The Department of Biochemistry is devoted to the pursuit of the highest standards in biomedical research and education. We employ approximately 55 people, including 13 faculty members who train 15-20 graduate students annually through extramurally funded research projects and a selection of formal courses, tutorials, and laboratory research. In addition, research projects of the faculty serve as training ground, in the form of internships, for college undergraduates, medical students, high school students, and teachers who are seeking a meaningful experience in laboratory research.
Areas of research strength in the department include Nucleic Acids Biochemistry (genomics, DNA and RNA binding proteins, structure and function of RNA, control of gene expression, DNA replication, and chromosome dynamics), Protein Biochemistry (enzymology, protein structure and folding, and multi-protein machines), and the Biochemistry of Complex Carbohydrates. Graduate training in the department draws on the tools of genetics, cell biology, chemistry, biophysics, computer science, and a number of other disciplines.
Supplementing the training are state-of-the-art instrumentation facilities, a seminar program that invites 15-20 outside speakers per year, and a number of collaborative activities involving research groups at Tulane, the University of New Orleans (UNO), Xavier University, the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC) - New Orleans, and other national institutions.
