As Molecular Biology majors, students have the opportunity to conduct original research in the laboratories of world-class scientists. A broad range of research areas is represented among the Molecular Biology faculty; in addition, majors can pursue interdisciplinary interests by working with approved faculty in departments including Chemical and Biological Engineering, Chemistry, Computer Science, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Physics, and School of Public and International Affairs. The core of the undergraduate research experience commences with the spring semester Junior Independent Work, during which students identify and explore the research topic they will pursue for their senior thesis research. It continues with the Senior Thesis, a year-long, original research project under the supervision of a faculty adviser. An intensive summer research program between the junior and senior years is available for students pursuing laboratory-based thesis research. Research Areas Biochemistry, Biophysics & Structural Biology Biochemistry and Biophysics are the foundation of all cellular processes and systems. Biochemical processes account for the functions of cellular building blocks, from nucleic acids and proteins to lipids and metabolites, and the formation of complex networks that make a cell or system work. Cell Biology, Development & Cancer Development of metazoan organisms depends on precise cell-intrinsic controls of cell fate regulators, as well as complex intercellular communications and instructive cues from the extracellular matrices. Genetics & Genomics Underlying almost all modern approaches to biology, Genetics is both a fundamental method of inquiry and a discipline in its own right. Microbiology, Virology & Immunology Microbes will be at the heart of the solutions to the world's most pressing problems: food, energy, health, and the environment. Princeton research is therefore heavily focused on microbiology, including studies of viruses, bacteria, and yeast. Quantitative & Computational Biology The Graduate Program in Quantitative and Computational Biology (QCB) is intended to facilitate graduate education at Princeton at the interface of biology and the more quantitative sciences and computation.
