Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program

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Apply by January 1 for full consideration

The graduate program in molecular and cellular biology strives to thoroughly prepare its students for careers in forefront areas of biomedical, environmental, and agricultural science by focusing on research and education in fundamental aspects of mechanistic biology.

About us:

The Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB) Program comprises faculty and graduate students interested in solving both fundamental and applied biological questions in basic, biomedical and agricultural sciences. Students admitted to the program have access to more than 90 faculty distributed among 18 departments in the Colleges of Agricultural Sciences, Forestry, Health and Human Sciences, Pharmacy, Engineering, Science or Veterinary Medicine. These faculty combine research strengths in traditional disciplines, such as biochemistry, population genetics, cell and molecular biology, with expertise in cross-cutting experimental approaches in genomics, proteomics, imaging and bioinformatics in both model and non-model organisms.

The goal is to provide students with multi- and interdisciplinary education and training for a successful career in science. MCB students share a common curriculum with in-depth education in traditional disciplines such as molecular, cellular and developmental biology, along with training in cutting-edge genomic and bioinformatics technologies and approaches. During the first year, students enrolled in the MCB program do research rotations and complete the core curriculum.

Featured Student

Jessica Phillips

About Jessica:

The MCB program has a diverse and talented group of faculty, and the three laboratory rotations scheduled during your first year provide an excellent opportunity to explore your options and learn new techniques before selecting a mentor for the duration of your graduate studies. Having a program that unites researchers from many different departments promotes a great deal of collaboration, and my work has already benefited from having met and studied under MCB faculty that I would otherwise not have encountered. As a member of the Kolluri Lab, I study the differential expression of genes and microRNA in response to ligand-induced AhR activation. The goal of this research is to identify compounds that demonstrate an anti-cancer or anti-autoimmune response in an AhR-dependent manner, and yet have relatively low toxicity in healthy tissues.
Research

MCB News

Jaiswal lab assembles the transcriptome of a noxious weed Brachypodium sylvaticum

Scientists from Oregon State University and Portland State University develop the transcriptome and other genetic resources of an invasive plant, Brachypodium sylvaticum, for extensive research on plant adaptation. (Read More)

Joseph Beckman part of study that may hold key to new drugs

OSU research helps shed light on cell death in ALS, other diseases (Read More)

Wolpert lab publishes research paper "Tricking the Guard: Exploiting Plant Defense for Disease Susceptibility"

Typically, pathogens deploy virulence effectors to disable defense. Plants defeat effectors with resistance proteins that guard effector targets. We found that a pathogen exploits a resistance protein by activating it to confer susceptibility in Arabidopsis. (Read More)

Chrissa Kioussi is a co-author on the study of advances in regenerative medicine and developmental biology

A group of researchers in Israel, the United States and other nations have made important advances in the rapidly-expanding field of "regenerative medicine," outlining for the first time connections in genetic regulation that normally prevent birth defects in heart and facial muscles. (Read More).

Jaiswal and OSU to study what goes on inside the cells of corn and rice

Oregon State University has been named a partner on a $10 million grant that aims to further the understanding of the molecular interactions and genes in crops that include rice and cord (Read More).

Gombart worked on research on Vitamin B3

Vitamin B3 could be the new weapon in the fight against superbugs such as MRSA, researchers have suggested. (Read More)

Denver lab discovers selfish DNA in animal mitochondria

August 9, 2012: Researchers at Oregon State University have discovered, for the first time in any animal species, a type of “selfish” mitochondrial DNA that is actually hurting the organism and lessening its chance to survive – and bears a strong similarity to some damage done to human cells as they age. (Read More)

Jaiswal lab co-leads on poplar gene research with federal support

An Oregon State University effort to identify genes that help poplar trees grow in marginal land received a $1.4 million boost from the U.S. Department of Energy and Office of Biological and Environmental Research on 7/25/2012. (Read More)

Can Antivirulence Drugs Stop Infections Without Causing Resistance?

Brett Mellbye and Martin Schuster from Oregon State University carried out laboratory simulations to determine the effect antivirulence drug-resistant strains could have on therapy. (Read More)

Researchers discover "partners in crime" in deadly skin disease

Tracking the path of this deadly cancer takes a pharmaceutical partnership. Two OSU scientists are finding clues to how we can stop skin cells from going awry.

Disruption of Biological Clocks Causes Neurodegeneration, Early Death

New research at Oregon State University provides evidence for the first time that disruption of circadian rhythms – the biological “clocks” found in many animals – can clearly cause accelerated neurodegeneration, loss of motor function and premature death. (Read More)