Molecular and Computational Biology

The MCB mission is to teach and do research on the molecular and biochemical underpinnings of life itself. Our teaching and research combine experimental and computational approaches to understand how molecules interact to build cells, how cells interact to build organisms, and how evolutionary forces act upon molecules and organisms to produce the diversity of life that we enjoy on the earth today. We study a broad array of problems, including chromosome dynamics, genome architecture, aging, neuroscience, developmental and evolutionary biology, microbial science, RNA science, and how genotype translates to phenotype. To tackle these problems we employ a diverse set of approaches, including biochemistry, genetics, genomics, computation, single molecule biophysics, cutting edge microscopy, and x-ray crystallography. Our experimental systems are equally varied, ranging from bacteria and yeast, to Drosophila, C. elegans, zebrafish, Xenopus, mouse, human cell culture systems, and synthetic systems.