Student Work
When senior Aleena Garner began her time at the UO, she was interested in psychology and understanding how the brain works. As she continued her college studies, she followed her expanding interest by exploring biochemistry. “If you want to understand the brain, you have to know behavior and biochemistry,” Garner says. “So I picked up a biochemistry major.”
Garner was fascinated in human development and after looking online for what research was being conducted on campus, she went to speak with Professor Bruce Bowerman about his research. She worked with Bowerman in the Molecular Genetics lab for more than two years, where she researched embryogenesis and cloned genes.
“The way the science classes teach you to think is beneficial in a lot of areas because it’s analytical reasoning,” Garner says. “It gives you a different perspective on how to look at things.”
Selected Faculty Work
Professor Diane Hawley teaches biochemistry and molecular biology. Her research group is interested in the enzymology of RNA polymerases and the mechanisms by which eukaryotic transcription is regulated.
Professor Ken Doxsee developed the green organic chemistry lab along with Assistant Professor Jim Hutchison and a team of graduate students. Doxsee’s research group carries out work in organic and organometallic synthesis and in solid-state organic and inorganic chemistry, focusing on “crystal engineering” issues.
Assistant professor Beatrice Darimont’s research interests include regulatory mechanisms that constitute nuclear receptor-dependent signaling pathways. She teaches biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology, biophysical chemistry, and structural biology.
Assistant professor Karen Guillemin’s research interest is in how bacteria interact with their animal hosts in disease and in normal development. She delves into understanding the molecular nature of the bacterial-host dialogue that determines disease outcome.
Associate professor Andrew Marcus instructs students in physical chemistry. His research group aims to achieve an improved understanding of complexity in polymer, colloid, and bio-membrane materials.
Professor Tom Stevens teaches biochemistry, membrane biogenesis, protein sorting and secretion, and organelle assembly. His research group is concerned with the process of protein sorting and membrane organelle assembly in yeast cells.
Professor Peter von Hippel uses physical biochemical approaches to study the “molecular basis of gene expression.” He instructs students in biophysical chemistry and molecular biology.
Assistant professor Andy Berglund researches how introns are recognized in the process of pre-mRNA splicing. He teaches biochemistry, molecular biology, and biophysics.
Career Prospects
The biochemistry major is a good choice for students planning to enter a profession in the health sciences (medicine, dentistry, clinical chemistry, biotechnology, genetics, pharmacology, physiology, and toxicology) and in related fields such as forensic science and cell biology.
Industrial employers include chemical companies, food processing plants, drug manufacturers, cosmetics, and agricultural chemical companies.
Research-oriented biochemists work in hospitals, universities, and both governmental and private research labs.