Chair   John Salerno

In the past two decades, the science of biology has undergone a revolutionary change. Many problems that could be handled in the past only at the descriptive level can now be analyzed at the molecular level, and biological systems are being characterized in molecular terms. This trend is expected to set the direction for future advances in biology. Undergraduate and graduate biology programs at Rensselaer are designed to meet this challenge.

All areas of biology require a knowledge of chemistry and physics as well as biology. The undergraduate biology curriculum, therefore, gives students a thorough training in the fundamentals of the life sciences and the chemistry and physics of the life processes, providing the background necessary for professional training in research or medicine. Options are available to prepare students for careers in applied biology and in industry. Programs of study in biology may be combined with specific options in biochemistry, biomedical engineering, bioinformatics, biophysics, biotechnology (genetic engineering), chemical engineering, computer science, management, mathematics, microbiology, and technical communications.

Areas of Advanced Research and Study

Biochemistry and Biophysics   A variety of advanced techniques are being used to study fundamental problems in modern biochemistry and molecular biophysics. Work is in progress at the gene and protein levels with exciting applications in cell biology and physiology. Projects are supported by a wide range of government agencies and foundations, including the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the American Diabetes Association.

Work on the human lens includes measurements and computer modeling of accommodation by the lens of the human eye. Studies on the lens protein alpha crystallin include biochemical and biophysical characterization; comparisons with other members of the small heat shock protein family are facilitating the introduction of novel molecular genetics approaches. The involvement of molecular chaperones in the assembly of a large oligomeric enzyme is being studied by another laboratory.

Enzymology projects include work on the nitric oxide synthase isoforms, which are important in signal transduction (e.g., in the central nervous system and in the control of blood pressure) and as producers of cytotoxic NO in immune response. In a related project, the role of NO in control of water flux is being studied in an amphibian model system. Other experiments are focusing on the role of microtubules and microfilaments in hormone regulated changes in permeability to water. Molecular genetics and biochemical methods are being used to study nitrogen fixation and nitrogen cycle enzymes in cyanobacteria. Molecular modeling techniques are being used to design mutants of eukaryotic P450 enzymes.

Facilities include dual wavelength and double beam spectrophotometers, equipment for rapid kinetics and equilibrium titration measurements, electron paramagnetic resonance spectrometer, atomic absorption spectrometer, CD spectroscopy, electron microscope with elemental analysis system, optical diffraction apparatus, state-of-the-art facilities for chromatography, electrophoresis, immunoblotting, cloning, and sequencing of DNA, preparative ultracentrifuge, pressure cells, cold room, and extensive high performance computing facilities.

There is interaction and collaboration with colleagues in other departments who are members of the Interdisciplinary Committee on Biochemistry/Biophysics or the Center for Biophysics and with scientists from other universities, including members of the Capital District Bioenergetics Group.

Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology   Research in bioinformatics and molecular biology includes both computational work and applications using molecular genetic approaches. In the computational sphere, design and application of database search and sequence alignment algorithms, molecular modeling and simulation are used in studies ranging from structural characterization of biomedically relevant proteins to investigation of evolutionary adaptation in marine environment. Molecular genetic approaches are used to test the prediction of modeling studies, to design and produce probes, and to obtain sequence information for novel genes.

Microbiology and Ecology   This program includes research of several faculty and their students in the Biology Department. Ecological, molecular, and genetic studies are being carried out. Both basic and applied research projects are available, sometimes within the same laboratory. There is significant collaboration between members and faculty in other areas of biology, other departments at Rensselaer, and at other institutions worldwide. Ecological studies include freshwater ecology, biotransformation of organic compounds, and geomicrobiology. Molecular studies include work on nitrogen fixing symbiotic bacteria and bacteria living in the environment, both using recombinant DNA technology, and overlap in some cases with genetic studies of prokaryotes and eukaryotes. A variety of graduate courses in microbiology, molecular biology, virology, and immunology are offered. Research laboratories are well equipped, including facilities for tissue culture, recombinant DNA analysis, phase, fluorescent, and electron microscopy, time-lapse videotaping, high-performance liquid chromatography, electrophoresis, and batch culture. In addition, the Darrin Fresh Water Institute at Lake George is well equipped for studies of microbial ecology.

Faculty

Professors

Boylen, C.W.   Ph.D. (University of Wisconsin); microbial ecology, physiological effects of starvation on microorganisms.
Diwan, J.J.   Ph.D. (University of Illinois); cell physiology, bioenergetics.
Koretz, J.F.   Ph.D. (University of Chicago); structural biophysics of protein aggregation; computer modeling.
McDaniel, C.N.   Ph.D. (Wesleyan University); plant development and cell culture.
Nierzwicki-Bauer, S.A.   Ph.D. (University of New Hampshire); plant molecular biology; subsurface microbiology.
Pfau, C.J.   Ph.D. (Indiana University); molecular biology of animal viruses, antiviral drugs.
Roy, H.   Ph.D. (The Johns Hopkins University); plant molecular biology and biochemistry.
Salerno, J.C.   Ph.D. (University of Pennsylvania); enzymology; spectroscopy; molecular structures, bioinformatics.

Research Professor

Bedard, Donna   Ph.D. (University of Chicago); environmental microbiology and ecology, microbial molecular biodegradation of halogenated aromatics.

Associate Professors

Hanna, M.H.   Ph.D. (University of Illinois); directed evolution of proteins
Parsons, R.H.   Ph.D. (Oregon State University); cellular physiology, epithelial transport.

Assistant Professor

Bystroff, C.   Ph.D. (University of California, San Diego); genomics, protein structural prediction.
Collier, J.   Ph.D. (Stanford); molecular genetics, biochemistry, and physiological ecology of photosynthetic microorganisms.

Professor Emeritus

Ehrlich, H.L.   Ph.D. (University of Wisconsin); geomicrobiology, mineral transformations by bacteria.

Associate Professor Emeritus

Clesceri, L.S.   Ph.D. (University of Wisconsin); microbial ecology, biotransformation and biodegradation of natural polymers and pesticides, biotechnology.

Clinical Assistant Professors

Crone, Donna E.   Ph.D. (Duke University); molecular biology, biochemistry.
Smith, Susan M.E.   Ph.D. (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute); bioinformatics, enzyme structure.

Adjunct Faculty

Mascarenhas, J.   Ph.D. (University of California, Berkeley); plant molecular biology and development.
Scholes, C.P.   Ph.D. (Yale University); molecular biophysics.

Undergraduate Programs

Biology Undergraduate Curriculum   This curriculum, instituted in 1995, is designed to prepare students for admission to graduate or professional school. The philosophy behind it is to leave as many options as possible to the student. This flexibility is essential for those students who have specific interests and goals other than those spelled out in more traditional curricula.

Minimum Credit Hours   This curriculum requires a minimum of 124 credit hours.

Electives   Eight courses in biology are required for graduation. The careful selection of biology electives and technical electives in the third and fourth years may contribute significantly to preparation for various professional goals. Technical electives include any pertinent courses in biology, other sciences, or mathematics. Technical and free electives may be chosen to provide a concentration in biochemistry, bioinformatics, biomedical engineering, biophysics, biotechnology (genetic engineering), chemical engineering, computer science, environmental science management, mathematics, microbiology, psychology, secondary education, or technical communication. Program advisers should be consulted. A student who anticipates working on a senior thesis is strongly urged to take two of the advanced laboratory courses (BIOL-4710, BIOL-4720, BIOL-4740) in his or her junior year, as these courses offer excellent preparation for independent laboratory work.

Accelerated Biodental Program

Program Head   M.H. Hanna

The collaborative biodental program between Rensselaer and the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine leads to the B.S. degree in biology from Rensselaer and the Doctor of Dental Medicine (D.M.D.) Degree from Pennsylvania in seven calendar years. A group of qualified high school seniors is selected each year for admission to the program on the basis of maturity, academic potential, and career motivation. The undergraduate portion of this curriculum is conducted at Rensselaer during the first three years. The professional portion is conducted at the University of Pennsylvania. The student acquires a sound basis in the physical and life sciences, the humanities, and the social sciences in addition to an education in dental science.

Requirements   A minimum quality point average of 3.20 is required during each undergraduate semester for a student to be retained in the program. A grade of F in any science course generally requires immediate transfer out of the program. Because the program assays the ability of the student to accelerate his or her undergraduate studies, grades of I (Incomplete) will not be accepted without justification involving illness or specific course structure. Any such grade must be completed within the first month of the following semester unless further extension can be similarly justified. Promotion to the professional portion of the curriculum formally occurs during the third spring semester. Such promotion is based not only on academic achievement but also on an assessment of the fitness of the student to enter the dental profession. Students are required to take the DAT prior to entrance to dental school. The DAT is not, however, used as a criterion for admission. A student who so desires may transfer from the biodental program into a regular four-year program at Rensselaer at any time. The modern practice of dental medicine requires a strong background in the physical sciences. The present program provides this, at the same time making it possible for students to complete their formal education in a period shorter than is usually required for completion of predental and dental programs. Students who enter this program with advanced placement credits will have the opportunity to take advanced or additional course work but will not be allowed to decrease the length of time allotted to their undergraduate experience or to decrease the number of courses prescribed in the curriculum.

Admission   Application for admission to this program is made jointly to Rensselaer and the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine through the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Curriculum

Accelerated Physician-Scientist Program

Head   M.H. Hanna

An accelerated biomedical program leading to the B.S. Degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the M.D. Degree from Albany Medical College (AMC) has been organized through collaboration between the two institutions. In this program, work leading to both degrees can be completed in seven calendar years, including some summers.

Admission   Admission to the biomedical program is limited to individuals who have not as yet initiated full-time undergraduate study and who display the motivation, maturity, and intellectual capacity necessary to pursue the accelerated course of study. Applications are initially reviewed by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Copies of the applications of candidates who meet the program standards of Rensselaer are forwarded to Albany Medical College for further review. As the number of qualified applicants exceeds the number it is possible to interview, only those applicants with uniformly superior academic credentials and the highest test scores are invited to the required interview at the Medical College. Some experience or demonstrated interest in biological or biomedical research during high school is considered as a factor in admission. At the interview, the applicant’s motivation for medicine, level of maturity, and level of personal development are assessed. The biomedical program seeks and admits students without discrimination as to their race, religion, color, gender, age, or handicap as defined in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, or national or ethnic origin. Ordinarily, admission to the program is limited to citizens of the United States. Candidates must complete secondary school with superior scholastic credentials. Course work must include four years of English, one year each of physics, chemistry, and biology, and mathematics through precalculus. The Scholastic Aptitude Test I or ACT examination and SAT II in Mathematics (Level I, Level IC, Level II, or Level IIC), Writing, and Physics, Biology or Chemistry are required, and must be completed by the November testing date prior to proposed September matriculation in the program. (Scores of tests taken thereafter will not be considered.) For applicants in secondary school, it is preferred that these tests be taken in the spring preceding application. Regular admission applications must be filed and completed prior to December 1.

Requirements   Admission leads automatically to entrance into Albany Medical College after three years of study at Rensselaer (six semesters), provided that the student maintains satisfactory standards of academic achievement. A minimum quality point average of 3.40 (overall GPA and science/math GPA) is required each semester at Rensselaer. At the completion of the third fall, a minimum cumulative quality point average of 3.40 is required both in overall course work and in the sciences for promotion to the medical portion of the curriculum. All course work at Rensselaer must be satisfactorily completed before beginning the fourth year of study at the Albany Medical College. A grade of D or F in any science course generally requires immediate transfer out of this program. Grades of I (Incomplete) will not be accepted without justification involving illness or specific course structure. (When an Incomplete is granted, the course work must be completed not later than one month after the last day of the examination period of the semester in which the Incomplete was given.) Promotion to the medical portion of the curriculum is based not only on academic achievement, but also on the fitness of the student to enter the profession of medicine. Students may transfer into the regular four-year undergraduate program at Rensselaer at any time during the premedical portion of the biomedical program. The three years of study at Rensselaer includes a sound basis in the physical sciences, an introduction to the major concepts and principles of biology and biological research, and ample opportunity to become acquainted with the humanities and social sciences. Students in the biomedical program will take 24 courses at Rensselaer over three years. During the third summer (transition between Rensselaer and Albany Medical College), students will take one course and continue with research projects begun while at Rensselaer. These research projects will be completed during the fourth summer while at Albany Medical College. Biology course credit will be given for the two courses taken during the third summer and four additional preclinical courses taken at Albany Medical College to complete the undergraduate requirements for the B.S. degree. As many of the students will enter Rensselaer with advanced placement credit, a large proportion will have undergraduate course work credit in excess of standard requirements. These advanced placement credits will allow them to take advanced or additional course work but cannot be used to decrease the length of time allotted to their undergraduate experience or to decrease the number of courses prescribed in the curriculum. All courses specifically named in the curriculum must be taken at Rensselaer, or given AP credit or transferred in from courses taken prior to admission at Rensselaer. After completing the fourth year of the program, students receive a B.S. degree from Rensselaer. The M.D. Degree is received at the end of the seventh year and is dependent upon completing all requirements for the B.S. degree. Requests for further information and applications for admission to this program should be addressed to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th Street, Troy, New York 12180-3590.

Seven-Year Accelerated Physician-Scientist Program Curriculum

*Taught at Albany Medical College.
**The number for this course has not as yet been determined.

Accelerated Biopodiatric Program

Program Head   M.H. Hanna

The collaborative biopodiatric program leads to the B.S. Degree in biology from Rensselaer and the Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (D.P.M.) Degree from the Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine in seven years. The undergraduate portion of the curriculum is completed during the first three years at Rensselaer, while the professional portion is completed during the last four years at the Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine in Philadelphia, Pa.

Admission   Application for admission to the program is made jointly to Rensselaer and the Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine through the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Admission to the biopodiatric program is limited to students who have not initiated full-time undergraduate study at any college or university, other than Rensselaer. The biopodiatric program seeks and admits students without discrimination as to their race, religion, color, gender, age, or handicap as defined in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, or national or ethnic origin. Candidates must complete secondary school with course work including four years of English, one year of physics and chemistry, and mathematics through trigonometry. The Scholastic Aptitude Test or ACT examination must be completed by the December testing date prior to proposed matriculation in the program. Regular admission applications must be filed and completed prior to January 15. Current undergraduate students at Rensselaer may apply for positions open in the program at the end of their sophomore or fall semester of their junior years. The number of these position openings will vary from year to year. These students will be expected to complete 96 credits of undergraduate course work prior to matriculation at the Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine, to include at least the following: eight credits of introductory chemistry, eight credits of organic chemistry, six credits of English, eight credits of introductory biology, and eight credits of physics. In addition, all students must be able to complete their undergraduate degree requirements for the B.S. Degree at Rensselaer with the courses transferred from the Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine.

Requirements   Admission to the program leads automatically to entrance into the Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine after three years of study at Rensselaer for students admitted directly from high school and after six semesters of study for Rensselaer undergraduates previously admitted to Rensselaer but not in the accelerated programs. A minimum quality point average of 3.0 is required each semester at Rensselaer. In order to be promoted to the podiatric portion of the curriculum, students must achieve a cumulative quality point average of 3.0 both in overall course work and in the sciences. In addition, all students must take the MCAT prior to matriculation at the Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine. A grade of D or F in any science course generally requires immediate transfer out of this program. Promotion to the podiatric portion of the program is based not only on academic achievement, but also on the fitness of the student to enter the field of podiatric medicine. Students may transfer into the regular four-year undergraduate program at Rensselaer at any time during the prepodiatric portion of the biopodiatric curriculum. Students in the biopodiatric program will take a minimum of 24 courses at Rensselaer during their three years of study. Biology course credit will be given for several preclinical courses (indicated below) taken at Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine to allow for completion of the requirements for a B.S. degree in biology from Rensselaer. Many of the students entering this program will have advanced placement credit. These advanced placement credits will allow them to take advanced or additional course work but can not be used to decrease the length of time allotted to their undergraduate experience or to decrease the number of courses prescribed in the curriculum. The B.S. degree from Rensselaer is typically awarded to students after completion of their fourth year of the program, while the D.P.M. degree is awarded at the end of the seventh year. Requests for further information and applications for admission to this program should be addressed to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th Street, Troy, NY 12180-3590.

Seven-Year Accelerated Program in Biology and Podiatry Curriculum

Biochemistry and Biophysics Minors for Biology and Bioinformatics Majors Biochemistry Minor

To complete this minor a biology major must take BCBP-4770 Molecular Biochemistry II, CHEM-2440 Physical Chemistry for Life Sciences, and two of the following courses:

Biophysics Minor   To complete this minor, a biology major must take BCBP-4770 Molecular Biochemistry II, CHEM-2440 Physical Chemistry for Life Sciences, and two of the following courses:

Astrobiology Minor   To complete the minor in Astrobiology, a students must take a minimum of 16 credits of course work in this field. These courses include ASTR-4510 Origins of Life: A Cosmic Perspective and ISCI-4500 Topics in Origins of Life, four credits each, and two semesters of the onecredit course ISCI-4510 Origins of Life Seminar. A further two courses outside the major field of study are also required, selected from the following:

Note the requirement that the two selected courses must be outside the major field of study is reduced to one in the case of a double major, provided both majors are in the primary relevant areas of study (i.e. Biology, Chemistry, Geology and Physics).

Biology Minor   Students not majoring in biology may receive a minor in this discipline by meeting the following three course requirements: (1) eight credits of introductory biology; which must include BIOL-2120 Introduction to Cell and Molecular Biology and any one of the following: (1) BIOL-2310 Microbiology or BIOL-1010 Introduction to Biology ; (2) BIOL-2500 Genetics and Evolution; and (3) three 4000-level courses of the student’s choice.

Graduate Programs

The biology research laboratories at Rensselaer are equipped for programs and projects in cell and molecular biology, biochemistry, bioinformatics, biophysics, microbiology and microbial ecology, recombinant DNA and genetics, and vision regulation. In addition, cooperative programs with other organizations provide a wider range of research possibilities. Rensselaer’s Darrin Fresh Water Institute offers a program on lake ecosystem analysis involving field, laboratory, and computer analysis of biological, chemical, and physical data. An active program in biochemistry and biophysics is jointly sponsored with the Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, and Chemical Engineering Departments. Students must complete a core curriculum which includes courses in general biochemistry and molecular biology. Qualified students may take a candidacy examination in their special area of interest and proceed to the Ph.D. under the guidance of the candidacy committee. Other students seeking an M.S. degree must complete a thesis based on original research. Students work toward M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in biology. The detailed curriculum is tailored to the student’s background and special interests.

Graduate Degree Requirements

Master of Science   Thirty credit hours of course work are necessary to complete the M.S. program. A minimum of six credits and a maximum of nine must be in research. Of the remaining credits, 15 must be in graduate-level courses. A thesis based on an original research project is required.

Doctor of Philosophy   Candidates for the Ph.D. must satisfy the requirements of the graduate evaluation committee (GEC) and pass a candidacy exam. The latter consists of a written and an oral portion, and usually should be taken between the second and the third year of full-time study. A degree candidate also must submit a dissertation based on an original research project. The GEC requires a high level of performance in selected courses and research and reports its findings during the second year of full time study. An additional requirement of all doctoral candidates is participation in teaching for one academic year under the supervision of a faculty member. The student thus gains experience and training in teaching should he or she select an academic career. Sixty credit hours past the M.S. Degree are required.

Course Descriptions   Courses related to these curricula are found in the BIOL section of the course descriptions in this catalog.