The Laboratory Skills course is designed and delivered by real scientists to provide university science students with an opportunity to gain hands-on experience using real laboratory equipment. The course supports university and work experience applications, as many universities and most employers now require previous laboratory experience before considering an applicant.

The programme provides practical laboratory-based training in lab safety, creating nanoparticles, aseptic technique, gram stains, ELISA, and finishes with the opportunity to present scientific research and network with researchers from institutions including the University of Liverpool, the University of Cambridge, Pfizer & the University of Aberdeen. The course content is ideal for undergraduate and postgraduate students who wish to refine their skills and better understand specific laboratory procedures. It is also ideal for applying for further research studies, scientific posts, or any more advanced courses offered by BioGrad Education. We ask students to design their own experiments and allow them to make (safe) mistakes and learn from them. We believe this helps students to develop independent research skills and gain confidence in their ability in the lab.

The Laboratory Skills programme runs from 9:30 am – 4 pm with an hour break for lunch. The course is taught with a very low student-to-tutor ratio (one scientist for every 3-5 students), so you will likely meet several scientists during your course. This also allows students to spend as much time as they need to practice techniques until they are confident. We allow students to make (safe) mistakes and correct their own work so that they learn from their own mistakes, and we encourage students to try different approaches to solve laboratory-based problems.

Day 1 - Laboratory Induction

Students will be inducted into the laboratory and will be taught about laboratory health and safety, including how to complete a risk assessment and COSHH documentation. Students will learn how to prepare stock solutions using molarity calculations and use a balance to obtain the mass of chemicals. In the afternoon session, students will learn how to measure pH, perform a serial dilution, and then use absorbance data to plot a standard curve.

Day 2 - Nano-Toxicology

Students will use the skills they learned on day 1 to investigate the effect of toxic nanomaterials on lung macrophage cells.

Day 3 - Microbiology I

Students will learn aseptic technique & how to culture E. coli and B. subtilis in nutrient broth, spread & streak plates. Students will investigate the effects of natural antimicrobials, pharmaceutical antibiotics, and culture bacteria from environmental samples.

Day 4 - Microbiology II and Immunology

During the morning session, students will use gram stain bacteria from their cultures and observe stained bacteria under the microscope. Students will then analyse and discuss their microbiology results. In the afternoon session, students will get an in-depth understanding of pathology and immunology. They will process a set of clinical samples using ELISA as a diagnostic assay to diagnose patients with an infectious disease.

Day 5 - Student Presentations, Career Development Workshop and Certifications

Student Presentations

At the end of the course, students will present one of their experiments to the rest of the group in a formal presentation session. The audience will be able to ask questions and provide an opportunity for students to show what they have learned during the week.

Career Development Workshop

Students will attend a networking session with BioGrad scientists where they will get the chance to discuss the many career paths within science and how to gain research experience. This will allow students to build on the laboratory experience gained during this residential course and further their scientific careers.

• Students must be studying a minimum of A-Level Biology or Chemistry.
• The course supports university and work experience applications, as almost all universities and employers now require previous laboratory experience before considering an applicant.

During this 5-day course, students will learn transferable skills suitable for any laboratory work:

• Prepare and complete COSHH forms and risk assessment for any chemical independently.
• Make stock solutions and explain how they calculate the concentration to prepare the stocks.
• Use the balance to weigh chemicals and prepare serial dilutions.
• Use different types of pipettes safely, and adjust and measure the pH of various stock solutions.
• Measuring dose-response data using plate-based absorbance.
• Synthesis of nanoparticles, characterising the particles using spectroscopic techniques, and their effect on macrophages.
• Using an aseptic technique to prepare agar media and grow two types of bacteria, making the spread and streaking plates.
• Identify the best antibiotic to resist the growth of bacteria and calculate the zone of inhibition.
• Perform and analyse ELISA results.
• Maintain accurate lab book notes.

Unlike other institutions, we do not attempt to ‘cram’ many different methods into a short course. This course covers the basic skills of working in any research laboratory. These techniques are taught correctly and allow time for students to repeat each aspect multiple times. When students leave this course, they are confident in their ability to enter a UK laboratory and work safely using essential equipment.