Taster Lectures: biological sciences
Watch our taster lectures to gain an insight into what it's like to study a biological science degree at university.
Bacteriophage
A bacteriophage is a virus that only infects bacteria. In this taster session we discuss how they're made up, their life cycles and the impact they can have on today's world.
About the speaker
Dr Shan Goh is a senior lecturer in microbiology here at the University of Hertfordshire. After graduating with a BSc(Hons.) Microbiology and Pathology she focussed her PhD research on bacteriophages. Dr Goh is continuing her research while at Herts, exploring antimicrobial strategies, phage-mediated gene transfer, and genetic tool development in microbes that are important in human and animal health.
Cell structure and origin
Basic understanding of cell structure and origin is important to understand how organisms develop and function. These key features can often determine the type of treatments prescribed in a clinical setting.
We examine the cell structure of prokaryotes and gram staining. Gram staining is an important technique used to help identify bacteria and devise an effective antibiotic treatment plan.
We also explore the benefits of bacteria and how we can classify bacteria by examining their cell wall.
We strive to make our teaching content informative, research-led, engaging and interactive. We hope you find this brief lecture enjoyable.
About the speaker
Dr Helen Foster is a senior lecturer on our biomedical science course here at Herts. She is also a member of the Bioscience Research Group. Helen has published academic essays exploring a variety of topics from microplastics in the environment to cell stress pathways.
