Program Guidelines
1. Students Responsibilities
2. Guidelines for Classwork
3. Guidelines for Laboratory Rotations
4. Guidelines for Chosing Thesis Advisor
5. Guidelines for Internships
6. Certificate in Protein Biotechnology
Responsibilities
- To pursue the program for a Ph.D. in one of the following areas: Biochemistry and Biophysics, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Genetics and Cell Biology, Microbiology, Molecular Plant Sciences or Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology. The research project should be in the broad area of protein chemistry, under the supervision of one of the faculty trainers for the Training Program. Pursuit of such a research project requires extensive effort, at least a nominal 20 hours per week while taking courses and 40 hours per week after course requirements are completed. Most successful graduate students invest more time than these nominal values.
- To take course work that provides a solid base in protein chemistry, the particular courses being determined in the context of the specific degree program by consultation with mentor and the Training Program Director. Descriptions of relevant courses can be found in "Guidelines for Course work."
- To participate throughout the graduate career in the specific trainee activities including:
- laboratory rotations (for trainees appointed as entering graduate students). In consultation with the Training Program Director, entering trainees should design a series of four rotations that provide interdisciplinary exposure.
- the formal course "Biotechnology" which is offered on alternate years and needs be taken only once by each trainee,
- the informal "Biotechnology Journal Club" when offered,
- assisting in organizing the annual "Biotechnology Symposium"; with the exception of first-year students this usually includes presenting a poster on research in progress,
- seminars offered by visiting speakers sponsored by the training program.
- To do an internship of 2-3 months (longer times may be possible) at a Biotechnology firm. The internship should be arranged by trainee and mentor with assistance as required from the Director. Internship arrangements and scheduling are flexible but must be approved by the Director.
- To contribute to the continued development of the interdisciplinary Biotechnology Training Program at WSU by interaction with other trainees and with training faculty.
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Classwork
Required Courses
1. Protein Biotechnology (MBIOS 574 or Ch E 574 - 3 cr.) Alternate fall semesters, taken in fall of year 1 or 2. Created for our Training Program, this course is organized around the development of interdisciplinary biotechnology proposals by teams of students with varied backgrounds. Selected Training faculty and invited guest speakers from academia and industry lecture on their specialties.
2. General Biochemistry I (MBIOS 513 - 3 cr.) Fall semesters, usually taken in fall of year 1. Structure and organization of proteins and nucleic acids; protein folding; fundamental principles of enzymology; lipids, membranes and polysaccharides; experimental techniques and strategies. . Trainees with engineering or non-biological science can take MBioS 303 Introductory Biochemistry (4 cr.) and then, as appropriate, MBioS 513.
3. Bioethics (PHIL 530 - 2 cr.) Fall semesters. A centralized campus-wide bioethics course that is team taught by experts in relevant scientific fields. The areas covered in the course include: Ethical Theory and Reasoning; Responsible Conduct of Research; Ethical Issue in Publishing/Intellectual Property/Biotechnology Product Development; Bioethics Regarding: Genetically Modified Organisms, Advanced Reproductive Technologies (i.e. cloning), Animal and Human Research Use Issues and Biotechnology Advances.
Plus 3 or more courses from the following list:
1. Proteins and Enzymes (MBIOS 567 - 3 cr.) Alternate spring semesters, taken in spring of year 2 or 3; MBIOS 513 is a prerequisite. Enzyme mechanisms; protein structure and function; protein evolution. In this advanced course, Yount presents the understanding of proteins he has gained over a 40-year career. Selected faculty and distinguished guest speakers lecture on their specialties.
2. General Biochemistry II (MBIOS 514 - 3 cr.) Spring semesters. carbohydrate, amino acid and lipid metabolism and its control; biochemistry of vitamins; bioenergetics; photosynthesis; nitrogen fixation.
3. Molecular Biology I or II (MBIOS 503 or 504) fall and spring semesters respectively. Mol. Biol. I covers DNA replication and recombination, recombinant DNA methods, host/vector systems, genome analysis and transgenetics organisms. Mol. Biol. II covers gene expression and regulation including transcription, RNA processing, translation, chromatin structure and DNA repair. You may take the pair of classes and count them as 2 towards the required 3 from list.
4. Biological Membranes (MBIOS 570 - 3 cr.) alternate fall semesters; MBIOS 514 is a prerequisite. Structure and function of biological membranes; lipids, structure of membrane proteins, transport, receptors, sensory transduction, protein localization.
5. Physical Biochemistry (MBIOS 566 - 3 cr.) alternate fall semesters; MBIOS 465 or one year of physical chemistry is a prerequisite. Physical methods for study of structure of proteins and nucleic acids; spectroscopy, magnetic resonance, diffusion and sedimentation, electron microscopy, diffraction and scattering, computer analysis.
6. Introductory Biochemical Engineering (Ch E 475 - 3 cr.) Prerequisites are Ch E 310 and Ch E 322. Application of chemical engineering principles to biological processes in the human body.
7. Modern Separation Techniques (Ch E 435 - 3 cr.) Spring semester; Prerequisites are Ch E 301, Ch E 310, Ch E 332, and Ch E 334. Design and operation of separation processes important to emerging technologies, bioseparations, supercritical extraction.
8. Mass Spectrometry (CHEM. 514- 3 cr) Fall semester; Prerequisite, Chem. 425. Current methods, techniques and interpretation of mass spectrometric analysis.
9. Immunology (MBIOS 540- 4 cr) Fall semester; Principles of the immune system at the animal, cellular and molecular levels.
10. Molecular Biology Computer Techniques (MBIOS 578- variable units (2-4 cr) - Trainees can take this course for Program credit only once). Computer analysis of nucleic acid/protein sequences and structures.
Required Participation In:
1. Biotech Discussion Forum. Trainees themselves organize to meet several times each semester to learn about each other's research, internship experiences, etc. This is not a formal course, but serves to keep Trainees in contact. Thus it is expected that all Trainees attend and participate in each Forum meeting.
2. Biotech-sponsored Seminars and Workshops. Specific biotechnology speakers, sponsored or co-sponsored by Training Grant funds, present seminars throughout the academic year. Subjects include the range of basic and applied areas relevant to biotechnology as well as issues of practical interest to trainees (for example employment possibilities). Trainees will be notified of these seminars and are expected to attend.
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Guidelines for Laboratory Rotations
Trainees appointed as incoming students are expected to complete four laboratory rotations during the first academic year. Each rotation is for approximately one-half of a semester, a period of between 5 and 8 weeks, since a semester includes 15 weeks of classes and 1 week of vacation (Thanksgiving or Spring break) and laboratory activities routinely continue through those vacation periods. Rotations should be used to obtain meaningful interactions with possible thesis laboratories and to broaden experience in the spirit of the cross-disciplinary goals of the training program. Thus trainees are expected to rotate through four different laboratories for a period of time negotiated with the training faculty member. At least one rotation should involve an area distant from a trainee's previous background and experience.
Arranging Rotations
Rotations are arranged by individual efforts of a trainee in consultation with the Director of the Training Program and are subject to approval by the Director and the Steering Committee. Entering trainees are provided with information about research activities of the training faculty before beginning of the fall term, and are expected to talk directly with faculty in whose laboratory the trainee might consider doing a rotation. The initial rotation should be defined in the week before the fall term commences and subsequent rotations two weeks before they begin. In each case this definition will involve a formal meeting with the director. Although it is appropriate to develop a plan for the entire series of rotations, it is important that the trainee be receptive to new possibilities as more information is gained about the training faculty in the course of the first few months of graduate school. It is important to maintain flexibility and an open mind. In arranging rotations, the trainee should insure that the prospective laboratory can provide an appropriate project, adequate direct supervision (often by a senior graduate student or postdoctoral researcher) and regular contact with the faculty member during the period of the rotation.
Rotation Activities
During a rotation, the trainee should perform as a full member of the rotation laboratory. The trainee should have a desk and laboratory bench and a defined project supervised and guided by a member of the laboratory. One-half of the trainee's time and effort should be directed toward the rotation project, the other half toward course work. This means a nominal 20 hours per week working in the laboratory, but since successful graduate students and successful scientists usually work much more than 40 hours a week, the time of actual effort is commonly greater. The rotation laboratory should serve as an academic home and the trainee should participate in all usual laboratory activities, particularly weekly group meetings. In most cases, the trainee will present a report on the research pursued to the host laboratory at the end of the rotation period.
Monitoring and Reporting
At regular intervals during a rotation, the trainee will meet with the Director for an informal discussion about the progress of the rotation project as well as about courses and other academic activities. At the completion of each rotation, the trainee will submit a brief (2-3 page) summary of the rotation research (including relevant data). This report should be submitted no later than one week after the rotation is completed.
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Guidelines for Choosing a Thesis Advisor
One of the most important decisions in a graduate career is choosing a thesis advisor. These guidelines identify some of the important issues involved in the choice and define the special features provided by the Training Program.
Considerations
The decision of choosing a laboratory in which to do your thesis work should include the following aspects:
1. The general subject of research in the laboratory, the potential projects available for you to pursue and the nature of the experimental manipulations involved.
2. Compatibility with your prospective thesis advisor and with the nature and character of the research group.
3. Availability of space, funding for the project and funding for research assistant support for you over the duration of your graduate career.
It is your responsibility to acquire as much information as you can about each of these aspects by discussion and interaction with training faculty and with members of research groups. Much of this can occur in the course of a laboratory rotation.
Process
Choosing a thesis advisor is a mutual decision among trainee, the training faculty member and the Biotechnology Training Program Steering Committee. The initiative lies with the trainee, who by discussions with training faculty and by choices of rotation laboratories identifies laboratories of interest. Training faculty approached by a trainee will consider the availability of space and funds as well as the compatibility of the particular trainee with the research group in terms of interests, background, talents and personality. The Steering Committee reviews a preference list of potential advisors submitted by the trainee, confirms the ability of the faculty member to provide long-term support for the trainee, and approves a thesis advisor, guided substantially by the trainee's preference but also by wider responsibility for the trainee's education and training.
Procedures
1. In week 12 of the spring semester, the Steering Committee will request from each first-year trainee a preference list of potential thesis advisors. At least two training faculty members should be listed, both of whom through informal discussions, should have indicated to the trainee a willingness to accept that individual.
2. The Steering Committee will contact the faculty members listed to confirm the availability of space, funding and long-term support. The choice of thesis advisor will be made by the Committee on the basis of the trainee's preferences, the situations in the laboratories listed and the goals of the Training Program.
3. At least once a year the Steering Committee will meet with the trainee and thesis advisor to review the trainee's activities.
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Guidelines for Internships
Overview
Each biotechnology trainee is required to complete an internship at a biotechnology firm or private laboratory. These internships may be linked to a collaboration between the mentor's laboratory at WSU and a particular laboratory in a biotechnology firm, or may be independent of the trainee's thesis project but instead supplement that individual's training in protein chemistry. We aim for substantial flexibility in the internships. The goal is that both the trainee and the firm should profit from the internship, coordinating scientific progress and educational experience.
Responsibilities
The primary responsibility for arranging an internship is on the trainee and mentor, with the arrangements subject to approval by the Executive Steering Committee. We have a list of over twenty firms that have indicated a willingness to take out trainees as interns, but a trainee is not limited to that list. An internships should last at least two months and we suggest the summer of the second year in graduate school as an appropriate time, but both duration and timing can be different as considered appropriate by trainee and mentor, subject to approval by the Executive Steering Committee.
Financial Arrangements
During the internship, the trainee continues to receive support through a WSU appointment, either a traineeship stipend or an R.A. through the mentor's laboratory, depending on whether the internship occurs during the years of direct Training Funds support or after support has been shifted to mentor's funds. In addition, the Training Program requests that the host firm provide funds, in whatever way deemed appropriate, to cover the trainee's travel and living expenses during an internship. The details of these arrangements should be determined by discussion among the host firm, the trainee and the mentor. The most usual situation is for the firm to hire the trainee in some sort of temporary appointment for the internship period, but other arrangements (e.g. donation of funds to the Training Program by the firm for support of the trainee) are possible. If necessary the Director can become involved these negotiations, but in most cases it should not be necessary.
Reporting
During the internship, the trainee should send a brief monthly report to the Director. Within one month of the completion of the internship, the trainee should submit a more extensive, comprehensive report and evaluation of the experience. Also, the Steering Committee will request a written evaluation from the trainee's supervisor at the biotechnology firm.
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Certificate in Protein Biotechnology
After completing the requirments listed and described above, trainees will obtain a Certificate in Protein Biotechnology a long with their PhD in their appropriate field. Student must fill out an application once they are in the program to recieve this certificate upon graduation. An example certificate can be seen by clicking on the following link, Certificate in Protein Biotechnology.
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