During this one-day course students will learn transferable skills suitable for any laboratory work.
The programme provides students with an understanding of safe working practices and experience using essential equipment and protocols. Students may attend this as a 'stand-alone' course or as an introduction to the BioGrad facility before attending one of our more advanced courses.
The course covers practical tuition in the following areas:
Unlike other institutions we do not attempt to 'cram' lots of different methods into a short course. This full day covers the basic skills of working in any research laboratory. These techniques are taught correctly and allow time for students to repeat each aspect multiple times. When students leave this course they are confident in their ability to enter a UK laboratory and work in a safe manner using essential pieces of equipment.
Course Leaders:
This is our most popular course and runs many times a year. The course is designed and delivered by research scientists working in both industry and academia so we always teach the most up-to-date techniques. We alternate lecturers to keep the delivery of this course updated and enthusiastic.
The course includes lunch with time for networking and seeking advice from the lecturers available. Over the years, BioGrad lecturers have taught essential practical skills to thousands of graduate students to help develop students CV’s and improve their employability after education.
Please see our BioGrad Lecturers page for further details of our course lecturers.
The course is taught with a very low student to tutor ratio (a scientist for every 3-5 students) so it is likely that you will meet a number of scientists during your course. This also allows students to spend as much time as they need to practice techniques until they are confident. We allow students to make (safe) mistakes and correct their own work so that they learn from their own mistakes and we encourage students to try different approaches to solve a laboratory based problem.
Liverpool Science Park
Courses are carried out at our state of the art facilities in Liverpool Science Park and taught in very small groups to encourage questions, interaction and discussion. The laboratories are centrally located, adjacent to Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral and within 7 minutes’ walk of both Central and Lime Street Train Stations.
Students should report to the main reception on Mount Pleasant (at the bottom of the Cathedral steps) upon arrival at the Science Park.
Food
Refreshments, lunch and snacks are provided during both days of the course. Vegetarian options are provided as standard however please inform BioGrad of any additional dietary requirements at the time of booking.
Students wishing to bring their own food or snacks have access to a fridge and microwave during the course, plus a break room containing vending machines and sky TV should they wish to dine separately.
Clothing and PPE
Students are advised to wear comfortable clothes and shoes (ensuring legs and feet are covered when in the laboratory). We advise layered clothing as it can become warm when wearing a lab coat and gloves all day.
All personal protective equipment is provided during the course however students should bring a note book for recording their results.
Further career development
We will happily take photographs of students working in the laboratory which often serve as excellent profile pictures for work related social networking (such as LinkedIn). Our lectures will also endorse your new skills and provide a reference if requested. Many of our lecturers are also happy to review CV’s during the course so please feel free to bring yours along for constructive feedback.
If you have an interview booked our lecturers will be pleased to provide mock interviews with feedback free of charge. These must be booked beforehand to allow the lecturer time to review the job description and prepare appropriate questions. Mock interviews may be carried out during the weekend of your course or by skype at a later date.
We have active links with the recruitment agencies SRG and Network Scientific, students will be provided with the contact details of our recruitment consultants if requested, and references can be provided directly to these agencies.
Pre-requisites
Students attending this course are expected to be studying a minimum of A-level science, however we have a large number of undergraduates, graduates looking for laboratory positions, scientists who are interested in returning to the laboratory and MD/PhD students. As the course is 100% laboratory based and assumes little to no previous laboratory experience, all levels are welcome to attend.
Accommodation
Accommodation is not included with this course however we recommend The Feathers Best Western Hotel and Hatters Hostel as they are both within 3 minutes walking distance from the laboratory.
Students can take advantage of discounted room rates at Hatters hostel. Single occupancy, en-suite rooms are £37 per night midweek and £46 at weekends. Contacting groups@hattersgroup.com for availability and booking.
Early booking is highly recommended, especially for weekend courses.
Course Payment
All payments are taken securely with PayPal. All major debit and credit cards are accepted so you don’t need a PayPal account.
There are four payment options available:
There is no charge for early payment, which can be made via PayPal at any time.
More Information:
For further information please contact us using this form or email us at info@biograd.co.uk.
AVAILABLE COURSES
Sorry, we don't have any of these courses planned at the moment in the next academic year.
We are frequently adding new course dates to the site, if you would like to be informed about these new course dates please enter your email address below and we'll let you know when the new dates are added.
Both the Mammalian Cell Culture Course and the Laboratory Skills Course were a pleasure to attend as I gained a further grounding in my skill set and was able to network with other budding scientists in the UK. I hope to attend other courses put on by BioGrad in the future in order to increase my employability skill."
“Thank you for truly wonderful time at your laboratory, your expertise and all the insight and tips you gave us throughout the day. It gave me practical skills and stressed which areas I need to revisit and refine in order to go forward with lab work. I really look forward to the next course 'Skills in Analytical Science' in February.”
“Doing this course helped in my application for a PhD studentship - which I am now just starting.”
"As an Open University student starting the final year of my chemistry degree, I found the opportunity to get some hands on lab experience invaluable. The staff to student ratio was ideal and all of the staff were friendly, knowledgea-ble and incredibly helpful with plenty of time to spend with each student. I would recommend these courses to anyone who may be after some practical lab experience which is very difficult to come by as an OU student… Natalie and her team ensured that everybody had an enjoyable and educational day and I would recommend these courses to every-one who is interested in gaining some valuable lab experience”
"I had a fantastic time on the laboratory skills 1 day course. Natalie's delivery of the course was great and her enthusiasm made me wish I was doing more than just the 1 day. I will definitely be looking into some of the other courses on offer from Biograd.”
"I took the laboratory skills one day course and I fully recommend it. The course is an ideal supplement to studies at a reasonable price, giving hands on experience and expert knowledge and insights into fundamentals of the workings of a lab. A very low student to tutor ratio allows the course to really shine. Looking forward to my next course.”
"I would like to thank you for your excellent tuition during the Laboratory Skills course and for lots of information about job hunting and career development. It was a very valuable and enjoyable experience for me and I feel more confident in the laboratory setting and more aware of health and safety in the laboratory”
""I attended the Laboratory Skills 1 day course this Saturday. Having had no practical lab experience, and very little chemistry background since A level, I couldn't have asked for a better introduction. This is an invaluable course, especially the tuition from Natalie, who is so enthusiastic and passionate about her work and her students.
This has given me the confidence to step into a lab and even the confidence to apply for a lab technician job! Thanks so much to BioGrad for delving into the nitty-gritty, such as the vital COSHH and risk assessment forms, for patiently answering every question, and for all the brilliant careers advice along the way. I look forward to attending my next course!”