MSc Molecular Techniques in Life Science
The joint master's programme in Molecular Techniques in Life Science fosters graduates for a professional research career in life science. It has a strong focus on molecular techniques for disease therapies and diagnostic tools, coupled with substantial training in data analysis (bioinformatics and programming). The programme is a collaboration between Karolinska Institutet, KTH and Stockholm University at the Science for Life Laboratory in Stockholm, offering students the unique opportunity to study at all three institutions.
Molecular Techniques in Life Science at KTH
Our understanding of biology at a molecular level has advanced dramatically in recent years, enabled by rapid technological progress of molecular techniques used in all aspects of life science. This has led to the development of new therapies and diagnostic tools for the effective treatment of diseases, as well as novel insights into complex environmental phenomena.
Students in the master’s programme in Molecular Techniques in Life Science will receive a comprehensive education in life science. The programme emphasises cutting-edge methods in bioinformatics analysis of molecular data, including learning how to programme, combined with state-of-the-art techniques used in modern "high throughput" molecular biology.
The programme is delivered by a team of teachers who are internationally recognised researchers in their respective disciplines, so as to ensure a relevant curriculum at the research forefront. The courses give a solid education in a combination of molecular biology, biotechnology and medicine. There is a strong focus on high-throughput biology and data analysis, including programming, and the translation of biological findings from lab bench to patient bedside. The programme also develops skills and abilities essential to a professional career. These skills and abilities include oral and written presentation, teamwork, and how to make ethical and societal considerations about life science-related issues, all of which are important for the ability to lead projects in academia and industry.
This is a two year programme (120 ECTS credits) given in English. Graduates are awarded the degree of Master of Science.
Degree project
The degree project is carried out during the last semester of the programme and involves the student working on a research topic related to a subject in the curriculum. The project is carried out in a research group at Karolinska Institute, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm University, Science for Life Laboratory, or in any other internationally recognised university or research institute or industry (Harvard Medical School and the University of Oxford are two examples from previous years). Molecular mechanisms of exercise effects on cancer, Use of conditional Generative Adversarial Networks (GANS) for introducing lesions to mammogram data of healthy individuals, Cryo-EM identification of plant cytosolic ribosome associated protein, and Modulation of B cell autoimmunity in experimental Myasthenia gravis with tolerogenic nanoparticles are some examples of the wide variety of degree projects.
Students
Find out what students from the programme think about their time at KTH.
Career
The combination of molecular biology, biotechnology, medicine and data analysis provides an excellent profile for a professional research career in an academic setting or the biotechnological and pharmaceutical industry. The life science industries and academic institutions working in these areas are active and the life science sector is expanding worldwide, which gives students a wide range of possible employment.
Sustainable development
Graduates from KTH have the knowledge and tools for moving society in a more sustainable direction, as sustainable development is an integral part of all programmes. The three key sustainable development goals addressed by the master's programme in Molecular Techniques in Life Science are:
After graduating from the master's programme, you will be able to contribute to UN Goals #3 Good Health and Well-being and #9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure (subgoal 9.5 - Enhance scientific research). The reason is the focus of the programme on training students to understand, use, and develop molecular techniques for disease therapies and diagnostic tools, aiming at translating biological findings into medicine. This may also include conditions primarily affecting women and developing countries, hence addressing UN Goal #5 Gender Equality.
Faculty and research
Karolinska Institutet , KI, is the largest institution for medical and biomedicine education and research in Sweden. It is ranked as one of the top universities within its field and placed 40 among all universities in the THE World University Rankings 2021. Teachers engaged in courses within the programme and given by KI are all active researchers in basic or clinical research.
Stockholm University hosts one of the largest faculties of Science in Sweden, and the programme teachers are active researchers in bioinformatics, biophysics, biochemistry, and molecular biology. The Stockholm University faculty at SciLifeLab have developed several widely used research tools, including projects such as Pfam , Pcons , and GROMACS .
At the School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health at KTH, there are strong research groups affiliated with the programme within for example gene technology, bioinformatics, and proteomics. In particular, the School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health is the home of Spatial Transcriptomics and the Human Protein Atlas projects.
