Welcome to the Department of Biochemistry

Our department is committed to the development of new scientists and researchers. The faculty are internationally recognized researchers who work at the cutting edge of science, maintaining externally funded laboratories that investigate an array of exciting questions. We have both a strong undergraduate major and a thriving graduate program in Biochemistry, and many of our significant discoveries are being made by undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral researchers working closely with our faculty. We invite you to explore what we have to offer, bring us your curiousity and your talent, and join us in our search for answers.

Here are a few areas in which we are making an impact:

• Active Learning
• Bioinformatics
• Bioremediation
• Cancer and Disease
• Cellular Signaling
• Metabolism
• Molecular Genetics
• Plant Sciences
• Problem Based Learning
• Protein Structure and Function
• Redox Biology

 

BIOCHEMISTRY DEPARTMENT HIGHLIGHTS
"STRENGTHENING OUR BIOCHEMICAL BONDS"

SCARLET
Jan 28th, 2010 | By admin | Category: Campus News, Issue, January 28, 2010

"UCARE celebrates 10 years of extending research opportunities to undergraduates"

A program initiated a decade ago has led to a fundamental shift in research opportunities for undergraduates at UNL.

Since enlisting the first 100 students in 2000, the Undergraduate Creative Activities and Research Experience program has offered a hands-on research experience to more than 2,500 UNL students. Nearly 80 percent of all participating UCARE students have gone on to seek graduate degrees. More than 800 faculty from 70-plus departments have participated in the program. And 40 of the original 100 faculty members have taken part in each of the last 10 years.

An obvious success story – and the focus of a Jan. 28 celebration – the UCARE program was iffy when originally proposed.

“You could say there was a lot of skepticism,” said Rick Edwards, who was senior vice chancellor for academic affairs when he proposed the UCARE concept. “Undergrads reported that they wanted to take classes and just weren’t interested in this research stuff. And, faculty were worried about having to spend time training undergrads who may not be serious enough to do the research.”

Biochemistry professor Madhavan Soundararajan (left) works with UCARE student Ashley Sternhagen at the gas isotope ratio mass spectrometer in his lab in the Beadle Center. Soundararajan has participated in the UCARE program every year since its 2000 start. Photo by Craig Chandler/University Communications.

At the time of the proposal, UNL administrators, faculty and staff were debating the merits of ramping up research efforts on campus. Edwards said the discussion helped showcase the benefits of pairing undergraduates with research endeavors.

“Faculty liked the idea of increased research, but said it would mean less teaching time and we should prepare for complaints from undergraduates,” said Edwards, an economics professor. “The last thing anyone wanted was students reporting to parents, brothers, sisters, local newspapers and anyone else that they couldn’t get into a class because the professor was doing research.

“What we needed was a program that offered benefits to both faculty and students.”

UCARE is modeled after similar programs at other major research universities – including one that Edwards saw flourish when he was dean of Arts and Sciences at the University of Kentucky. But UCARE is unique, offering two years of student assistance where many other university programs are a single year.

The two-year concept helped facilitate faculty buy in. In the first year, the student is trained and works on the faculty’s research project. In the second year, students are allowed to pursue their own research project (linked to the faculty member’s research or creative activity).

“To be honest, one of the main reasons I took part in UCARE at first was because it helped stretch our funding further,” said Madhavan Soundararajan, professor of practice in biochemsitry. “We had supported undergraduates with our own funding from grants for years. When I learned UCARE would pay students for the work, I knew it was going to be a great way to promote using undergraduates for research.”

Along with getting paid, students gain by collecting resume-building experience. The students also present a poster based on their research/creative activity efforts during UNL’s annual Undergraduate Research Conference. And, the work often leads to a senior thesis and/or direction for obtaining graduate or doctoral degrees.

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