Molecular Machines Mechanism and Structure (M3S)
The goal of the Molecular Machines Mechanism and Structure (M3S) Training Program is to train students in the inner workings of the molecular switches, motors, pumps, factories, clocks, and information processors whose functions underlie all of cell biology. Faculty and students come from Biochemistry, Microbiology and Molecular Biology (BMMB), Chemistry (CHEM), and Biomedical Engineering (BME), and training focuses around three areas: structural biology, single-molecule biophysics, and computational simulations. Students will be trained to understand the molecular building blocks of these machines, the nanoscale rules by which these molecular machines operate, and the experimental and computational methodologies used to relate molecular structure to cellular function. It is not expected that students enter the program already trained in these areas; instead, the goal is to assemble a cohort of 2nd and 3rd year PhD students with diverse educational backgrounds who are motivated to learn and expand their interdisciplinary training.