Course description
The MRes programme provides experience of research in the rapidly developing interdisciplinary areas of biophotonics, nanomaterials and nanophotonics and X-ray physics. Topics include the application of fluorescence techniques and nanoparticles in biophysics; nanoscale optical imaging of nanomaterials and biological cells; and X-ray sources, detectors and optics for X-ray microscopy and lithography. The programme provides experience of the planning, administration, execution and dissemination of research, and equips students with the background knowledge and transferable and generic skills required to become an effective researcher.
Programme description
- The programme provides a wide range of background knowledge and generic and transferable research skills.
- Students will gain real experience of current research in the rapidly expanding fields of Bio, Nano and X-Ray photonics.
- Success in the programme guarantees a platform for subsequent PhD studies or for appointments in academic, industrial and public-sector research.
The programme consists of taught components combining specialised taught material in aspects of bio-, nano- and X-ray science, general research techniques, transferable skills and specialised research techniques together with a research project. The project starts in January carrying through to the end of the programme. Experts in the chosen field will act as project supervisors.
The programme is run by the Departmment of Physics in collaboration with the Randall Division of Cell and Molecular Biophysics in King's College London. Please note this programme has recently been changed and replaces the former MRes Image & X-ray Physics.
Programme format and assessment
From October to March you will study specialised taught material, attend seminars on techniques, carry out related assessed tasks, prepare an assessed research proposal, select your project topic and plan how your project will be performed. Assessments include a project plan, a patent draft and work using computer modelling. You will carry out your project full-time from April with a mid-project review and submission and oral presentation in September. Your project will contribute 50 per cent of the marks for your degree and you must also achieve at least 50 per cent in each module. The taught material is assessed by essays and exercises.
Programme modules for MRes Bio, Nano & X-Ray Photonics
Research project (Core Module)
A major research project in the chosen specialisation (Biophotonics, Nanotechnology or X-Ray Physics)
Fundamentals of bio, nano and x-ray photonics
This aim of this course is to give all the students a wide introduction to biophotonics, X-ray physics and nanomaterials. This will provide the background to the more advanced courses CPBNX2, CPBNX3, CPIX51 and to the project CPIX10
General Research Techniques & Transferable Skills
The course will consist of a programme of lectures and seminars: Patent law, IPR, Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Exploitation, Business plans, Business awareness. Also, a speaker from the Research Councils will be invited to talk to the students about research funding. Hypotheses and the design of experiments, Data analysis, Presentation of data, Technical and scientific writing, Writing research proposals and patent applications, Communicating with non-specialists, Oral presentations, Using computers to control equipment and to collect data, Simulation methods, Statistics.
Specialised research techniques
The course will be taught by a programme of lectures and visits for the students to gain detailed knowledge of some of the current research work. Each student will select one research technique or recent innovative experiment and prepare a poster about it to present to the rest of the class. This will require a detailed literature survey, analysis of the scientific literature and visual presentation skills.
