Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Concentration

NOTE: This page is for detailed information about the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Advanced Concentration only. All inquiries concerning admissions should be directed to the BMS Admissions office at BMSAdmissions@ad.ufl.edu. More information on admissions is also available on the Admissions Page.

Overview

The Advanced Concentration in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology is one of the advanced concentrations leading to the Ph.D. degree under the auspices of the Graduate Program (BMS) in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Florida College of Medicine.

The Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BMB) program of study is designed both to provide students with fundamental graduate-level training and to provide flexibility in tailoring a course of studies to fit with a student’s research interests. During the first year of studies, students take required coursework and do laboratory rotations through different faculty’s laboratories. The rotations give students the opportunity to work in research laboratories of three different BMB faculty to aid in the selection of a research advisor. By the end of the first year, students select a research advisor and begin the major focus of the graduate program, supervised research.

In the second year, students begin working on dissertation projects in a research laboratory, prepare for a qualifying exam, and complete required coursework. The qualifying exam must be completed by the end of fall semester of the third year. After passing the qualifying exam, students officially advance to candidacy for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. The average time students require to complete a Ph. D. degree in the BMB program is about 5 years.

The College of Medicine at the University of Florida enjoys a strong graduate education program in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. BMB faculty are committed to providing students with an intellectually challenging and rewarding environment for graduate education in the molecular life sciences. Students in our Ph.D. program receive solid training in the disciplines of biochemistry and molecular biology. Detailed information about our training program, faculty, and research projects can be found through the links below.

• Fall Semester Courses
• Seminars & Journal Clubs

Areas of Research

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Students can pursue a broad range of research projects, including in the pillar areas of metabolism and disease, structural biochemistry, and molecular biology.

Faculty in our department are engaged in a wide range of research. Highlights include:

Research Facilities

Student progress is facilitated by the availability of state-of-the-art instrumentation and research core laboratories:

• Advanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy Facility
• Center for Advanced Spatial Biomolecular Research (CASBR)
• Center for Mammalian Genetics
• Interdisciplinary Center for Biotechnology Research (ICBR)
• McKnight Brain Institute
• Powell Gene Therapy Center
• University of Florida Genetics Institute
• UF Health Cancer Center

Alumni Spotlight

Meet Dr. Akilah ‘Bri’ Murray, a 2019 Biochemistry Concentration graduate:

Program of Study

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The Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BMB) program of study is designed to provide students with a strong foundation of knowledge in the disciplines of biochemistry and molecular biology, while at the same time, allowing the flexibility to design a course of study to fit individual research interests. The BMB Concentration offers a wide range of courses, and in addition to these, students can select advanced courses from other disciplines.

Entering first-year students will enroll in the BMS core courses, including GMS 6001 and GMS 6003 during the Fall semester of their first year.

Overview of BMB Program and Course Requirements

Requirements After the First Semester:

• Formal coursework: After completing the courses required in the Fall semester of the first year, a total of 12 credits of graduate courses at the 6000 level and above must be taken.
  • Typically, 6 of those 12 credits are taken in the Spring semester of the first year, and the remaining 6 credits are taken in the second year.
  • To promote interdisciplinary training, at least 4 of the 12 credits must be BMB Advanced Courses (BCH prefix), and at least 3 credits must be from another concentration.
  • Additionally, every semester starting in the second year, students must register for the BMB Journal Club (BCH6936) and the Biochemistry Faculty Research Discussion (BCH6040).

Examples of Individual Curriculum Tracks

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Molecular Biology Track:

Given the pervasive importance of molecular biology in cell homeostasis and disease, this program of graduate study has been designed to prepare students to conduct cutting-edge research that advances our understanding of gene control and expression.

First Year

Second Year

Third and Fourth Years

Fifth Year

Structural Biology Track:

Given the pivotal importance of structural biology in the molecular life sciences, this program of graduate study has been designed to prepare students to conduct cutting-edge research that advances our understanding of macromolecular structure and interactions.

First Year

Second Year

Third and Fourth Years

Fifth Year

Metabolism and Metabolomics Track:

Given the vital role of metabolic homeostasis in human health, this program of graduate study will prepare students to conduct mechanism-revealing, quantitative research on the metabolic basis of disease.

First Year

Second Year

Third and Fourth Years

Fifth Year

Course Listings

BMB Advanced Courses

• Fall Semester
• Spring Semester

Qualifying Exam

The qualifying exam consists of a written and oral component. The written component is an NIH-style research proposal on the student’s dissertation research. The student must distribute this proposal to committee members 10 days prior to an oral defense of the proposal. The oral component has two parts, a public presentation of the proposal and a “private” defense of the proposal. A 20-min presentation is given to the student’s supervisory committee and any faculty, postdocs, and students who wish to attend. Following the public presentation, the student defends his/her proposal before the supervisory committee. After a student passes the qualifying exam, he/she is officially admitted to candidacy for a Ph.D. degree by the UF Graduate School.

The Faculty and Their Research

For a list of faculty members in the Biochemistry and Structural Biology advanced program, please click here.

Meet Jorg Bungert, Ph.D. and learn about his research on the regulation of human b-globin genes:

Concentration Contacts

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Matthew Merritt, Ph.D.
Co-Director, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Concentration
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology – UF College of Medicine
Phone:(352) 294-8397 | E-mail: matthewmerritt@ufl.edu

Craig Vander Kooi, Ph.D.
Co-Director, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Concentration
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology – UF College of Medicine
Phone:(352) 294-8386 | E-mail: craig.vanderkooi@ufl.edu

Teresa White
Graduate Administrator
Phone: (352)-294-8404 | E-mail: teresawhite@ufl.edu

The BMB logo was designed and created by Nan Su, a talented graduate student and now an alumnus of the BMB program. It is an abstract representation of a human/pipetman intertwined with DNA.