Graduate | Biochemistry & Cell Biology (2024)

The Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB) Graduate Program offers a multidisciplinary course of study leading to the Ph.D. degree. Diverse biological systems of study from plants to humans are pursued in MCB research laboratories. These systems are used to investigate a variety of biological topics including: Cancer, Infectious Disease, Gene Expression, Structural Biology, Neurobiology, DNA Replication, Development, Immune Response, Cell Cycle, Protein Trafficking, Signal Transduction, and Biological Membranes.

The MCB Program provides students with the opportunity to select an academic program in one of three specializations: Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Cellular and Developmental Biology, or Immunology and Pathology. The goal of this approach is to provide the student with the widest range of research possibilities.

With the recent sequencing of the human genome, the race is on to determine the structure and function of the thousands of protein molecules that drive biological processes. The Program in Biochemistry and Structural Biology (BSB) provides graduate students with the training and tools to determine the structure and address the function and mechanism of proteins, DNA, RNA, membrane lipids, carbohydrates and the hundreds of other molecules in cells. A major focus is on how interactions between these molecules regulate cell function and development. The Program offers a range of courses, colloquia, seminars and research in the fields of biochemistry and structural biology. The interdisciplinary nature of the Program draws faculty from the Departments of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacological Sciences, and Physiology and Biophysics. This offers a wide array of research areas from which incoming students can choose.

Stony Brook provides a unique setting for studies in biochemistry and structural biology. With close ties to Brookhaven National Laboratory, Stony Brook can take advantage of world-class research facilities at the National Synchrotron Light Source. In addition, several of the members of the BSB graduate program are research scientists in the Biology Department at Brookhaven National Laboratory. This is an exciting and historical time for the biological sciences. Research in the fields of biochemistry and structural biology promises to lead the way in understanding life on the molecular level. We welcome your interest in our Program.