Texas A&M University
Department of Biology
Graduate Advising
TAMU 3258
College Station, TX 77843-3258

Graduate Program in BIOLOGY

The Ph.D degree program in Biology is designed to provide the student with training in cellular, molecular, and developmental biology, and to prepare the student for a leadership position in academic or industrial research. The Department of Biology offers a broad spectrum of research opportunities including plant molecular biology, molecular and cell biology of differentiation and development, gene structure and regulation in eukaryotic and prokaryotic organism- s and their viruses, and cell structure and function. Students obtaining a degree in biology may also work closely with faculty in biochemistry, entomology, genetics, plant physiology, medicine and veterinary medicine.

Biology Ph.D. students must demonstrate competence in their specific area of research and are expected to develop proficiency in four of the following six areas at the time of the preliminary examination: biochemistry, cell biology, developmental biology, genetics, microbiology and molecular biology. An M.S. student must demonstrate competence in at least three of the above six areas at the time of the final examination.

Course Descriptions

602. Transmission Electron Microscopy . (3-6). Credit 5
Methods of studying biological material with the transmission electron microscope, fixation, ultra-microtomy, cytochemistry, replica and shadowing, and other biological related procedures. Prerequisite: approval of instructor received one month prior to registration.

611. Molecular Biology of Differentiation and Development. (3-0). Credit 3
Major paradigms of eukaryotic gene regulation in terms of the role of gene expression during ontogeny and the effect of dysfunction in these processes on the neoplastic state.

616. Biochemical Systematics and Evolution. (3-3). Credit 4
Theory, use and applications of electrophoretic techniques as applied to systematics, taxonomy, evolution and population genetics; project planning isozyme techniques, analysis and interpretation of data covered through individual electrophoretic studies in lab. Prerequisites: BICH 410 and 411, WF5C 601, GENE 603 or equivalent.

617. Cell Biology . Credit 1 to 5
Structure and function of eukaryotic cells discussed on a comparative basis to seek out basic organization of complex cells and their parts. Prerequisite: BIOL 413 or approval of instructor. Cross listed with VTAM 617.

670. The Cell Cycle. (1-0). Credit 1
Discussion of current cell cycle research, a universal principle of molecular, cellular and developmental biology, and of the causation of cancer and aging. Prerequisite: BIOL 413 or approval of instructor.

672. Molecular Biology of Photosynthesis. (5-0). Credit 1
Structure, function, and regulation of the photosynthetic apparatus of a variety of photosynthetic systems, including plant chloropLasts, cyanobacteria, and purple and green photosynthetic bacteria; emphasis on regulation of expression of genes that encode photosynthetic membrane components. Prerequisite: BICH 631.

673. Molecular Biology of Positive-Strand RNA Viruses. (1-0). Credit 1
Focus on current literature in molecular and cellular biology of positive-strand RNA-containing viruses; emphasis on mechanisms of gene regulation, gene function, and virus-host interaction. Prerequisite: GENE 431 or 631 or equivalent.

674. Cellular and Molecular Aspects of Development. (34). Credit 3
Mechanisms of development at the cellular and molecular levels; gene regulation during embryogenesis; tissue interactions in relation to morphogenesis and differentiation, and pattern formation; emphasis on eukaryotic systems. Prerequisite: BIOL 413 or 421 or equivalent.

681. Seminar. (1-0). Credit 1
Detailed reports on speafic topics in field chosen. Students may register in up to but no more than three sections of this course.

685. Problems. Credit 1 to 6 each semester
Limited investigations in fields other than those chosen for thesis or dissertation.

689. Special Topics in ... Credit 1 to 4
Selected topics in an identified area of biology.

690. Theory of Research (3-0). Credit 3
Design of research experiments in biology and the evaluation of research results with the aid of examples taken from the current literature. May be repeated for credit.

691. Research Credit 1 or more each semester
Research for thesis or dissertation.

Other related graduate courses offered by the Department of Biology that may be of interest to biology students include MICR 614 Microbial Development, and BOTN, MICR or ZOOL 689 Special Topics.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Graduate Advising Office Department of Biology Texas A&M University College Station, TX 77843-3258 E-mail: graduate@bio.tamu.edu Phone: (979) 845-7755 Fax: (979) 845-2891

Department of Biology Home Page

Last modified on 07/14/2005