Each student is assigned a principal Supervisor who is an expert in the student's research area and accessible to offer advice on all aspects of the project. The Supervisor's main role at the LMB is to help students clarify their ideas and guide their independent research efforts. Postgraduate students are expected to have the capacity and enthusiasm to organise their own research and work on their own initiative.

Students can expect regular lab meetings with their Supervisor and other lab members. The regularity with which postgraduate students meet with their Supervisor varies throughout the year, but meetings are likely to be more frequent to start with, during the planning and writing-up phases. All students should have the opportunity to seek formal feedback from their Supervisor, and Supervisors should have the opportunity to give such feedback.

The University of Cambridge publishes an annual Code of Practice which sets out the University's expectations regarding supervision.

There is an extensive seminar programme on-site, and students can also attend seminars held at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus and the University. Students can attend a number of training courses in transferable and general research skills. The LMB runs a series of lectures on Biophysical and Molecular Biology Techniques that all postgraduate students are expected to attend.

Students are expected to attend the Laboratory Annual Symposium and the Postgraduate Student Lecture series, which comprises lectures by faculty members, as well as the first-year PhD student talks, usually held in October each year.

Students are expected to present their work at the research talks and laboratory meetings held within their own research area. Students may also have opportunities to present their work at national and international scientific meetings.