Biochemistry / Molecular Biology Interdisciplinary Concentration

Biochemistry and molecular biology have made major contributions to our understanding of the human genome, genetic diseases, evolution, cancer, AIDS, and Alzheimer’s disease. Applications include biotechnology, gene therapy, drug development, and forensics.

The Biochemistry/Molecular Biology (BCMB) Concentration is designed for Biology and Chemistry students who seek an in depth understanding of the molecular basis of biological processes and is directed at pre-medical students interested in the molecular basis of disease, students considering graduate work in fields such as biochemistry, genetics, genomics, and molecular genetics, and students considering careers in biotechnology and pharmacy.

In addition to introductory biology and chemistry courses, students in the concentration take courses in subjects such as genetics, biochemistry, molecular genetics, molecular cell biology, microbiology, physical chemistry, and immunology. 

BCMB students are strongly encouraged to obtain research experience in off-campus programs such as the JCU-Cleveland Clinic Summer Research Program or on-campus programs such as the JCU-Huntington/Codrington Summer Research Program. Research may also be carried out with JCU faculty members during the academic year.

Since 1997, students in the BCMB Concentration have co-authored more than a dozen research papers while they were undergraduates in prestigious scientific journals such as Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Journal of Biological Chemistry, and Genomics.

Graduates of JCU’s BCMB concentration have been accepted to Ph.D., medical, and pharmacy programs at universities such as Harvard, Stanford, Johns Hopkins, UC-Berkeley, UW-Madison, Ohio State, Case Western Reserve, University of Pennsylvania, University of Washington, University of Cincinnati, and Loyola University at Chicago.

For more information, please refer to the Biochemistry website.