Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology (BCMB)

To answer fundamental questions about how organisms develop, maintain healthy physiology, or succumb to disease requires a number of different disciplinary perspectives and approaches. Understanding the behavior of a malignant tumor, for example, could involve transcriptional changes, alterations in the extracellular matrix, molecular signaling cascades gone awry, or structural impediments to the function of a key molecule.  For this reason, in 1995 we brought together what had been three separate doctoral programs—Biochemistry & Structural Biology, Molecular Biology, and Cell & Developmental Biology—under the aegis of the interdisciplinary BCMB Allied program. Although individual faculty retain affiliations to the original three programs for administrative reasons, students are admitted to and remain members of the BCMB Allied program throughout their doctoral training. With over 150 member laboratories, BCMB offers students an unusual opportunity to explore research questions with disciplinary depth while maintaining a constant awareness the broader biological context. 

Biochemistry & Structural Biology laboratories apply biochemical, structural, biophysical and imaging methods to questions relating to complex biological processes and mechanisms. Cutting-edge technologies, such as cryo-EM, high-speed AFM, single molecule fluorescence microscopy and quantitative live cell imaging, are used to explore the structure and function of biological macromolecules; the enzymatics of post-translational protein modifications and RNA/DNA metabolism; ion and metabolite transport across biological membranes; the organization of chromatin and the complex machineries involved in gene expression and genome maintenance; and the regulation of cell signaling and proliferation.

Cell & Developmental Biology laboratories study the mechanisms of cellular function and development. Their work covers a wide range of topics, including cellular processes, metabolism, normal and malignant cell growth, differentiation, tissue development, and stem cell biology. They investigate these areas in diverse systems such as yeast, flies, worms, fish, mice, and humans, using state-of-the-art techniques. These techniques include confocal and super-resolution microscopy, mass spectrometry, organoid and 3D cell cultures, induced pluripotent stem cells, genome-wide CRISPR screens, single-cell omics, and spatial profiling.

Molecular Biology laboratories study the molecular pathways involved in the control of cell growth, DNA replication, repair and chromosome maintenance, as well as transcriptional control of gene expression and mRNA biogenesis. These pathways are remarkably intricate, tying together nearly all the fundamental processes of cellular metabolism. Genetic, biochemical and cell biological approaches are combined with high-end methods such as next-generation sequencing, chromosome conformation profiling, live cell imaging and cryo-EM to dissect the mechanisms involved in these processes. Collectively, the work by the faculty in this program aims to elucidate the basis for normal growth and development and, conversely, to uncover mechanisms of cancer etiology and microbial pathogenesis.