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Biological Sciences
Mailing Address: Irvine 107

Cell, Developmental and Microbiology Concentration

The Biological Sciences M.S. and Ph.D. degree programs both include a Cell, Developmental and Microbiology concentration.

The mission of the Cell, Developmental and Microbiology program is to educate and train graduate students through coursework and laboratory research in the subjects of biochemistry, genetics, microbiology, cell biology, and developmental biology. Faculty mentors are from the departments of Biological Sciences and Biomedical Sciences.

NOTE: Students may enter graduate programs in the Biological Sciences Department or in the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology. (Students entering the MCB interdisciplinary program choose from among Biological Sciences, Chemistry & Biochemistry, and Environmental & Plant Biology as their "home department.") Course requirements vary slightly between the Biological Sciences program and the MCB program. Both programs require students to meet all of the general requirements of the Biological Sciences Graduate Program, including significant research and a research thesis.

Students are encouraged to do laboratory rotations in their first year to sample the diverse research options available. Students must take core courses, as well as additional courses in their specific field of research. All graduate students attend seminars and give annual presentations.

M.S. Concentration in Cell, Developmental, and Microbiology

The M.S. program is intended for students who desire training for technical positions in academia or industry. It is designed to provide students with:

  • A broad knowledge of the fundamentals of the field
  • The ability to present their research in formal settings
  • Research experience in the student's chosen specialty

Ph.D. Concentration in Cell, Developmental, and Microbiology

The Ph.D. program is intended for students who plan to become academic faculty or to assume research positions in industry. It is designed to provide students with:

  • A broad knowledge of the fundamentals of the field
  • Training in a wide range of modern experimental techniques
  • Practice in the working skills of a scientist
  • Mastery of the student's chosen specialty

Research & Thesis

Both M.S. and Ph.D. students are expected to select an adviser and begin their own research project before the end of their first year. All students will complete a research thesis; the research in an M.S. thesis should contribute to the knowledge in the field, while a Ph.D. thesis should represent a significant advance in the field.

Rotations

Lab rotations of 5 to 10 weeks are recommended for all students. Ph.D. students must complete at least two rotations.

Presentations

All students must complete a formal presentation each year, generally in one of the available seminar courses.

Courses

M.S. Required Courses

  • BIOS 6700 Biostatistics I or PBIO 5150 Statistical Methods in Plant Biology (4 credits; Spring)
  • CHEM 5901+5902 Biochemistry (4 credits, Fall and Spring) or BIOS 5630 Biological Chemistry (3 credits; Spring)
  • PBIO 5310 (3 credits; Fall) Cell Biology or MCB 7600 Advanced Cell Biology (4 credits; Fall)

Ph.D. Required Courses

  • BIOS 6700 Biostatistics I or PBIO 5150 Statistical Methods in Plant Biology (4 credits; Spring)
  • CHEM 5901+5902b Biochemistry I & II (4 credits, Fall and Spring)
  • MCB 7600 Advanced Cell Biology (4 credits; Fall)
  • BIOS 5260 Molecular Genetics (3 credits; Fall) or BIOS 5270 Mechanisms of Gene Regulation (3 credits; Spring)
  • 1 more Cell, Developmental and Microbiology core course (See list below.)
  • 1 breadth course (See list below.)
  • PBIO 5180 Writing in the Life Sciences (3credits; Fall) Adviser or Committee may require

Core Courses for Cell, Developmental and Microbiology

  • BIOS 5070 Developmental Biology (3 credits; Fall)
  • BIOS 5140 Molecular & Cellular Neuroscience (3 credits; Fall, not offered every year)
  • BIOS 5205 Cell & Micro Techniques (3 credits; Fall)
  • BIOS 5230 Pathogenic Bacteriology (3 credits; Spring)
  • BIOS 5240 Virology (3 credits; Fall, not offered every year)
  • BIOS 5260 Molecular Genetics (3 credits, Fall, not offered every year)
  • BIOS 5270 Mechanism of Gene Regulation (3 credits; Spring, not offered every year)
  • BIOS 5410 Parasitology (2 credits; Spring, not offered every year)
  • BIOS 5860-5865 Immunology and Lab (3 credits; Spring)
  • MCB 6700 Current Topics in Molecular & Cellular Neurobiology (4 credits; Spring, not offered every year)
  • MCB 7100 Advances in Signal Transduction (5 credits; Fall, not offered every year)
  • MCB 7200 Molecular Biology (3 credits; Fall)
  • MCB 7300 Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory (3 credits; Spring)

Biochemistry

  • CHEM 7110 Protein Chemistry (4 credits; Spring)
  • CHEM 7160 Enzymology (4 credits; Fall, not offered every year)

Plants

  • PBIO 5100 Biology of Fungi (3 credits; Fall)
  • PBIO 5170 Biological Research and Science Ethics (1 credit; Fall)
  • PBIO 5200 Phycology: the Study of Algae (4 credits; Spring, not offered every year)
  • PBIO 5240 Plant Physiology (3 credits; Spring, not offered every year)
  • PBIO 5500 Biotechnology & Genetic Engineering (3 credits; Fall)

Anatomy & Physiology

  • BIOS 5010 Human Anatomy (4 credits; Fall)
  • BIOS 5030 Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy (5 credits, Spring)
  • BIOS 5130 Human Neuroscience (3 credits)
  • BIOS 5135 Human Neuroscience lab (1 credit)
  • BIOS 5150 Systems and Cognitive Neuroscience (3 credits; Spring, not offered every year)
  • BIOS 5420 Principles of Physiology (5 credits; Fall and Spring)
  • BIOS 5450 Physiology of Exercise (3 credits; Fall and Spring)
  • BIOS 5455 Physiology of Exercise Lab (1 credit; Fall and Spring)
  • BIOS 5500 Principles of Endocrinology (3 credits; Fall)
  • MCB 7500 Disorders of the Nervous System (4 credits: Fall, not offered every year)

Other Biological Sciences

  • BIOS 5250 Evolutionary Genetics (3 credits; Fall, not offered every year)
  • BIOS 5290 Marine Biology (3 credits Spring)
  • BIOS 5310 Aquatic Biology (4 credits; Fall)
  • BIOS 5360 Field Entomology (2 credits; Spring, not offered every year)
  • BIOS 5440 Tropical Disease Biology (3 credits; Fall)
  • BIOS 5620 Animal Ecological Physiology Eco (3 credits; Fall, not offered every year)
  • BIOS 5650 Ichthyology (4 credits; Fall, not offered every year)
  • BIOS 5710 Ornithology (4 credits; Fall, not offered every year)
  • BIOS 5720 Herpetology (4 credits; Spring, not offered every year)
  • BIOS 5730 Animal Behavior (4 credits; Spring)
  • BIOS 5740 Mammology (4 credits; Spring, not offered every year)
  • BIOS 5770 Population Ecology (3 credits; Fall, not offered every year)
  • BIOS 5780 Community Ecology (3 credits; not offered every year)
  • BIOS 5810 Animal Conservation Biology (3 credits; Spring)

Quant & Bioinformatics

  • BIOS 5180 Methods in Computational Neuroscience (3 credits; Fall, not offered every year)
  • CS 5160 Problem Solving with Bioinformatics Tools
  • CS 5610D Data Structures (4 credits; Fall and Spring)