The Molecular Biophysics Training Program, or MBTP, is funded by the National Institutes of Health, or NIH.
The goal of the program is to train a diverse group of graduate students in molecular biophysics. Students prepare for research and teaching careers that use physical methods to study biological and biomedical problems.
The curriculum is rigorous and interdisciplinary. It trains students to conduct research at the intersection of biology, chemistry, physics, and physical biochemistry.
Program Overview
Molecular Biophysics at the University of Michigan is a distinctive training program with specific requirements for coursework and research.
The program is connected to the Biophysics Graduate Program and includes a broad interdisciplinary curriculum.
Students may pursue Ph.D. degrees in four major disciplines:
- Biophysics
- Biological Chemistry
- Chemistry
- Physics
Training Faculty
The training faculty include physical and mechanistic biochemists, chemists, physicists, and faculty from related fields.
Faculty research focuses on the structures, functions, and interactions of biological macromolecules.
Training faculty come from many departments and units across the University of Michigan, including:
- Cell and Developmental Biology
- Biological Chemistry
- Biophysics
- Biomedical Engineering
- Chemistry
- Electrical Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Microbiology and Immunology
- Pathology
- Pharmacy
- Physics
- Pharmacology
- Environmental Health Sciences in the School of Public Health
These faculty share a commitment to research that uses quantitative physical techniques to address biological and biomedical questions.
Research Training
Students in the program use and develop advanced scientific instruments and methods in their research.
Facilities and research tools include:
- Nuclear magnetic resonance, or NMR, spectroscopy
- X-ray absorption and diffraction
- Cryo-electron microscopy
- Ultrafast spectroscopy
- Single-molecule spectroscopy
- Super-resolution microscopy
- Modern computational methods
Students receive training in:
- Data collection
- Advanced data analysis
- Data interpretation
- Scientific presentation
- Publication of research results
Impact on Public Health
Biophysics has contributed important tools to medicine and public health. Examples include magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, and computed tomography, often called CT or CAT scans.
Training future molecular biophysicists helps support continued advances in biological research, biomedical science, and public health.
