and provides an understanding of how the immune system functions as an integrated defense system against disease. Topics include an overview of the innate and adaptive immunity, humoral and cell mediated immunity, immunisation and vaccination. The module also covers the applications and advancements of immunological techniques in clinical, healthcare and diagnostic laboratories.

World Issues: A Singapore Perspective

This module develops a student’s ability to think critically on world issues. Students will discuss a wide range of social, political and cultural issues from the Singapore perspective. It also looks at how city-state Singapore defied the odds and witnessed close to half a century of rapid economic growth, strong political ties and social harmony.

Electives (Choose any 1)

Biopharmaceutical Analysis

This module is designed to equip students with knowledge and molecular techniques that are used to analyse raw materials and biological products. Topics include an overview on biologics production using microbial and mammalian systems, detection of adventitious agents in biological products using quantitative PCR (qPCR), endotoxin and pyrogen testing, bioburden test, and detection of residual host cell proteins using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (HCP- ELISA). An overview on pharmaceutical law and regulatory landscape will also be covered.

Food Processing & Safety

This module covers principles and techniques used in food industry which include mass and energy balance and their application in food unit operations, size reduction, thermal processing, non-thermal processing and equipment. Under food safety, proper handling, preparation and storage of food will be explored. Nature of contaminants, safety evaluation of food ingredients and food safety regulations (FDA, AVA) will also be covered.

Course Curriculum (Year 2)

Level 3.1

Capstone Project

Students will complete a final year research project under the guidance of an academic staff or industry mentor. The Capstone Project can cover any of the key areas in life science research including Molecular Biosciences, Industrial Biotechnology, Food Technology, Aquatic Science & Technology, Environmental Technology and Urban Horticulture and Greenscape. Students will be able to integrate and apply the knowledge and skills learned from the course. They will be involved in report writing as well as presenting the outcomes of the project in poster and oral presentations. The Capstone Project will further strengthen their writing and communication skills as well as analytical and problem solving skills, thus preparing them for the industry or further studies.

Genomics & Proteomics

This module provides an insight into the fields of genomics and proteomics. Students will study the functions of genes and their interaction within a genome, the human genome project, next-generation sequencing, genetically modified organisms and gene therapy, protein expression with emphasis on the structure and functions of proteins and methods of purification and analyses of proteins and applications of proteomics.

Translational Medicine & Clinical Trials

This module builds on the previous modules taken in the first and second year of the Biomedical Science course. Upon completion of this module, students will be able to appreciate the difference between basic and clinical research and apply the knowledge learnt in conducting translation research. This module also covers bioethics, clinical trials and regulatory compliance, clinical informatics and big data analysis as well as emerging technologies in biomedical science.

Project ID: Connecting the Dots

This module aims to prepare students for an increasingly globalized and interconnected world where problems are multi-faceted and require interdisciplinary research and collaboration to solve. Using a project-based learning approach, students will have the opportunity to work in a multi-disciplinary team to investigate and propose comprehensive recommendations for a pressing real-world problem affecting Singapore. They will be guided to step out of their disciplinary silos and effectively communicate and collaborate with peers from different backgrounds. Ultimately, the module seeks to develop independent learning skills and the ability to synthesize diverse strands of knowledge to solve a complex problem, while impressing on students the importance of being a responsible global citizen.

Level 3.2

6-month Internship

The six-month internship will provide students with exposure to real work environment, give them opportunities to relate and apply the knowledge acquired to work situations and enable them to make a better transition into the workplace. Clear learning outcomes, close mentorship, meaningful and real work activities allow for structured learning throughout the duration of the internship. Students will be attached to companies and institutes in various industries such as the pharmaceuticals, biologics manufacturing, laboratory testing, food, healthcare and bioinformatics sectors. Students will also have the opportunity to go for overseas internships.

Course Curriculum (Year 3)