More than 100 students demonstrated against the closure of a top university chemistry department.

Scores of students at the University of Sussex gathered to demonstrate their shock and anger at the university's decision to scrap chemistry degrees and drop half the department's staff yesterday.

The chemistry department has the highest possible gradings for research and teaching quality and has produced two Nobel Laureates including Sir Harry Kroto, who this week said he would give back his honorary degree because of the proposed closure.

Dozens of chemistry students donned their white lab coats covered in slogans such as "Chemist shafted by the VC", referring to vice-chancellor Alasdair Smith, and "Fried by Bacon" which refers to the dean of life sciences, Jonathan Bacon.

Chemistry student Liz Atkinson, 25, said: "We are about to go into our final year but there will only be half the staff to teach us.

"We can't just chop and change university. Other places run slightly different courses so we could lose a whole chunk of learning.

"My entire future is in jeopardy because of this."

Miss Atkinson said she originally intended to complete a four-year masters programme at Sussex but thought this would now be impossible.

Christopher Snewin, who is in his second year studying chemistry, said: "I am going to get a chemistry degree from a university that no longer has a chemistry department. I don't know what that will mean for the value of my degree."

Students were due to meet with the vice chancellor yesterday afternoon to talk over the proposal.

Students' union president Roger Hylton said: "We are very concerned about the welfare of students.

"This decision is academically flawed and financially unsound and is the latest in a series of really bad decisions by the university."

The university said the chemistry department had lost researchers, could not guarantee student numbers in the future and would cost £750,000 to retain.

It hopes to refocus the department and rename it chemical biology.

Gerry Lawless, the former head of chemistry, said the department was not a drain on resources as it made money for the university.

He said applications were up 40 per cent on last year with up to 350 applicants chasing 25 places.

Mr Hylton said the students' union was going to ask the university senate - the highest academic decision-making body - to throw out the proposals at its meeting on Friday.

A university spokeswoman said it would honour teaching commitments for all current chemistry students and hoped to invest in 40 new academic posts in subjects such as English, psychology and computing.

She said: "We are committed to developing and maintaining a strong and excellent academic base across science and the arts."