Biology
Why Pembroke
Pembroke offers a wealth of interdisciplinary approaches to the understanding of biology, including ecology, evolution, behaviour and molecular biology. Our tutors are engaged in research across the breadth of the subject and are particularly focussed on exploring major over-arching questions in Biology.
Undergraduates are welcomed into the broader Life Sciences community in college that includes a large cohort of postgraduates, independent researchers and senior research associates in Biology and related biosciences.
What extra activities are on offer?
Our Fellows organise practical tutorials which take place at field sites across Oxford, for example at the Botanic Gardens and at the Museum of Natural History.
We are in the process of setting up a Natural History Society which will offer backstage guided field trips to locations such as the Harcourt Arboretum at Nuneham Courtenay, the University Museum of Natural History, and Wytham Woods.
Could you be a Pembroke Biologist?
In addition to a deep fascination for the natural world, a genuine scientific curiosity, an affinity towards mathematical models complemented by an open mind and good time management skills are all key characteristics to be successful on this course.
If you are considering this course, please attend an open day where you can meet our tutors and students and find out more. This is the best way to get a feel for whether you should make an application. We look forward to meeting you!
Biology Course Video
The Biology course is fascinating and has the scope to allow everyone to explore their interests in as much depth as they choose. The two principal Biology tutors at Pembroke are Nick Kruger and Rob Salguero-Gomez. They are the main points of contact for the first year. Both are extremely kind and supportive and give prompt and useful feedback that allows all the students to make the most of the course and their time at Pembroke. The college has strong connections with other Oxford colleges so Pembroke students are easily able to make contact with tutors across a range of fields.
The Rokos Internship Scheme provides full funding for academic summer internships.
Pembroke non-finalist STEM students are eligible for up to £1,000 funding for summer internships, allowing them to gain hands-on research experience. The award covers all academic and living expenses, including accommodation.
Below are some reports from Pembroke Biologists who used the award in the last few years.
Kieran Walter
Kieran used the Rokos Award to undertake a two month placement at the John Krebs field station, allowing him insight into the life of an active researcher, working both independently and within the framework of a research group. Kieran primarily worked in a lab assessing the nutritional needs of varied species of honeybees.
Kieran shares: "I have developed specialist skills, have a greater understanding of the academic world, and have forged invaluable relationships which will continue to be of great benefit throughout my ongoing studies."
Jan Luboinski (2018, MBiol Biology)
Funded by the Rokos Award, Jan spent the summer on a research internship at the Knowles Lab, studying the gut microbiome and new questions about how it is formed, particularly whether anaerobic microbes in the gut microbiome form an association with their hosts over evolutionary timescales.
He shared: "Gut microbiome research has exploded in popularity over the past 15 years, and some of that popularity has entered into mainstream popular science in the past few years.
Fortunately, there is a simple way to study the gut microbiome. It is non-invasive and relatively easy. Unfortunately, it involves faecal samples. These samples have been collected from mice on Skokholm island in the previous years and stored at a temperature of -80 degrees C until now.
DNA extraction, PCR and gel electrophoresis are all very popular technologies which I now have under my belt and can use for various microbiology applications. Most importantly though, I got a taste for living and working within a lab group - a crucial skill for any budding researcher."
Barbara Francik (2020, MBiol Biology)
Barbara used the Rokos Award to work on a Netted carpet moth (Eustroma reticulatum) surveying project for Muncaster Estate, Cumbria. She shares "I found this internship experience extremely enriching. It has reaffirmed my desire to do research which requires fieldwork. I feel I have learned a lot about how to independently plan and carry out a biological investigation, as well as analyse my own data and make real-world recommendations based on my findings... I would like to thank the Rokos Foundation and Santander for the funding which made all of this possible."
Kacper Swierk (2020, MBiol Biology)
With the Rokos Award, Kacper undertook a research placement at the University of Lodz in Lodz in Poland. He performed a study to assess the genetic diversity of local Chironomidae populations in the High Tatra Mountains with his supervisor Dr. Piotr Gadawski. Kacper shares: "... my supervisor and I are planning to publish our results in the near future. Hence, thanks to Rokos Award I will be able to achieve a publication in the foreseeable future, that will highly improve my chance to secure a job as a scientist."
Jessie McLean (2020, MBiol Biology)
Jessie spent her summer working with the SalGo research team on their grassland experiment at Wytham Woods, under the supervision of Pembroke Fellow Professor Roberto Salguero-Gomez. Her internship involved collecting data and identifying grassland species before eventually conducting an independent investigation on the prospects for root research at Wytham next summer.
She shares: "I loved the hands-on botany and I’ve gained insight into what scientific research looks like. Scientific discovery is not a linear path and it’s not necessarily the smooth cycle that those scientific method diagrams suggest either. Teamwork, creativity and resourcefulness are key to the field of ecology. This experience has gotten me very excited about a pursuit in post-graduate studies and further contribution to conservation research."
Read Jessie's full report here.
Image - ©UOImages/Public Affairs Directorate
Meet Our Academics
A large number of Pembroke graduates continue research to MSc and PhD status or follow vocational careers in field-based conservation. Other graduates enter industry, scientific journalism, publishing, computing, teaching or commerce.
Okasha S (2019) Philosophy of Biology: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press
News from Biology
Biology
Why Pembroke
Pembroke offers a wealth of interdisciplinary approaches to the understanding of biology, including ecology, evolution, behaviour and molecular biology. Our tutors are engaged in research across the breadth of the subject and are particularly focussed on exploring major over-arching questions in Biology.
Undergraduates are welcomed into the broader Life Sciences community in college that includes a large cohort of postgraduates, independent researchers and senior research associates in Biology and related biosciences.
What extra activities are on offer?
Our Fellows organise practical tutorials which take place at field sites across Oxford, for example at the Botanic Gardens and at the Museum of Natural History.
We are in the process of setting up a Natural History Society which will offer backstage guided field trips to locations such as the Harcourt Arboretum at Nuneham Courtenay, the University Museum of Natural History, and Wytham Woods.
Could you be a Pembroke Biologist?
In addition to a deep fascination for the natural world, a genuine scientific curiosity, an affinity towards mathematical models complemented by an open mind and good time management skills are all key characteristics to be successful on this course.
If you are considering this course, please attend an open day where you can meet our tutors and students and find out more. This is the best way to get a feel for whether you should make an application. We look forward to meeting you!
Biology Course Video
The Biology course is fascinating and has the scope to allow everyone to explore their interests in as much depth as they choose. The two principal Biology tutors at Pembroke are Nick Kruger and Rob Salguero-Gomez. They are the main points of contact for the first year. Both are extremely kind and supportive and give prompt and useful feedback that allows all the students to make the most of the course and their time at Pembroke. The college has strong connections with other Oxford colleges so Pembroke students are easily able to make contact with tutors across a range of fields.
The Rokos Internship Scheme provides full funding for academic summer internships.
Pembroke non-finalist STEM students are eligible for up to £1,000 funding for summer internships, allowing them to gain hands-on research experience. The award covers all academic and living expenses, including accommodation.
Below are some reports from Pembroke Biologists who used the award in the last few years.
Kieran Walter
Kieran used the Rokos Award to undertake a two month placement at the John Krebs field station, allowing him insight into the life of an active researcher, working both independently and within the framework of a research group. Kieran primarily worked in a lab assessing the nutritional needs of varied species of honeybees.
Kieran shares: "I have developed specialist skills, have a greater understanding of the academic world, and have forged invaluable relationships which will continue to be of great benefit throughout my ongoing studies."
Jan Luboinski (2018, MBiol Biology)
Funded by the Rokos Award, Jan spent the summer on a research internship at the Knowles Lab, studying the gut microbiome and new questions about how it is formed, particularly whether anaerobic microbes in the gut microbiome form an association with their hosts over evolutionary timescales.
He shared: "Gut microbiome research has exploded in popularity over the past 15 years, and some of that popularity has entered into mainstream popular science in the past few years.
Fortunately, there is a simple way to study the gut microbiome. It is non-invasive and relatively easy. Unfortunately, it involves faecal samples. These samples have been collected from mice on Skokholm island in the previous years and stored at a temperature of -80 degrees C until now.
DNA extraction, PCR and gel electrophoresis are all very popular technologies which I now have under my belt and can use for various microbiology applications. Most importantly though, I got a taste for living and working within a lab group - a crucial skill for any budding researcher."
Barbara Francik (2020, MBiol Biology)
Barbara used the Rokos Award to work on a Netted carpet moth (Eustroma reticulatum) surveying project for Muncaster Estate, Cumbria. She shares "I found this internship experience extremely enriching. It has reaffirmed my desire to do research which requires fieldwork. I feel I have learned a lot about how to independently plan and carry out a biological investigation, as well as analyse my own data and make real-world recommendations based on my findings... I would like to thank the Rokos Foundation and Santander for the funding which made all of this possible."
Kacper Swierk (2020, MBiol Biology)
With the Rokos Award, Kacper undertook a research placement at the University of Lodz in Lodz in Poland. He performed a study to assess the genetic diversity of local Chironomidae populations in the High Tatra Mountains with his supervisor Dr. Piotr Gadawski. Kacper shares: "... my supervisor and I are planning to publish our results in the near future. Hence, thanks to Rokos Award I will be able to achieve a publication in the foreseeable future, that will highly improve my chance to secure a job as a scientist."
Jessie McLean (2020, MBiol Biology)
Jessie spent her summer working with the SalGo research team on their grassland experiment at Wytham Woods, under the supervision of Pembroke Fellow Professor Roberto Salguero-Gomez. Her internship involved collecting data and identifying grassland species before eventually conducting an independent investigation on the prospects for root research at Wytham next summer.
She shares: "I loved the hands-on botany and I’ve gained insight into what scientific research looks like. Scientific discovery is not a linear path and it’s not necessarily the smooth cycle that those scientific method diagrams suggest either. Teamwork, creativity and resourcefulness are key to the field of ecology. This experience has gotten me very excited about a pursuit in post-graduate studies and further contribution to conservation research."
Read Jessie's full report here.
Image - ©UOImages/Public Affairs Directorate
Meet Our Academics
A large number of Pembroke graduates continue research to MSc and PhD status or follow vocational careers in field-based conservation. Other graduates enter industry, scientific journalism, publishing, computing, teaching or commerce.
Okasha S (2019) Philosophy of Biology: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press