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Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Microbiology Graduate PhD Program is an MIT-wide program that is designed to provide students with broad exposure to modern areas of microbiology and depth in the chosen area of thesis work. The first incoming class of students for this program will arrive in Fall 2008. These students will join a vibrant, thriving microbiology community on the MIT campus. There are more than 50 faculty in 10 different departments and divisions that study microbes. Graduate students admitted to the new Microbiology Graduate Program will be integrated into this extensive community and will receive training in a broad range of areas in microbiology.
The major components of the training program are described in detail below along with information on life as a graduate student at MIT.
Students with a particularly strong background in any of the below areas may have the option of placing out of the related course; approval of the Graduate Education Committee is required.
5. Research Rotations in Microbiology - 7.499 (Fall, IAP, Spring) Staff
Introduction to faculty participating in the Interdepartmental
Microbiology graduate program and
a series of lab rotations. During
the first year, students will rotate through three labs of MIT faculty
that participate in the Microbiology Graduate Program. These rotations
will help provide students
a broad exposure to microbiology research
and will be used to select a lab for their thesis
research by the end
of the first year. Given the interdisciplinary nature of the program
and many research programs, students may be able to work jointly with
more than one research
supervisor. Required and limited to graduate
students in the microbiology program.
Students must take three elective courses, totaling 36 units, from the following list. Electives can be chosen to provide depth in a specific area of interest or additional breadth in training. Courses from some other areas may also fulfill the requirement, with the approval of the Graduate Education committee.
Environmental Microbiology – 1.89 (Fall) (12 units) M. F. Polz
Principles of Bioinorganic Chemistry – 5.062 (Fall) (6 units) (Part I) S. J. Lippard
Chemistry of Biomolecules and Natural Product Pathways – 5.451 (Fall) (6 units) (Part I) S. E. O'Connor
Enzymes: Structure and Function – 5.50 (Fall) (12 units) J. Stubbe
Advanced Biological Chemistry – 5.52 (Fall) (12 units) A. M. Klibanov, J. Stubbe
Molecular Imaging – 5.65 (Fall) (6 units; second half) A.Y. Ting
Microbial Physiology – 7.21 (Fall) (12 units) G. Walker, B. Magasanik
Topics in Metabolic Biochemistry – 7.75J/5.77J (Fall) (12 units) Gene Brown
Systems Biology – 8.591J/7.81J (Fall) (12 units) A. Van Oudenaarden
Metabolic and Cell Engineering – 10.544 (Fall) (9 units) Gr. Stephanopoulos
Statistical Thermodynamics with Applications to Biological Systems – 10.546J/5.70J/20.465J (Fall) (12 units) A. Chakraborty, J. M. Deutch, Geo. Stephanopoulos
Advances in Bioinformatics and Metabolic Engineering – 10.977 (Fall, Spring) (6 units ) Geo. Stephanopoulos, Gr. Stephanopoulos
Systems Microbiology – 20.106J (Fall) (12 units) D. B. Schauer, E. DeLong
Analysis of Biological Networks – 20.440 (Fall) (12 units) J. Essigmann, R. Sasisekharan
Quantitative Genomics – HST508 (Fall) (12 units) L. Mirny, Course Director, I.S. Kohane, S. R. Sunyaev
Chemical Tools for Assessing Biological Function – 5.55 (6 units; half semester) or 20.485 (12 units, whole semester) (Spring) B. Imperiali and F. White
Biophysical Chemistry – 5.64 (Spring) (6 units; second half of semester) S. Licht
Biophysical Chemistry Techniques – 5.78 (6 units first half) or 7.71 (12 units whole semester) (Spring) (6 or 12 units) C. Drennan, T. Schwartz
Foundations of Algorithms and Computational Techniques in Systems Biology – 6.581J/20.482J (Spring) (12 units) B. Tidor, J. K. White
Computational Systems Biology – 6.874J/7.90J (Spring) (12 units) D Gifford, T.S. Jaakkola
Foundations of Cell Biology – 7.56 (Spring) (12 units) F. Solomon, S. Bell
Molecular Biology – 7.58 (Spring) (12 units) T. Baker & S. Bell
Immunology – 7.63 (Spring) (12 units) Lisa Steiner, Jianzhu Chen, Hidde Ploegh
Regulation of Gene Expression – 7.70 (Spring) (12 units) Gerald Fink & staff
Foundations of Computational and Systems Biology – 7.91J/20.490J (Spring) (12 units) M. Yaffe, A. Keating, C. Burge
Biochemical Engineering – 10.542 (Spring) (12 units) CL Cooney, DIC Wang, KJ Prather
Advances in Bioinformatics and Metabolic Engineering – 10.977 (Fall, Spring) (6 units) Geo. Stephanopoulos, Gr. Stephanopoulos
Molecular and Cellular Pathophysiology – 20.450 (Spring) (12 units) D. B. Schauer, L. Samson
Tools for Assessing Biological Function – 20.485(Spring) (12 units) B. Imperiali, F. White
During the first year, students will rotate through three labs of MIT faculty that participate in the Microbiology Graduate Program. These rotations will help provide students broad exposure to microbiology research and will be used to select a lab for their thesis research by the end of the first year. Given the interdisciplinary nature of the program and many research programs, students may be able to work jointly with more than one research supervisor.
Learning to effectively communicate scientific ideas is an important skill. Students in the Microbiology program will have an opportunity to improve their communication skills through teaching. Each student will serve as a teaching assistant for one semester in an undergraduate or graduate subject related to microbiology. This will typically take place in the second year.
All students will participate in a course on the ethical conduct of research. This will typically take place during the first year.
Students will proceed to Ph.D. candidacy after successful completion of a qualifying exam, typically during the second year. Students will submit a written research proposal in the style of a grant or fellowship application based on their planned thesis project. Students will then present and discuss the research proposal with a small committee of faculty.
In the first year, students will be advised by members of the graduate committee. Once students join a thesis lab, the research mentor will be the primary advisor. Early in the second year, students will form a thesis committee and meet at least annually. The committee will consist of faculty with expertise in the student's area of research and collectively provide the breadth expected by the program. The thesis committee will primarily provide advice on research. In addition, in the student's early years the thesis committee will also provide advice on course-work to ensure that students have the appropriate breadth and depth for his or her educational program. In later years, the graduate and thesis committees will also provide students with advice on career options.
All students in the program will receive a stipend that is sufficient to support living in the Cambridge/Boston area. The stipend will be approximately the same as for graduate students in other MIT departments, which is ~$29,000 in 2008-2009.
Students in the program will be financially supported throughout their training. This support includes tuition, stipend, and health insurance.
During the first year, students are supported by funds from the School of Science, the School of Engineering, the Provost's Office, and the Departments of Biological Engineering, Biology, Chemical Engineering, and Chemistry. In subsequent years, students will be supported as Research Assistants in their thesis lab.
Although students will be supported, they are strongly encouraged to apply for fellowships. Students applying to the Microbiology program are eligible for many of these fellowships, including those detailed on the following websites:
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
National Defense Science & Engineering Graduate Fellowship (NDSEG)
Under-represented minorities should also see these websites:
Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI)
Additionally, student can visit the Graduate Students Office website which has a comprehensive listing.
Living in the Boston/Cambridge area offers students a wide range of activities and opportunities outside the lab. MIT has a number of community and student groups, sponsors an extensive intramural sports program, and provides access to excellent athletic facilities. Boston and Cambridge are also rich in cultural activities, the arts, museums, theater, sports, and more. Cape Cod, New Hampshire, and Vermont are all just a couple of hours and less away, offering fantastic skiing, hiking, beach, and other outdoor activities. For more information about life at MIT, visit some of these websites:
Graduate students have the option of living on-campus or off-campus. Upon admission to the program, students will receive housing information. In addition, see the Housing at MIT website.
Boston and Cambridge offer excellent public transportation options for getting around, commuting, and accessing Boston's Logan International Airport. The MBTA runs an extensive subway and bus system and MIT offers subsidized T-passes. For more information, see the MIT Parking and Transportation website.
See this separate section for complete information on applying to the MIT Microbiology Graduate Program.
