Graduate Program

Prasanthi from Jakob Lab discusses her award winning poster at the Eastern Michigan University's Graduate Research Fair

The Graduate Program in the MCDB Department consists of the Ph.D. program with an average of 60 students and a very small, non-thesis Master's program. These programs are separate from each other and are not connected academically.

The Ph.D. degree is a 5-6 year program. As long as a student is in good standing, they will be fully supported until they finish their degree. Our financial package of support includes a stipend, tuition, fees, and health insurance. During the first year, the student will take several courses and seminars, while exploring faculty research interests through rotations in different laboratories. By the beginning of the second year, the student will have chosen a research mentor, identifying a research problem, thereby laying the groundwork for their dissertation project.

For more information about the Graduate Program, contact the Graduate Support Services Office.

Biochemistry

The three dimensional structure of bovind pancreatic trypsin inhibitor

In this area we attack very diverse questions with a wide variety of approaches, experimental systems, and techniques. All of us study protein molecules, how they are born in the cell, how they reach their proper cellular compartment, and the wonderful things they can do once they get there.

Cell Biology

Peroxisomes (blue) being engulfed by a lysosome/vacuole (red). Proteins involved in the process are tagged with GFP.

All living organisms are made of cells. We use a dazzling range of techniques including biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics (classical and molecular), recombinant DNA technology, imaging and biophysics to address questions concerning cellular function.

Development

Understanding how undifferentiated cells adopt the appropriate cell fates during development to generate complex plants and animals is a major unsolved problem. Developmental biologists in our department utilize genetics, live imaging and cell/molecular biology to address questions such as: cell fate determination, cell-cell communication, regulation of gene expression, axonal pathfinding and synaptogenesis.

E. coli expressing bacterial amyloid fibers called curli

Microbiology

Microbiologists are by nature, highly interdisciplinary and utilize a wide range of techniques to solve basic scientific questions. In this area of study, we utilize single cells as our model system to address fundamental biological topics.

Neurobiology &
Animal Physiology

To produce a functioning animal, the activity of individual cells must be coordinated by neuronal and endocrine signaling. The research of members of this group focuses on the molecular mechanisms of synaptic and hormonal communication, on the signals used during development and regeneration to produce a functional nervous system, on the hormonal control of animal growth and on the way that networks of neurons process sensory signals and generate simple behaviors.

Mature embryo of Arabidopsis showing expression of transcriptional reporter fusion gene (blue staining) in the hypocotyl and root

Plant Molecular Biology

This area of focus is concerned with understanding the mechanisms that control plant processes. Using molecular, genetic, cellular, biochemical, and bioinformatics approaches, the investigators in this area explore fundamental questions in the development, metabolism, physiology, and interactions of plants. Research in plant molecular biology provides exciting opportunities for students to receive interdisciplinary training and to uncover new insights into plant-specific processes as well as basic biological processes.