Biological Sciences

The following degree programs are available:

• Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Biology
  • Biomedical Science
  • Developmental & Evolutionary Biology
  • Quantitative Biology & Biophysics
  • Cellular & Molecular Biology
• Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology (Interdisciplinary)
• Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry
  • Biochemistry Option (see full description in Chemistry section) (Interdisciplinary)
• Doctor of Philosophy in Marine Science and Technology (Interdisciplinary)
• Master of Science in Marine Science and Technology (Interdisciplinary)
  
• Master of Science in Biological Sciences
  • General Option
  • Bioinformatics Option
  • Biotechnology Option
  • Education, Communication and Outreach Option (This program does NOT lead to teaching licensure).
• Graduate Certificates
  • Biotechnology and Bioprocessing
  • Environmental Biotechnology
  • Molecular and Cellular Biotechnology

Facilities

The Departmental research and teaching instrumentation includes an array of centrifuges (ultraspeed, superspeed, microfuges), electrophoresis equipment (prep and analytical for proteins and nucleic acids, sequencing, isoelectric focusing, pulsed-field), PCR thermal cyclers, HPLC perfusion and other chromatography equipment; UV-visible and fluorescence spectrophotometers, scintillation spectrometers, various microscopes (transmission EM, fluorescence, confocal, inverted phase), microinjection apparatus, flow cytometer, Coulter counter, speed vac, electroporator, microtiter plate reader, fermenters, laminar-flow hoods, and numerous incubators, baths, and ovens for cell growth and temperature-controlled reactions. The facilities include dark rooms, X-ray facility, temperature-controlled plant and animal cell culture incubation chambers and walk-in rooms, and animal quarters. Labs and offices have Internet access and extensive computer facilities such as computerized image processing and microdensitometry. A new bioinformatic computational lab containing 20 new Dell and PC computers and several iMac stations has recently been opened within the department. Highly specialized equipment in the Center for Advanced Materials in the Chemistry Department, such as transmission and scanning electron microscopes, scanning tunneling-atomic force microscope, secondary ion mass spectrophotometers, and X-ray diffractometers, are available for faculty and student research.

Faculty Research Interests

The graduate faculty in the Department of Biological Sciences are actively engaged in research in the following areas: bioinformatics, biochemistry, molecular biology, cell biology, immunology, neurobiology, developmental biology, tumor cell biology, biogeochemistry, and applied environmental microbiology.