Biophysics and Biotechnology Fields in Graduate School

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Biophysics and Biotechnology Fieldsin Graduate
School

• By Tom Burger

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Bio-Titles

• Biophysics
• Bioinformatics
• Computational Biology
• Biophotonics
• Structural Biophysics
• Molecular Biophysics
• Integratively Engineered Biointerfaces
• Bioengineering
• Bio-whatever

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People who apply

• Taken from JHU website
• Molecular Biophysics seeks to explain biological
  phenomena in terms of the physical and chemical
  properties of biological molecules - DNA, RNA,
  protein, membranes.  It draws on the rich
  interactions that have developed in the interface
  regions between genetics, physics, chemistry,
  computer science, and other traditional
  disciplines.

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Bottom Line

• Diversity lots of disciplines striving for a
  common goal
• Growing Field each program has its own specific
  research goals
• Computer tech all of the programs stress a
  proficiency in computer programming and research
  experience
• Applications medicine, agriculture, industrial

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Two types of programs

• Biophysics, other graduate depts
• Tends to be affiliated with physics depts
• Study for a physics Ph.D.
• Can be difficult to find out exactly who is
  working on Biophysics and on what

• IGERT programs
• Tend to be multidisciplinary in approach
• Shorter period of work
• Clearly defined goals in Biotechnology

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Biophysics

• Affiliated with universitys physics department
• 5-7 year program ending in Ph.D.
• More on your own research/classes
• Find a professor
• Flexibility
• Closely related to Solid State / Condensed Matter
  fields

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IGERT Programs

• IGERT Integrative Graduate Education and
  Research Traineeship
• New program funded by NSF
• www.igert.org
• Rigorous multidisciplinary approach
• Geared towards industry/government more than
  academia
• Base stipend 30,000

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Bioinformatics

• Aka Computational Biology
• Bioinformatics is an interdisciplinary field
  that provides opportunities for bioengineers to
  apply their skills in this emerging area of
  biotechnology.
• Uses computational techniques and patterns to
  describe protein folding, genome mapping, cancer
  and neurological disorders

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Molecular Biophysics

• Aka Integratively Engineered Biointerfaces,
  Structural Biophysics
• Interfaces among
• advances in nano-
• tech and cell biology
• Applications in
• biosensors, cell
• therapy, genetic
• engineering

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The Rest

• Biophotonics program at Buffalo using lasers
  and optics in
• biology and medicine
• Bioengineering blanket
• term to describe anything in biotech
• field
• Other bio fields Astrobiology, Biogeochemistry,
  Biomechanics, Environmental Biocomplexity,
  Cognitive Science, Neuroscience

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What do I take from this?

• Biotech fields go from nano to astronomical scale
• Diverse and growing field
• Industry and government funding
• Job security
• Cash
• Applications in medicine and agriculture
• Biotechnology is Bioawesome

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Bio-References

• NSF IGERT website www.igert.org
• Images and information from
• Johns Hopkins Molecular Biology program at
  http//www.jhu.edu/pmb/admissions.html
• Rutgers Integratively Engineered Biointerfaces
  at http//www.igert.rutgers.edu/
• Bioengineering Bioinformatics at Illinois-Chicago
  http//www.uic.edu/depts/bioe/graduate_program/Bio
  informatics_GProgram.htm
• Bioinformatics at Boston University
  http//www.bu.edu/bioinformatics/
• Google image search