Developmental Biology MPhil – (M.Phil.)

The MPhil is a one-year research degree where students get the opportunity to study a specific research project. The MPhil degree can act as a stand-alone degree for applicants who would like to gain experience in a specific area, or can be linked to a PhD programme. Rather than register on a direct entry 3 or 4 year PhD, some postgraduates may first register on a one-year MPhil programme. Subsequently students may then wish to transfer on to a full PhD programme with a further 2 or 3 years of study.

Developmental Biology is the study of the processes by which complex organisms develop from fertilized eggs. Research in Manchester investigates the fundamental events underlying normal development and how these are subverted in disease. Specific interests include: pluripotency, cell fate specification and differentiation; patterning and organogenesis; cell signalling; epithelial development and morphogenesis; cell adhesion in development; and the developmental role of genes involved in human diseases including epidermal, heart and craniofacial defects. The newly established Healing Foundation Centre investigates the cellular and molecular basis of tissue repair and regeneration. Our research utilises a variety of model organisms including Dictyostelium, Drosophila, chick,mouse, Xenopus and zebrafish, and a diversity of state-of the-art techniques including various types of genetic analysis, transgenesis, gene targeting, expression profiling, functional genomics, proteomics, imaging, electron microscopy and X-ray crystallography.