Prospective Students: Special Programs and Training Grants

Chemistry/Biology Interface Training Program

The Chemistry/Biology Interface Training Program at Texas A&M University is designed to provide interdisciplinary training across the boundaries of chemistry and biology. The research programs available to students span the traditional disciplines of chemistry and biochemistry, providing students exposure to a wide range of training opportunities. The training program involves formal coursework on topics including mechanistic chemistry, spectroscopy, biological chemistry, and molecular biology. Students have the opportunity for training in a wide variety of methodologies, including synthesis of organic and inorganic molecules, absorbance, fluorescence,EPR and NMR spectroscopy, structure determination of proteins and nucleic acids by X-ray crystallographic and NMR methods, and rapid reaction kinetics.

Biophysics Training Program

Molecular Biophysics (MB) focuses on achieving an understanding of biological processes at the molecular level by using biophysical methods. Eighteen interactive research groups in five different departments at TAMU and TAMUSHSC have created a new interdisciplinary program in MB to provide broad and thorough training in the application of biophysical methods to biological problems. To gain insight into the structure and function of both soluble and membrane-bound macromolecules and multicomponent complexes, as well as the molecular mechanisms that regulate their activity, these research groups employ the most modern and sophisticated methods and instrumentation in fluorescence spectroscopy, NMR, EPR, electron microscopy, X-ray crystallography, and many other biophysical techniques. Students who enter the MB program may choose a research advisor from any of the MB faculty, regardless of his or her departmental affiliation. Students interested in learning how to apply biophysical approaches to the study of proteins, RNA, DNA, and/or membranes should consult the MB webpage for further information.