Biochemistry Curriculum, Graduate School Curriculum Articles

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Curriculum Overview: Biochemistry

Studying In the Field
Biochemistry is a vibrant, dynamic discipline that embraces the study of biology from the point-of-view of chemistry. Historically, it evolved as a distinct field from two separate sources: agriculture, which required understanding of plant and animal metabolism to increase crop and animal productivity, and medicine, which required understanding of human metabolism to prevent and cure disease. Molecular biology is more recent; it evolved from a technique solely to manipulate DNA to a field that embraces all aspects of the function of nucleic acids in living organisms. Today both biochemistry and molecular biology continue their highly interdisciplinary traditions of drawing from physics, chemistry and biology to understand the basic processes of life from the atomic, to the molecular, to the cellular levels.

In recent years, biochemistry and molecular biology have fostered subfields such as structural biology, which uses the tools of X-ray crystallography and magnetic resonance spectroscopy to determine three-dimensional structures of macromolecules; biophysics, which uses the tools of physics to assess the detailed function of proteins and nucleic acids; genomics, which uses high-throughput DNA sequencing techniques to allow the total information content of a genome to be determined; and proteomics, which uses high precision mass spectroscopy to identify the total protein content of a cell or an organelle. As the field of biochemistry and molecular biology matures further, we can expect a greater emphasis on the use of mathematics and physical sciences to probe the tightly-held secrets of biology.

At the graduate level of study, biochemistry students can pursue either a MasterÍs degree or a Ph.D. Almost all study of biochemistry at the graduate level is research-oriented as students are encouraged to move in their studies from classes to independent research. In recent years, study in the field has also expanded to encompass business-oriented degrees such as the Professional Science MasterÍs (PSM) that allow students to combine higher-level science classes with business classes.

Job Opportunities In the Field
The primary career path for professional biochemists and molecular biologists has traditionally been academic, including teaching and research appointments in colleges and universities. Over the past couple of decades, however, the biotechnology industry has grown disproportionately, and is competing with the more traditional drug and chemical industries for biochemistry graduates.

There are also exciting job opportunities in regulatory agencies in government, non-profit organizations, and in health care. A doctorate is normally required in many of these careers, though it is still possible to find a position with a MasterÍs degree. With the introduction of business-oriented degrees such as the PSM, those who have an interest in biochemistry as well as business have an opportunity to enter the business world as managers with a firm grasp of the science or technology of the companies for whom they will work.

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