This is the second renewal application for the Chemistry-Biology Interface predoctoral training grant at UC Berkeley. The program provides graduate PhD students with a unique depth of training in the application of chemical principles and techniques to the investigation and modulation of biological systems. The program's goal is to encourage further integration of the fields of chemistry and biology and prepare students for a future of research at this interface. Key components of the program include three first-year laboratory rotations among 39 faculty in nine different departments, specialized didactic training, seminars, annual retreat and career day, and new in this proposal, training in scientific communication and K-12 outreach. To date, the program has trained 150 students with 50 already completing their PhD degrees, 31 during the last grant cycle. Students emerging from Berkeley with this unique training are positioned to make a significant impact on human health and biomedical science in both industrial and academic settings.
This proposal trains students to develop competence at the intersection of chemistry and biology fields. Students learn the language and techniques to manipulate biological systems at the molecular level, which is key for the design of rational means of diagnosis and treatment of pathological processes. Reciprocally, the study of biological problems leads to the development of new synthetic and mechanistic tools in the chemical sciences. Students trained in this interdisciplinary program are uniquely positioned to make new discoveries in biomedical science and craft new cures for human disease.
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