Biomedical scientists carry out a range of laboratory procedures to assist in patient diagnosis and treatment. Results from these tests carried out on patient tissue samples, for example, help the clinicians diagnose more precisely and therefore propose the most appropriate treatment. Some typical and serious medical conditions that biomedical scientists investigate include cancer, AIDS, hepatitis, anaemia, meningitis and diabetes. Within biomedical science there are 7 sub modalities /specialties:
| Medical microbiology | Clinical chemistry | Transfusion science |
| Haematology | Histopathology | Cytology |
| Immunology | Virology |
Biomedical scientists carry out a range of laboratory procedures to assist in patient diagnosis and treatment. Results from these tests carried out on patient tissue samples, for example, help the clinicians diagnose more precisely and therefore propose the most appropriate treatment. Some typical serious medical conditions that biomedical scientists investigate include cancer, AIDS, hepatitis, anaemia, meningitis and diabetes.
At the heart of the medical team, biomedical scientists provide other professionals with vital scientific information that allows them to do their job properly. So when a major incident occurs it is biomedical scientists that ensure the right amount of blood reaches the right patient at the right time. They will also measure vital blood chemicals to monitor patient conditions and detect signs of internal bleeding. And there is no doubt that accident and emergency wards would shut down, organ transplants could not take place and premature babies would struggle to survive without results from the biomedical scientist. Some key typical activities include:
- Testing human samples, such as blood, tissue, urine, cerebrospinal and faecal material, for various chemical constituents
- Analysing cultures grown from samples and identifying blood groups
- Monitoring the effects of medication and other programmes of treatment
- Keeping accurate records and writing reports
- Maintaining and updating professional knowledge (CPD)
Within the main umbrella topic, there are a number of sub-specialties that the biomedical scientist will normally work exclusively in. And with biomedical scientists handling an estimated 150 million samples in the UK, every person at some point in their lives will have benefited from their services.
| Medical microbiology | The identification of micro-organisms causing disease, and their antibiotic treatment |
| Clinical chemistry | The chemical analysis of body fluids |
| Haematology | Analysis of the morphology and physiology of blood |
| Histopathology | Examination of tissue samples |
| Cytology | Analysis of cellular materials |
| Immunology | Understanding the immune system |
| Virology | The identification of viruses |
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