Biology

The UBC Biology Co-op offers a great cross section of students. Be it working in a biotech R&D laboratory or assisting an environmental biologist in restoring a damaged habitat, our students have brought human resource solutions to a wide variety of organizations across Canada and internationally.

Students are available for their first work term after completing the first half of their third academic year. At that point students will have successfully completed core courses in physiology, cell biology, genetics and microbiology. They will have also begun to specialize in one of or a combination of the following disciplines:

• Cell biology and genetics
• Animal biology
• Plant biology
• Genetics
• Ecology and environmental biology
• Conservation
• Marine biology

Sample skill sets

• Reagent and medium preparation
• Smear preparations, staining techniques
• Bacterial identification and numeration
• Plasmid preparation and isolation
• ELISA, PCR, Gel electrophoresis
• Viral isolation and enumeration
• Western blots, Southern transfers and DNA hybridization
• Species identification using taxonomic keys
• Quantitative and qualitative sampling techniques
• Dissection techniques
• Light and dissecting microscopy
• Aseptic technique and culture of micro organisms