Dear all,
Just to clarify an issue arising.
Before Christmas there was a request for anyone feeling artistic to design a logo for a new venture "Nord Prot" a zero budget organisation designed to help promote protein science in Oulu, with input from Oulu University of Applied Sciences, Biocenter Oulu and other departments at the University of Oulu. Along with this is the launch of a new international MSc in Protein Science and Biotechnology by our department. I hope that both of these initiatives will benefit the department, but they do not mean a shift in emphasis by the department.
As the FM is phased-out, the department will continue to offer a 3-year BSc in Biochemistry which is designed to be balanced across all aspects of biochemistry. In addition from September 2008 we will offer 2-year MSc degree programmes designed specifically to allow our BSc students to specialise in either "Molecular and Cellular Biology" or "Protein Science and Biotechnology". While protein science has, and will continue to be, promoted in the department, so to will other areas of biochemistry. In the next month there should be an open call for a new Professorship to strengthen Cellular Biochemistry, following on from the Senior lecturer position in Cell biology filled last year. New cell biology laboratories are planned and the recent purchase of RT-PCR, flow cytometric, stopped-flow and quenched-flow equipment demonstrates the breadth of our interests and commitments.
I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to getting Nord Prot and the new MSc off the ground over Christmas. The advert for the new MSc and the new Nord Prot web site will (hopefully) be launched on Monday. So far we have one entry for the Nord Prot logo, but there are still a few days left if anyone else is feeling artistic.
VBW,
Lloyd