The biochemistry & molecular biology program at Dickinson is a rigorous course of study focusing on the junctions between the chemical and biological sciences. Students explore a wide array of topics, including gene regulation, protein structure and function, intermediary metabolism, genetics, developmental genomics, medical biochemistry and thermodynamics.

Jointly sponsored by the chemistry and biology departments, this major focuses on the rapidly expanding field of DNA research and biochemistry. Majors are directly involved in research projects, either on campus or at approved off-campus laboratories. Dickinson faculty members maintain active research programs in both fields, so students learn up-to-date techniques from active practitioners.

The program is interdisciplinary, requiring coursework in both the chemistry and biology departments. The goal of the program is to train students broadly in the biochemical sciences while providing practical laboratory-based research experiences , all to prepare students to succeed in graduate or professional schools.

Contact Info

Chair

Dana SomersAssociate Professor of Biology

Department Coordinator

Janice Wiss

Phone

717-245-1329

Fax

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Location

Rector North 1301 - Rector Science Complex Mailing Address

Department Features


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Study Abroad
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Current Courses
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Student-Faculty Research


Student Outcomes

Where Our Students Go From Here

Jobs:

  • Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
  • LGH Pulmonary Associates
  • Thomas Jefferson University, Vickie & Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience
  • Michigan Medicine at the University of Michigan
  • MIT, Jacks Lab at the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research
  • Genocea
  • Massachusetts General Hospital
  • Thomas Jefferson University Department of Neurology

Graduate Schools:

  • Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science’s Chicago Medical School
  • National Institutes of Health (NIH) IRTA (postbac)
  • NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (postbac)
  • University of Oregon
  • Duke University
  • University of Glasgow
  • St. George's University School of Veterinary Medicine
  • Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine
  • University of Maryland School of Medicine
  • Columbia University 
Where Our Students Have Interned
  • Johns Hopkins Medicine, Drug Discovery
  • Comprehensive Rural Health Project (CRHP), Jamkhed, Maharashtra, India
  • Hastings Research Laboratory, Loyola University Maryland
  • Boston Children's Hospital
  • Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
  • University of Alabama at Birmingham, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care
  • National Institutes of Health's Endocrine Oncology Branch
  • UPMC Pinnacle Carlisle Hospital
  • Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation
  • Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research

Student Perspective

"At Dickinson, I have had the valuable opportunity to be involved in original research with professors. I have been able to take classes outside of the sciences, giving me a well-rounded education that will be useful in life after graduation. Through my Dickinson experiences studying abroad and as a student-athlete, I have also developed a broader mindset, and better time-management, organization and collaboration skills. I have formed amazing relationships with both faculty and students during my time here, and I know that these relationships will also carry into the future."

—Erin Harten ’19, now in grad school at Duke University studying biomedical engineering


Biochemistry and Molecular Biology News

All News Department News
Student Snapshot: Galil Cohen ’23

Student Snapshot: Galil Cohen ’23

“Studying immunology in the midst of the COVID pandemic has made for especially relevant lessons,” says Galil Cohen ’23, a biochemistry & molecular biology major and a Red Devil soccer player.

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Student Snapshot: Conor Wagner ’24

Student Snapshot: Conor Wagner ’24

Biochemistry & molecular biology major Conor Wagner ’24 discusses his plans to become a physician, the international field-research Mosaic course that yielded meaningful insights, and more.

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Supporting Service

Supporting Service

Inspired by granddaughter Laney Herndon '22, Albert '60 and Virginia Alley established a program to make health-focused service trips available to students planning related careers.

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Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Major Jobs and Graduate School Acceptances 2022

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Major Jobs and Graduate School Acceptances 2022

Graduating seniors secure jobs at LabWare, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the National Institutes of Health and others.

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Sharing Scientific Research—and Passion

Sharing Scientific Research—and Passion

Students present original scientific research on everything from the geoarchaeology of stone steps to the impact of climate change on snapping turtles.

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Dickinson Students Research End-of-Life Care in Netherlands, U.S.

Dickinson Students Research End-of-Life Care in Netherlands, U.S.

Eleven students researched end-of-life issues and care in the Netherlands during spring break. What they learned was surprising, and it may enhance their future lives and careers.

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