Cell Biology

Fields include membrane traffic and protein sorting, organelle biogenesis, epithelial cell polarity, membrane function in the nervous system (synapse formation and function), neural circuit development, cell biology of protozoan parasites and of pathogen/host interactions, cell biology of the immune response, mRNA biogenesis and localization, RNA folding, non-coding RNAs, stem cells, the cytoskeleton, nuclear structure and dynamics, DNA nanostructures, cellular signaling and motility, cytokinesis. Approaches to these topics include biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology, crystallography, and single-particle electron microscopy; bacterial, yeast, Drosophila, C. elegans, and mouse genetics; immunocytochemistry and electron microscopy and tomography; live cell and super-resolution imaging.

Terminal Degrees Offered
  • PhD - Doctor of Philosophy
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Admission Requirements

Standardized Testing Requirements

GRE is not accepted.

English Language Requirement

TOEFL iBT or IELTS Academic is required of most applicants whose native language is not English. BBS requires a score of at least 600 on the paper version, 250 on the computer-based exam, and 100 on the internet-based exam. Please take the test no later than November and no earlier than 24 months prior to submitting your application. Use institution code 3987 when reporting your scores; you may enter any department code.

You may be exempt from this requirement if you have received (or will receive) an undergraduate degree from a college or university where English is the primary language of instruction, and if you have studied in residence at that institution for at least three years.

Admission Information

Cell Biology participates in the Combined Program in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS), and applicants interested in pursuing a degree in cell biology should apply to the Molecular Cell Biology, Genetics and Development Track or the Biochemistry, Quantitative Biology, Biophysics, and Structural Biology Track within BBS. 

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