Biomedical science gets £1m boost at Solent

Home to the latest equipment used in biomedical sciences, this laboratory will meet the needs of both students and staff, adding to a suite of existing facilities at Solent’s city-centre campus and providing a nurturing environment for innovative research to take place.

Created to expand its offering in this area, Solent utilised a capital grant from the OfS to introduce this specialist facility which supports students and researchers undertaking work in various clinical disciplines from microbiology and immunology, through to biochemistry, genetics and pathology.

Dr Jamil Jubrail, Course Leader for Biomedical Science, says:

“We are extremely happy to have expanded our laboratory facilities here at Southampton Solent University. This new laboratory will offer our undergraduate students a state-of-the-art facility where they will be able to develop their core practical skills with depth and precision, providing them with the unique opportunity to develop their practice-based learning while equipping them with a better understanding of the entire patient pathway.

“The laboratory opened in February and is being used by our final year undergraduate students as they complete their research projects using the new equipment. Equipped with the most up-to-date equipment and technologies used in industry and research labs, we’re giving our students the highest quality of education ensuring they leave the University with a competitive edge as they enter the world of work.”

With a capacity for 20 students and researchers, the new lab features a range of cutting-edge equipment including a fluorescent microscope, cell culture hoods, incubators, chromatography equipment and DNA sequencers. These are all things professionals use in clinical labs, ensuring students receive future-ready learning and teaching at Solent. A third-year BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science student says:

“The new biomedical science lab is a great addition and makes a huge difference for all of us working on our third-year projects. The four new fume hoods mean we can safely handle chemicals and work more efficiently without waiting for space. The incubators are essential for growing cells, which is crucial for many experiments, and the freezer gives us proper storage for samples and reagents.

“These upgraded facilities make our research smoother, more reliable and much easier to manage. It’s exciting to have access to better equipment that will support everyone’s studies and experiments.”

Solent was rated first out of 95 institutions for academic support in medical sciences in the 2024 National Student Survey, and second for teaching quality. With an additional boost to its existing offering, the University has enhanced its teaching capacity to guide the next generation of biomedical scientists towards success.