Molecular and Cellular Biology

Graduate College

Courses

Molecular and Cellular Biology

Director: Minnetta V. Gardinier (Pharmacology)
Affiliated faculty: Lee-Ann Allen (Internal Medicine), Michael Apicella (Microbiology), Nikolai Artemyev (Molecular Physiology and Biophysics), Jackie Bickenbach (Anatomy and Cell Biology), Gail Bishop (Microbiology), Daniel Bonthius (Pediatrics), Kevin Campbell (Molecular Physiology and Biophysics), Steven Clegg (Microbiology), Michael Cohen (Pathology), John Colgan (Internal Medicine), Beverly Davidson (Internal Medicine), Kris DeMali (Biochemistry), Frederick Domann (Radiation Oncology), John Donelson (Biochemistry), Martine Dunnwald (Pediatrics), Adam Dupuy (Anatomy and Cell Biology), John Engelhardt (Anatomy and Cell Biology), Sarah England (Molecular Physiology and Biophysics), Michael Feiss (Microbiology), Rory Fisher (Pharmacology), Sonya Franklin (Chemistry), Minnetta Gardinier (Pharmacology), Pamela Geyer (Biochemistry), Prabhat Goswami (Radiation Oncology), Steven Green (Biological Sciences), Gregory Hageman (Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences), Hasimu Hapahake (Pathology), Raymond Hohl (Internal Medicine), Mary Horne (Pharmacology), Jon Houtman (Microbiology), Toshiki Itoh (Pathology), Aloysius Klingelhutz (Microbiology), John Koland (Pharmacology), C. Michael Knudson (Pathology), Amnon Kohen (Chemistry), David Kusner (Internal Medicine), Tomomi Kuwana (Pathology), Gloria Lee (Internal Medicine), Steven Lentz (Internal Medicine), Andrew Lidral (Orthodontics), Jim Jung-Ching Lin (Biological Sciences), John Logsdon (Biological Sciences), Wendy Maury (Microbiology), Anton McCaffrey (Internal Medicine), Stephen McGowan (Internal Medicine), Jeffery Meier (Internal Medicine), John Menninger (Biological Sciences), Craig Morita (Internal Medicine), Scott Moye-Rowley (Molecular Physiology and Biophysics), Jeffrey Murray (Pediatrics), William Nauseef (Internal Medicine), Henry Paulson (Neurology), David Price (Biochemistry), Dawn Quelle (Pharmacology), Subramanian Ramaswamy (Biochemistry), Michael Rebagliati (Anatomy and Cell Biology), Richard Roller (Microbiology), Peter Rubenstein (Biochemistry), Andrew Russo (Molecular Physiology and Biophysics), David Sheff (Pharmacology), Curt Sigmund (Internal Medicine), Mark Stamnes (Molecular Physiology and Biophysics), Jack Stapleton (Internal Medicine), Mark Stinski (Microbiology), C. Martin Stoltzfus (Microbiology), Edwin Stone (Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences), Stefen Strack (Pharmacology), Christie Thomas (Internal Medicine), Lubomir Turek (Pathology), Lori Wallrath (Biochemistry), Todd Washington (Biochemistry), Daniel Weeks (Biochemistry), David Weiss (Microbiology), Michael Welsh (Internal Medicine), Mary Wilson (Internal Medicine), Marc Wold (Biochemistry), Charles Yeaman (Anatomy and Cell Biology), Joseph Zabner (Internal Medicine)
Graduate degree: Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology
Web site: http://molbio.grad.uiowa.edu

The Molecular and Cellular Biology Program provides interdisciplinary training in the concepts and methodologies fundamental to the investigation of biological mechanisms at the molecular level. Faculty members are involved in a variety of research projects related to gene expression and regulation.

Graduate Program

Doctor of Philosophy

The Doctor of Philosophy in molecular and cellular biology requires a minimum of 72 s.h. of graduate credit. The program is sufficiently flexible to accommodate students with a wide range of backgrounds in the biological and physical sciences. Entering students are expected to have a solid background in science, including introductory biology and chemistry, organic chemistry, physical chemistry, calculus, genetics, and biochemistry. Students can remedy deficiencies in particular areas by taking appropriate courses during the first year of graduate study.

The curriculum consists of a sequence of required, core, and elective courses that provide didactic training in molecular and cellular biology and that ensure comprehensive exposure to concepts and experimental methodologies in the field. Students engage in laboratory research immediately upon enrollment and progress rapidly to original thesis projects that lead to the Ph.D.

Because of the diversity of biological research problems that can be pursued by employing molecular and cellular approaches, the program provides a variety of options for specialization in particular areas of interest.

REQUIRED COURSES

All students must take the following courses. Precomprehensive students register for 142:280 every semester; postcomprehensive students participate in a journal club of their choice. All students register for 142:290 Seminar in Molecular and Cellular Biology every semester.

156:201 Principles in Molecular and Cell Biology (fall) 4 s.h.

One of these (fall or spring):

142:210 Advanced Prokaryotic Molecular Biology 3 s.h.

142:215 Molecular Biology of Gene Expression 3 s.h.

One of these (fall or spring):

142:220 Mechanisms of Cellular Organization 3 s.h.

142:225 Mechanisms of Cell Growth and Development 3 s.h.

One of these (fall or spring):

Biochemistry/chemistry core (see list below) 3 s.h.

Pharmacology/physiology core (3 s.h. minimum, see list below) 3 s.h.

All of these:

142:280 Topics in Molecular and Cellular Biology (fall and spring) 1 s.h.

142:290 Seminar in Molecular and Cellular Biology 1 s.h.

650:270 Responsible Conduct in Research 1 s.h.

CORE REQUIREMENT

Biochemistry/Chemistry:

004:211 Chemical Catalysis in Biology

3 s.h.

099:241 Biophysical Chemistry I

3 s.h.

099:242 Biophysical Chemistry II

3 s.h.

Pharmacology/Physiology:

071:135 Principles of Pharmacology 3 s.h.

072:153 Graduate Physiology 6 s.h.

In addition, all students are required to complete at least 6 s.h. chosen from the approved elective courses.

After successfully completing the comprehensive examination, usually at the end of the second year of graduate study, students advance to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree. They devote all of their time to completing thesis research and writing their Ph.D. dissertation. Upon successful completion of all requirements, including the dissertation and its oral defense according to the Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College, students are awarded a Ph.D. in molecular and cellular biology.

Admission

For application materials and information about graduate training in molecular and cellular biology, contact the Molecular and Cellular Biology Program or visit its web site.

Applicants must meet the admission requirements of the Graduate College; see the Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College or the Graduate College section of the Catalog.

Financial Support

Graduate students in the Molecular and Cellular Biology Program receive stipends and tuition support from institutional and extramural sources, including University of Iowa fellowships and graduate research assistantships, and training grants from the National Institutes of Health.

Facilities

Training is conducted primarily in laboratories and teaching facilities of the Carver College of Medicine Departments of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Biochemistry, Dermatology, Internal Medicine, Microbiology, Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Neurology, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Pathology, Pediatrics, Pharmacology, and Radiation Oncology; the College of Dentistry Department of Orthodontics; and in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry. Faculty laboratories and central research facilities available to students provide access to the most up-to-date research equipment.

Courses

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Publication Notice
Page content was reviewed in September 2007.


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