Graduate program details

About the molecular biophysics program

The Program in Molecular Biophysics, established in 1990, seeks to train students who understand biological processes and who can take advantage of the sophisticated physical techniques necessary to probe those processes at a detailed molecular level. An important feature of the Program in Molecular Biophysics is its emphasis on multidisciplinary, interactive approaches to the study of biological systems. Communication and collaboration among investigators with diverse interests is fundamental to defining the interesting questions and developing the systems which make biophysics a unique synthesis of disciplines. At Washington University, the Program brings together scientists who share the biophysicist's goal of understanding biological processes, yet who work on systems which range from single molecules to whole cells.

For more specific information about the program, please visit the links to the left or contact us. Additional information can be found on the DBBS website.

Program guidelines

The program guidelines are available online and contain information about all aspects of the graduate training process and progress towards a Ph.D., including timelines for typical Ph.D. and MSTP students.

Courses

The multidisciplinary nature of biophysics attracts students with diverse backgrounds. To develop an appropriate curriculum, each student meets at the beginning of the first year with a faculty advisory committee to select courses and to discuss laboratory rotations. These meetings continue on a regular basis until a thesis laboratory is chosen. Molecular Biophysics students are expected to take four to six courses in the first year. These courses may be from within the Molecular Biophysics Program, as well as other Programs or departments. All students in the Program are required to take the following two Program courses:

Macromolecular Interactions (Bio 5312)
Chemistry and Physics of Biological Molecules (Bio 5325)

and to choose from the following courses:

Fundamentals of Molecular Cell Biology (Bio 5068)
Nucleic Acids and Protein Biosynthesis (Bio 548)

or another course upon approval of the steering committee.

In addition, students must complete an Advanced Topics course, which is chosen from those offered throughout the University, including ones that are offered by the Program as demand dictates (e.g. NMR of Biomolecules, Computational Biochemistry). Remaining courses are chosen according to interest.

These courses are offered through the departments of Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics as well as through the Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences.

Molecular Engineering and Biophysics Pathway

In addition to the Molecular Biophysics graduate program, Washington University also offers a Molecular Engineering and Biophysics Pathway, a special track available to doctoral students and students who are pursuing a PhD or MD/PhD in Molecular Biophysics (MB), Biomedical Engineering (BME), or Energy, Environmental, and Chemical Engineering (EECE) at Washington University in St. Louis.

Molecular biophysics and molecular engineering share common goals in applied and basic science. Translational applications in these fields include the development of molecular devices, scaffolds, imaging agents, and therapeutics, for a variety of biomedical applications such as imaging, tissue regeneration, drug delivery, and drug development. Achievement of these translational objectives hinges on the ability to manipulate and control interactions and dynamics of biomolecular complexes through a quantitative understanding of thermodynamics and kinetics of macromolecular associations. Such studies are the domain of basic scientific research in molecular biophysics and engineering. The MEBP is designed to train and to provide fellowship support for the next generation of interdisciplinary researchers to exploit natural synergies between translational objectives and basic science foundations of engineering and molecular biophysics.

More information about the pathway can be found here.

Training grant

Our Molecular Biophysics Graduate Program is one of about 30 Biophysics Programs across the country that receive Training Grant funding from the National Institutes of Health. Once every five years, the NIH reviews each of its funded training programs, assessing curriculum, training faculty, and community; most critical is the input from students. The 2007/2008 academic year is our fifteenth year of NIH Training Grant support. Currently, five student stipends are paid by Training Grant funds. Each year, the Molecular Biophysics Steering Committee selects students for support. In practice, most eligible students receive NIH funding for two to three years of their graduate career.

Steering committee

The steering committee helps direct the Biophysics program and advise students. The current members are:

Application

Applications to the Molecular Biophysics programs are coordinated through the Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences. Please go here for more information.

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