We’re one of the few programs in the country that trains in structure/function—where students learn at the molecular level and from the ground up to find the cause and cure of disease. In our program, students take the lead in their research and frequently collaborate with different labs. And the research? It’s cutting-edge in a supportive environment. See how we train the next generation of biochemists.

Considered the most prestigious award in the world, the Nobel Prize was given to two faculty in the Department of Biochemistry. In 2015, Dr. Paul Modrich received the Nobel in Chemistry for his mechanistic studies in DNA repair and in 2012, Dr. Robert Lefkowitz won the Nobel in Chemistry for his discoveries that reveal the inner workings of an important family G protein-coupled receptors.

The Yokoyama Lab is researching enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of bacterial and human cofactors, antibiotics, and anticancer agents, and the fungal cell wall targeted by FDA-approved antifungals. Their studies have elucidated many novel enzyme activities, have led to peptide discoveries that rescue cofactor deficiency disease, and have opened up new possibilities for genomics-guided antibiotic exploration.