Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Location: 4257 Weiskotten Hall, 766 Irving Ave., Syracuse, NY 13210
Phone: 315 464-5127
Email: biochem@upstate.edu
Website: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Program
This program awards:
- PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
- MS in Biochemistry
Faculty research in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology covers topics ranging from structural biology and biophysics to development and cell biology. Of particular interest are membrane proteins and transport, nucleic acid binding proteins and oxidative stress.
These studies impact human diseases from cancer to neurodegenerative disorders. Faculty have expertise in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), electron microscopy and computational/molecular modeling approaches for determining protein structure, modern genetics and genomic technologies.
The department boasts a robust record of extramural funding, primarily from the NIH. A $1 million federal grant purchased two mass spectrometers for proteomics and structural biology applications, and a set of X-ray crystallography equipment.
Transgenic frogs used in the study of the visual system were developed in this department. This system provides invaluable information about mechanisms underlying light transduction and the cellular defects that underlie certain inherited degenerative diseases of the eye.
What's the
SUNY Upstate Difference?
Heba Diab and Sheena Claire Li, PhD students in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, use the yeast model system to study basic cell functions. Yeast enzymes are similar to human enzymes, which makes yeast a popular tool among researchers.
SUNY Upstate's Biochemistry and Molecular Biology students have a time-consuming advantage—the Virtek pinning robot that transfers individual yeast mutants from one plate to another to test their responses. "It's a nice way to get a lot of data quickly, so you can spend time addressing the major question behind the experiment," said Deb, who studies oxidative stress in cells.
Biochemistry students are at the front end of translational research, conducting the basic science that can lead to treatments for diseases such as osteoporosis and cancer, said Department Chair Patricia Kane, PhD