Molecular Biology, Cell Biology & Biochemistry

The Graduate Program

The interdepartmental Graduate Program in Molecular Biology, Cell Biology & Biochemistry (MCBB Program) offers both the MA and PhD degrees. Its curriculum is designed both to provide a solid foundation in these related disciplines through coursework and research, and to prepare students for research or teaching positions in academia, industry, or government. Participating faculty are from the departments of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Biomedical Engineering (College of Engineering), and Health Sciences (Sargent College). A broad range of potential research areas is represented, including, but not limited to, molecular biology, enzymology, protein and nucleic acid structure, bio-organic chemistry, membrane biochemistry, developmental and cell biology, molecular genetics and gene regulation, the molecular basis of mutagenesis and carcinogenesis, retrovirology, molecular neurobiology and endocrinology, biomolecular engineering, and biotechnology.

The experimental systems used by MCBB faculty span the evolutionary spectrum and include viruses, bacteria, yeast, plants, cnidarians, fish, insects, mice, avian cells, and mammalian (including human) cells. State-of-the-art instrumentation and facilities are available for a wide range of technology, including protein and nucleic acid sequencing, oligonucleotide and peptide synthesis, macromolecular structure determination (x-ray crystallography and NMR, IR, Raman and mass spectroscopy), molecular modeling, electron and confocal microscopy, cell culture and micro-array technology. In addition, the Center for Advanced Biotechnology and the Biomedical Engineering Research Center in the College of Engineering provide outstanding computational facilities for the study of DNA and protein structure, genome organization and structure, and the design of new molecular architectures for drugs and vaccines. The Center for Chemical Methodology & Library Development does cutting-edge research in the area of developing small-molecule libraries with unprecedented complexity, which is essential for chemical genetic approaches to biological function. Many of the participating faculty maintain ongoing research collaborations, which underscore the interdisciplinary nature of the program and of the research opportunities available to students in the MCBB Program.