Training in the Molecular Biophysics and Structural Biology

描述（由申请人提供）：该提案寻求资金支持和扩展跨学科博士前项目，该项目帮助具有定量物理科学背景的学生做好概念化、开展和指导分子生物物理学和结构生物学独立研究的准备。该分子生物物理学和结构生物学（MBSB）项目非常重视跨学科的合作研究，在这种环境下研究对人类健康的实际影响得到重视，并有助于指导和推动基础研究。培训教师由 40 名独立研究人员组成，分布于匹兹堡大学医学院、艺术与科学学院以及卡内基梅隆大学的 14 个系。培训教师队伍由一大批在研究生培训、资助和出版方面拥有良好记录的高级成员和一小部分初级教师组成，他们为团队带来了新的想法和技术专长。培训教师的研究项目不仅强调生物分子现象的表征，而且强调新方法的开发。在课程的每个阶段，重点都放在物理方法和生物学理解之间的关系。该研究集中在生物分子科学具有挑战性的前沿核心领域，包括膜蛋白、蛋白质-蛋白质相互作用和寡聚复合物、核酸结构和蛋白质-核酸相互作用、结构不良的蛋白质元件、蛋白质错误折叠和聚集以及小分子配体-蛋白质相互作用。培训计划包括第一年的核心课程，介绍生物物理仪器和方法，如何使用这些仪器和方法解决特定的分子问题，介绍生物分子行为的理论和模拟，以及统计分析和计算机编程课程。学生综合和创造性地利用课堂所学知识的能力将通过资格考试进行测试，该考试要求他们构建和捍卫与自己实验室工作无关的研究计划。通过考试后，学生可以继续开发和开展他们的论文项目。学生必须参加每周的期刊/数据俱乐部，并参加邀请当地和国家演讲者参加的分子生物物理学研讨会系列。还鼓励学生参加一些当地的年度科学会议。该应用程序提出了 MBSB 项目的新特​​色，包括激励开发共同指导、合作论文项目以及在 MBSB 研究生项目内设置的每年一次有大量学生参与的小型研讨会。还鼓励学生利用医学院丰富的环境参加人类疾病分子方面的研讨会。我们正在申请资金来支持六名实习生，目的是培养新一代分子生物物理学家，他们将成为未来在物理和分子水平上理解正常和异常人类生物学的领导者。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal seeks funding to support and extend an interdisciplinary predoctoral program that prepares students with strong backgrounds in quantitative physical sciences to conceptualize, conduct, and direct independent research in molecular biophysics and structural biology. This Molecular Biophysics and Structural Biology (MBSB) program places a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary, collaborative research in an environment where the practical human health consequences of research are appreciated and contribute to guiding and driving basic research. The training faculty consists of 40 independent investigators spread over 14 departments within the School of Medicine and the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh and within Carnegie Mellon University. The training faculty comprises a large group of senior members who have strong records in graduate training, funding, and publication, and a smaller contingent of junior faculty who bring new ideas and technical expertise to the group. The research programs of training faculty emphasize not only characterization of biomolecular phenomena but also development of new methodologies. At every stage of the curriculum, emphasis is placed on the relationship between physical methods and biological understanding. The research is concentrated in core areas at the challenging forefront of biomolecular science, including membrane proteins, protein-protein interactions and oligomeric complexes, nucleic acid structure and protein-nucleic acid interactions, poorly structured protein elements, protein misfolding and aggregation, and small molecule ligand - protein interactions. The training program includes a first year core curriculum featuring an introduction to biophysical instrumentation and methods, how these are used to address specific molecular questions, an introduction to theory and simulation of biomolecular behavior, and courses on statistical analysis and computer programming. Student's abilities to synthesize and creatively utilize what they have learned in the classroom are tested in a qualifying exam that requires them to construct and defend a research proposal not related to their own laboratory work. After passing this exam students move on to develop and pursue their thesis project. Students are required to participate in a weekly journal/data club and to attend a Molecular Biophysics seminar series featuring invited local and national speakers. Students are also encouraged to participate in several local, annual science meetings. This application proposes special features new to the MBSB program including incentives to develop co-mentored, collaborative thesis projects and an annual mini-symposium, with significant student participation, set within the MBSB graduate program. Students are also encouraged to take advantage of the rich environment of the School of Medicine to attend seminars in molecular aspects of human disease. We are requesting funds to support six traineeships with the goal to train a new generation of molecular biophysicists who will be leaders in future efforts to understand normal and abnormal human biology at the physical and molecular level.