Biomolecular Structure

Rutgers and UMDNJ have cutting-edge research programs into the 3-dimensional structure of proteins. There are major facilities on campus for the determination of three-dimensional structures of biomolecules and complexes of biomolecules in solution, using multidimensional heteronuclear NMR spectroscopy; and x-ray crystallography.

Current research foci include:

• Structural Determinations of the AIDS Virus
• RNA Polymerases
• Reverse Polymerases
• Signal Ttransduction Proteins
• Molecular Motors
• Protein:Nucleic Acid Complexes
• Growth Factors
• Other Complex Macromolecules

A major area of research in Structural Genomics and Bioinformatics involves connecting gene sequences to protein function through the development of high-throughput macromolecular structure determinations. Molecular Biosciences investigators are engaged in pioneering work in the development of new NRM techniques for determining the molecular interactions of proteins and nucleic acids in solution using artificial intelligence methods. Rutgers University is the site of the single international repositories of 3-D macromolecular structure data determined experimentally by X-ray crystallography and NMR.

Students interested in biomolecular structure whose primary background is in biology should apply to the Molecular Biosciences Program. Students whose primary background is in Mathematics, Physics, Statistics, Computer Science or one of the other physical sciences should consider applying directly to the BIOMAPS Graduate Program in Quantitative Biology which has an overlapping, but different set of program requirements.

Students interested in biomolecular structure whose primary background is in Mathematics, Physics, Statistics, Computer Science or one of the other physical sciences should consider applying directly to the BIOMAPS graduate program.

Many Rutgers/UMDNJ faculty serve as graduate student thesis advisors in both the BIOMAPS and Molecular Biosciences programs.