Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry

The heart of the FAS Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry is its research intensive undergraduate major. More than 90% of our graduating seniors have received 6 or more course credits for carrying out research in the laboratories of molecular bioscientists at either Rutgers or UMDNJ. The major is structured around research. Upon joining the departmentmental major, students are assigned a departmental advisor, who is available for discussion of research options for the student. Students can starting working in a laboratory for research credits at any time after they join the major. Many students begin in their junior year or during the summer between their junior and senior year. In addition, some students begin working in laboratories in their freshman or sophomore years, and so have an even richer experience by extending their period of work throughout their undergraduate years.

Students who have joined the major of this Department can take up to 6 credits of research per semester (usually 115:381, 382 for sophomores and/or juniors, 115:481,482 for seniors). In order to receive credit, a student must identify a laboratory and obtain the signature of both the principal investigator of that laboratory (also referred to as the research advisor--any molecular bioscientist at Rutgers or UMDNJ is acceptable) and the student's departmental advisor. Each credit is equivalent to a minimum of 3 hours of work in the laboratory. Before the end of each semester of research the student must submit a typewritten single-spaced summary of the work carried out over the semester. This summary is given to both the research advisor and to the Departmental secretary. This summary takes the form of a journal article, with a minimum length of 1 page per credit.

In addition to the research opportunities and research courses, two formal courses in the Departmental major complement the students' individual laboratory work. The three-credit laboratory course Introduction to Molecular Biology and Biochemistry Research (01:115:315) formally introduces all students in the major to the realities of working in a modern molecular biology laboratory. Students carry out real experiments (i.e. the results are unknown) and analyze their findings with the help of computer analysis and library research. This course, which is intended for juniors, was funded by a grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. In addition, senior students take the one-credit course Seminar in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry (01:115:483,484) in the fall and spring of their senior year. In this course the students present their research results to their peers and the faculty, both in the form of oral presentations as well as a poster session in the spring. Further, speakers in the fall discuss various research career options. In the senior year, eligible students can take honors research, either through the department, or through the Henry Rutgers Scholars Program or other College Honors programs. These honors students take 6 credits of research per semester and present both an oral and written thesis in April of their senior year.

The Rutgers/UMDNJ community offers an enormous resource for students interested in finding research opportunities. Students can find active research going on in almost all areas of the molecular biosciences. While the departmental advisor can make suggestions, it is the student's responsibility to identify specific laboratories of interest, to speak with the principal investigator, and to arrange for laboratory research. It should be emphasized that almost all investigators at the two universities are willing to have undergraduates working in their laboratories.

Practical experience in a laboratory is very useful in helping an undergraduate decide about future career choices. Laboratory work often results in a student getting his/her name on meeting abstracts or publications coming from their laboratories. The experience of working in a laboratory, alongside graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and other researchers provides the student with an understanding of the modern scientific approach for the solution of basic research problems.

Students are advised to check the Home Pages of the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry for additional details and information about MBB research options.

Return to Offerings of the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry