Develop your expertise and understanding of two exciting subjects by studying Astrophysics and Medicinal Chemistry BSc at Keele.
In astrophysics you will apply physics to understanding how the universe works and potentially explore questions like is there an Earth-like planet around another star? Is there a black hole at the centre of every galaxy? And why is the expansion of the Universe accelerating? These are questions that astrophysics helps you discover the answer to.
Medicinal chemistry is aimed at students interested in working within the pharmaceutical sector. From understanding how pharmaceuticals interact with our bodies to exploring drug design to combat various diseases, the application of medicinal chemistry plays a vital part in prolonging and improving life.
Astrophysics will give you the quantitative and analytic skills needed for analysing data and solving problems and is underpinned by a core physics curriculum as set out by the Institute of Physics. This includes the fundamentals of classical and quantum mechanics, electromagnetism, optics, thermodynamics, solid state, atomic and nuclear physics, together with the mathematics that is used to describe them. Later in your degree you will study electromagnetism at a deeper level, and have the option of studying cosmology, binary stellar systems and exoplanets, black holes and gravitational waves in different modules. We have our own observatory here at Keele that students on this combined honours programme can get involved with on a volunteer basis with the potential to learn some astronomical techniques.
As you progress, you will build on your existing knowledge in familiar core areas of astrophysics including mechanics, relativity, nature of matter, gravitation, electricity, oscillations, waves. You will also focus on areas like the basics of stellar structure and stellar astrophysics. Later in your degree you will study electromagnetism at a deeper level, and have the option of studying cosmology, binary stellar systems and exoplanets, black holes and gravitational waves in different modules.
The medicinal chemistry element of the course provide you with a strong grounding in core medicinal chemistry knowledge in areas such as the principles of drug design. This focusses on understanding the interaction of small molecules with biological targets in the body and applying this to the design of drug molecules. During practical sessions you will learn advanced experimental techniques including handling air-sensitive reagents, and also complete a multi-step synthesis of nalidixic acid (the heterocyclic core of a new class of antibacterial agents) to mimic the processes used in the pharmaceutical industry.As you advance on this course modules will build on the knowledge you've acquired in the principles of drug design by looking at the mechanism of drug action. This follows the pathway of a drug substance through the body, looking at the key areas of pharmaceutics and pharmacokinetics.