By enrolling in the Master's degree program in Biomolecular Chemistry and Bioinformatics, you will be part of one of the most rapidly developing interdisciplinary fields on the scientific horizon today. Address important questions about DNA, RNA, proteins and diseases – all while using blazingly fast computers that only a select few get to play with and using modern biotechnology in the laboratory.

Some of our projects deal with products and technologies to overcome antibiotic resistance, develop cancer drugs, optimize enzymes used in vaccine production and diagnostics, reduce our environmental footprint by finding degradable bioplastics and recycle industrial products that are currently considered as waste.

You will write your Master thesis as part of a group that aims for breakthrough products and technologies that help improve our lives and the health of our planet. You can be part of a team that develops state-of-the-art tools and databases to support the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (Folkehelseinstituttet) in their fight against infectious diseases like COVID-19. You can also collaborate with outstanding partners in high-impact life-science projects through the international organization ELIXIR.

This degree can make you eligible for a career in biotech companies such as ArcticZymes and Amicoat, in aquaculture industry, in academia, in hospitals, or in information and communication technology companies such as Microsoft.

After completion of the programme, the candidate:

Knowledge

• Has an overview of scientific approaches to analyse and understand natural phenomena, using theory and methods of molecular sciences.
• Has thorough knowledge of theory and methods within at least one of the disciplines offered in the Master of Molecular Sciences programme.
• Has advanced insight into international research and development within one of the disciplines offered in the Master of Molecular Sciences programme.
• Has acquired advanced knowledge and understanding sufficient to enable innovation and discovery within her or his dicipline.

Skills

• Can critically read, cite, analyse and understand scientific literature
• Can communicate scientific information clearly and precisely, both written and oral forms.
• Can critically produce, analyse and evaluate the quality of data, products and results generated within the chosen field of molecular sciences.
• Can use sophisticated and advanced methods and instrumentation relevant for the chosen discipline, and interpret the results generated.
• Has become proficient within the chosen discipline of molecular sciences, and has acquired basic tools needed to carry out independent research and to complete an advanced research project under the supervision of a supervisor.
• Manipulate and study biological macromolecules at DNA and amino acid levels experimentally (recombinant protein production) and/or computationally (bioinformatics).
• Study structural, functional, and biophysical properties of biological macromolecules experimentally (crystal structure determination, intermolecular interactions, enzyme function) and/or computationally (molecular modelling, drug design).
• Apply informatics tools to analyse biological macromolecules and their properties at genetic sequence and/or amino acid and/or structural levels.

General competence

• Can analyze and judge the reliability of information obtained from different sources and has a sound critical attitude towards knowledge from all sources.
• Can apply the obtained knowledge to solve problems in natural sciences.
• Can accomplish some independent research and communicate the research questions and results in both written and oral forms.
• Can carry out knowledge-based evaluations of general problems in science and communicate this to the public.
• Can accomplish research projects under guidance, e.g. under a PhD-program in molecular sciences, chemistry or related areas.

You can be qualified if you have a Bachelor degree in:

• Chemistry
• Biochemistry*
• Biomedicine*
• Biotechnology*
• Molecular sciences*
• Pharmacy*
• Mathematics*
• Physics*
• Informatics*

*with a minimum of 30 ECTS in chemistry.

Bachelor's degrees within other related areas may be considered on an individual basis.

For more information regarding admission requirements, see Admission requirements for Master in Molecular Sciences.