Sometimes known as medical laboratory scientific officers (MLSOs), biomedical scientists carry out tests on samples of tissue and body fluids to support doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals in diagnosing disease and monitoring the treatment of patients.

The work usually involves specialisation in one of the following areas:

Clinical Chemistry - analysing blood and other biological materials to help with the diagnosis of metabolic diseases, toxicological studies and the monitoring of therapy. You might use chemical reagents, enzymes, radioisotopes and antibodies to detect abnormal chemical concentrations in the body.

Cytology - preparing and looking at samples of cellular material collected from almost any part of the body, especially screening cervical smears.

Haematology - studying the morphology and physiology of blood. You might use automated instruments to enumerate blood cells and haemoglobin, microscopy to identify normal and abnormal cells and radioisotope and enzyme-linked techniques to measure vitamins.

Histopathology - processing samples of tissue from surgical operations and autopsies. Tissue sections are cut and stained so that cellular structures and detail can be visualised under a light microscope.

Immunology - investigating abnormalities and disturbances of the immune system associated with, for example, bacterial and viral infections, parasitic infestations, allergy, malignant and autoimmune diseases and immunological deficiencies.

Medical Microbiology - isolating disease-causing micro-organisms by culturing specimens on suitable media or in susceptible living cells; testing samples of milk, water and foodstuffs to ensure their fitness for human consumption; seeking the most suitable antibiotics for bacterial infections.

Transfusion science - working in hospital blood banks and the blood transfusion service to identify individual blood groups and test for compatibility of donors’ blood with that of patients.

Virology - detecting viruses such as herpes simplex, influenza and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and those causing, for example, infantile gastroenteritis and neonatal bronchiolitis.


Biomedical scientists sometimes work in laboratories outside the health service, where their duties can include carrying out routine tests on food, water and animal or forensic samples.

Entry level

Most trainee biomedical scientists enter with an honours degree in biomedical science or other UK biomedical science qualification approved by the Health Professions Council. Graduates with other relevant science degrees, such as animal physiology, biochemistry, human biology, chemistry, microbiology, physics or zoology, can take an accredited ‘top up’ postgraduate certificate or diploma.

Admission to a relevant degree normally requires at least A level/Advanced Higher/Higher in biology and chemistry, together with GCSE/S grade passes at A-C/1-3 in mathematics and English.

It is occasionally possible to start work as a trainee biomedical scientist with A levels or equivalent in life sciences, if you can find an employer willing to offer financial support and time off to study for a degree on a part-time basis.