Research Areas
Explore the research areas below to learn more about ongoing projects and the faculty members involved in BCMB:
Biochemistry | molecular biology | cellular biology | biophysics | plant biology | structural biology | membranes | computational biology | neuroscience | genetics | genomics | bioinformatics | physiology | microbiology | developmental biology | structural proteomics
Biochemistry is the study of the structure, composition, and chemical reactions of substances of living systems, primarily in purified form in test tubes and in vitro assays. It focuses on biomolecules such as proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, carbohydrates, and small molecules, and how these contribute to the processes that sustain life.
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Molecular Biology is a field of science that focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms that govern the structure, function, and regulation of biological macromolecules essential to life. Experiments are often carried out in the living system (cells or model organisms). This includes understanding the interactions between DNA, RNA, proteins and their biosynthesis.
Faculty:
- Alexandre
- von Arnim
- Barrera
- Binder
- Chin
- Engelke
- Joshi
- Krishnan
- Labrador
- Lamichhane
- Lau
- McCord
- Nebenführ
- Park
- Shen
- Shpak
- Wang
Cellular biology investigates the physiological properties, structures, organelles, interactions, life cycle, division, and death of cells. It aims to understand how cells function individually and as part of larger systems in multicellular organisms.
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Biophysics bridges the gap between biology and physics, using quantitative approaches to study the structure, dynamics, and functions of complex biological phenomena. It focuses on understanding the physical principles underlying the behavior of biomolecules, cells, and their interactions
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Plant biology encompasses a wide range of topics and disciplines, from the molecular and cellular processes within plant cells to the interactions of plants with their environment. It includes the study of plant structure, function, growth, evolution, reproduction, metabolism, development, diseases, and ecological relationships.
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Structural biology focuses on the three-dimensional structures of biological macromolecules and their complexes. The primary goal is to elucidate how these structures relate to their functions in living organisms.
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Membranes are thin, flexible structures composed primarily of lipids and proteins that form the boundaries of cells and their internal compartments. They are essential for life and studied for their role in many cellular processes, including communication and as drug targets.
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Computational biology combines principles from biology, computer science, mathematics, and statistics to simulate biological systems and interpret complex biological data.
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Neuroscience is the interdisciplinary study of the nervous system that investigates how neurons and glial cells function at the molecular and cellular levels, including the biochemical pathways and genetic regulation that drive neural signaling, plasticity, and behavior.
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Genetics is the branch of biology that studies genes, genetic variation, and heredity in living organisms. It focuses on how traits and characteristics are passed from one generation to the next through DNA.
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Genomics analyzes the entire genome – the complete set of DNA, including all of an organism’s genes – to understand how genes and non-coding regions interact and contribute to biological function and disease.
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Bioinformatics develops and applies computational tools and techniques to collect, analyze, and interpret biological data. It focuses on developing algorithms, software tools, and databases to understand complex biological systems, particularly at the molecular level.
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Physiology seeks to explain how biological processes work to sustain life. These studies include investigating the processes that govern the function, communication and regulation of cells, and how these cellular activities contribute to tissue, organ, and whole-body function.
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Microbiology studies a diverse group of microscopic life forms including bacteria, viruses and fungi with an emphasis on understanding their biochemical processes, including metabolism, enzyme function, genetic regulation, and molecular interactions that sustain life and drive microbial behavior.
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Developmental biology studies how organisms grow and develop from a single cell into a fully formed organism. It explores the genetic, molecular, cellular, and morphological processes that drive this transformation. This includes such diverse topics as embryology, growth, metamorphosis, regeneration, and aging.
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Structural proteomics seeks to understand how proteins work by studying their shapes, movements, and interactions within biological environments. It often uses scalable experimental tools—such as mass spectrometry-based footprinting, hydrogen-deuterium exchange (HDX), and cross-linking—to map protein conformations, dynamics, and interaction networks. This approach reveals how proteins change shape, assemble into complexes, or respond to signals, providing insight into biological function, disease mechanisms, and drug action at the structural level.
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