Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford
Encyclopedia
The Department of Biochemistry in the Science Area
at Oxford University, England
, is one of the largest such departments in Europe
. It is currently made up of three main buildings
Until 2006, two other buildings housing genetics
(the Walter Bodmer
building) and biochemistry (the Rudolph Peters
building) also existed. However, these have since been demolished. Until 2008 biochemistry was also occupying the Donald Woods
building and the Hans Krebs
building, that was deserted after completion of the first part of new biochemistry building in autumn 2008. The New Biochemistry building houses a substantial amount of contemporary art. The head of department is Professor Mark Sansom.
The Biochemistry Department is part of the University of Oxford's Medical Sciences Division, the largest of the University's four academic divisions and ranked third in the world for Biomedicine.
According to the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, 75% of research activity within the Department is rated world-class quality in terms of significance, rigour and originality, making it the highest rated Life Sciences Department within a UK university.
The Department moved into the purpose-built new biochemistry building during the Autumn of 2008 which was designed to promote interaction and collaboration as well as provide state-of-the-art facilities for all staff. There are about 52 independent Principal Investigators, one hundred postdoctoral research workers and one hundred and fifty postgraduate students.
Members of other departments also contribute to teaching, including lecturers in physiology, pathology, pharmacology, clinical biochemistry and zoology. Although large, the Department is not impersonal and has a friendly atmosphere.
Science Area, Oxford
The Science Area in Oxford, England is where most of the science departments at Oxford University are located.-Overview:The main part of the Science Area is located to the south of the University Parks and to the north of South Parks Road, bounded by Parks Road to the west. Some departments are...
at Oxford University, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, is one of the largest such departments in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. It is currently made up of three main buildings
- The New Biochemistry building
- The Rex Richards building (housing the NMR facility in the basement)
- The Rodney Porter building (GlycobiologyGlycobiologyDefined in the broadest sense, glycobiology is the study of the structure, biosynthesis, and biology of saccharides that are widely distributed in nature...
)
Until 2006, two other buildings housing genetics
Genetics
Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
(the Walter Bodmer
Walter Bodmer
Sir Walter Bodmer is a German-born British human geneticist. His father being Jewish, the family left Germany in 1938 and settled in Manchester. Bodmer has developed models for population genetics and done work on the human leukocyte antigen system and the use of somatic cell hybrids for human...
building) and biochemistry (the Rudolph Peters
Rudolph Peters
Sir Rudolph Albert Peters was a British biochemist. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1935. His effort investigating the mechanism of arsenic war gases was deemed crucial in maintaining battlefield effectiveness facing the threat of lewisite attacks...
building) also existed. However, these have since been demolished. Until 2008 biochemistry was also occupying the Donald Woods
Donald Woods
Donald James Woods, CBE was a white South African journalist and anti-apartheid activist.As editor of the Daily Dispatch from 1965 to 1977, he befriended Steve Biko, leader of the anti-apartheid Black Consciousness Movement, and was banned by the government soon after Biko's death, which had been...
building and the Hans Krebs
Hans Adolf Krebs
Sir Hans Adolf Krebs was a German-born British physician and biochemist. Krebs is best known for his identification of two important metabolic cycles: the urea cycle and the citric acid cycle...
building, that was deserted after completion of the first part of new biochemistry building in autumn 2008. The New Biochemistry building houses a substantial amount of contemporary art. The head of department is Professor Mark Sansom.
The Biochemistry Department is part of the University of Oxford's Medical Sciences Division, the largest of the University's four academic divisions and ranked third in the world for Biomedicine.
According to the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, 75% of research activity within the Department is rated world-class quality in terms of significance, rigour and originality, making it the highest rated Life Sciences Department within a UK university.
The Department moved into the purpose-built new biochemistry building during the Autumn of 2008 which was designed to promote interaction and collaboration as well as provide state-of-the-art facilities for all staff. There are about 52 independent Principal Investigators, one hundred postdoctoral research workers and one hundred and fifty postgraduate students.
Members of other departments also contribute to teaching, including lecturers in physiology, pathology, pharmacology, clinical biochemistry and zoology. Although large, the Department is not impersonal and has a friendly atmosphere.