Predoctoral Training Program in Chemistry & Biology

描述（由申请人提供）：芝加哥大学生物化学与分子生物学系（BMB）和化学系（Chem）提议继续和扩展一个跨学科的博士前培训项目，该项目针对化学和生物科学的界面。该方案强调交叉与综合和机械的重点。在首席研究员与教员指导委员会和由教员参与者指定的联合主任/联合首席研究员密切协商的指导下，该项目通过教员招聘和跨学科科学新课程的引入进行了显著扩展。九名教师在BMB任职，七名在化学，病理学和神经生物学，药理学和生理学各一名教师组成了该计划的教学部分。自六年前该项目启动以来，已经招募了七名新教员。交叉训练是通过以下方式实现的：(1)圆满完成其他科学学科部门的两门选修课；(2)研究生第一学年春季学期，在其他学科的参与教师指导下进行选修研究轮转；(3)由主要研究指导老师与其他部门的联合指导老师协调指导学生，直至博士论文答辩；(4)在整个学年中，参加一系列名为“化学与生物界面讨论”的月度会议，以熟悉理论概念和方法。通过合作研究项目和互动，加强了教师跨学科研究兴趣的广泛范围，确保了有意义的交叉培训经验的各种机会。与六年前致力于跨学科研究和教学的最初的小核心教师相比，该计划目前享有广泛的教师支持，并为培养化学和生物学界面的前沿研究的学生提供了有利的环境。在接下来的10个月里，所有参与BMB和化学系的实验室都将搬迁到新的跨部门研究所，这将大大增强这一点。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (BMB) and the Department of Chemistry (Chem) at The University of Chicago propose continuation and expansion of an interdisciplinary, predoctoral training program directed at the interface of the chemical and biological sciences. The program emphasizes crosstraining with a synthetic and mechanistic focus. Under the direction of the Principal Investigator in close consultation with a faculty Steering Committee and the co-director/co-principal investigator designated by faculty participants, the program has undergone significant expansion through faculty recruitment and introduction of new courses in interdisciplinary science. Nine faculty members with appointments in BMB, seven in Chem, and one each in the Departments of Pathology and of Neurobiology, Pharmacology, & Physiology form the teaching component of the program. Seven new faculty members have been recruited to the program since its initiation six years ago. Cross-training is achieved by: (1) satisfactory completion of two courses in the department of the other scientific discipline as electives; (2) an elective research rotation under the guidance of a participating faculty member in the other discipline upon initial appointment to the program in the Spring Quarter of the first year of graduate study; (3) coordinated mentoring of student-trainees by the primary research advisor together with a co-advisor of the other department up to the time of the final Ph. D. oral defense; and (4) participation in a series of monthly meetings throughout the academic year designated as "Discussions at the Interface of Chemistry & Biology" to gain acquaintance with theoretical concepts and methods. The broad scope of the interdisciplinary research interests of the faculty, strengthened through collaborative research projects and interactions, ensures a large variety of opportunities for a meaningful cross-training experience. In contrast to the initial, small nucleus of faculty committed to cross-disciplinary research and teaching six years ago, the program presently enjoys broad faculty support and offers a supportive environment for training of students in cutting-edge research at the interface of chemistry and biology. This will be significantly enhanced through relocation of the laboratories of all participating BMB and Chem faculty into the new Institute for Interdivisional Research over the next 10-month period.