Sustainable Futures in Biological and Environmental Sciences

Overview

Course description

Biologists study all life forms on Earth and are interested in how these are impacted by human activities. Environmental scientists study physical, chemical and biological processes to understand the natural environment and how it is changing. It is vital that biologists and environmental scientists work together to manage changing environments for a more sustainable future.

The course Sustainable Futures in Biological and Environmental Sciences from The University of Edinburgh is divided into 3 parts: (i) an overall introduction to current issues of environmental pollution and human health impacts; (ii) an exploration of some of the key approaches to minimise impacts upon the environment and upon human health, and (iii) a group mini-project to delve deeper into a biological methods for remediation and recycling.

The introduction will look at historical and contemporary environmental pollutants and the associated range of impacts these can have upon human health. It will link the current decarbonisation strategy to increased pressures to develop technology-critical new materials and the consequences this may have for environmental pollution and health. Having set the context, the course delves deeper into use of physical, chemical and biological methods to remediate contaminated sites. It will introduce biosynthetic methods and how these can be used for recovery and recycling of technology-critical elements. 

The final phase of the course will be devoted to a group mini-project giving a taster of research in these areas (using remediation, recovery and recycling for a sustainable future).