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Detailed Information

Programs of Study

The Molecular Biology, Microbiology, and Biochemistry Program offers graduate training leading to Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees. The interdisciplinary program includes the Departments of Microbiology (College of Science at Carbondale), Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (School of Medicine at Carbondale), and Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Cell Biology (School of Medicine at Springfield). Research activities, including the training of graduate students, represent a major effort of all three departments and more than 30 faculty members. Basic science and applied research opportunities are available with faculty members in each of these departments.

Thesis (M.S.) and dissertation (Ph.D.) students discuss their research interests with prospective faculty members and begin a project during the first year of graduate study. A nonthesis M.S. option with course work and directed laboratory work that prepares graduates for careers as public health laboratory technicians is also available on the Springfield campus. Students electing to pursue research training with any faculty member may fulfill course requirements in Carbondale or Springfield.

The core requirements for all graduate students include formal courses in biochemistry, bacterial genetics, research methods, and seminar. Elective courses in specialty disciplines complete formal academic requirements. M.S. thesis-option students must prepare and defend a thesis based on laboratory research. Ph.D. students must pass a preliminary examination before being advanced to candidacy and must then earn at least 24 dissertation credit hours and prepare and defend a dissertation based on original laboratory research.

Research Facilities

The departments have modern, well-equipped research laboratories and supporting facilities for P3 physical containment, electron microscopy, X-ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy, and flow cytometry. The University library at Carbondale is ranked among the top 100 research libraries in the United States. It contains more than 2 million volumes and maintains an extensive collection of research journals in all areas of biological and molecular science. There is also an extensive biological science and medical library at Springfield.

Financial Aid

Graduate teaching and research assistantships that include a stipend, a tuition waiver, and partial support for health insurance are available to qualified students. Current stipends are $1646 per month (2009–10). Special fellowships are also available. Nearly all active students are supported by teaching or research assistantships or fellowships. Student loans and scholarships for international students are available. Graduate students’ spouses may receive help in finding employment through the Student Work and Financial Assistance Program.

Cost of Study

In-state graduate tuition is $328 per credit hour in 2009–10. Out-of-state tuition is 2.5 times the in-state tuition rate ($820 per credit hour). Graduate students with at least a 25 percent appointment as a graduate assistant receive a tuition scholarship. Fees vary from $589.03 (1 credit hour) to $1557.50 (12 credit hours). Students with a graduate assistantship receive a 50 percent reduction in the primary care medical fee. New graduate students from Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, and Tennessee qualify for the alternate tuition rate, which is equivalent to the in-state graduate tuition rate.

Living and Housing Costs

For married couples, students with families, and single graduate students, the University has 690 efficiency and one-, two-, three-, and four-bedroom apartments that rent for $499 to $720 per month in 2009–10. Residence halls for single graduate students are also available, as are accessible residence hall rooms and apartments for students with disabilities.

Student Group

Enrollment in the combined Carbondale-Springfield graduate program is approximately 80 students.

Student Outcomes

Students with graduate degrees in molecular biology, microbiology, and biochemistry are in demand in several occupational areas. Many graduates are employed in agriculture, food, pharmaceutical, or biotechnology industries. Ph.D. graduates can expect to be employed by pharmaceutical, chemical, biochemical, or biotechnology firms or continue for advanced academic training as postdoctoral fellows. Many Southern Illinois University graduates are faculty members at colleges and universities throughout the United States.

Location

Southern Illinois University Carbondale, the home of the Department of Microbiology and the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, is 350 miles south of Chicago and 100 miles southeast of St. Louis. Located in rolling hills bordered by the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers and enhanced by a mild climate, the area has state parks, national forests and wildlife refuges, and large lakes for outdoor recreation. Much of the area is a part of the 240,000-acre Shawnee National Forest. Cultural offerings include theater, opera, concerts, art exhibits, and cinema. Educational facilities for the families of students are excellent. The Springfield campus, the home of the Department of Medical Microbiology, Immunology, and Cell Biology, is located on the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine campus in Springfield, the capital of Illinois, about 200 miles south of Chicago. Springfield has many historical and cultural attractions, including the Lincoln Library and the Lincoln Tomb.

The University

Southern Illinois University is a comprehensive public university with a variety of general and professional education programs. The University offers bachelor’s and associate degrees, master’s and doctoral degrees, the J.D. degree, and the M.D. degree. The University is fully accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The Graduate School has an essential role in the development and coordination of graduate instruction and research programs. The Graduate Council has academic responsibility for determining graduate standards, recommending new graduate programs and research centers, and establishing policies to facilitate the research effort. Southern Illinois University is a state-funded university founded in 1869.

Applying

Applications may be submitted throughout the academic year for admission at the beginning of either the fall or the spring semester; most students matriculate in the fall semester. Applications should be completed six months before expected enrollment.

The Faculty and Their Research

• Department of Microbiology, Carbondale
• The research goals of the faculty members of the Department of Microbiology are basic, emphasizing projects that promise to enhance fundamental knowledge of biological systems at the molecular level. Major areas of research include the physiology, molecular biology, and phylogeny of diverse bacteria from extreme environments; microbial ecology; molecular environmental microbiology; biogeochemistry; small RNA analysis; virulence factors in gram-positive bacteria; bioremediation of environmental pollutants; aspects of the molecular biology, biochemistry, and genetics of Escherichia coli; the molecular biology of mutations in E. coli; and the structure and function of antigen-presenting proteins in the immune system.
• Laurie A. Achenbach, Professor; Ph.D., Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Bioremediation, microbial ecology, anaerobic metabolism, geomicrobiology.
• Kelly Bender, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Southern Illinois Carbondale. Molecular environmental microbiology; small RNA analysis.
• KyuHong Cho, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Regulation of virulence factors in S. pyogenes; thermoregulation of capsule production, role of CvfA in virulence gene regulation, small RNAs influencing virulence.
• David P. Clark, Professor; Ph.D., Bristol (England). Molecular biology: genetics and regulation of anaerobic growth in Escherichia coli.
• Douglas F. Fix, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Microbiology; Ph.D., Indiana. Molecular biology: molecular mechanisms of mutagenesis in Escherichia coli.
• John D. Haddock, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Virginia Tech. Microbial physiology; biotechnology; biodegradation.
• Michael T. Madigan, Professor; Ph.D., Wisconsin–Madison. General microbiology; bacterial diversity; phototrophic bacteria; psychrophilic bacteria; Antarctic microbial ecosystems.
• John M. Martinko, Associate Professor; Ph.D., SUNY at Buffalo. Immunology: structure-function studies in class I antigen-presenting proteins.
• Antje C. Rusch, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Bremen (Germany). Microbial ecology; marine microbiology; biogeochemistry.
• Department of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Cell Biology, Springfield
• Areas of specialization in the Department of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Cell Biology include molecular and cellular biology, molecular genetics, immunology of reproduction, the molecular biology of cancer, microbial immunology, endocrinology, and molecular virology. The research goals of the department are both basic and applied, adding to the scientific knowledge base as well as improving methods of diagnosis and therapy. Close working relationships are maintained with clinical faculty members to create a scientist-physician team approach in relevant areas of medical research.
• Andrzej Bartke, Professor; Ph.D., Kansas. Biology and physiology of endocrine systems.
• Peter T. Borgia, Professor; Ph.D., Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Molecular biology: cloning and characterization of genes for chitin synthesis in Aspergillus.
• Gregory J. Brewer, Professor; Ph.D., California, San Diego. Molecular and cellular biology: aging and Alzheimer’s disease; neuron development and synaptogenesis; neuronal networks; brain cancer treatment.
• Deliang Cao, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Institute of Molecular Biology (Hong Kong). Investigation of metabolic pathways and molecular mechanisms of antitumor activity of cytotoxic agents using gene transfer, RNA interference, and gene knockout technologies.
• David F. Carpenter, Associate Professor; Ph.D., New Hampshire. Molecular diagnostics for emerging infectious diseases of public health significance.
• Subhas Chakrabarty, Professor and Associate Dean of Basic Sciences, SIU Cancer Institute; Ph.D., Manitoba. Molecular mechanisms underlying malignant progression; chemoprevention of cancer; cancer diagnostic and prognostic markers; cancer therapeutics.
• Morris D. Cooper, Professor and Chair, Department of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Cell Biology; Ph.D., Georgia. Microbiology/immunology: immune responses to sexually transmitted disease pathogens; Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis infections; topical microbicide activity against sexually transmitted diseases.
• Randolph C. Elble, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Indiana Bloomington. Role of CLCA protein family in promoting mammary epithelial differentiation and suppressing tumorigenesis and metastasis; cell signaling in response to DNA damage and cell detachment; apoptosis and senescence; epithelial-mesenchymal transition and cell junctions.
• Edward Gershburg, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Tel-Aviv. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)–encoded protein kinase in viral infection; EBV-PK regulation and enzymology and identification of its viral and cellular targets in the context of viral infection.
• William Halford, Associate Professor; Ph.D., LSU Medical Center. Herpes simplex virus as a tool to understand viral and host immune interactions that produce lifelong viral infections.
• Nancy M. Khardori, Professor; Ph.D., All India Institute of Medical Science; M.D., Government Medical College (India). Microbial adherence and biofilms: study of the microbial adherence to prosthetic devices; factors facilitating and inhibiting adherence to devices.
• Mary McAsey, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Arizona. Molecular and cellular biology: mechanisms of action of steroids in the brain; induction of apoptosis in gynecologic cancers; hormones in diseases of pregnancy.
• Yin-Yuan Mo, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Washington State. Tumor drug resistance and tumor cell biology.
• Daotai Nie, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., South Carolina. Molecular and cellular biology of cancer; tumor radiotherapy; tumor metastasis.
• Sophia Ran, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Weizmann (Israel). Tumor angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis; breast cancer metastasis.
• Krishna Rao, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Washington (Seattle); M.D., Miami (Florida). Breast cancer and bone marrow transplantation; impact of Rab25 in breast cancer.
• Donald S. Torry, Professor; Ph.D., Southern Illinois. Cell biology and molecular immunology: role of angiogenic growth factors in human reproduction.
• Kounosuke Watabe, Professor; Ph.D., Kyoto (Japan). Molecular and cellular biology: tumor metastasis; pathological mechanisms of tumor metastasis; signal molecules in tumor cells; tumor stem cells and microenvironments.
• Andrew Wilber, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Minnesota. Gene therapy and efficacy studies; gene expression regulation; stable gene delivery using nonviral and viral integrating vector systems.
• Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Carbondale
• The research goals of the faculty members of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology focus on biological systems at the molecular level. Major areas of research include protein structure, protein bioengineering, eukaryotic gene regulation, chromatin structure and function, DNA replication and repair, mechanisms of cellular differentiation, cell membrane ion channels, transcription regulation and RNA processing in Archaea, and the biochemistry of iron metabolism in bacteria.
• Blaine Bartholomew, Professor; Ph.D., California, Davis. Regulation of gene expression chromatin structure and function; molecular mechanisms of cancer.
• Sukesh R. Bhaumik, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (Bombay). Regulation of eukaryotic gene expression; transcription-coupled ubiquitination and DNA repair; NMR structural studies of proteins and nucleic acids.
• Judy Davie, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Berkeley. Mechanisms of gene regulation; mechanism of skeletal muscle development.
• Farid Kadyrov, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Russian Academy of Sciences. DNA replication and repair; DNA damage in cancer.
• Ramesh Gupta, Professor and Chair, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Ph.D., Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Molecular biology: Archaea; transcription and RNA processing in extreme halophilic and hyperthermophilic microorganisms.
• Peter M. D. Hardwicke, Professor; Ph.D., King’s College. Regulation of calcium transport across membranes by calcium pumps and the sodium-calcium exchanger; proteolipids, lipids, conjugated trienes, and non-myelin sensory nerve antigens.
• Jodi I. Huggenvik, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Washington State. Molecular biology of mammalian gene expression and structure/function analysis of tumor suppressor genes.
• Piroska E. Huvos, Adjunct Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Eotvos Lorand (Budapest). Genomic rearrangements and DNA processing in the macronuclei and micronuclei of Tetrahymena thermophila.
• David A. Lightfoot, Professor; Ph.D., Leeds (England). Molecular biotechnology and genomics.
• Eric C. Niederhoffer, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Texas A&M. Metallobiochemistry; electron transfer; metalloprotein structure-function; microbial stress responses; virulence factors.
• Rod Weilbaecher, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Berkeley. Gene regulation; posttranslational modifications; telomere biology.

Correspondence and Information

Southern Illinois University
Kounosuke Watabe, Ph.D., Director
Molecular Biology, Microbiology, and Biochemistry Program
825 North Rutledge
P.O. Box: 19626
Springfield, Illinois 62794-9626
Telephone: 217-545-2184
Fax: 217-545-3227
Email: mbmb@siumed.edu