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Welcome to the Department
Welcome to Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics at the University
of Minnesota. Whether you are looking for an entree into undergraduate or
graduate education, postdoctoral research, or any of the Centers or Institutes
linked to our Department, we hope that you will find this site useful and informative.
We organize ourselves into research divisions with emphases on Microbial
Biotechnology, Molecular Biology,
Structural Biology and Biophysics
and Regulatory Biochemistry. Our research facilities
are second to none. Our Department boasts state-of-the-art facilities comparable
to any in the world.
Faculty
The heart of the Department is its faculty.
We have internationally recognized researchers in many areas such as structural
biology and biophysics, the molecular basis of metabolic and autoimmune disease,
metallobiology, environmental biotechnology, and genome maintenance. Faculty laboratories
carry out numerous investigator-initiated research projects as well as projects
linked to larger collaborations and consortia. Multiple research opportunities
allow BMBB faculty to interface with a variety of other basic science and clinical
faculty within the university and the scientific community broadly.
Graduate Program
The Graduate Program in Biochemistry, Molecular
Biology and Biophysics is at the center of the universities research emphasis
in genomics and proteomics. While graduate training in a BMBB laboratory involves
first-year coursework and associated preliminary examinations, the focal point
for graduate education is thesis research. Laboratory-based exploration coupled
with journal clubs, seminars, scientific meetings and retreats, manuscripts, career
counseling and scientific ethics constitutes the major components of the program.
Support for graduate education comes from a variety of sources but is augmented
by several NIH and NSF-based training grants. Ph.D. graduates from Minnesota obtain
full-time employment immediately after graduation or pursue advanced training
in academic or corporate postdoctoral positions. In addition, many Ph.D. students
complement their research backgrounds with a law degree preparing them for careers
in intellectual property and biotechnology.
Undergraduate Education
Our educational programs emphasize strong foundational training at the undergraduate
level with a core curriculum focussing on macromolecular structure and function,
metabolism, molecular biology, signal transduction, and protein biophysics. In
addition, specialized course work in chemistry, physics and biology complements
the undergraduate degree program and offers the student an exceptional grounding
in modern biochemistry. The majority of our undergraduate students conduct one
or more research projects or internships as part of their degree program to gain
hands-on experience in biochemistry. Undergraduate majors are prepared to enter
the work force directly in the biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry, matriculate
into graduate or professional schools, or pursue related careers in law or public
policy.
Postdoctoral Training
Postdoctoral training at Minnesota allows talented investigators an opportunity
to work closely with world-class faculty in an exciting environment focussed on
genomics and proteomics. Postdoctoral training grants coupled with foundation
or federal support allows investigators the opportunity to transition to independent
investigator status mentored by university faculty.
Centers and Institutes
The Department supports a number of Centers
and Institutes within the University. We offer three named lectureships each
year, the Dagley Lecture in Biotechnology
in the fall, the Goldberg Lecture in Signal Transduction and Metabolism in the
winter and the Bollum Symposium on Molecular Biology in the spring. The Department
supports three main Core facilities, a high
field NMR Core with associated 800 MHz and 600 MHz spectrometers, an X-ray
crystallography facility with high throughput capability and a Mass
Spectrometry and Proteomics Core with MALDI-TOF and Electrospray capability. These Core facilities
interface with university-wide initiatives in genomics and allow for unequaled
research exploration from DNA microarrays and gene expression to proteomics and
structural biology.
Departmental Research Divisions
Links to related University of Minnesota Departments and Institutes
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