Location:

Seattle, United States

Program Type:

Full Degree

Degree Level:

Doctorate

Specialty:

Cell & Molecular Biology

Program Overview

Program Description:

The graduate training program in biomolecular structure and design (BMSD) at the University of Washington (UW) brings together 27 faculty members from the Departments of Biochemistry, Bioengineering, Biological Structure, Chemistry, and Medicinal Chemistry, and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRC), whose research interests involve the use and determination of atomic-level structures of biologically important molecules. Research and training aims include understanding the relationship between protein structure and function, predicting three-dimensional structures of biomolecules, and designing new molecules (both large and small). Students in the program have access to training and experience in the application and theory of state-of-the-art structure determination (X-ray crystallography, including Laue diffraction, and multidimensional NMR spectroscopy), bioorganic and synthetic organic chemistry, molecular biological techniques, biophysical techniques, and computational techniques. There are many active collaborations among BMSD faculty members and between BMSD faculty members and the many outstanding cell and molecular biologists at UW and the FHCRC, providing an exciting environment for interdisciplinary training. A variety of formal and informal opportunities exist for participation in discussion groups and journal clubs and for student presentation of research progress.