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Detailed Information

Programs of Study

The Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Molecular Biology (BBMB) offers programs leading to M.S. and Ph.D. degrees with majors in the fields of biochemistry; bioinformatics and computational biology; biophysics; genetics; immunobiology; molecular, cellular, and developmental biology; plant physiology; and toxicology. Students enter a rotation program that lasts through the end of the first semester. By the second semester, students have identified their area of research and begun work on their research project with their chosen mentor. A minimum of 30 credits is required for the M.S. degree. For the Ph.D. degree, a minimum of three years of full-time study, at least half of which must be spent in residence, is required. Preliminary examinations in the field of specialization are required for admission to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree. The final examination for M.S. and Ph.D. candidates is an oral defense of the thesis. At some time during graduate work, each student is expected to serve as a teaching assistant. More information about individual faculty members’ research activities is available on request or from the Departmental Web site.

Research Facilities

The Department is housed in the Molecular Biology Building, a unique structure that integrates 204,000 square feet of research laboratories and classrooms with artwork inspired by genetic engineering and crafted by award-winning national artists. The modular design of the laboratories allows scientists to quickly reconfigure their space as research needs change. State-of-the-art instrumentation facilities for protein chemistry, nucleic acids, flow cytometry, antibody and hybridoma production, and macromolecular structure determination support life sciences research on campus and throughout the state. The W. M. Keck Metabolomics Research Facility is the most recent addition. Supporting instrument services, a fabrication shop, and chemical stores are conveniently located in a nearby building. Molecular Biology Building classrooms are fitted with the latest instructional technology equipment. Students are linked to the University’s high-speed computing network through approximately thirty workstations strategically placed throughout the building. For students and faculty members who prefer it, wireless networking is available in all classrooms and other public areas.

Financial Aid

Financial aid is available to graduate students in the form of research assistantships, teaching assistantships, and fellowships. Most Ph.D. students are supported by research assistantships that currently provide $22,500 per year along with a 100 percent tuition credit. Students are eligible for additional fellowships on a competitive basis.

Cost of Study

In 2008–09, tuition for graduate students was $3223 per fall and spring semesters. Ph.D. students on assistantships receive a 100 percent tuition credit; M.S. students on assistantships receive up to a 50 percent tuition credit. Computer fees ($135 for twelve months), Health Center fees ($257.50 for twelve months), and Activities and Service fees ($505.25 for twelve months) are paid by the student. Health insurance for graduate students on assistantships is paid by the Graduate College.

Living and Housing Costs

University student apartments are available at rates of $482 for single occupancy to $584 per month for two-person occupancy. Rooms in the graduate dormitory rent at an annual cost of $5520 for a single suite. Private, off-campus rooms and apartments are available in the vicinity of the campus.

Student Group

The current enrollment of the University is 26,856 students, including 4,718 graduate students. More than 3,000 graduate students come from all areas of the United States; the remainder are international students representing nearly 100 countries. There are approximately 90 graduate students enrolled in the Department; most are preparing for research careers in industry or universities.

Student Outcomes

Ph.D. graduates typically pursue careers in research as directors of academic, industry, or government laboratories. In this course, Ph.D. graduates normally go on to postdoctoral research appointments prior to seeking assistant professor/laboratory director positions. Other career courses include college/university teaching or research-related administration. M.S. graduates normally go on to Ph.D. programs or research associate positions in industry or academic laboratories.

Location

Ames is a city of about 50,000 residents, including the student body of Iowa State University. The city is located in a rural area 30 miles north of Des Moines, the capital of Iowa. An active cultural life is provided in Ames by local musical and theatrical groups and by the many internationally acclaimed artists who perform on campus. Athletic events at the University provide a year-round focus of interest. The University has a scenic golf course adjacent to the campus and offers facilities for numerous indoor and outdoor sports. The climate is typical of the Midwest: warm to hot in the summer, generally quite cold in the winter, and mild in spring and fall.

The University

Iowa State University of Science and Technology was founded in 1858 as Iowa State College, one of the first land-grant institutions in the nation. Besides the Graduate College, the University has eight undergraduate colleges–Agriculture, Business, Design, Education, Engineering, Family and Consumer Sciences, Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Veterinary Medicine. The scenic campus is a point of pride for students and faculty members and offers a fitting environment for the varied activities of those who work and study at the University.

Applying

Applicants must be graduates of an accredited institution and must normally rank in the upper half of his or her class. GRE General Test scores are required; the Subject Test in biochemistry, cell and molecular biology; chemistry; biology; or physics is recommended. Undergraduate preparation should include emphasis in chemistry, physics, mathematics, and biology. Visits to the Department are encouraged. Preapplications are required and can be requested by sending e-mail to biochem@iastate.edu.

The Faculty and Their Research

• Senior Staff of the Department
• Gaya Amarasinghe, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Maryland, Baltimore County, 2001. Biophysical and biochemical studies of protein-RNA interactions.
• Linda Ambrosio, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Princeton, 1985. Mechanisms of signal transduction; molecular and genetic characterization of D-raf; pattern formation and cellular differentiation in development.
• Amy H. Andreotti, Associate Professor of Biochemistry; Ph.D., Princeton, 1994. Nuclear magnetic resonance; macromolecular structure and recognition.
• Donald C. Beitz, Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry and Animal Science; Ph.D., Michigan State, 1967. Lipid metabolism; cholesterol homeostasis in animals and humans; nutritional and genetic control of animal-derived food quality; etiology and prevention of fatty liver disease.
• Thomas Bobik, Professor of Biochemistry; Ph.D., Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1990. Conversion of inactive cobalamins to coenzyme B12.
• Alan DiSpirito, Professor; Ph.D., Ohio State, 1983. Bioenergetics of chemoautotrophic and methanotrophic bacteria.
• Jack Girton, Professor; Ph.D., Alberta, 1979. Chromatin structure and function; regulation of cell determination.
• Mark S. Hargrove, Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics; Ph.D., Rice, 1995. Heme protein structure and function; regulation of cell determination.
• Richard B. Honzatko, Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics; Ph.D., Harvard, 1982. X-ray crystallography of proteins; enzyme structure-function.
• Ted W. Huiatt, Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Animal Science; Ph.D., Iowa State, 1979. Growth and determination of striated muscle during embryonic development.
• Robert L. Jernigan, Professor of Biochemistry and Director, Laurence H. Baker Center for Bioinformatics and Biological Statistics; Ph.D., Stanford, 1968. Bioinformatics; genomics; computational biology; interfaces between structure, function, and sequence; motions of proteins and large assemblages; protein and drug design.
• Jorgen Johansen, Professor; Ph.D., Copenhagen, 1984. Regulation of nuclear organization and function.
• Kristen M. Johansen, Professor; Ph.D., Yale, 1989. Regulation of nuclear organization and function.
• Gustavo MacIntosh, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Buenos Aires, 1997. Gene expression and metabolic changes during plant defense responses to pests; functional genomics of plant nucleases.
• Alan M. Myers, Professor of Biochemistry; Ph.D., Duke, 1983. Molecular mechanisms of starch assembly and disassembly.
• Scott Nelson, Professor of Biochemistry; Ph.D., Iowa State, 2002. Molecular mechanisms of DNA replication and repair.
• Basil J. Nikolau, Professor of Biochemistry; Ph.D., Massey (New Zealand), 1981. Biochemistry and functional genomics of plant metabolism.
• Marit Nilsen-Hamilton, Professor of Biochemistry; Ph.D., Cornell, 1973. Nucleic acid, aptamer-based analytical technology; Growth factor function.
• Reuben J. Peters, Associate Professor; Ph.D., California, San Francisco, 1998. Enzymatic/metabolic engineering of terpenoid biosynthesis.
• Guru Rao, Professor/Chair of Biochemistry; Ph.D., Mysore (India), 1980. Structure-function relationships of plant proteins; protein-protein interactions in plant signal transduction; protein engineering.
• Richard M. Robson, Professor of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Animal Science; Ph.D., Iowa State, 1969. Structure and function of muscle contractile and cytosketal proteins.
• John F. Robyt, Professor of Biochemistry; Ph.D., Iowa State, 1962. Carbohydrate chemistry and enzymology.
• Yeon-Kyun Shin, Professor of Biophysics; Ph.D., Cornell, 1990. SNARE complex assembly and mechanisms of membrane fusion; EPR methods.
• Michael Shogren-Knaak, Assistant Professor of Biochemistry; Ph.D., Stanford, 1994. Role and establishment of histone modifications; chromatin structure.
• Robert Thornburg, Professor of Biochemistry; Ph.D., South Carolina, 1981. Eukaryotic gene regulations and expression; plant response to insect attack.
• Edward Yu, Associate Professor of Biophysics; Ph.D., Michigan, 1997. Structural and mechanistic aspects of membrane transport; X-ray crystallography of membrane proteins; biophysics.
• Olga Zabotina, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Russian Academy of Sciences, 1987. Plant cell wall structure; polysaccharide biosynthesis, modification, and degredation; bioactive carbohydrates.
• Affiliates and Collaborators Primarily Associated with This Department
• Martha G. James, Adjunct Associate Professor of Biochemistry; Ph.D., Iowa State, 1989. Plant starch metabolism; functional interactions and genetic engineering.
• Louisa B. Tabatabai, Professor of Biochemistry and Research Chemist, National Animal Disease Center, USDA/ARS; Ph.D., Iowa State, 1976. Protein chemistry and proteomics; vaccines and diagnostics for animal diseases.
• Senior Staff Associated Primarily with Other Departments
• Andrzej Kloczkowski, Adjunct Professor; Ph.D., Polish Academy of Sciences, 1980. Computational molecular biology; structural bioinformatics; prediction of protein structure, function, and dynamics; biomolecular simulations.
• W. Allen Miller, Professor of Plant Pathology and Biochemistry; Ph.D., Wisconsin–Madison, 1984. RNA virus replication and gene expression; translation mechanisms; barley yellow dwarf virus genomics.

Correspondence and Information

Iowa State University of Science and Technology
Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Molecular Biology
1210 Molecular Biology Building
Ames, Iowa 50011
Telephone: 515-294-2231
800-433-3464 (toll-free from within the United States)
Fax: 515-294-0453
Email: biochem@iastate.edu