Statistics and experimental design form the backbone of empirical research. They provide the logical framework for collecting, analysing, and interpreting data. A properly structured experiment minimises bias, isolates the variables being tested, and uses statistical methods to draw valid, reproducible conclusions.

As we present the chemical basis of life, this course examines the structure, function, and interactions of the principal biomolecules — proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, and carbohydrates — and the metabolic and regulatory networks through which they sustain living systems. Biochemical principles are connected throughout to their applications in medicine, pharmacy, and biotechnology — from inborn errors of metabolism to the mechanisms of action of statins, antibiotics, and modern therapeutic agents.

Every drug molecule is an organic compound, and this course teaches students to think about organic molecules systematically — the foundations of drug design, synthesis and metabolism built on in later modules such as Biological Chemistry, Natural Products and Spectroscopy, and Industrial Pharmacy. The syllabus is structured unit-wise, moving from organic nomenclature and isomerism through alkene reactions, substitution mechanisms, carbonyl chemistry, and carboxylic acid and amine chemistry.

Molecular biology is a central science in twenty-first-century biology and biotechnology, essential across microbiology, cell biology, immunology, and development. This module provides an advanced understanding of the core mechanisms of molecular biology, encompassing DNA replication and recombination, prokaryotic and eukaryotic gene expression, mobile elements, nuclear function, and epigenetics, alongside contemporary technologies including genome sequencing, metagenomics, and systems and synthetic biology.

This course serves the needs of Pharmaceutical and Biology/Biotechnology students, examining how organic chemicals (including biological molecules) interact at a molecular level with other molecules, including in biological systems, and how new molecules with desirable properties can be synthesised. The important areas of heterocyclic and pericyclic chemistry are presented in detail, covering nomenclature, structure, reactivity, synthesis and applications of the main five- and six-membered ring systems with one and two heteroatoms.

This module builds on prior cell biology study to provide a thorough grounding in how the human body maintains normal function and responds to disruption. It covers physiology, anatomy, pathophysiology (how normal processes break down in disease), and an introduction to pharmacology (how drugs act on tissues), alongside standard diagnostic tests and key experimental techniques. It forms a critical foundation for later modules in pathology, pharmacology, and therapeutics.

This course focuses on state-of-the-art programs designed for sequence alignment, database searching, RNA structure prediction, microarray sequence analysis, gene prediction, repeat detection, and protein folding prediction. The algorithmic techniques discussed include dynamic programming, hidden Markov models, finite state automata, grammars, Karlin-Altschul statistics and Bayesian statistics.

In multicellular organisms, cells send and receive chemical messages constantly to coordinate the actions of distant organs, tissues, and cells. This ability to send messages quickly and efficiently enables cells to coordinate and fine-tune their functions. The course examines the key stages of signalling and the types of intercellular signalling — autocrine, paracrine, endocrine and synaptic.

This course examines the classification, mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics, pharmacological actions, adverse effects and contraindications of therapeutic chemicals, including drug interaction, dosage, and the clinical management of disease. The autonomic nervous system serves as a key model for understanding drug action, particularly through its links to cardiovascular responses, and the module covers drug treatments for conditions such as cancer, Alzheimer's, stroke, heart disease and diabetes alongside broader prevention strategies.

Systematic pathology is the study of specific diseases as they affect individual organ systems, building on general pathology to examine how organs react to injury. Key organ systems covered include cardiovascular, pulmonary, reproductive, endocrine, renal, gastrointestinal, skin, nervous system, musculoskeletal, and haematological and lymph node disorders.

The production of effective and pharmaceutically elegant dosage forms requires a thorough understanding of multiphase systems — the branch of science known as colloid and surface science. As dosage forms become increasingly complex in structure and mode of action, this module gives formulators the in-depth scientific grounding needed for the rapid, effective development of stable, deliverable dosage forms.

This module examines drug regulation by licensing authorities including the TGA, FDA and EMEA, and the Good Manufacturing Practice guidelines that ensure consistent, high-quality batches. It develops understanding of current regulatory practice, drug stability and impurity profiles, and the managerial and ethical issues involved in drug registration, with case studies of manufacturing and quality-control failures.