Mayo Graduate School
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Rochester, Minnesota
Overview
The Mayo Graduate School is a division of Mayo Foundation, which also includes Mayo Clinic, Mayo Medical School, Mayo School of Health Sciences, and affiliated hospitals. Mayo Foundation is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
Mayo Graduate School, with campuses in Jacksonville, Florida; Rochester, Minnesota; and Scottsdale, Arizona, has a highly select student body. The 130 Ph.D. and M.D./Ph.D. candidates have easy access to more than 900 research and clinical faculty members. This favorable student-faculty ratio gives students the opportunity for close collaboration with internationally recognized researchers who serve as thesis advisers. Smaller class sizes also allow the programs to adapt easily to students' individual backgrounds and interests.
The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology's graduate program is specifically organized to educate a small, select group of students. An average ratio of 2 students per faculty member provides each student with an unusual opportunity for close collaboration with internationally recognized researchers.
The Location and Community
The city of Rochester combines the best of two worlds-the warmth and friendliness of a small town with the bustling commerce, entertainment, and conveniences of a metropolis. Lectures, symphony concerts, art exhibits, and a civic theater contribute to a cosmopolitan atmosphere, unusual for a city its size. The city and its environs provide an extensive, four-season calendar of recreation. Attractions in Minneapolis, a major metropolitan area, and St. Paul, just 80 miles north of Rochester, include professional sports, the nationally acclaimed Tyrone Guthrie Theatre, and the Minnesota Institute of Arts.
Programs of study and degree requirements
The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BMB) in the Mayo Graduate School offers graduate training leading to the Ph.D. Students select a specialization in either biochemistry and structural biology or cell biology and genetics. Both programs require the completion of 42 Mayo Graduate School credits, including 16 credits from the core curriculum.
The Biochemistry and Structural Biology (BSB) Program integrates researchers from across Mayo's diverse scientific strengths and provides an exceptional educational experience. The program gives broad exposure to the fundamental principles of biochemistry, molecular and cell biology, biophysics, and molecular genetics. It offers intermediate and advanced courses emphasizing physical biochemistry, macromolecular structure analysis, and macromolecular engineering. The curriculum includes both fundamental and applied studies of biochemistry and structural biology. Sixteen dedicated faculty members support the program as teachers and mentors. Some current areas of research are macromolecule structure-function interactions and rational drug design; NMR and other spectroscopies applied to macromolecules; biomathematics, modeling of complex phenomena, chaos theory, and kinetics; biochemistry of ion transport; structural biology of nucleic acids, their complexes, and transcription; molecular endocrinology and biochemistry of gene regulation; protein misfolding; and proteomics technology.
The Cell Biology and Genetics (CBG) Program reflects the educational efforts of more than 30 faculty members representing broad research interests in molecular biology, cell biology, and genetics. Students in the CBG Program receive a comprehensive introduction to key topics in molecular research. Intermediate and advanced courses follow, emphasizing topics related to cell function and architecture, the genetics of model organisms, and the biology of membranes. The curriculum includes both fundamental and applied studies of topics in cells, model organisms, and human biology. Some current areas of research are signal transduction from receptor to nucleus; DNA repair, replication, and checkpoint control; calcium transport, signaling, and calcium-regulated cell functions; the biology and regulation of oncogenes; vesicular transport and organelle assembly; lipid and membrane function; and developmental biology.
Laboratory rotations are an important part of the first year of graduate study. Through lab rotations, students try different types of research, experience different labs and mentors, and choose their area of specialization. All students complete at least three 2- to 3-month lab rotations. The first rotation may be done during the summer before classes start. While Mayo Graduate School places primary emphasis on research training, classroom experience is also an integral component of the Ph.D. program, providing the intellectual foundation necessary for well-rounded scientists. Therefore, each area of specialization offers advanced courses built on the framework set by the core curriculum. As with all Mayo Graduate School programs, students in the BSB and CBG Programs are free to select a qualified research mentor from any Mayo program or department. Although each Mayo investigator has an independent laboratory composed of postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and technicians, active collaborations with other research groups within the institution are common. This provides for a variety of mentorship opportunities in addition to a student's thesis adviser. Shared core facility resources and cooperation among research groups allow students to follow their research, whatever direction it takes.
Facilities & Resources
Modern biomedical research requires teamwork and highly sophisticated, expensive technologies. Therefore, collaboration and shared resources are central to Mayo's extensive research activities. An annual budget exceeding $296 million, with more than half coming from NIH and other extramural sources, supports a wide range of research programs. The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology occupies laboratories on three floors (60,000 square feet). In addition to well-equipped individual laboratories, the department operates research core facilities with the most modern instrumentation for automated nucleic acid and peptide synthesis and sequencing, nuclear magnetic resonance, mass spectroscopy, fluorescence-activated cell sorting, and electron microscopy. Each core facility is supervised by research faculty members and staffed by highly skilled technical experts. Students are encouraged to use these resources as their research dictates, from occasionally submitting samples for analysis to full training in the instrumentation. Research is also supported by the departmental computer facility, which provides access to a variety of software used for molecular modeling and data analysis. In addition, Mayo Medical Library contains 413,000 volumes and subscribes to 4,300 medical and scientific journals.
Expenses and Aid
All costs, except those for books, are provided in addition to the yearly stipend. Students pay no tuition or ancillary fees.
Financial Aid:
Mayo Graduate School provides stipends and full tuition scholarships for all of its Ph.D. students. Therefore, the students have exceptional flexibility in choosing research mentors. Mayo Graduate School offers outstanding student benefits. Students appointed to Ph.D. program receive a stipend ($22,250 per year in 2004-05), full tuition scholarships, flexible vacation time, and paid travel to scientific meetings.
Housing/Living Expenses:
Living costs in Rochester are comparable to those in cities of similar size within the upper Midwest and generally lower than those in urban areas of the East and West Coasts. A single student can live comfortably on the stipend provided.
How to Apply
Admission to the graduate programs is competitive. Applicants are required to submit official transcripts from each college and university attended, three letters of recommendation, a summary of scientific interests and career goals, and scores from a recent GRE General Test. Qualified applicants are encouraged to schedule a personal interview. Applications for the Ph.D. program should be submitted by December 15. Mayo Foundation is an affirmative action and equal opportunity educator and employer.
Who to Contact
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Mayo Graduate School
200 First Street, SW
Rochester, Minnesota 55905
507-538-1160
The Faculty
• Zeljko Bajzer, Ph.D., Associate Professor. Mathematical modeling and data analysis, with special emphasis on nonlinear phenomena.
• Mark E. Bolander, M.D., Professor. Roles of TGFβ's and FGF's; molecular and cellular events responsible for bone resorption; evaluation of cellular mechanisms by which musculoskeletal tissues respond to mechanical stress.
• Thomas P. Burghardt, Ph.D., Professor. Dynamics and structure of contractile proteins.
• Roberto B. Cattaneo, Ph.D., Professor. Virus assembly and cell entry; targeting and cytoreductive therapy; pathology and vaccines.
• Junjie Chen, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Understanding tumor suppressor function of BRCA1/BRCA2; elucidating mammalian DNA damage-signaling pathway and its role in tumorigenesis; mechanisms of genomic instability in mammals.
• Fergus J. Couch, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Characterization of the 17q23 amplicon in breast tumors; identification of mediators of cisplatin and taxol resistance in ovarian tumors; structure-function studies of the BRCA2 breast cancer predisposition gene; environmental risk factors influencing breast cancer risk in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers.
• Norman Eberhardt, Ph.D., Professor. Regulation of gene expression; amyloidogenesis and cell death; follicular thyroid cancer.
• David N. Fass, Ph.D., Professor. Hemostasis and regulation of clotting factors; genetics and gene expression in von Willebrand's disease.
• Mark J. Federspiel, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Retroviral vectors; antiviral strategies; molecular medicine.
• Joseph P. Grande, M.D., Ph.D., Professor. Signaling pathways in renal fibrogenesis.
• Peter C. Harris, Ph.D., Professor. Molecular genetics; polycystic kidney disease research.
• Bruce F. Horazdovsky, Ph.D., Associate Professor. Growth factor receptor trafficking in cancer and neurodegenerative disease.
• Grazia Isaya, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor. Mitochondrial biogenesis; iron homeostasis, oxidative damage, and Friedreich ataxia.
• Ralf G. Janknecht, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Regulation of gene transcription by ETS proteins; intracellular signaling pathways; cancer.
• Robert B. Jenkins, M.D., Ph.D., Professor. Genetics of gliomas; prostate cancer genetics; breast cancer genetics.
• William E. Karnes Jr., M.D., Associate Professor. Proliferative and apoptotic signaling pathways involving the EGF receptor, protein kinase C, and beta-catenin.
• David J. Katzmann, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Receptor down-regulation; multivesicular body formation
• Rajiv Kumar, M.D., Professor. Structure and function of vitamin D-dependent calcium-binding proteins; vitamin D receptor; metabolism and mechanism of action of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D.
• Nicholas F. LaRusso, M.D., Professor. Concepts/technologies of cell and molecular biology in understanding hepatic epithelial function (hepatocytes, cholangiocytes) and when disease alters their normal physiology.
• Edward B. Leof, Ph.D., Professor. Pathway(s) downstream of transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) receptor binding; role of cell division cycle (cdc) genes in Pneumocystis carinii infection.
• Andrew H. Limper, M.D., Professor. Pathogenesis of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia and other infections of the immune-compromised host.
• Slobodan I. Macura, Ph.D., Professor. Determination of 3-D structure of polypeptides and small proteins in solution; techniques for separation of structural and dynamical parameters and structure refinement; NMR study of internal mobility of proteins.
• L. James Maher III, Ph.D., Professor. DNA flexibility and bending; artificial control of gene expression.
• Daniel J. McCormick, Ph.D., Professor. Structure-function relationships of proteins; interaction of protein ligands to receptors on the cell surface.
• Cynthia T. McMurray, Ph.D., Professor. Huntington's disease; schizophrenia; receptor-mediated gene expression; trinucleotide expansion; DNA-protein interactions.
• Mark A. McNiven, Ph.D., Professor. Regulation of growth factor internalization by endocytosis; molecular mechanisms of tumor cell migration and metastasis; cytoskeletal organization and alterations during transformation.
• Georges Mer, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. 3-D structures of biological macromolecules by NMR spectroscopy.
• Laurence J. Miller, M.D., Professor. G-protein-coupled GI hormone receptor structure, function, and regulation.
• David C. Muddiman, Ph.D., Professor. FT-ICR mass spectrometry; gas-phase ion chemistry; ovarian cancer; biological mass spectrometry.
• Debabrata Mukhopadhyay, Ph.D., Professor. Tumor angiogenesis and vascular biology, nanotechnology and nanoscience.
• Whyte G. Owen, Ph.D., Professor. Thrombin specificity in platelet signaling; enzymology of mouse thrombin/platelets; membrane-binding structure of prothrombin fragment 1; marked platelets in the presymptomatic diagnosis of atherosclerosis.
• Richard E. Pagano, Ph.D., Professor. Synthesis, transport, and function of lipid molecules in cells.
• Robin Patel, M.D., Associate Professor. Microbial biofilms, mechanism, diagnostics, and therapeutics; antimicrobial resistance mechanisms.
• Larry R. Pease, Ph.D., Professor. Antigen recognition by T cells; immune potentiation of T-cell immunity/repertoire; antitumor and antivirus responses; immunology of multiple sclerosis; antibodies as receptor ligands.
• Joseph F. Poduslo, Ph.D., Professor. Delivery of therapeutic/diagnostic proteins across blood-brain barrier; targeting Alzheimer's plaques for MRI; passive immunization in Alzheimer's; antioxidant enzyme therapy for ALS.
• Franklyn G. Prendergast, M.D.-Ph.D., Professor. Protein structure and dynamics; biochemistry and bioluminescence.
• Marina Ramirez-Alvarado, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Mechanism of protein folding and misfolding associated with amyloid disease.
• John R. Riordan, Ph.D., Professor. ABC proteins; ion channels; cystic fibrosis.
• Jeffrey L. Salisbury, Ph.D., Professor. Cell-cycle control; centrosomes; mitotic spindle poles; breast cancer.
• Robert D. Simari, M.D., Associate Professor. Identifying novel mechanisms of vascular disease; developing novel therapeutic strategies; test vectors in relevant animal models; designing clinical gene transfer studies.
• David I. Smith, Ph.D., Professor. Genomic instability in cancer; role of the common fragile sites in cancer development; genetics of ovarian cancer.
• Thomas C. Spelsberg, Ph.D., Professor. Tumor suppressor gene TIEG in TGFβ-Smad action pathway in bone/cancer cells; estrogen action on gene expression in bone/cancer cells: role of coregulators and ER isoforms; calcification of heart valves and roles of statins.
• Emanuel E. Strehler, Ph.D., Professor. Calcium signaling and transport; calcium-binding proteins in cell differentiation and tumorigenesis.
• Amy Tang, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Influence of toxins, drugs, and proteolysis on cell signaling pathways; innate immunity and cellular defense.
• Donald J. Tindall, Ph.D., Professor. Cellular pathways that control gene expression; mechanism of androgen action; prostate cancer progression.
• David O. Toft, Ph.D., Professor. Action of molecular chaperones; protein folding and processing; steroid receptors and hormone action.
• Raul A. Urrutia, M.D., Associate Professor. Molecular mechanisms of transcriptional regulation; cell differentiation.
• Jan vanDeursen, Ph.D., Associate Professor. Molecular genetic basis of cancer and aging; mechanisms that regulate development of cancer and aging-related disorders, by combining in vitro biochemistry approaches with genetic experiments in mice.
• Stanimir Vuk-Pavlovic, Ph.D., Professor. How cell-cell interactions evolve and can be manipulated by biological response modifiers, including analogs of the naturally occurring hormone somatostatin.
• Cynthia Wetmore, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Molecular control of normal and neoplastic proliferation in the nervous system; role of sonic hedgehog signaling in proliferation of neural precursors; repair of DNA damage in the nervous system.
• Eric D. Wieben, Ph.D., Professor. Regulation of gene expression; pharmacogenomics; genomics technology.
• Xiaolei Xu, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Zebra fish as a genetic model for cardiovascular diseases.
• Charles Y. Young, Ph.D., Professor. Understanding fundamental biology of prostate cancer; prostate cancer detection and prevention; development of vaccines.
• Zhiguo Zhang, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Epigenetic silencing in yeast, chromatin structure, and inheritance.
• Mayo Clinic Scottsdale Faculty
• Xiu-Bao Chang, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. ATP- and glutathione-dependent anticancer drug transport and selective killing of MRP1-over-expressing cancer cells.
• Sandra J. Gendler, Ph.D., Professor. Tumor cell biology; mucins in cancer and cystic fibrosis Immunotherapy.
• James J. Lee, Ph.D., Associate Professor. Molecular mechanisms regulating cell determination during mammalian hematopoiesis and embryonic development.
• Nancy A. Lee, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Molecular mechanisms in the recruitment of pro-inflammatory cells to sites of chronic inflammation.
• Joseph C. Loftus, Ph.D., Associate Professor. Structural basis of ligand recognition by integrins.
• David F. Smith, Ph.D., Professor. Mechanisms and physiological functions of molecular chaperones; steroid hormone receptors; reproductive biology and cancer.