The Department of Biochemistry at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana has for more than 60 years trained outstanding graduate students in biochemistry, cell and molecular biology. The Department is currently home to 17 faculty members, 33 graduate students, and 20 support staff. Research facilities for the Department of Biochemistry are located in the Biochemistry Building and in two adjacent buildings, Whistler Hall and the Hansen Life Sciences Research Building.

Research Support

The ability to obtain national research grants is essential to provide support for graduate students. Research in the Department of Biochemistry is supported by faculty grants from the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, the American Chemical Society, the American Cancer Society, the United States Department of Agriculture, the American Heart Association, and selected industry sources.

A wide variety of exciting research opportunities is available to graduate students in the Biochemistry Department. Research interests of our faculty range from fundamental problems in cellular physiology and organization such as gene regulation, RNA and protein structure, enzyme mechanisms, metabolism, and signal transduction, to important health and societal issues such as human disease and biofuels. Our research takes advantage of powerful model systems including viruses, bacteria, protozoa, yeast and plants, and a broad range of modern tools and techniques drawn from the disciplines of chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology, cell biology and genetics. The department offers a stimulating and collegial atmosphere where scientific ideas and techniques are freely shared. In addition to their advisor and labmates, students interact with other faculty members and researchers throughout the department.  Moreover, many of our faculty and graduate students collaborate with life scientists in other departments or programs at Purdue and other institutions in the US and abroad. These dynamic interactions greatly enrich the training experience. Summaries of individual research programs can be accessed through the faculty pages.