MOLECULAR BIOLOGY and
GENETICS

Molecular Biology and Genetics Faculty and Research Interests

Combining the discipline of genetics with the techniques of modern molecular biology provides the Molecular Biology and Genetics student with tools that can be used to attack major problems throughout the biomedical sciences. Many phenomena once shrouded in mystery are now understood in precise molecular terms due to molecular genetic analysis. At the level of a whole organism, an understanding of the molecular signals involved in development is emerging. At the level of a tissue within an organism, the genes and molecules whose alterations result in tumors are being defined, and in single cells, the identity and functions of many molecules involved in the process of signal transduction are becoming clear. In large part, the ability to use recombinant DNA technology to analyze genes and then alter them in living cells and animals has been responsible for this explosion of knowledge.

Program of Study

After acquiring a solid understanding of modern biology through the IGP core courses, students entering the MBG curriculum receive advanced training in genetics, molecular biology and systems that rely heavily on the use of genetic techniques. Students in the MGB program participate in weekly journal clubs, departmental and campus-wide seminars, student presentations, research interest groups, lab meetings and informal training opportunities.
Strong interactions exist between MBG research groups and groups at the Evanston campus as well as at other Chicago-area universities. A newly founded Center for Genetics forms the focus of future expansion in this area.

Students in this program are trained technically in the practical aspects of molecular biology and genetics and gain a thorough understanding of the biological systems amenable to such analyses. These systems cross all disciplines and include:

Molecular genetics of bacteria and viruses, with emphasis on genes and molecules that enable these microbes to cause disease;
Mechanisms and consequences of changes in gene expression during development, differentiation, and disease;
Regulation of cell growth, behavior, and interactions with other cells and the extracellular matrix;
Regulation of the immune system which influences disease susceptibility/resistance;
Development through evolution of gene sequences and of anatomical form; and
The biochemistry of gene replication and recombination.