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Engineering, Mathematics and Science
148
Genetics
Students who wish to study Genetics apply to the Science
degree (TR071) and may select Genetics as their
specialist area for the 3rd and 4th years.
Junior Freshman (first year) prerequisites: Chemistry
CH1101, Chemistry CH1102, Biology 1101 and
Mathematics or Mathematical methods.
Senior Freshman (second year) prerequisites: Biology
BY2201, BY2203, BY2205 and BY2208.
For details of the first two years of the Science course,
including entry requirements, see page 140.
Alternatively, to study human genetics exclusively,
students should apply to course TR073 – Human genetics
see page 162.
What is Genetics?
Genetics encompasses both the science of heredity – how
phenotypic traits are inherited – and the modern field of
molecular biology, which has figured out what genes are and
how they work. Genetics provides an approach to studying
everything from how cells work to the physiology and behaviour
of organisms and the evolution of species. It is central to biology
and is increasingly important in modern medicine. Reflecting
this, the genetics course covers a wide field and all major groups
of organisms.
What will you study?
Courses cover the molecular genetics of bacteria and viruses,
man, and other animals and plants. Subjects are taught through
a combination of lectures, tutorials and practical courses.
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Medical genetics:
includes the identification of genes
causing various clinical disorders and the development of
genetic and stem-cell therapies to treat them.
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Neurogenetics:
studies how genes control the development
and function of the nervous system and their influences on
behaviour and psychiatric disease.
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Molecular and cell biology:
explores the control of
gene expression and function of genes in various cellular
processes in animal or human cells and bacteria, such as
cell death, proliferation or differentiation.
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Developmental genetics:
investigates how genes in
different cells control the development and growth of an
organism.
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Bioinformatics and evolutionary genetics:
investigates
evolutionary relationships between organisms and the
processes that drive evolution.
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Population genetics:
deals with genetic variation in
populations and the role of this variation in evolution.
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Plant genetics:
studies the genes that control plant
development and physiology.
In the Senior Sophister (fourth) year, you will be able to
specialise in areas of particular interest, and will carry out
an original research project in an area such as: hereditary
blindness, cell death, neural development, bacterial stress
responses or plant genetics. Specialist lecture courses include
cancer genetics, genetics of vision, behavioural genetics and
human evolutionary genetics.
Did you know?
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Genetics is housed in the Smurfit Institute of Genetics,
with state-of-the-art research facilities.
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Ireland was ranked number 1 in Europe in the 2010
national rankings for research in molecular genetics
and genomics (source: Thomson Scientific Essential
Science indicators), ahead of countries such as the
UK and Germany. This ranking is based on the high
numbers of citations received by research papers in
genetics published from Ireland, primarily by scientists
at the Smurfit Institute of Genetics - the only dedicated
genetics research institute in Ireland. The institute has
an outstanding reputation for producing high-quality
research and holds two of Ireland’s three European
Research Council Advanced Grants in biology - the
most prestigious research awards in Europe.
Assessment
You will be assessed by a combination of continuous
assessment and end-of-year examinations.
Study abroad
At the end of the Junior Sophister (third) year, y
ou may be able
to spend the summer months working in a human genetics
research laboratory.
This is often in the USA, with some
financial assistance provided.
Career opportunities
Graduates have gone on to careers in diverse fields, many in
science or areas related to it. Many genetics graduates go on
to careers in academic or industrial research beginning with
postgraduate study. Opportunities also exist in biotechnology
and pharmaceutical companies, agricultural organisations,
medical or clinical diagnostic laboratories, forensics, genetic
counselling, public health and epidemiology programmes, and
in teaching. Other graduates have gone on to careers such as
medicine, patent law or science journalism. Even if you choose
a career not directly related to the scientific subject, the skills of
critical thinking and problem solving provided by the Genetics
degree will put you in high demand.
Further information
Tel: +353 1 896 1140
