Research experiences build critical scientific skills that are highly valued both by employers and graduate/professional school admission committees.
All Biochemistry Majors Do Research
All biochemistry majors complete an independent research project at IUP under the direction of a faculty mentor. Two credits of research (BIOC 482) are required for graduation. See the guidelines for BIOC 482 for more information.
The research experience provides students with
- A chance to put to work knowledge gained in class
- A grasp of how new knowledge is discovered
- Confidence in analytical and experimental skills
- The opportunity to take part in the scientific process by designing and performing experiments and interpreting data
- Expanded career opportunities
Additional Research Opportunities
Students are strongly encouraged to seek out additional research experiences. There are a number of possibilities, including:
Informal research (not for course credit) this may begin as early as the first semester
Summer research experiences
Most of these programs are designed for undergraduate students who have completed two to three years of study. Two resources for finding programs are:
Summer Research Opportunities: a list of programs from the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB)
REU Search Site: search for Research Experience for Undergraduates programs supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF)
Information on specific programs:
RISE (Research Internships in Science and Engineering): a program of the German Academic Exchange Service
SURP from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine interdisciplinary Biomedical Graduate School
Internships
Sample locations of internships that IUP Biochemistry students have experienced:
Allegheny General Hospital
U.S. Department of Agriculture
National Institutes of Health
Merck Research Laboratory
Neogen Screening, Inc.