Molecular and Cell Biology: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

University of California, Berkeley

This is an archived copy of the 2018-19 guide. To access the most recent version of the guide, please visit http://guide.berkeley.edu.

About the Program

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

The major in Molecular and Cell Biology: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BMB) emphasis is dedicated to the mechanistic understanding, at the molecular level, of essential processes for the life of the cell using rigorous and reductionist approaches. Students will learn not only how the molecules of life work in the healthy cell and organism but also how disruption of their function leads to disease. This knowledge is essential for the design of pharmacological treatments that target these molecules to alter their activity.

The major emphasis has two tracks—Track 1: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, and Track 2: Biological Chemistry. For specific information regarding the requirements for each track, please see the Major Requirements tab on this page.

Minor Program

There is no minor program in Molecular and Cell Biology.

Other Molecular and Cell Biology Majors (Emphases)

Cell and Developmental Biology (CDB)
Genetics, Genomics, & Development (GGD)
Immunology & Pathogenesis (IMP)
Neurobiology (NEU)

Visit Department Website

Major Requirements

Declaring the Major

MCB is not an impacted major. Therefore, the program will accept any interested student who meets the minimum course and grade point average (GPA) requirements and is realistically able to complete the major requirements during the student's remaining time at UC Berkeley.

In order to declare the MCB major, students must have completed or be enrolled in BIOLOGY 1A/BIOLOGY 1AL (C or better on first midterm) and CHEM 3B (past the early drop deadline), have at least a 2.0 overall GPA, a 2.0 GPA in the courses taken for the major, a 2.0 GPA in any upper division courses taken for the major, and know which emphasis they will declare. Intended MCB students are not required to have completed the math or physics requirement at the time of declaration (though the requirement must be met in order to graduate).

To start the major declaration process, students must fill out the MCB major declaration form online.

Once the declaration form has been processed, students will receive an email with instructions to come in to meet with a staff advisor. Students should bring a printed copy of their Academic Summary from CalCentral to the Undergraduate Advising Office (3060 Valley Life Sciences Building) to discuss their academic plan. When signing in, students should inform the intake adviser that they declared online. Please note that major declarations are limited during the first week of class and the first week of Course Enrollment Phase 1. Any restrictions will be advertised on the MCB Undergraduate homepage and in the weekly MCB-News email. 

General Guidelines

In addition to the University, campus, and college requirements, listed on the College Requirements tab, students must fulfill requirements specific to their major program and declared emphasis.

  1. All courses taken to fulfill the major requirements below must be taken for letter graded credit.
  2. No more than one upper division course may be used to simultaneously fulfill requirements for a student's major and minor programs. Double majors and simultaneous degrees are limited to a two course overlap. 
  3. Students must maintain a minimum grade point average (GPA) of at least a 2.0 GPA overall, a 2.0 GPA in the required major coursework (lower and upper division), and a 2.0 GPA in the upper division coursework for the major.

For information regarding residence requirements and unit requirements, please see the College Requirements tab.

Lower Division Requirements

Please note the requirement differences between BMB track 1 and track 2.

Math 10A/10B is the preferred math sequence, but the MCB major will also accept Math 1A/1B
MATH 10AMethods of Mathematics: Calculus, Statistics, and Combinatorics4
MATH 10BMethods of Mathematics: Calculus, Statistics, and Combinatorics4
Calculus [4]
Calculus [4]
CHEM 1A
1AL
General Chemistry
and General Chemistry Laboratory 1
4
Students in the Track 1/Biochemistry & Molecular Biology emphases must take the following chemistry sequence:
Chemical Structure and Reactivity
and Organic Chemistry Laboratory 2
Chemical Structure and Reactivity
and Organic Chemistry Laboratory 2
Students in the Track 2/Biological Chemistry emphasis must take the following chemistry sequence:
General Chemistry [4] 3
Organic Chemistry [5]
Organic Chemistry [5]
BIOLOGY 1A
1AL
General Biology Lecture
and General Biology Laboratory
5
BIOLOGY 1BGeneral Biology Lecture and Laboratory4
PHYSICS 8AIntroductory Physics 44
PHYSICS 8BIntroductory Physics 44
1

CHEM 4A may be taken place of CHEM 1A and CHEM 1AL.

2

For Track 1 students, CHEM 12A and CHEM 12B may be taken in place of CHEM 3A/3AL and CHEM 3B/3BL.

3

 CHEM 4B may be taken in place of CHEM 1B.

4

 PHYSICS 7A and PHYSICS 7B can be taken in place of PHYSICS 8A and PHYSICS 8B.

Upper Division Requirements: Track 1/Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

MCELLBI C100A/CHEM C130Biophysical Chemistry: Physical Principles and the Molecules of Life4
MCELLBI 100BBiochemistry: Pathways, Mechanisms, and Regulation4
MCELLBI 110Molecular Biology: Macromolecular Synthesis and Cellular Function4
MCELLBI 140General Genetics4
or MCELLBI C148 Microbial Genomics and Genetics
MCELLBI/CHEM C110LGeneral Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Laboratory4
One BMB Elective (see below)4

Upper Division Requirements: Track 2/Biological Chemistry

MCELLBI C100A/CHEM C130Biophysical Chemistry: Physical Principles and the Molecules of Life4
CHEM 130BBiophysical Chemistry3
CHEM 135Chemical Biology3
MCELLBI 130Cell and Systems Biology4
or MCELLBI 140 General Genetics
MCELLBI C110LGeneral Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Laboratory4
One BMB Elective (see below)

Approved Electives for Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

CHEM 113Advanced Mechanistic Organic Chemistry3
CHEM 115Organic Chemistry--Advanced Laboratory Methods4
CHEM 130BBiophysical Chemistry3
ESPM C148/NUSCTX C114Pesticide Chemistry and Toxicology3
MATH 110Linear Algebra4
MATH 127Mathematical and Computational Methods in Molecular Biology4
MCELLBI C103/PB HLTH C102/PLANTBI C103Bacterial Pathogenesis3
MCELLBI/PLANTBI C112General Microbiology4
MCELLBI/PLANTBI C114Introduction to Comparative Virology4
MCELLBI/PLANTBI C116Microbial Diversity3
MCELLBI 130Cell and Systems Biology4
MCELLBI 132Biology of Human Cancer4
MCELLBI/PLANTBI C134Chromosome Biology/Cytogenetics3
MCELLBI 135ATopics in Cell and Developmental Biology: Molecular Endocrinology3
MCELLBI 136Physiology4
MCELLBI 137LPhysical Biology of the Cell3
MCELLBI 141Developmental Biology4
MCELLBI 143Evolution of Genomes, Cells, and Development3
MCELLBI/PLANTBI C148Microbial Genomics and Genetics4
MCELLBI 149The Human Genome3
MCELLBI 150Molecular Immunology4
MCELLBI 160Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology4
MCELLBI 161Circuit, Systems and Behavioral Neuroscience4
MCELLBI 165Neurobiology of Disease3
MCELLBI 166Biophysical Neurobiology3
PHYSICS 112Introduction to Statistical and Thermal Physics4
PHYSICS 177Principles of Molecular Biophysics3
PLANTBI 135Physiology and Biochemistry of Plants3
PLANTBI 150Plant Cell Biology3
PLANTBI 160Plant Molecular Genetics3
PB HLTH 141Introduction to Biostatistics5
Students who completed math requirements other than Math 10A/10B are eligible to use the following courses as an elective:
PB HLTH 142Introduction to Probability and Statistics in Biology and Public Health4
STAT 131AStatistical Methods for Data Science4

College Requirements

Undergraduate students must fulfill the following requirements in addition to those required by their major program.

For detailed lists of courses that fulfill college requirements, please review the College of Letters & Sciences page in this Guide. For College advising appointments, please visit the L&S Advising Pages. 

University of California Requirements

Entry Level Writing

All students who will enter the University of California as freshmen must demonstrate their command of the English language by fulfilling the Entry Level Writing requirement. Fulfillment of this requirement is also a prerequisite to enrollment in all reading and composition courses at UC Berkeley. 

American History and American Institutions

The American History and Institutions requirements are based on the principle that a US resident graduated from an American university, should have an understanding of the history and governmental institutions of the United States.

Berkeley Campus Requirement

American Cultures

All undergraduate students at Cal need to take and pass this course in order to graduate. The requirement offers an exciting intellectual environment centered on the study of race, ethnicity and culture of the United States. AC courses offer students opportunities to be part of research-led, highly accomplished teaching environments, grappling with the complexity of American Culture.

College of Letters & Science Essential Skills Requirements

Quantitative Reasoning

The Quantitative Reasoning requirement is designed to ensure that students graduate with basic understanding and competency in math, statistics, or computer science. The requirement may be satisfied by exam or by taking an approved course.

Foreign Language

The Foreign Language requirement may be satisfied by demonstrating proficiency in reading comprehension, writing, and conversation in a foreign language equivalent to the second semester college level, either by passing an exam or by completing approved course work.

Reading and Composition

In order to provide a solid foundation in reading, writing, and critical thinking the College requires two semesters of lower division work in composition in sequence. Students must complete parts A & B reading and composition courses by the end of their second semester and a second-level course by the end of their fourth semester.

College of Letters & Science 7 Course Breadth Requirements

Breadth Requirements

The undergraduate breadth requirements provide Berkeley students with a rich and varied educational experience outside of their major program. As the foundation of a liberal arts education, breadth courses give students a view into the intellectual life of the University while introducing them to a multitude of perspectives and approaches to research and scholarship. Engaging students in new disciplines and with peers from other majors, the breadth experience strengthens interdisciplinary connections and context that prepares Berkeley graduates to understand and solve the complex issues of their day.

Unit Requirements

  • 120 total units

  • Of the 120 units, 36 must be upper division units

  • Of the 36 upper division units, 6 must be taken in courses offered outside your major department
Residence Requirements

For units to be considered in "residence," you must be registered in courses on the Berkeley campus as a student in the College of Letters & Science. Most students automatically fulfill the residence requirement by attending classes here for four years. In general, there is no need to be concerned about this requirement, unless you go abroad for a semester or year or want to take courses at another institution or through UC Extension during your senior year. In these cases, you should make an appointment to meet an adviser to determine how you can meet the Senior Residence Requirement.

Note: Courses taken through UC Extension do not count toward residence.

Senior Residence Requirement

After you become a senior (with 90 semester units earned toward your BA degree), you must complete at least 24 of the remaining 30 units in residence in at least two semesters. To count as residence, a semester must consist of at least 6 passed units. Intercampus Visitor, EAP, and UC Berkeley-Washington Program (UCDC) units are excluded.

You may use a Berkeley Summer Session to satisfy one semester of the Senior Residence requirement, provided that you successfully complete 6 units of course work in the Summer Session and that you have been enrolled previously in the college.

Modified Senior Residence Requirement

Participants in the UC Education Abroad Program (EAP), Berkeley Summer Abroad, or the UC Berkeley Washington Program (UCDC) may meet a Modified Senior Residence requirement by completing 24 (excluding EAP) of their final 60 semester units in residence. At least 12 of these 24 units must be completed after you have completed 90 units.

Upper Division Residence Requirement

You must complete in residence a minimum of 18 units of upper division courses (excluding UCEAP units), 12 of which must satisfy the requirements for your major.

Plan of Study

The sample plans below show a four-year plan for completing the major, taking classes only during fall and spring semesters. All of the lower division classes are offered during the summer as well. Please consult the sample plan appropriate to your track.

Please note that the sample plans below include only courses required for your major. For more detailed information regarding other requirements, including unit minimums per semester, Letters & Science Breadth requirements, Reading and Composition (R&C), and the American Cultures (AC) requirements, please see the College Requirements tab.

Track 1: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Example of program beginning in the fall semester of freshman year.

Freshman
FallUnitsSpringUnits
MATH 10A4MATH 10B4
CHEM 1A
1AL
5BIOLOGY 1A
1AL
5
 9 9
Sophomore
FallUnitsSpringUnits
CHEM 3A
3AL
5CHEM 3B
3BL
5
PHYSICS 8A4PHYSICS 8B4
 9 9
Junior
FallUnitsSpringUnits
MCELLBI C100A4MCELLBI 100B4
BIOLOGY 1B4MCELLBI 140 or C1484
 8 8
Senior
FallUnitsSpringUnits
MCELLBI 1104BMB Elective3-4
MCELLBI C110L4 
 8 3-4
Total Units: 63-64

Track 2: Chemical Biology

Example of program beginning in the fall semester of freshman year.

Freshman
FallUnitsSpringUnits
MATH 10A4MATH 10B4
CHEM 1A
1AL
5CHEM 1B4
 9 8
Sophomore
FallUnitsSpringUnits
CHEM 12A5CHEM 12B5
BIOLOGY 1A3PHYSICS 8A4
BIOLOGY 1AL2 
 10 9
Junior
FallUnitsSpringUnits
MCELLBI C100A4CHEM 130B3
PHYSICS 8B4BIOLOGY 1B4
 8 7
Senior
FallUnitsSpringUnits
CHEM 1353MCELLBI 130 or 1404
MCELLBI C110L4BMB Elective3-4
 7 7-8
Total Units: 65-66

Sample Program Plan, Spring Start

Example of program beginning in the spring semester of freshman year (e.g., FPF or Global Edge).

Freshman
FallUnitsSpringUnits
MATH 1A4MATH 1B4
 CHEM 1A
1AL
4
 4 8
Sophomore
FallUnitsSpringUnits
BIOLOGY 1A
1AL
5CHEM 3A
3AL
5
PHYSICS 8A4BIOLOGY 1B4
 9 9
Junior
FallUnitsSpringUnits
CHEM 3B
3BL
5MCELLBI C100A4
PHYSICS 8B4BMB Elective3-4
 9 7-8
Senior
FallUnitsSpringUnits
MCELLBI 1104MCELLBI 100B4
MCELLBI 1404MCELLBI C110L4
 8 8
Total Units: 62-63

Sample Program Plan, Transfers

Example of program plan for students planning to transfer to Berkeley after completing all the lower division requirements.

Junior
FallUnitsSpringUnits
MCELLBI C100A4MCELLBI 100B4
 MCELLBI 140 or C1484
 4 8
Senior
FallUnitsSpringUnits
MCELLBI 1104BMB Elective3-4
MCELLBI C110L4 
 8 3-4
Total Units: 23-24

Student Learning Goals

Mission

The Department of Molecular and Cell Biology (MCB) is a large department that is subdivided into five divisions: Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology (BBS); Cell and Developmental Biology (CDB); Genetics, Genomics and Development (GGD); Immunology and Pathogenesis (IMMP); and Neurobiology (NEU). All MCB students complete the same lower division coursework to gain critical training in biology, mathematics, chemistry, and physics. All or most lower division coursework is completed before major declaration. Upon declaring the major, MCB students choose an emphasis, or specialization, which determines the upper division core courses they will take and elective choices from which they will choose. Students can choose among several areas of specialization; emphases are broadly defined along divisional lines and allow students to focus on a more defined topic within MCB. MCB students who elect to participate in independent research may choose from sponsoring research laboratories within any MCB division or in laboratories outside the department (other Berkeley departments, LBNL, CHORI, UCSF, biotechnology companies). The MCB major provides excellent preparation for many careers and postbaccalaureate training programs, including graduate programs and heath-related professional programs (e.g., medicine, dentistry, optometry, pharmacy), science writing, law school, biotechnology, teaching, and academic research.

Learning Goals for the Major

  1. Describe basic biological concepts and principles.
  2. Appreciate the different levels of biological organization, from molecules to ecosystems.
  3. Understand that biology has a chemical, physical, and mathematical basis.
  4. Explain the importance of the scientific method to understanding natural phenomena.
  5. Effectively communicate scientific data and ideas, both orally and in writing.
  6. Critically evaluate data, develop a hypothesis, and design experiments to address an interesting and novel problem.
  7. Demonstrate advanced knowledge in a specialized field of molecular and cell biology.

Advising

The Molecular Cell Biology (MCB) Department offers three types of undergraduate advising: staff advisers, faculty advisers, and peer advisers.

Staff Advisers

Staff academic advisers are trained to support students and assist them in successfully completing their MCB major. They are excellent resources for questions concerning administration and academics or finding out about other available services. Students should see a staff adviser for the following:

  • Ask questions about major requirements.
  • Ask advice about schedule planning.
  • Declare the MCB major.
  • Consult about research opportunities, graduate and professional schools, career opportunities, scholarships, and internships.
  • Get information and course control numbers (CCN's) for independent research.
  • Request general assistance, advice, or information.
  • Find out about upcoming events and programs.

Staff advisers are primarily available for drop-in advising. However, limited appointments are available for more complex issues such as probation, academic difficulty, and readmission. Students who would like to schedule an appointment should call 510-643-8895 during drop-in advising hours.

The general email address is mcbuao@berkeley.edu. This email is checked daily, Monday through Friday, so students will receive an answer to questions within one business day.

Faculty Advisers

Faculty advisers are MCB professors assigned to advise students about the MCB department including its courses, research, and other academic issues. Students typically first meet with a faculty adviser when they declare an MCB major. Students should see their faculty advisers for the following:

  • Receive guidance toward achieving academic and career goals.
  • Ask questions about the content of MCB courses. 
  • Ask questions about biological research and about the field of biology in general.
  • Ask for recommendations on which graduate schools to attend.
  • Review and approve major declaration plan, after speaking with a UAO staff adviser first.

For a list of advisers and their office hours, please see the department's website. Office hours listed are designated for drop-in advising unless otherwise noted. Faculty adviser office hours are effective from the first day of instruction until the final day of instruction for the fall and spring semesters. Faculty advisers are not available for office hours during winter or summer break. Students may refer to staff drop-in advising hours during summer sessions and non-instructional periods.

Peer Adviser Walk-in Services (PAWS)

Peer advisers are junior and senior MCB majors who volunteer their time to complement the UAO advising services by sharing their knowledge of and experience with lower division requirements and upper division classes, student groups on campus, preparation for life beyond the BA, and the use of various campus resources. To see the schedule and more information about who our peer advisers are and which courses they have taken, click here.

Academic Opportunities

Undergraduate Research

Under the guidance of a faculty member and/or research mentor, undergraduates in the MCB major may have the opportunity to work in a laboratory to gain valuable experience in scientific research. Interested students must take the initiative to make such arrangements. Over forty percent of MCB majors work in a lab to gain valuable experience in scientific research. To get started, students should talk with classmates, peer advisers, a staff undergraduate adviser, graduate student instructors (GSIs), and faculty about their interest in learning more about laboratory research. For more information on research, see How to Find a Lab Position.

Benefits of research:

  • Science is a way to figure things out, so doing research will aid students in other aspects of their life. Through asking and answering open-ended questions, students link seemingly disconnected pieces of information and find results that were not predicted.
  • Exploring things at the cutting edge and that no one has explored before.
  • Learning tenacity, problem solving, and how to be critical about the details because things have to be reproducible.
  • Solving mysteries and experiencing the excitement of discovery.

Students may receive academic credit for their work by enrolling in an independent study course: MCELLBI 99/MCELLBI 199 or MCELLBI H196A/MCELLBI H196B.  Enrollment applications are due in the Undergraduate Advising Office by the fifth week of each semester.

Honors Program

The MCB honors program offers exceptional senior students recognition for outstanding academic achievement and excellence in research. To graduate with honors in the major, students must satisfy the following:

  1. Complete at least two credited semesters of research including 4-8 units of MCELLBI H196A and/or MCELLBI H196B (Honors Research).
  2. Have a cumulative Berkeley GPA of at least 3.3 in all work completed at UC Berkeley.
  3. Have at least a 3.5 GPA in the MCB major requirements or a 3.5 GPA in MCB upper division courses.
  4. Present their research in an approved forum, such as an MCB symposium, the Undergraduate Poster Session, or other scientific meeting.
  5. Write an honors thesis approved by an MCB faculty sponsor.

Additional information on the honors program is available in the Undergraduate Affairs Office and on the MCB website.

Other Research Opportunities

For additional resources for information regarding research opportunities, please see the links below:
Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program (URAP)
Scholarship Connection
Summer Research Opportunities
Office of Research

Funding for Student Research

There are a variety of ways to support your research. The department recommends that students attend a workshop at the Office of Undergraduate Research or look for funding opportunities on their website or the Scholarship Connection website.

Courses

Molecular Cell Biology: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Faculty and Instructors

+ Indicates this faculty member is the recipient of the Distinguished Teaching Award.

Faculty

Hillel Adesnik, Associate Professor. Neural basis of perception, neuroscience, neurobiology.
Research Profile

Georjana Barnes, Professor. Biochemistry, genetics, cancer, biology, microtubule cytoskeleton, cell cycle controls, cellular imaging.
Research Profile

Gregory M. Barton, Professor. Immunology, cell biology, infectious disease, innate immunity.
Research Profile

Helen Bateup, Assistant Professor. Molecular and cellular neuroscience, neurodevelopmental disorders, autism, epilepsy.
Research Profile

Diana Bautista, Associate Professor. Ion channels, sensory physiology, chemosensation, touch, thermosensation, somatosensory system.
Research Profile

Eric Betzig, Professor. Imaging microscopy, biophysics.
Research Profile

David Bilder, Professor. Genetics, cancer, Drosophila, cell biology, cell polarity, tumor suppressor, epithelial architecture, polarity, and proliferation control.
Research Profile

Michael R. Botchan, Professor. Eukaryotic gene expression, drosophila chromosomes, papilloma viral DNA, chromosomal dynamics.
Research Profile

Gloria Brar, Assistant Professor. Meiosis, translation, sORFs, stress responses.
Research Profile

Steve Brohawn, Assistant Professor. Neurobiology.
Research Profile

Carlos J. Bustamante, Professor. Nanoscience, structural characterization of nucleo-protein assemblies, single molecule fluorescence microscopy, DNA-binding molecular motors, the scanning force microscope, prokaryotes.
Research Profile

Jamie Cate, Professor. Molecular basis for protein synthesis by the ribosome, RNA, antibiotics, a thermophilic bacterium, escherichia coli.
Research Profile

Christopher J. Chang, Professor. Chemistry, inorganic chemistry, neuroscience, bioinorganic chemistry, general physiology, organic chemistry, new chemical tools for biological imaging and proteomics, new metal complexes for energy catalysis and green chemistry, chemical biology.
Research Profile

Michelle Chang, Associate Professor. Biochemistry, enzymology, synthetic biology, biophysics.
Research Profile

Kathleen Collins, Professor. RNA, telomerase, Telomere function, Telomere replication.
Research Profile

Jacob E. Corn, Assistant Adjunct Professor.

Laurent Coscoy, Associate Professor. Immunology, viruses, viral infection, immune responses, immune evasion.
Research Profile

Jeffery S. Cox, Professor. TB, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, M. tuberculosis, genetics, proteomics, transcriptional profiling, host-pathogen interactions, host-directed therapy.
Research Profile

Yang Dan, Professor. Neuronal circuits, mammalian visual system, electrophysiological, psychophysical and computational techniques, visual cortical circuits, visual neurons.
Research Profile

Xavier Darzacq, Associate Professor. Transcription regulation during cellular differentiation. Linking the biophysical rules of nuclear organization and gene expression control mechanism. .
Research Profile

Karen Davies, Assistant Adjunct Professor.
Research Profile

Abby Dernburg, Professor. Genomics, chromosome remodeling and reorganization during meiosis, Down syndrome, DNA.
Research Profile

Andrew Dillin, Professor. Endocrinology, genetics of aging.
Research Profile

Jennifer A. Doudna, Professor. RNA machines, hepatitis C virus, RNA interference, ribosomes.
Research Profile

David G. Drubin, Professor. Cellular morphogenesis, plasma membrane dynamics, microtubule cytoskeletons, cytoskeletal proteins, morphological development.
Research Profile

Peter H. Duesberg, Professor. Genetic structure of retroviruses, carcinogenesis, aneuploidy, virology, HIV-AIDS.
Research Profile

Michael DuPage, Assistant Professor. Immunology, cancer, tumor immunity, immune responses, chronic inflammation and cancer, tumor biology, epigenetics.
Research Profile

Michael B. Eisen, Professor. Genomics, genome sequencing, bioinformatics, animal development.
Research Profile

+ Dan Feldman, Associate Professor. Neurobiology, learning, neurophysiology, sensory biology.
Research Profile

Marla B. Feller, Professor. Neurophysiology, developmental neuroscience.
Research Profile

+ Gary L. Firestone, Professor. Cancer, steroid hormones, molecular endocrinology, tumor biology, growth factors, dietary compounds, tumor cells, glucocorticoids.
Research Profile

John Gerard Flannery, Professor. Neurobiology, optometry, vision science, cell and molecular biology of the retina in normal and diseased states.
Research Profile

Hernan G. Garcia, Assistant Professor. Biophysics.
Research Profile

Gian Garriga, Professor. Developmental neurobiology, molecular genetics, development of nervous systems, cell division, cell migration, axonal pathfinding, caenorhabditis elegans.
Research Profile

Britt Glaunsinger, Associate Professor. Virology, gene expression, herpesvirus.
Research Profile

Ming Chen Hammond, Assistant Professor. Molecular biology, biochemistry, organic chemistry, synthetic biology, chemical biology.
Research Profile

Iswar Krishna Hariharan, Professor. Growth regulation, regeneration, cancer.
Research Profile

Richard M. Harland, Professor. Molecular biology, early vertebrate development, Xenopus, embryo development.
Research Profile

Lin He, Associate Professor. Comparative genomics, developmental biology, cell biology.
Research Profile

Rebecca Heald, Professor. Cell division, Xenopus, mitotic spindle assembly and function, size control of intracellular structures.
Research Profile

Dirk Hockemeyer, Assistant Professor. Developmental biology, cell biology.
Research Profile

James Hurley, Professor. Structural Biology, reconstitution, membrane biology, autophagy, HIV, x-ray crystallography, cryo-electron microscopy.
Research Profile

Nicholas Ingolia, Assistant Professor. Ribosome Profiling, translation, genomics.
Research Profile

Ehud Y. Isacoff, Professor. Ion channel function, synaptic plasticity, neural excitability, synaptic transmission, the synapse.
Research Profile

Na Ji, Associate Professor. Neuroscience, microscopy techniques, in vivo imaging, biophotonics, biophysics, adaptive optics, optics.
Research Profile

Gary H. Karpen, Adjunct Professor. Gene expression, cell biology, chromosome structure and function, drosophila melanogaster, centromere identity and function.
Research Profile

Nicole King, Professor. Genetics, developmental biology, biology, choanoflagellates, multicellularity, evolution of animals, comparative genomics, eukaryotes, host-microbe interactions, bacterial signals.
Research Profile

Douglas E. Koshland, Professor. Higher order chromosome structure, genome integrity, sister chromatid cohesion, chromosome condensation, desiccation tolerance, microbial genetics.
Research Profile

Richard H. Kramer, Professor. Cells, synaptic transmission, chemical signaling between neurons, ion channels, electrical signals, chemical reagents, synapses.
Research Profile

John Kuriyan, Professor. Structural and functional studies of signal transduction, DNA replication, cancer therapies, phosphorylation.
Research Profile

Stephan Lammel, Assistant Professor. Neuroscience, Optogenetics, dopamine, addiction, depression.
Research Profile

Polina Lishko, Assistant Professor. Reproductive and Developmental Biology, ion channels, Physiology of Fertilization and Early Embryo Development.
Research Profile

Ellen Lumpkin, Professor.

Kunxin Luo, Professor. Signal transduction pathways, mechanisms controlling the receptor kinases, regulation of mammary epithelial cell differentiation, breast carcinogenesis.
Research Profile

Michael A. Marletta, Professor. Chemical biology, molecular biology, structure/function relationships in proteins, catalytic and biological properties of enzymes, cellular signaling, nitric oxide synthase, soluble guanylate cyclase, gas sensing, cellulose degradation, polysaccharide monooxygenases.
Research Profile

Susan Marqusee, Professor. Amino acids, determinants of protein structure and folding, biophysical, structural and computational techniques, translocation, protein synthesis.
Research Profile

Andreas Martin, Associate Professor. Proteasome.
Research Profile

Sabeeha Merchant, Professor.
Research Profile

Barbara J. Meyer, Professor. Developmental biology, gene expression, genetic determination of sex, regulatory genes, chromosome dynamics, X-chromosome.
Research Profile

Craig Miller, Associate Professor. Genetics, developmental biology, evolutionary biology, evolution, quantitative genetics, developmental genetics, evolutionary genetics, craniofacial development.
Research Profile

Evan W. Miller, Assistant Professor. Biochemistry, biophysics, Structural Biology.
Research Profile

Priya Moorjani, Assistant Professor. Human evolutionary genetics.
Research Profile

John Ngai, Professor. Nervous system, molecular and cellular mechanisms of olfaction, detection of odors, odorant receptors, olfactory neurons, DNA microarray technologies, genome-wide patterns of gene expression.
Research Profile

Eva Nogales, Professor. Biochemistry, complex biological assemblies, structure and regulation of the cytoskeleton, microtubule dynamics, human transcriptional initiation machinery, biophysics.
Research Profile

Daniel Normura, Associate Professor. Chemistry, molecular and cell biology, nutritional sciences and toxicology, metabolism, chemical biology, cancer, drug discovery, chemoproteomics, metabolomics.
Research Profile

Eunyong Park, Assistant Professor. Protein function, Structural Biology, biochemistry, membrane proteins.
Research Profile

Nipam Patel, Professor. Genetics, evolution, crustaceans, insects, arthropods, homeotic (Hox) genes, segmentation, embryonic pattern formation, neural patterning.
Research Profile

Daniel A. Portnoy, Professor. Mammalian cells, molecular and cellular basis of microbial pathogenesis, defense against infection, listeria monocytogenes, cell biology of infection, mechanisms of secretion.
Research Profile

Michael Rape, Professor. Cancer, protein degradation, siRNA, Berkeley Screening Center.
Research Profile

David H. Raulet, Professor. Biology, pathogens, viruses, T-cell development and function, natural killer (NK) cells, lymphocyte receptors, microorganisms, cancer cells, tumor immunity.
Research Profile

+ Jasper D. Rine, Professor. Biology, cell biology, DNA replication, gene regulation, saccharomyces cerevisiae, genetic analysis, genome, cholesterol biosynthetic pathway, modification of proteins, prenylated proteins.
Research Profile

Donald C. Rio, Professor. Molecular genetics, drosophila melanogaster, transposable elements, RNA splicing, nucleic acid rearrangement reactions, P elements and their cellular host, HIV, proteomic diversification, nucleoprotein complexes.
Research Profile

Ellen Robey, Professor. Fate determination in the T-lymphocyte lineage, T cell development in the mouse, thymic development, cellular maturation, parasitic infection, chronic infection, host-pathogen interactions, Toxoplasma gondii.
Research Profile

Henk Roelink, Associate Professor. Stem cells, neural development, embryonic induction.
Research Profile

Daniel S. Rokhsar, Professor. Biology, collective phenomena and ordering in condensed matter and biological systems, theoretical modeling, computational modeling, behavior of quantum fluids, cold atomic gases, high temperature superconductors, Fermi and Bose systems.
Research Profile

Kaoru Saijo, Assistant Professor. Neurodevelopmental disorders, neuropsychiatric disease, neurodegenerative disease, immunology, pathogenesis.
Research Profile

David Savage, Associate Professor. Synthetic biology and metabolism.
Research Profile

David Schaffer, Professor. Neuroscience, biomolecular engineering, bioengineering, stem cell biology, gene therapy.
Research Profile

Randy W. Schekman, Professor. Saccharomyces cerevisiae, organelle assembly, intracellular protein transport, assembly of cellular organelles, Alzheimer's Disease.
Research Profile

Kristin Scott, Professor. Nerve cell connectivity in developing nervous systems, taste perception in the fruit fly, taste neural circuits, sensory maps in the brain.
Research Profile

Bill Sha, Associate Professor. B cell gene regulation, fate determination, gene regulatory pathways, antibody-secreting plasma cells, memory B cells, apoptotic cells, B7 costimulatory ligands.
Research Profile

Sarah Stanley, Assistant Professor. Mechanisms of pathogenesis and immune subversion in tuberculosis, protective immunity to tuberculosis, metabolic interactions between hosts and pathogens, development of novel therapeutics for tuberculosis, scientific capacity building, tuberculosis.
Research Profile

Jeremy W. Thorner, Professor. Biochemistry, molecular genetics, cell biology, signal transduction mechanisms, protein kinase function and regulation, GPCRs, membrane biology, control of cell growth/morphology and division, regulation of gene expression by extracellular stimuli.
Research Profile

Denis Titov, Assistant Adjunct Professor.

Robert T. Tjian, Professor. Eukaryotic molecular biology, biochemistry, cellular differentiation, chromatin function, RNA synthesis, single cell imaging, single molecule imaging.
Research Profile

Elcin Unal, Assistant Professor. Gametogenesis, genetics, genomics and development.
Research Profile

Russell E. Vance, Professor. Immunology, microbiology, infectious disease, molecular and cell biology.
Research Profile

David A. Weisblat, Professor. Annelid developmental biology, leech embryo, evolution and development, cell fate determination, lineage tracingt.
Research Profile

Matthew D. Welch, Professor. Biology, cell motility, the role of the actin cytoskeleton in cell locomotion, shape change, actin filament assembly, bacterial and viral pathogens.
Research Profile

Astar Winoto, Professor. Cancer, genomics, apoptosis, innate immunity and infectious diseases, cell cycle, signal transduction, immune tolerance.
Research Profile

Ahmet Yildiz, Assistant Professor. Single molecule biophysics, molecular motors, telomeres.
Research Profile

Qiang Zhou, Professor. Biochemistry of HIV gene expression, transcriptional elongation, Tat activation, stage of transcriptional elongation, HIV replication, anti-HIV therapy.
Research Profile

Roberto Zoncu, Assistant Professor. Biochemistry, biophysics, Structural Biology.
Research Profile

Lecturers

Robin W. Ball, Lecturer.

P. Robert Beatty, Lecturer.

Natalia Caporale, Lecturer.

Isabelle Le Blanc, Lecturer.

Helen Lew, Lecturer.

David E. Presti, Senior Lecturer SOE.

Steve Takata, Lecturer.

Gary Joseph Wedemayer, Lecturer.

Visiting Faculty

Tamira M. Elul, Visiting Associate Professor.

Emeritus Faculty

Mark Alper, Professor Emeritus.

Bruce N. Ames, Professor Emeritus. Molecular biology, cancer, aging, mitochondrial decay, oxidants and antioxidants, micronutrient deficiencies and DNA damage, chronic inflammation and cancer.
Research Profile

Giovanna F.-L. Ames, Professor Emeritus.

Clinton E. Ballou, Professor Emeritus.

Steven K. Beckendorf, Professor Emeritus. Genetics, biology, organogenesis, Drosophila, salivary morphogenesis.
Research Profile

David R. Bentley, Professor Emeritus.

Phyllis B. Blair, Professor Emeritus.

Beth Burnside, Professor Emeritus. Cell biology of photoreceptors, cytoskeletal motors, morphogenetic events, photomembrane turnover.
Research Profile

Richard Calendar, Professor Emeritus. Listeria monocytogenes, phage-based integration vector, Bacillus anthracis, vaccine.
Research Profile

W. Zacheus Cande, Professor Emeritus. Genetics, cell biology, microbial biology, plant biology.
Research Profile

M. J. Chamberlin, Professor Emeritus.

Alvin J. Clark, Professor Emeritus.

Thomas W. Cline, Professor Emeritus. Drosophila melanogaster, developmental genetics, sex determination.
Research Profile

R. David Cole, Professor Emeritus.

John Gerhart, Professor Emeritus. Developmental biology, Xenopus laevis, Spemann's organizer, cortical rotation, cell cycle after fertilization, vegetal materials, blastula stage, egg cytoplasm.
Research Profile

Robert M. Glaeser, Professor Emeritus.

Alexander N. Glazer, Professor Emeritus. Photosynthetic systems, phycobiliproteins, design of fluorescent probes, protein structure-function relationships, macromolecular complexes, environmental sciences, natural resource management.
Research Profile

Stuart M. Linn, Professor Emeritus. Biology, enzymology of DNA metabolism, DNA repair and replication in mammalian cells, mechanisms of DNA damage by reactive oxygen species, structure of iron: DNA complexes, DNA damage and repair, DNA polymerases.
Research Profile

Robert I. Macey, Professor Emeritus.

Terry Machen, Professor Emeritus. Physiology pathophysiology secretory epithelial cells, airway, ion transport, cell regulationm, imaging microscopy, calcium pH redox, electrophysiology, green fluorescent protein, genetic targeting, innate immune defense.
Research Profile

G. Steven Martin, Professor Emeritus. Cell biology, signal transduction pathways, tumor virology, cell division cycle, viral and cellular oncoproteins, breast cancer.
Research Profile

Howard C. Mel, Professor Emeritus.

Hsiao-Ping H. Moore, Professor Emeritus.

Satyabrata Nandi, Professor Emeritus.

Alexander V. Nichols, Professor Emeritus.

Hiroshi Nikaido, Professor Emeritus. Membrane biochemistry, bacterial physiology, bacteria, channel-forming proteins of the outer membrane, the diffusion of lipophilic compounds, mechanism and regulation of multidrug efflux transport systems, mycobacterial cell wall.
Research Profile

W. Geoffrey Owen, Professor Emeritus. Biology, nervous system, membrane biophysics, retinal neurophysiology.
Research Profile

Edward E. Penhoet, Professor Emeritus. Public health, health policy and management.
Research Profile

Mu-Ming Poo, Professor Emeritus. Neurobiology, cellular and molecular mechanisms, axon guidance, synapse formation, activity-dependent refinement of neural circuits.
Research Profile

Gerald M. Rubin, Professor Emeritus. Molecular genetics, molecular neurobiology, mapping and sequencing of the drosophila genome, genome organization and function, development and evolution.
Research Profile

Harry Rubin, Professor Emeritus. Tumor biology, cell biology, regulation of neoplastic development, epithelial cells, oncogenic mutations, tumor development, RNA and DNA tumor viruses.
Research Profile

Howard K. Schachman, Professor Emeritus. Physical biochemistry, biological macromolecules, aspartate transcarbamylase, revisiting allostery, holoenzyme, mutations, polypeptide chains, helical regions.
Research Profile

+ Nilabh Shastri, Professor Emeritus. Cancer cells, mechanims of immunesurveillance, microbial pathogens, antigen genes, autoimmunity.
Research Profile

Herbert H. Srebnik, Professor Emeritus.

Frank S. Werblin, Professor Emeritus. Retina, biological image processing, visual neuroscience.
Research Profile

Gerald Westheimer, Professor Emeritus. Neurobiology, psychophysics, primate visual cortex, neural circuits, brain mechanisms, response modifications, active perception, learning, stereoscopic vision, optometryoptics of the eye, ophthalmic instrumentation.
Research Profile

Fred H. Wilt, Professor Emeritus. Molecular embryology, cell biology, the regulation of gene expression, of sea urchin embryos, blastomeres, endoskeletal spicule of the larva, glycoproteins, immunoelectron microscopy, fluorescent labeling.
Research Profile

Leon Wofsy, Professor Emeritus.

Robert S. Zucker, Professor Emeritus. Synaptic transmission, cellular neurophysiology, synaptic biophysics, properties of neural circuits, photolysis, vital dyes of vesicle membrane, electrophysiological techniques, neuromodulator.
Research Profile

Contact Information

Department of Molecular and Cell Biology

3060 Valley Life Sciences Bldg

Phone: 510-642-2651

mcbchair@berkeley.edu

Visit Department Website

Undergraduate Advising

Undergraduate Affairs Office

3060 Valley Life Sciences Building

Phone: 510-643-8895

mcbuao@berkeley.edu

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