About Us
Department Profile
The Department of Microbiology and Cell Science is committed to excellence in education, research and service to the community. B.S. degrees are offered through both the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees are offered through the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.
The building is housed in Building 981 on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, Fl. This 66,000 square foot building was constructed in 1994 and is thoroughly equipped with offices, classroom laboratories and with the instruments and resources necessary for research in modern biochemistry and molecular biology.
With an enrollment of approximately 1000 undergraduate majors, we are one of the largest undergraduate science program at the University of Florida, and the largest microbiology program in the country. There are 24 students in our graduate program with the majority of them pursuing the Ph.D. degree. All full-time students in our graduate program are supported by assistantships or fellowships.
Currently there are 17 tenure eligible faculty positions staffed, 8 non-tenure eligible faculty, 16 post-doctoral fellows, 24 graduate students, 22 office and technical staff, and 2 full time undergraduate academic advisors. Most faculty are involved in both teaching and research programs that complement one another. The faculty's research programs span areas of broad interest in the cellular and molecular aspects bacterial, plant and animal life functions. Areas of research include:
- Microbial physiology, metabolism and regulation
- Molecular biology
- Molecular genetics
- Immunology
- Virology
- Host-pathogen interactions
- Cellular ultrastructure
- Environmental microbiology
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Undergraduate Education
Degrees
The Department of Microbiology and Cell Science offers a B.S. degree through either the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences or the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The curriculum prepares students to meet their goals, which include professional careers in microbiology, or continuation of their education in professional programs such as medical, dental, pharmacy, veterinary or graduate school. The Combined B.S./M.S. degree is also available through the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.
Curriculum
The curriculum is composed of a diverse offering of courses in areas of microbiology and cell biology. Core courses are required of all majors while additional course requirements are met by departmental elective courses which allow undergraduate majors to concentrate in areas of interest or to meet future career goals.
All lecture courses offered by the department are taught by faculty with doctorate degrees. Most laboratory courses are taught by faculty with graduate student assistants. Academically qualified students with interests in research are encouraged to participate in faculty research programs through the Undergraduate Research course.
Course Requirements
Success in the major requires a strong foundation in biology, chemistry, math, and physics. All students majoring in Microbiology and Cell Science are required to complete Principles of Microbiology (MCB3023) and Principles of Microbiology Laboratory (MCB3023L) at the University of Florida. This course is a prerequisite for most other required core and departmental elective courses in the major. Microbiology related courses taken at the community college cannot be used for core or departmental elective credits.
More Information
Detailed information about the Microbiology and Cell Science undergraduate degree program can be found under Information for Students, Undergraduate
Graduate Education
Degrees
The Department of Microbiology and Cell Science offers an excellent education for students who wish to earn the M.S. or Ph.D. degrees. Graduates are well prepared to pursue careers in research and teaching in microbiology, cell biology, cellular biochemistry and molecular genetics.
Research
Areas of research emphasis include microbial anaerobic metabolism and fermentation, microbial nitrogen metabolism, molecular mechanisms regulating enzyme synthesis and activity, biochemical aspects of cell differentiation and development, structure/function of cell walls and microbial glycohydrolases, molecular biology of plant metabolic processes, immunology virology and environmental microbiology.
Assistantships
The department offers half-time teaching and research assistantships for twelve months for both M.S. and Ph.D. candidates. It is the department's intention to offer assistantships to support all full time graduate students and to provide tuition waivers for graduate students awarded assistantships. The current stipend are $21,000 plus tuition waivers.
Applicants with outstanding credentials may be nominated for competitive Graduate School or College of Agriculture assistantships or fellowships. Fellowships available to graduate students at the University of Florida are described on the Graduate Fellowship Initiative page. Additional graduate student support is available from individual faculty's research grants.
Faculty Involvement
The departmental graduate program emphasizes the stimulation of creativity and development of reasoning and deductive skills. Our aim is to develop young scientists who are well versed in research, teaching and communication skills and are prepared to take their place in the scientific community to become recognized contributors in their areas of expertise.
Course & Laboratory Requirements
Each student's program is directed by a faculty thesis or dissertation committee and a faculty adviser to assist in the research project and selection of appropriate courses. Students in the M.S. or Ph.D. degree programs are required to take three graduate Biochemistry courses and additional graduate courses in their area of specialty as selected by their supervisory committee. As part of the development of teaching and communication skills, graduate students are also required to participate in laboratory instruction.
Degree Requirements
Completion of the degree requirements usually requires two to three years for the M.S. degree and four to five years for the Ph.D. degree. Graduates of our program typically go on to careers in academics or industry.
More Information
Detailed information about the Microbiology and Cell Science graduate degree programs can be found under Information for Students, Graduate.
