Biochemistry/Molecular Biology


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Biochemistry/Molecular Biology

The goal of Hamilton's Biochemistry/Molecular Biology Program is to encourage students to explore biochemical concepts through extensive research opportunities and close collaboration between students and instructors.

Overview

The study of biology gives us an understanding of the structure, the evolution and the diversity of living organisms. The study of chemistry reveals the composition and behavior of matter itself. These two fundamental forms of scientific inquiry meet in biochemistry — the study of living organisms at the molecular level. At Hamilton, the biochemistry/molecular biology program combines the strengths and resources of the two disciplines to create a third distinct research-based major. More ...

Academic Program

Research Opportunities

Hamilton's emphasis on discovery-based laboratory work and research means that courses provide practical, hands-on training, with many opportunities to learn outside the classroom:
  • The Merck/American Association for the Advancement of Science program at Hamilton offers summer research stipends each year for projects in biology, chemistry and biochemistry.
  • Additional funds for summer research are offered by the College's Summer Research Program as well as by grants from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health and the Dreyfus Foundation.
  • Exceptional biochemistry students may also arrange to spend a semester at the National Institutes of Health.
  • Independent study projects and the senior project offer further opportunities to do research during the academic year.
Biochemistry students are encouraged to pursue independent research, and they regularly collaborate with faculty members on projects that lead to publication in top research journals and presentations at scholarly conferences.


The Senior Program

The centerpiece of the Senior Program in biochemistry/molecular biology is the senior project. Under the guidance of a professor, students conduct independent laboratory research and experimentation. For most students, the project involves one semester of lab work, followed by part of a second semester dedicated to writing a thesis and preparing for an oral presentation to departmental faculty and student peers. The senior thesis is a culmination of each student’s undergraduate experience; it synthesizes coursework, research and discussion into a focused statement of intellectual growth and insight. More ...


RESOURCES

State-of-the-art facilities, advanced technology and small classes at the Science Center mean that Hamilton undergraduates have the opportunity to work closely with instruments available only to graduate students at many schools. The Taylor Science Center is fully wireless and houses more than 100 teaching and research laboratories as well as offices and classrooms, student areas and a coffee shop. Science Center instrumentation includes a 500 MHz variable-temperature multinuclear nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer, several Fourier-transform infrared spectrophotometers, a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer, and a dual pump, high-pressure mixing high-performance liquid chromatograph. Also available are versatile ultraviolet/visible spectrometers, a high-performance glove box, a refrigerated centrifuge and several vacuum lines.