Doctor of Philosophy in Molecular Genetics, Biochemistry and Microbiology - Structural Biology

University of Cincinnati

Knowledge of relevant structures has always been an essential component in our understanding of important biological processes, whether this knowledge relates to the anatomy of organisms, the ultrastructure of cells or precise details of molecular interactions.Over the past 30 years, advances in X-ray crystallography and the development of high-field NMR spectroscopy have made it possible to observe atomic-level details of the structures of biologically important macromolecules, both in the crystal state and in solution. Such observations have, in turn, allowed the construction of sophisticated and experimentally testable models describing how these molecules function.Examples of this abound: one outstanding example is the insight into genetics gained from the structure of the DNA double helix. In the Department of Molecular Genetics we have long recognized the necessity of high-resolution structural analysis for our understanding of virtually all cellular events.The department has assembled an outstanding group of investigators having in common an interest in understanding the relationships among structure, dynamics and function in macromolecules.