Bachelor of Science in Industrial Biochemistry

Aoife Cotter

I chose to study Industrial Biochemistry at UL because I was impressed by the wide variety of modules and was aware of the growing Biopharmaceutical industry in Ireland. I felt the course would provide me with the knowledge and skills that I would need to have a successful career. In addition to this, Biology and Chemistry were my favourite subjects in secondary school, and I wanted to continue to study them at a higher level in college.

UL’s degree in Industrial Biochemistry provides students with brilliant hands-on laboratory experience, especially in Years 1–3. In Year 4, each student gets the opportunity to complete an individual research project and gets to choose from a wide range of interesting elective modules. This is a great opportunity to take ownership of your degree and it allows everyone to learn about topics that interest them most. The lecturers and technical support staff at UL are incredibly supportive and generous with their time. All these aspects of the course ensure students have a well-rounded degree.

My favourite experience at UL was my Co-op placement. I completed my eight-month Co-op placement in Regeneron’s Industrial Operations and Product Supply (IOPS) site in Limerick, where I was an intern in the Formulation and Filling team in the Large-Scale manufacturing department. I worked alongside biotech production specialists (BPS), who carried out the manufacturing process of biologic-based medicines in a cleanroom environment. In addition to supporting my fellow teammates, I was also given individual tasks, which included working on a continuous improvement project, reviewing documents, and submitting samples for analysis. I also had the opportunity to develop soft skills such as teamwork, communication, and troubleshooting. The entire experience re-enforced everything that I learned in my degree and highlighted its versatility.

Overall, I believe the key strength of this course is that students have a broad range of career paths available to them after graduation, including the opportunity to pursue postgraduate studies.

I am currently an Irish Research Council-funded Ph.D. student at the Bernal Institute, in UL.

Phoebe Makim

I always wanted to pursue a career in science but wasn’t sure what particular area to go into. I chose biological and chemical sciences at UL as it was a broad course initially, and gave me the option to specialize at the end of the first year. After my first year, I found I enjoyed biology and chemistry equally, so I chose the Industrial Biochemistry degree as it allowed me to continue to study both subjects.

I found the course very interesting and enjoyable. It covered a wide range of topics from statistics and bioprocess engineering, to microbiology and organic chemistry. The huge range of subjects the course covers, while still going into detail within each module, makes this course very attractive to people who enjoy learning about all aspects of biochemical science.

One of the most important opportunities this course provided me with was the Johnson and Johnson WISTEM2D Scholarship. I applied for the scholarship during my fourth year and had the honor of being chosen as one of the recipients. The scholarship program gave the recipients the opportunity to attend different seminars run by women in various roles within the STEM community. One of the main events held by Johnson and Johnson as part of the program was a tour of the facilities in Castletroy. Myself and the other recipients were given opportunities to ask questions regarding the possible careers open to us at J&J. I’m so grateful to UL and all those at J&J for that amazing opportunity.

The eight month Co-Op placement allowed me to further develop the skills I had learned in university in an industrial setting. I was able to put my analytical skills to the test when working in a quality control laboratory in Regeneron Pharmaceuticals. My time in Regeneron provided me with invaluable training and experience and also gave me the opportunity to continue to work part time with the company while continuing my studies in fourth year, allowing me to continue to learn new QC testing methods that I could use later on in my career and during my final year project.

Roisin Leamy

I always had an interest in science and wanted to pursue a career in this field, however, I was unsure which scientific course would suit me. The BSc in Industrial Biochemistry seemed like the perfect fit as it had a common entry first year and gave you the option to choose one of four routes for the remaining three years. In the first year, a taster of each course was provided, which was critical in deciding which path to take.

The course was very interesting, every day was different and brought new challenges. I particularly enjoyed the Biochemistry 1 & 2 modules as they provided the necessary link between academia and industry. They gave the opportunity to understand the science behind the production of biopharmaceutical products on both a small and large scale. These modules challenged us to think for ourselves and design realistic production processes based on the information provided.

For my Co-Op work placement I went to Regeneron, a Biopharmaceutical company in Limerick. Co-Op allowed me to apply the knowledge gained in academia to industry. I was given the opportunity to deliver a presentation to the Vice president and all the directors. I was a chosen ambassador for the company following my placement and attended career fairs promoting Regeneron. I was also offered a full-time position following the completion of my degree!