The program in molecular biology, cell biology, and biochemistry (MCB) is for students of exceptional ability and interest who are preparing for a research career in biology or medical science. Admission to the program is open principally to students pursuing the Ph.D. An individual program is designed to meet each student's needs and interests while providing a firm foundation in the broad research areas encompassing cellular, developmental, and molecular biology, and biochemistry. To maintain awareness of current developments in these fields, students and staff participate in frequent research seminars, journal clubs, and colloquia. Because of the importance of written and oral communication to a career in science, graduate students will be encouraged to develop and enhance these essential skills. Students will also acquire teaching experience by assisting in the teaching of courses within the Division of Biology and Medicine.

Additional resources: Graduate students perform their research in modern facilities of the Biomedical Center, Sidney E. Frank Hall of Life Sciences, Laboratories for Molecular Medicine, or in laboratories of the area hospitals. Specialized equipment for research includes phosphoimagers; preparative and ultra-centrifuges; liquid scintillation and gamma counters; high performance liquid chromatography; recording spectrophotometers, spectrofluorimeters, and densitometers; automatic X-ray film processors; tissue culture facilities; polymerase chain reaction (pcr) modules; an imaging facility; X-ray crystallography; an optical microscopy facility with microscopes equipped with phase contrast, dark-field, and fluorescence optics, a laser scanning confocal microscope, a mass spectrometer and microarray facility. Each laboratory and office is connected to the campus-wide computer network. Computing resources include more than 1,000 state-of-the-art microcomputer workstations with excellent technology support.

Completion requirements: Ph.D.: Proficiency in core areas of biochemistry, cellular biology, developmental biology and molecular genetics through a common first semester core course and seminars that develop breadth in areas such as gene structure and expression, signal transduction, virology, biology of aging, epigenetics, genomics, structural biology, RNA metabolism, protein folding and function, cancer biology, and developmental biology; one semester of teaching; research seminars and rotations in three different laboratories leading to a potential thesis project.

ADMISSION INFORMATION

GRE General: Required

GRE Subject: Recommended

Application deadline: January 5

FACULTY