Students matriculating prior to the fall semester 2015 in the
School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS) must complete the
SEBS
general education requirements. In addition, students majoring in biochemistry must complete the major requirements described below.
Students
matriculating fall 2015 or after and transfer students matriculating in
2016 and after must complete a goal-based Core Curriculum in place of
general education requirements. The goal-based core is described here: h
ttp://sebs.rutgers.edu/core.
Courses are certified for the Core Curriculum by a faculty committee. A
current list of certified courses can be found here:
http://sebs.rutgers.edu/core. Biochemistry major requirements are as
described below.
For an up-to-date description
of biochemistry major requirements, courses, and course sequences
please refer to the program webpage at
http://dbm.rutgers.edu/biochem.
Proficiency in Biochemistry (90 credits)
The
major in Integrated biochemistry consists of the six parts listed
immediately below. They are described briefly here; the specific
requirements are listed below.
-
Life and Physical Sciences Core
These courses prepare students to enter the major. These courses are normally completed in the first two years of college.
-
Quantitative Methods
Quantitative reasoning, computational facility, and a grasp of
calculus are essential skills for people to be well educated in molecular biosciences. As with the life and physical sciences core,
students should normally complete this requirement within the first two
years of college.
-
Biochemistry Core
This set
of courses is required for all majors and prepares the student for both
advanced coursework and research experience.
-
Professional Ethics
Ethical
conduct has at least two components: general ethical behavior and the
ethical implications for society at large as a consequence of advances
in biochemistry. Although Contemporary Issues in Biochemistry will meet
the formal requirement, all courses within the major will include
ethical components and examples. In addition, all students in the major
and in any of our courses will be required to adhere to a strict honor
code.
-
Major-Related Experiential Learning
It
is important that students be able to apply their knowledge of
biochemistry in a laboratory setting. Therefore, all students will be
required to take 6 credits of Experiential Learning. The School of
Environmental and Biological Sciences requires 3 cr for graduation;
therefore, Biochemistry Majors take an additional 3 cr. This can be
accomplished through working in an academic laboratory at Rutgers,
either at SEBS or the other campuses. This requirement can also be met
through the George H. Cook Honors program, the General Honors Program,
the Aresty Program, summer research opportunities (RISE or SURF), or
through research experience through the Student Professional Internship
Network (SPIN). The Research Experience may be structured to satisfy the
college's experiential learning requirement.
-
Biochemistry Options
-
Biochemistry of Microbial Systems
This
option blends biochemistry with microbiology, allowing students to
become proficient in the biochemistry of microbial organisms and
systems. This will include aspects of clinical microbiology and
infection, as well as environmental microbiology. Microbial infections
of higher organisms are of continuing importance in human and animal
health. Microorganisms also have profound environmental implications.
Microbial systems detoxify toxic substances and contribute to nutrient
cycling in the ecosphere. Another area of study is the use of microbial
organisms to synthesize useful materials and to convert biomass to
fuels.
-
Biochemical Toxicology
This option will
allow the student to gain specific understanding of the study of toxic
compounds. Toxicology is of critical importance in food and nutrition,
the environment, and in pharmacological science. Understanding the
biochemical effects allows one to design appropriate treatments of
illness, and to learn what exposures must be avoided. An equally
important second purpose, the study of how biochemical systems are made
to go awry by toxic substances, illuminates normal functioning and
development of organisms. This understanding applies equally to all
animals, including humans, as well as to plants and microorganisms. It
applies also to ecological communities of organisms, as toxic substances
alter the interactions within ecosystems.
-
Biochemistry of Plant Systems
Plants
are not only at the root of the human and animal food chains, they are
one of the dominant components of the planet's ecosphere. Understanding
their biochemistry is a large and growing area of basic and applied
research and public policy development.
-
Protein and Structural Biochemistry
Biochemistry
stands on two legs: structure and function. Neither can be understood
without the other. The principles that confer thermodynamic
stability--or the lack of it--on proteins, nucleic acids, and other
biomolecules are universal to all forms of life as are the principles by
which enzyme catalysis and other functions arise from three-dimensional
structure. Evolution drives the formation of structure based on the
functional needs of the organism and on the prior constraints imposed by
the species' evolutionary history. In addition to basic understanding,
study in this area develops the bases for protein design to solve
practical problems.
Detailed Requirements
I. Life and Physical Sciences Core
The following are required
01:119:115/116 General Biology I, II (4,4)
01:119:117 Biological Research Laboratory (2)
01:160:161,162 General Chemistry I, II (4,4) or equivalent
01:160:171 Introduction to Experimentation (1)
01:750:193,194 Physics for the Sciences* (4,4) or
01:750:201,202 Extended General Physics (5,5) or
01:750:203,204 General Physics I, II (3,3)
01:160: 307,308 or 315,316 Honors Organic Chemistry I, II (4,4)
01:160:309 (2.5) or 311 Organic Chemistry Laboratory (2)
01:447:380 Genetics (4)
II.Quantitative Core
01:640:135 Calculus I for the Life & Social Sciences (4) OR
01:640:151 Calculus I for Mathematical & Physical Science (4)
01:640:136 Calculus II for the Life & Social Sciences (4) OR
01:640:152 Calculus II for Mathematical & Physical Science (4) OR
01:960:401) Basic Stats for Research (4) OR
01:960:211 Statistics I (4) and 01:960:212 Statistics II (4)
**FOR PROTEIN AND STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY OPTION Calc II is Required.
III. Biochemistry Core
11:115:201 Contemporary Issues in Biochemistry** (2)
11:115:403/404 General Biochemistry I, II (4,3)
Note: To enroll in 11:115:403,404 General Biochemistry (4,3), students, be they majors in biochemistry or not, must have completed 01:160:307-308 Organic Chemistry (4,4) or 160:315-316 Honors Organic Chemistry with grades of C or higher.
11:115:413/414 Experimental Biochemistry I, II (3,3)
11:115:409 Principles of Biophysical Chemistry (3) or
01:160:341Phys Chem Bio System (3)
11:115:491 Biochemical Communications (3)
**Normally taken in the sophomore year. Transfer students entering in the fall of the junior year will take it in the fall of that year. Among other matters included in it, this class will satisfy the ethics requirement for biochemistry majors.
IV. Upper Level Lab Courses(two of the following courses)
11:115:436 Molecular Toxicology (3)
11:680:494 Applied Microbiology (4)
11:126:383 Nucleotide Sequence Analysis (3)
11:126:482 Molecular Genetics Laboratory (4)
11:126:484 Tools for Bioinformatic Analysis (3)
11:126:485 Bioinformatics (3)
11:776:452 Plant Tissue Culture (3)
01:146:357 Systems Physiology Lab (1)
01:160:251 Analytical Chemistry (3)
11:115:493/494 Research Problems in Biochemistry (3)
01:198:111 Intro to Comp Sci (3)
01:198:142 Data 100 Data Literacy (3)
V. Ethics
11:115:201 Contemporary Issues in Biochemistry (3)
11:115:321 Ethical Issues in Biochemical Research (3)
11:015:405 Ethics in Science (3)
11:015:433 Critical Scientific Thinking (3)
01:730:249 Bioethics (3)
VI. Research Experience (3 cr)
The curriculum is designed to provide students with the basics of laboratory experimentation followed by independent research experience in a research lab. A minimum of two semesters of research is required. With the approval of the undergraduate program director, Experiential Learning may be accepted to meet this requirement. Biochemical Communications provides the opportunity for students to present their own research, in both written and oral formats, as well as research from the biochemical literature.
11:115:493,494 (Research Problems in Biochemistry May be replaced by 11:015:497, 498 George H. Cook Honors Research,11:554:302 Aresty Research Assistantship
VII. Options:
Requires four classes from the specific lists below. Biochemistry electives, including option requirements, must equal at least 12 credits.
Course(s) indicated by an * in each option is(are) required.
Biochemistry of Microbial Systems
11:115:423 Fundamentals of Genomics (3)
11:680:390 General Microbiology (4)*
11:680:494 Applied Microbiology (4)
11:680:475 Microbiomes and Health (3)
11:680:480 Microbial Genetics andGenomics (3)
11:680:481 Microbial Physiology (3)
11:067:490 Pathophysiology (3)
11:126:486 Analytical Methods in Microbiology (3)
11:126:407 Comparative Virology (3)
11:126:481 Molecular Genetics (3)
01:146:481 Virology (3)
01:146:474 Immunology (3)
11:216:405 Evolution in Infectious Disease (3)
11:400:423 Food Microbiology
Biochemical Toxicology
11:115:421 Biochemistry of Cancer (3)
11:115:422 Biochemical Mechanisms of Toxicology (3)*
11:115:436 Molecular Toxicology Laboratory (3)
11:067:450 Endocrinology (4)
11:067:300 Integrative Physiology (4)
11:067:301 Integrative Physiology Lab (1)
11:067:490 Pathophysiology (3)
11:067:491 Reproductive and Developmental Toxicology (3)
01:146:356 Systems Physiology (3)
01:146:474 Immunology (3)
11:126:481 Molecular Genetics (3)
01:146:245 Fundamentals Of Neurobiology (3)
01:146:270 Fundamentals of Cell and Developmental Biology (3)
01:146:295 Essentials of Cell Biology and Neurobiology (3)
01:146:445 Advanced Neurobiology I (3)
01:146:447 Advanced Neurobiology II (3)
Biochemistry of Plant Systems
11:115:423 Fundamentals of Genomics (3)
16:765:520 Plant Biochemistry and Metabolism (3)*
11:776:382 Plant Physiology (4)
11:776:302 General Plant Pathology (3)
11:776:312 Medicinal Plants (3)
11:776:242 Plant Science (3)
11:776:305 Plant Genetics (4)
11:776:312 Medicinal Plants (3)
11:776:415 Hemp and Medical Cannabis (3)
11:776:403 Plant Science Techniques (3)
11:776:415 Fungi and Human Health (3)
11:776:438 Plants and Human Health (3)
11:776:452 Plant Tissue Culture & Engineering (3)
Protein and Structural Biochemistry
11:115:423 Fundamentals of Genomics (3)
11:115:485 Advanced Methods for 3D Structure Determination of Biomolecules (3)
11:216:405 Evolution in Infectious Diseases (3)
01:160:344 Introduction to Molecular Biophysics Research (3)
01:160:410 Introduction to Molecular Modeling (3)
01:160:418 Bioorganic Mechanisms (3)
01:160:480 Structural Biology, Structural Biophysics, and Chemical Biology of Transcription (3)01:640:251 Multivariable Calculus III (4)
01:694:412 Proteomics and Functional Genomics (3)
01:694:413 Chromatin and Epigenomics: The Science of Chromatin Modifications in Development and Disease (3)
01:160:480 Structural Biology, Structural Biophysics, and Chemical Biology (3)
11:115:485 Structural Biochemistry (3)
General Option (12 cr total)
12 credits of classes taken from any of the above lists
Unspecified Electives
In addition to courses meeting the above requirements, students can take other courses offered by the university, for which they meet the course eligibility requirements, to bring their total number of credits to the minimum of 120 (matriculated 2018 or later) or 128 (matriculated prior to 2018) required for graduation.
School of Environmental and Biological Sciences 
