Forest Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology (FMGB)
Graduate students interested in Forest Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology come from a wide variety of backgrounds, including such areas as forestry, biology, zoology, microbiology, agricultural sciences, wildlife, entomology, pathology, soil sciences, applied mathematics and statistics, computer science, physics, and chemistry. These graduate degrees emphasize intensive hands-on molecular biology research matched with excellent laboratory, greenhouse, and field trial facilities, producing a student with a solid understanding of growth and developmental processes in trees and other life forms. Study prepares students for leadership in either the public or private sector with career development in the fields of biotechnology, molecular medicine, molecular genetics, forest and ecological genetics, and forest bioinformatics.
Individual student programs vary according to the backgrounds and career objectives of the students. Programs of study are developed to include courses in a particular career area coupled with a strong background in laboratory methods. While in graduate school, students are encouraged to attend national conferences, local seminars, and to interact with scientists from the nearby USDA Forest Service research station and Isle Royale National Park. Most of our faculty are also members of Biotechnology Research Center, a campus-wide biotechnology research network.
Graduate studies in Forest Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology research leads to the following degrees:
Master of Science in Forest Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology
Doctor of Philosophy in Forest Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology
Potential topic areas within our programs are:
Bioinformatics
Biotechnology
Cellulose biosynthesis
Climate Change and forest productivity
Demographic and genetic elements of population biology
Phenylpropanoid metabolism
Functional genomics
Gibberellins metabolism and signal transduction pathways
Molecular regulation of growth and defense tradeoffs
Lignin biosynthesis
Microarray profiling
Molecular biology of adventitious and lateral root formation
Molecular ecology
Mycorrhizal community dynamics
Small RNA (microRNA) regulation of wood formation
Wood Formation
Woody plant tissue culture and transformation
