Life, Health and Chemical Sciences: PhD Projects 101

How does sleep deprivation and circadian rhythm affect shift workers' cognition? Emily Breese, a postgraduate student at The OU, explains the importance of her research on this:

With so many researchers all over the world producing information, is there a way for other scientists to look at large sets of results and use them to make new discoveries? 

What's the Blood Brain Barrier and how does studying this help us to find out more about diseases associated with ageing such as Alzheimer’s? OU research student, Eduardo Frias-Anaya explains:

How does it feel to use something in your everyday life without realising its importance? Lots of people use it. The economy has changed dramatically over the last 20 years because of it. OU PhD student, Konstantina Nadia Tzelepi, discusses nanotechnology, the study of very small things at a nanoscale.

Could studying certain elements in our genome , previously considered to be 'junk', hold the key to the treatment of several diseases? One OU Ph.D. student explains her research:

Once used for decoration in the ancient world, discover why gold particles are now considered treasure in the world of medicine...

Why would scientists want to alter the DNA of organisms or cells? One OU Ph.D. student explains all you need to know about genome editing...

Ever heard of CRISPR/Cas9? OU research student, Sonia Azeggagh, explains the impact of this genome editing technology on biology and medicine:

How can we make sure drugs get to where they are needed in the body? Open University PhD student Conor McQuaid explains one way in which scientists can target the delivery of drugs.

Many modern therapeutics, such as those used to treat anaemia and breast cancer, are proteins - but the protein doesn't solely determine how the body responds to the drug. Here's an explainer about what the sugars do: 

Discover how an element belonging to the 'rare earth metals' is being used in medicine. Here's how lanthanides' magnetic properties are fantastic for medical imaging:  

What happens when our cells can’t get rid of the waste products they produce?  Working on a project inspired by the passion of the rare disease community, Open University PhD student Sarah Needs explains:

What happens when DNA becomes damaged? One OU PhD student explains how studying interstrand crosslinks in fruit flies has exploited similar human disorders.

What are the links between mood disorders and a type of pesticide called Organophosphates? One OU PhD student explains their research... 

Idiopatic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH), is a rare disease prevalent in obese women of child-bearing age; this article explores The Open University's research into the disease.

In this free course, Moons of our Solar System, explore the many moons of our Solar System. Find out what makes them special. Should we send humans to our Moon again?

This free course, Galaxies, stars and planets, is a general introduction, including scale of the universe from the very large to the very small; orbits and gravity; the Solar System; the Sun and other stars; galaxies and the composition of astronomical objects.

This free course shows you how to navigate the night sky, and introduces the wide variety of objects it contains. You will develop a hands-on understanding of telescopic observations using the Open University’s own robotic telescope facility COAST sited on the island of Tenerife. Supported by your own measurements we illustrate how stars...