Overview

Our Microbiome in Health & Disease MSc provides students with a unique background in all aspects of both analysis of microbiome and determining the role of microbiome in pathology with experience in both computational and experimental techniques. Designed and delivered by the Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions (CHMI) at King’s, the course brings together teaching in systems biology and bioinformatics with molecular biology, microbiology, immunology and physiology.

Course detail

The MSc Microbiome in Health & Disease will provide you with a deep understanding of microbial communities and their diversity, and the impact of these communities on host health and disease. You will be exposed to the concepts and techniques involved in profiling and analysing large omics data sets associated with characterising and investigating microbial communities. You will learn to analyse omics data sets, such as genome, transcriptome, metabolome and metagenome data, and how to integrate these data to develop a holistic understanding of the interactions between host and microbial communities in both health and disease states. You will study the intersection between microbiome and engineering and learn how to identify and develop innovative products in different microbiome fields, applying learning from computational, multiomics analysis and basic biology, through advanced synthetic biology tools, and integrative analysis and modelling, to design new engineered therapeutic microbial communities and optimize their effectiveness in clinical, agricultural and environmental challenges. You will also undertake a supervised dissertation on a subject within the field of microbiome in health and disease.

Teaching and assessment

The MSc Microbiome in Health & Disease consists of 4 taught modules (two covering microbiology, microbial diversity and host-microbiome interactions, and two covering computational analysis of microbiome, and systems and synthetic biology), followed by a lab-based research project. The taught component will run from September until January, with the research component running from February until August. Teaching comprises conventional lectures, tutorials and computational workshops, supported by example sessions, project work and independent learning via reading material and online courses. During the computational modules, you will be provided with data sets to analyse for written and oral projects. You may typically expect assessment by a combination of coursework and examinations. The study time and assessment methods detailed above are typical and give you a good indication of what to expect. However, they may change if the course modules change.

Career prospects

This MSc course will prepare you for a career or PhD in one of the most exciting and cutting-edge fields of human health and disease. The topics covered will allow you to apply for careers in both academia and industry and will be relevant to a broad range of disciplines, including nutrition, metabolic disorders, microbiology and infection.