biology graduate group programs
Cell and Developmental Biology
The Biology Graduate Group offers a Ph.D. program in Developmental
Biology, which is one of the most exciting and rapidly expanding
fields in Biology. Developmental Biology is concerned with processes
that result in the progressive transformation of an organism from
an embryo into an adult. These processes can be studied at different
levels, from the generation of cellular diversity (differentiation),
organization of cells into tissues and organs (morphogenesis and
organogenesis), increases in size (cell proliferation and growth),
and the generation of new individuals (reproduction).
The faculty and their students use cell biological, biochemical,
molecular and genetic approaches in an integrated fashion to address
fundamental questions in development. The topics being pursued
cover a wide spectrum including differential gene expression,
cell proliferation and differentiation, pattern formation, and
morphogenesis. For example, faculty study the molecular basis
of sperm-egg interactions; the role of second messengers in neurite
outgrowth; the development of the immune system; molecular signaling
mechanisms in insect and mammalian embryos; the regulation of
transcription in zebrafish, Drosophila, and Arabidopsis; the genetic
analysis of pattern formation in animals and plants; and the role
of growth factors in animal and plant development. In addition,
several faculty use developmental systems to study central questions
in cell and molecular biology, such as cell motility, and cytoskeletal
structure and function.
During the first two years, students in this program develop
a broad foundation of scientific knowledge by taking formal courses
in
the areas of cell biology, molecular biology and genetics, statistics,
and biochemistry. Additional course work is tailored according
to each student's particular interests. In addition, students
undertake three laboratory rotations to experience the diversity
of systems and experimental approaches that are used by the faculty,
as well as to refine their own research interests.
Genetics and Molecular Biology
Defining mechanisms of gene regulation and the function of genes
in the cell biology, development and physiology of an organism
are the primary goals of research in this area. Approaches include
computational analysis of genomic DNA sequence, microarray analysis
of gene expression profiles, the production of transgenic plants
and animals to study gene regulation and function, the use of
gene-reporter systems in transgenic plants and animals to study
promoter activity, and large scale reverse and forward mutagenesis
screens in model organisms to identify novel genes and genetic
pathways.
Neurobiology and Physiology
The Biology Graduate Group offers a Ph.D. program in Neurobiology
and Physiology. The faculty have diverse interests that encompass
cellular, molecular, systems, behavioral, and evolutionary perspectives.
Research areas include: the cellular basis of synaptic plasticity
during learning; the molecular basis of memory storage; molecular
mechanisms of sleep/wake regulation; muscle ultrastructure and
biophysics; muscle design and function during locomotion; genetics
of eye development; neurodegenerative disease; encoding of complex
motor behaviors; vocal learning. Techniques used in addressing
these neurobiological and physiological questions include: intracellular
electrophysiology; unit recordings in vivo; electroencephalography;
electromyography; enzyme biochemistry; calcium imaging; electron,
confocal, and video microscopy; muscle mechanics; quantitative
behavioral studies including analysis with high speed motion pictures
and video; molecular and genetic studies; pharmacological studies.
Faculty utilize a broad range of experimental systems, including
mice (neural plasticity and learning; sleep/wake regualtion),
frog and horse (locomotion and muscle function), fish (locomotion
and visual system), flies (eye development, neurodegenerative
disease), and zebra finch (motor systems and vocal learning).
Graduate student possibilities for training and selection of research
projects are greatly enhanced by the presence at Penn of both
the Institute of Neurological Sciences and Pennsylvania Muscle
Institute.
During the first year, students in the program develop a broad
background in neurobiology and physiology by taking courses in
cell physiology, neuroscience, muscle physiology, cell biology,
biochemistry, molecular biology and pharmacology, depending upon
their area of interest. Over the first two years, students undertake
three laboratory rotations to experience diverse approaches to
studying neurobiological and physiological issues and to identify
better their research interests.
Plant and Microbial Biology
The Biology Graduate Group, in association with the Plant Science
Institute of the University of Pennsylvania, offers a Ph.D. program
in Plant and Microbe Biology. A broad range of research programs
is active, with an emphasis on microbial energy transduction,
protein translocation across archaeal cytoplasmic membranes, plant
signal transduction, plant membrane transport and cellular mechanisms
of detoxification, and plant/microbe interactions. These represent
fundamental problems in plant and microbe science that are central
not only to the development of, and energy conservation by, the
organism but also to its survival under a variety of environmental
and ecological challenges. Located primarily within the Department
of Biology, and adjacent to the Medical, Dental and Veterinary
schools the interdisciplinary nature of the Faculty allows these
problems to be approached through the combined application of
current genetic, molecular, structural, biochemical, biophysical,
genomic and proteomic technologies.
Special features of this program include the following: molecular
genetic and biochemical analysis of photomorphogenesis including
studies of the mode of action of the blue light photoreceptor,
cryptochrome; molecular, cellular, biochemical and genetic studies
of novel membrane transporters, including ATP-binding cassette
transporters and pyrophosphate-energized proton pumps in plants
and other organisms; molecular, biochemical and genetic analyses
of phytochelatin-dependent heavy metal detoxification in Arabidopsis
and the nematode worm, Caenorhabditis elegans; plant membrane
proteomics; dissection of regulation of the onset of reproduction
in Arabidopsis, investigation of the role of chromatin remodeling
during Arabidopsis development; cellular and biochemical analysis
of the Agrobacterium-plant cell interaction; structure, function,
regulation and biogenesis of electron transport proteins such
as cytochromes; in vivo and in vitro analyses of archaeal protein
secretion and membrane protein insertion. In addition to these
cellular and molecular problems, associated faculty in the Ecology
and Evolutionary Biology program and at the Morris Arboretum of
the University of Pennsylvania study nutrient cycling, plant strategies
in foraging for belowground resources, plant systematics with
an emphasis on the flora of Pennsylvania, and plant animal interactions,
particularly in the tropical dry forest.
During the first year, students in this program develop a broad
foundation of scientific knowledge by taking formal courses with
an emphasis on plant biology in the areas of cell biology, molecular
biology and genetics, biochemistry, and computational biology.
Additional courses are tailored to each student's specific research
interests. In addition, students undertake three laboratory rotations
to experience the diversity of systems and experimental approaches
that are used by the faculty, as well as to formulate and refine
their own research interests.
Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity
Our vigorous and diverse Ph.D. program in ecology, evolutionary
biology and biodiversity includes faculty from the Academy of
Natural Sciences of Philadelphia and the Stroud Water Research
Center in Chester County PA. We recognize the value of complementary
comparative and historical analyses on one hand and experimental
investigations of underlying processes, on the other. We stress
early development of research skills, including hypothesis testing,
experimental design and quantitiative analysis. An intense and
lively interaction among students and the faculty, generated by
several continuing seminar programs and a weekly journal club,
encourages discussion of ideas and their expression in the current
literature.
Our research strengths span physiological, population and community
ecology (including microbial ecology and nutrient cycling), adaptation,
ethology, systematics, biogeography and evolution. Faculty members
work in a variety of environments and with a diversity of microbial,
plant, and animal species. Facilities include modern greenhouses,
laboratories equipped for studies of molecular evolution, and
field stations for riverine and estuarine research. The University’s
Life Sciences Library holds an extensive collection of monographs
and current periodicals in physiology, ecology and evolution.
The Academy of Natural Sciences houses one of the greatest libraries
of natural history literature in the country and important systematic
collections of algae, higher plants, insects, mollusks, fishes
and birds. The Philadelphia area affords research opportunities
in habitats ranging from lowland deciduous forest, pineland scrub
and serpentine barrens to freshwater streams and lakes, saltwater
marshes, and sandy shores.
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Graduate Program