Hi everybody and welcome to this Open Day presentation from Stellenbosch University.
I am Dr Mervyn Beukes from the Department of Biochemistry,
and today I am going to tell you about the exciting world of molecular biology
and biotechnology and the programme that we offer here at Stellenbosch University.
So, you question might be: “What does Molecular Biology and Biotechnology involve?”
Molecular biology in essence, is the branch of biology that studies macromolecules essential to life.
Biotechnology on the other hand uses the technology of how biological systems work,
so that we can manipulate living organisms, so that we can create useful solutions to diseases,
reduce our environmental footprint, feed the hungry,
use less and cleaner energy and have safer cleaner and more efficient industrial processes.
In the Molecular Biology and Biotechnology programme at Stellenbosch University
you will explore the leading edge of modern scientific research. You will learn how
molecules such as DNA, RNA and proteins influence the fundamental processes of cellular life.
This will lay the foundation for a career as a cell biologist,
biotechnologist in either the private or public sector and even in the academic environment.
So, to build a strong theoretical foundation in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, the programme
at Stellenbosch University focuses on three major disciplines:
Biochemistry, Microbiology and Genetics.
So your question is, or might be: “What is Biochemistry, what is Microbiology? What is Genetics?”
And I will give you a short background of each of these disciplines.
Biochemistry: Biochemistry is the study of chemical processes
occurring in living organisms. In essence it brings together, Biology and Chemistry,
and it enable scientists to use this knowledge to solve puzzles regarding the functions
of cells that forms the makeup of life. Biochemistry supports a range of scientific
disciplines like genetics and microbiology, but it also supports disciplines like chemistry,
forensics, plant sciences and medicine. And because of its vast scope biochemistry is
very important in understanding life sciences in general. In Biochemistry, you will also learn how
biological pathways work in metabolism and how the components of the biological pathways,
such as proteins, lipids and carbohydrates are produced and function within metabolism.
Genetics on the other hand is the study of how biological information is stored,
transmitted, translated and expressed.
It therefor forms a central pillar of biology and also overlaps with many areas like agriculture,
medicine and biotechnology. In Genetics you will learn about genes, hereditary and genetic
variations in these organisms. This means we can understand and predict the physiological behaviour
of living organisms such as plants, animals and humans. For more information on Genetics under the
Faculty of AgriSciences website, you can visit the Genetics web page.
Microbiology on the other hand, is the study of microscopically small living organisms
like viruses, bacteria, fungi and protozoa. Microbes represent more than 60% of
life on earth and are central to the study of biological systems.
In fact life as we know it will simply not be possible without microorganisms.
At Stellenbosch University, studying Microbiology you will gain and expand on a fundamental
knowledge of microorganisms, their morphology, metabolism, physiology and their genetics,
while you will also understand their interaction with other microorganisms and the environment
that they’re in. You will also learn how fundamental microbial knowledge has led
to the development of numerous medical, vetinary, industrial and environmental
applications that benefitted humankind. Examples of such would be antibiotics, vaccines etc.
Biotechnology on the other hand, essentially just means any technology
that uses biological systems, living organisms or derivatives thereof to make or modify
processes for specific use, to combat diseases to improve life and the health of our planet.
Biotechnology includes all three core disciplines as I mentioned earlier, to produce
these technologies or products that will be useful to society. In other words biotechnology is
the discipline that brings science and the business community together.
It’s also important to note that nowadays it’s become very important at universities
that research be applied, and universities are also striving to generate additional income with
applying some of this research. It is therefore important to note that at Stellenbosch University
we were one of the first institutions to open a technology transfer office called Innovus.
It has the specific aim to allow researchers to use their research and bring it to market,
allowing patenting their research so that they can use it as a startup company, or in essence
license out their technology to other companies.
Biotechnology can be used in various industrial areas like the healthcare, agriculture, food sciences and
environmental preservation. In addition, it also forms the basis of research and development in all of these areas.
So let’s talk little bit about the programme that’s on offer at Stellenbosch University in
Molecular Biology and Biotechnology.
At undergraduate level it is a three year programme.
At first year, you will have to do either Curriculum 1 or Curriculum 3.
Curriculum 1 at its core has Biology,
Chemistry, Biological Mathematics, Biological physics and Science in Context.
Curriculum 3 on the other hand has Biology, Chemistry,
mainstream Mathematics, mainstream Physics, and Science in Context.
In your second year you will then do fundamental aspects within Biotechnology and Molecular Biology
and these are the three major disciplines that I mentioned earlier, Biochemistry, Microbiology
and Genetics and you would have to do two thirds core modules of each of these 3 disciplines.
In your third year, you will choose two from these three disciplines as you major subjects
and you will do four core modules in each of the two that you have chosen.
For detailed programme information, consult the Faculty of Science Calendar (Part 5)
Once you have successfully navigated your undergraduate degree and have completed it
from Stellenbosch University, you can then enter into postgraduate studies
and you can choose honours in any of the two subjects you did in your third year.
Honours is essentially a 1 year degree consisting of various modules and a small research project.
You can then go further with that into an MSc degree, which is a two year programme.
Yhat has generally an extensive research component for two years, where you would hone your laboratory
skills as a researcher. And finally you can do a PhD which is a 3 year programme
with intense research with the aim of making a novel discovery in the field of study.
That will complete your academic studies within the field of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology.
So the big question that everybody always ask is: “What do I do now,
what career opportunities are available once I’ve completed my academic studies?”
You can choose to enter into the academic environment by teaching at one of the
leading universities such as Stellenbosch University.
You can also in that context, pursue a career in the industry where you can
work in research and development, as well as in managerial positions.
Alternatively you can also enter into government or public sector where you can engage
in science policies, funding bodies, and NGO’s that focuses on science and science development.
In the end, with your skills, you can also employ yourself as an entrepreneur
− if you have developed technologies, which you can use as an entrepreneur.
However, there are a lot more and
more diverse careers out there as a molecular biologist or biotechnologist.
We also urge you to go to our website where you can see our frequently ask questions.
And hopefully you will find questions and answers there that this presentation did not cover.
At the end, I would to thank you for your interest in the Molecular and Biotechnology programme.
And we hope that you have found the information valuable and helpful in making this very important
decision for the next part of your life. We hope to welcome you here at Stellenbosch University and
to help you in your journey to become a successful scientist in the future.