Program Overview

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Program Overview

The University of Florida offers a graduate program in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, which includes a Master of Science degree with concentrations in Reproductive Biotechnology and a Ph.D. program in medical sciences with a concentration in biochemistry and molecular biology.

Degrees Offered

• Master of Science in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
  • No concentration
  • Concentration in Reproductive Biotechnology
• Ph.D. in Medical Sciences with a concentration in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Program Requirements

Prospective graduate students should have adequate training in chemistry and biology. Minor deficiencies may be made up immediately after entering graduate school. Previous undergraduate experience in a research laboratory is highly recommended. Doctoral students are required to take a core IDP course in the fall term of their first year and advanced classes in areas of interest.

Research Areas

The research expertise of the faculty spans areas from cell biology, metabolism, and molecular biology to physical biochemistry/structural biology. Current research interests include:

• Viral protease inhibitors
• Viral RNA replication
• Bioenergetics and proton translocation
• X-chromosome structure and function
• Cytoskeletal assembly and dynamics
• Enzyme mechanism and control
• Chromatin structure
• Gene expression and regulation
• Mitochondrial biogenesis and evolution
• The genetics of inherited disease
• Nutrient membrane transporters
• Protein site-directed mutagenesis
• Ribosome structure and function
• Signal transduction
• Structural biology and dynamics of macromolecules
• Protein-nucleic acid interactions
• Transgenic animal models
• Virus crystal structure

Courses

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Courses

• BCH 5205: Medical Metabolism (3 credits)
• BCH 5404: Fundamentals of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (4 credits)
• BCH 5413: Mammalian Molecular Biology and Genetics (3 credits)
• BCH 6040: Research Discussion in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (1 credit)
• BCH 6206: Advanced Metabolism (3 credits)
• BCH 6207: Advanced Metabolism: Role of Membranes in Signal Transduction and Metabolic Control (1 credit)
• BCH 6208: Advanced Metabolism: Regulation of Key Reactions in Carbohydrate and Lipid Metabolism (1 credit)
• BCH 6209: Advanced Metabolism: Regulation of Key Reactions in Amino Acid and Nucleotide Metabolism (1 credit)
• BCH 6415: Advanced Molecular and Cell Biology (3 credits)
• BCH 6740: Physical Biochemistry/Structural Biology (3 credits)
• BCH 6741C: Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy in Living Systems (3 credits)
• BCH 6744: Molecular Structure Determination by X-ray Crystallography (1 credit)
• BCH 6744L: Molecular Structure Determination by X-Ray Crystallography Laboratory (1 credit)
• BCH 6745: Molecular Structure and Dynamics of NMR Spectroscopy (1 credit)
• BCH 6745L: Molecular Structure and Dynamics by NMR Spectroscopy Laboratory (1 credit)
• BCH 6746: Structural Biology: Macromolecular Structure Determination (1 credit)
• BCH 6747: Structural Biology/Advanced Physical Biochemistry: Spectroscopy and Hydrodynamics (1 credit)
• BCH 6749C: Numerical Methods in Structural Biology (1 credit)
• BCH 6876: Recent Advances in Membrane Biology (1 credit)
• BCH 6877: Recent Advances in Structural Biology (1 credit)
• BCH 6905: Independent Studies in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (1-5 credits)
• BCH 6906: Readings in Medical Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (1 credit)
• BCH 6910: Supervised Research (1-5 credits)
• BCH 6936: Biochemistry Seminar (1 credit)
• BCH 6971: Research for Master's Thesis (1-15 credits)
• BCH 7410: Advanced Gene Regulation (1 credit)
• BCH 7412: Epigenetics of Human Disease and Development (1 credit)
• BCH 7515: Structural Biology/Advanced Physical Biochemistry: Kinetics and Thermodynamics (1 credit)
• GMS 5905: Special Topics in Biomedical Sciences (1-4 credits)

College of Medicine Courses

• CAI 5026: AI Ethics and Alignment in Health (3 credits)
• CAI 5720: Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence in Medicine I (3 credits)
• CAI 5721: Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence in Medicine II (3 credits)
• CAI 5724: AI in Health Design Studio I (1 credit)
• CAI 5730: AI in Medical Image Analysis (3 credits)
• CAI 6725: AI in Health Design Studio II (3 credits)
• GMS 5905: Special Topics in Biomedical Sciences (1-4 credits)
• GMS 6001: Fundamentals of Biomedical Sciences I (5 credits)
• GMS 6003: Fundamentals of Graduate Research and Professional Development (1 credit)
• GMS 6090: Research in Medical Sciences (1-10 credits)
• GMS 6096: Introduction to NIH Grant Writing for Biomedical Sciences (1 credit)
• GMS 6405: Fundamentals of Endocrine Physiology (1 credit)
• GMS 6406: Fundamentals of Pulmonary/Respiratory Physiology (1 credit)
• GMS 6408: Fundamentals of Renal Physiology (1 credit)
• GMS 6411: Fundamentals of Cardiovascular Physiology (1 credit)
• GMS 6415: Fundamentals of Gastrointestinal Physiology (1 credit)
• GMS 6491: Journal Club in Physiology (1 credit)
• GMS 6780: Addiction: Neuroscience and Trends (3 credits)
• GMS 6865: Quantitative Literacy for Translational Research (2 credits)
• GMS 6875: Ethical and Policy Issues in Clinical Research (2 credits)
• GMS 6895: CTS Journal Club (1 credit)
• GMS 6903: Manuscript and Abstract Writing for Clinician/Scientists (2 credits)
• GMS 6905: Independent Studies in Medical Sciences (1-10 credits)
• GMS 6910: Supervised Research (1-5 credits)
• GMS 6940: Supervised Teaching (1-5 credits)
• GMS 6971: Research for Master's Thesis (1-15 credits)
• GMS 7093: Introduction to Clinical and Translational Research (2 credits)
• GMS 7877: Responsible Conduct of Biomedical Research (2 credits)
• GMS 7944: Practicum in Biomedical Science Education (3 credits)
• GMS 7950: Fundamentals of Biomedical Science Education (2 credits)
• GMS 7979: Advanced Research (1-12 credits)
• GMS 7980: Research for Doctoral Dissertation (1-15 credits)

Student Learning Outcomes

• SLO1: Competency: Knowledge of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
  • Students will identify and explain fundamental principles in biochemistry and molecular biology by applying this knowledge to solve problems, to explain the background to a research project, and to answer novel questions in a research setting.
• SLO2: Competency: Research Methods
  • Students will perform an independent research project that requires students to: develop technical expertise required to independently perform experimental work, independently analyze data, report key results from experiments in both written and oral formats, critically evaluate primary literature, and reproduce experimental methods from the literature.
• SLO3: Professionalism
  • Students will be professional in their conduct of research. They will adhere to and practice ethical conduct of research and implement established safety, regulatory, and administrative rules.

Faculty

Professor

• Bloom, Linda B.
• Bungert, Jorg
• Kladde, Michael P.
• Long, Joanna R.
• Mckenna, Robert
• Merritt, Matthew E.
• Purich, Daniel L.
• Stacpoole, Peter W.

Associate Professor

• Bubb, Michael Raymond
• Lu, Jianrong J.
• Xie, Mingyi

Assistant Professor

• Caglayan, Melike

Research Associate Professor

• Koroly, Mary J.

Research Assistant Professor

• Douma, Lauren G.

Affiliated Faculty

• Brusko, Todd Michael (Professor)
• Cousins, Robert J. (Eminent Scholar)
• Denslow, Nancy D. (Professor)
• Fujii, Kotaro (Assistant Professor)
• Gentry, Matthew Shawn (Professor)
• Gumz, Michelle L. (Professor)
• Khemtong, Chalermchai (Associate Professor)
• Li, Chenglong (Professor)
• Li, Zhipeng (Assistant Professor)
• Licht, Jonathan D. (Professor)
• Nemudryi, Artem A. (Assistant Professor)
• Qian, Zhijian (Professor)
• Southwick, Frederick Seacrest (Professor)
• Sun, Ramon C. (Associate Professor)
• Vander Kooi, Craig W. (Professor)
• Wallace, Margaret R. (Professor)
• Zarrinpar, Ali (Professor)
• Zhao, Chen (Assistant Professor)