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Molecular Biosciences and Biotechnology Program

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Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering

Agricultural Science 218
1955 East-West Road
Honolulu, HI 96822
Tel: (808) 956-8384
Fax: (808) 956-3542
Email:mbbe@ctahr.hawaii.edu
Web: www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/mbbe/

Faculty

*Graduate Faculty

*D. Christopher, PhD (Chair)—photosynthesis, plant biotechnology, gene regulation, genomics, protein folding
*D. Borthakur, PhD (Graduate Chair)—plant-microbe interaction, plant biotechnology
*H. Ako, PhD—aquaculture, environmental biochemistry and biotechnology
*J. P. Bingham, PhD—peptide synthesis, marine neurotoxins
*L. D. Gautz, PhD—bioproduction control and automation, electromechanical systems engineering
*A. Hashimoto, PhD—bioengineering, bioenergy
*D. M. Jenkins, PhD, PE—biosensors and bioinstrumentation
*E-S. Kan, PhD—environmental engineering, bioremediation, and bioenergy
*S. Khanal, PhD, PE—bioenergy and bio-based products; waste to energy heat and mass transport in chemically reacting ecosystems, energy conversion, bioremediation
*C. Kinoshita, PhD—heat and mass transport in chemically reacting systems, energy conversion, bioremediation
*Q. Li, PhD—bioremediation, environmental biotechnology
*P. Nerurkar, PhD—carcinogen-induced metabolic disorders and biochemical mechanisms of environmental carcinogenesis
*G. Presting, PhD—bioinformatics
*V. Stenger, PhD—particle astrophysics
*W-W. Winston Su, PhD—biochemical engineering, cell culture engineering

Graduate Faculty in Molecular Biosciences and BioEngineering

All faculty of the department are regular graduate faculty in Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering.

Cooperating Graduate Faculty

R. Allsopp, PhD—stem cells, regulation of telomerase expressor in cells
A. Alvarez, PhD—plant-pathogen interactions, biocontrol of plant diseases
A. S. Bachmann, PhD—tumor growth and cell differentiation
S. Cao, PhD—natural products therapeutics
M. Carbone, MD, PhD—cancer biology
S. Chang, PhD—vaccine development, molecular immunology
E. D. H. Cheng, PhD—hydrology, hydrolics, wind engineering
M. Cooney, PhD—marine biotechnology
H. G. de Couet, PhD—molecular biology, invertebrate biology, biotechnology
M. Dunn, PhD—molecular nutrition
T. Ernst, PhD—magnetic resonance imaging
G. Grau, PhD—marine biology
C-E. Ha, PhD—biochemistry, human serum albumin
T. Hoang, PhD—molecular microbiology
J. Hu, PhD—plant virology
S. Jun, PhD—food engineering
Y. S. Kim, PhD—animal biotechnology
C. C. Liu, PhD—bioengineering
P. S. Lorenzo, PhD—cancer biology
S. M. Masutani, PhD—thermal conversion of biomass
C. Morden, PhD—molecular systematics
L. Ndhlovu, PhD—HIV immunology
V. Nerurkar, PhD—molecular virology and epidemiology
H. L. Ng, PhD—protein structure
J. Ramos, PhD—cancer biology
C. Ray, PhD—ground water hydrology, bioremediation
R. Shohet, MD—molecular medicine
V. A. Stenger, PhD—magnetic resonance imaging
S. Sung, PhD—bioremediation
C. Tamaru, PhD—aquaculture
S. Q. Turn, PhD—biomass gasification
C. Walton, PhD—cardiovascular research
A. A. Yanagihara, PhD—biochemistry, peptide toxins
J. Yang, PhD—animal molecular biology and biotechnology
J. Yu, PhD—bioengineering, marine bioproduct development

Affiliate Graduate Faculty

A. J. Stokes, PhD—cell biology
J. Zhu, PhD—plant transformation, biotechnology

Degrees Offered: BS in biological engineering, BS in molecular biosciences and biotechnology, MS in biological engineering, MS in molecular biosciences and bioengineering, PhD in molecular biosciences and bioengineering

The Academic Program

The Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering Department (MBBE) features a multidisciplinary faculty having a broad spectrum of interests in biotechnology, molecular biology, biochemistry, and biological engineering. The department's strong basic and applied research programs and its active, internationally recognized faculty combine to provide students with exciting learning opportunities. The department houses degree-granting programs in biological engineering (BS and MS) and in molecular biosciences and bioengineering (MS and PhD), and molecular biosciences and biotechnology (BS).

Biological Engineering Program

The mission of the biological engineering (BE) program is to provide engineering students a unique opportunity to study biological systems from the engineering perspective. The biological engineering program teaches the importance of the systems approach to problem solving. Undergraduate (BS) and graduate (MS) degrees are offered in biological engineering.

Undergraduate Study

BS in Biological Engineering

The mission of the biological engineering program is to provide students a unique opportunity to study the fundamentals of engineering and biology and the application of engineering to biological systems. Example applications in biological engineering include processing of biomass for alternative energy uses or added value, bioreactor design for producing high-valued biologically-based products, bioremediation and biological treatment of wastes, and sensors and control engineering for biological systems. Undergraduates complete a comprehensive curriculum including the basic sciences (biology, chemistry, and physics), engineering mathematics, core engineering (civil, electrical, and mechanical), and fundamental and specialized biological engineering courses. Students receive integrated training in biology and engineering, culminating in a two-semester engineering design sequence.

To fulfill its mission, the BE program has four educational objectives, which describe the achievements of graduates within a few years after graduation.

  1. Use engineering skills to solve problems involving living systems to benefit society.
  2. Contribute to the design, manufacture, testing, and/or operation of systems involving biology in fields such as biotechnology, environmental systems, energy, or agriculture.
  3. Pursue professional development, e.g., attain professional licensure, earn a graduate degree, and attend professional meetings and workshops.
  4. Demonstrate strong professional ethics, effective communication, teamwork, and safe practices.
    Students are expected to demonstrate accomplishment of the following outcomes at the time of graduation:
    a. An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering.
    b. An ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data.
    c. An ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability.
    d. An ability to function on multidisciplinary teams.
    e. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems.
    f. An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility.
    g. An ability to communicate effectively.
    h. The broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context.
    i. A recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning.
    j. A knowledge of contemporary issues.
    k. An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice.

The bachelor of science in biological engineering is the only undergraduate degree offered by the program. Students benefit from small class size and one-on-one interactions with faculty.

Requirements

General Education Requirements, including the following:

  • ENG 100 or approved FW course (FW)
  • Two approved courses in Global and Multicultural Perspectives (FG)
  • ECON 120 or 130 or 131 (DS)
  • CHEM 161/161L and 162/162L or 171/171L (DP/DY)
  • PHYS 170/170L and 272/272L (DP/DY)
  • BIOL 171/171L (DB/DY)
  • MATH 241, 242, 243, and 244 (FS)
  • One Social Science course (DS)
  • Six credits Humanities, Arts, and Literatures course (DH, DA, or DL)
  • One course with focus on Contemporary Ethical Issues (E)
  • One course with focus on Hawaiian, Asian, or Pacific issues (H)
  • One course with focus on Oral Communication (O)
  • Five Writing Intensive courses (W)
  • Hawaiian or Second Language (HSL) is not required for the Biological Engineering degree

College Requirements:

  • NREM 310

Basic Engineering Requirements:

  • EE 110 or 160
  • CEE 270 and 271
  • EE 211 and ME 311
  • CEE 320 or ME 322

Biological Engineering Requirements:

  • BIOL 172/172L or MICR 351/351L or BE 120
  • Biology elective (BIOL 275/275L, MICR 351/351L, or MICR 485/485L
  • CHEM 272/272L
  • BE 260, 350/350L, 373, 481, and 482
  • At least 15 credits from courses BE 405, 410, 411, 420, 431, 437, 460, 470, CEE 355, or ME 371

Students must have completed a cumulative total of at least 124 credit hours and take (but not necessarily pass) the NCEES Fundamentals of Engineering exam in the semester they intend to graduate.

For information on a Bachelor Degree Program Sheet, go to www.manoa.hawaii.edu/ovcaa/programsheets/.

Graduate Study

MS in Biological Engineering

The research areas in biological engineering open to MS students include management of wastes and wastewater; engineering for cell culture, fermentation, micropropagation, and bioconversion; engineering-intensive horticultural and aquatic biosystems; modeling and optimization of bioresource production and processing systems; water management and irrigation system design; spatial decision support systems for environmental protection and resource development; bioremediation; biological and thermochemical conversion; control, automation and mechanization of biological systems. Graduates of the program have entered careers in industry and public agencies or have undertaken further study in a PhD degree program. Intended candidates for the MS must present a bachelor's degree from an accredited engineering program or the equivalent.

Plan A Requirements

  • 21 course credits and 9 thesis research credits.
  • MBBE 699 and 700 cannot be used to satisfy course credit requirements.
  • 12 or more course credits must be at 600 level or above.
  • 12 or more course credits must be in biological engineering; of these 9 must be earned in courses numbered 600-698.
  • One graduate seminar in biological engineering or equivalent.
  • Pass a final oral examination administered by a committee of three or more graduate faculty, chaired by the student's thesis advisor.
  • Enrolled in the graduation semester. If all other course work is completed, one credit of BE 700 must be taken in the graduation semester.

Plan B Requirements

  • 27 course credits and 3 credits of MBBE 699 on a design or research project.
  • MBBE 699 cannot be used to satisfy course credit requirements.
  • 18 or more course credits must be at 600 level or above.
  • 18 or more course credits must be in biological engineering; of these 12 must be earned in courses numbered 600-698.
  • One graduate seminar in biological engineering or equivalent.
  • Pass a final oral examination administered by a committee of three or more graduate faculty, chaired by the student's advisor.
  • Enrolled in the graduation semester. If all other course work is completed, one credit of BE 500 must be taken in the graduation semester.

Contact Information

Samir Khanal, Graduate Chair, Bioengineering
Honolulu, HI 96822
Tel: (808) 956-3812
Fax: (808) 956-3542
Email: khanal@hawaii.edu

Graduate Program in Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering

The Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering Graduate Program offers both MS and PhD degrees. The MBBE research and graduate training center around understanding the biochemical, nutritional, and molecular-biological processes that underlie growth, development, bioenergy, photosynthesis, and stress, especially as related to tropical agriculture, aquaculture, plant and environmental biotechnology, and bioengineering. Many MBBE graduate students are supervised and supported by cooperating and affiliate graduate faculty from John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai'i Cancer Center, Pacific Biomedical Research Center, Queens Medical Center, Hawai'i Agricultural Research Center, Oceanic Institute, Sea Grant College Program, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, College of Engineering, and several departments including microbiology, zoology, human nutrition, food and animal sciences, and plant and environmental protection sciences.

Entrance Requirements

  • Minimum qualifications for admittance as a regular student are an undergraduate degree from an accredited U.S. college or university or equivalent degree from a recognized foreign institution of higher learning and a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
  • All prospective students must submit scores from the GRE General Test. In cases where foreign students encounter difficulty in taking the examination, submission of scores may be delayed with permission from Graduate Education. Foreign students must also submit TOEFL scores (see Graduate Bulletin for exceptions.) A minimum TOEFL score of 250 in computer-based test or 100 in internet-based test is required.
  • All applicants are expected to have completed courses or equivalents in physics, chemistry, basic biology, genetics, biochemistry, physiology, and one additional upper division course in cellular or molecular biology. While not a requirement, physical chemistry is highly recommended. Students may be accepted with deficiencies in one or more of these areas, however, deficiencies must be made up during the first year as a graduate student. Such courses may not be used for graduate credit.

General Guidelines and Requirements for MS Plan A

  • Minimum course requirements: 12 credits of 600-level courses (not including MBBE 699), 6 credits of 400 level courses (not including 499), 6 credits of 699 and 6 credits of 700. Graduate students are encouraged to take one credit seminar (610 or equivalent) each academic year. They require at least one seminar credit for MS degree. The thesis proposal or defense seminar cannot be used to meet this requirement. All courses must be approved by the committee and the graduate chair.
  • Two-page proposal. Like PhD students, MS students also need to discuss with their major advisors about their research projects and write a two-page proposal within the first semester.
  • A thesis proposal seminar: MS students need to present their preliminary results and the plan of work in a proposal seminar. MS students who conduct research in laboratories outside the Manoa campus may present their proposal seminars in their laboratory locations.
  • Presentation at the CTAHR symposium. MS Plan A students must make at least one presentation in the CTAHR symposium. They are encouraged to make presentations in other national and international conferences.
  • Thesis defense. MS Plan A students must present a public presentation of work in the final semester. Students should consult with their committee and the graduate chair for a convenient date for this presentation at the middle of the final semester.
  • Publication. Students are encouraged to publish a paper before defense.

General Guidelines and Requirements for MS Plan B

  • Minimum course requirements: 18 credits of 600-level courses (not including MBBE 699), 9 credits of 400 level courses (not including 499), 3 credits of 699. Graduate students are encouraged to take one credit seminar (610 or equivalent) each academic year. They require at least one seminar credit for MS degree. The final research presentation cannot be used to meet this requirement. All courses must be approved by the graduate chair.
  • Research report, final presentation and oral exam. The Plan B students also do a research project for at least one semester. The results of this research should be written as a 'research report' and submitted to a committee composed of the research advisor, another faculty, and the graduate chair. The results also must be presented as a seminar in the final semester. At the end of the presentation, the committee will ask questions about the research project and other related subject. The written report should be about 10–20 pages, double space, and should contain the following sections: abstract (200–300 words), introduction (background and justification, 1-page), literature review (3–7 pages), objectives, materials and methods (3–7 pages), results and discussion (3–10 pages), and references. For graduation, a student must obtain satisfactory grades in the research report, oral presentation, and the oral exam.

General Guidelines and Requirements for PhD Degree

  • A temporary committee: graduate chair appoints a temporary committee for each PhD student. The committee comprises the student's supervisor (major advisor), graduate chair, and a faculty member. The committee advises on course work and other academic and research related matters.
  • Course work. Students are required to take a minimum of three high-level courses. The courses must be pre-approved by the major advisor and graduate chair. Graduate students are encouraged to take one credit seminar (610 or equivalent) each academic year. They require at least two seminar credits for PhD degree. The dissertation proposal or defense seminar cannot be used to meet this requirement.
  • Two-page proposal. Students need to discuss with their major advisors about their research projects and write a two-page proposal. The proposal must be submitted to the graduate chair within the first semester. The proposal should have the following sections: (i) Introduction (background and justification), objectives, and approach. If the scope and objectives of the project are changed or modified later, the temporary committee should be informed and a copy of the revised proposal should be submitted to the graduate chair.
  • Qualifying exam: PhD students have to take a qualifying exam within the first, second, or third semester. As a part of this exam, students are asked to write a manuscript from the results obtained within the first one or two semesters.
  • Permanent committee: After completing the qualifying exam, a PhD student can form a permanent committee in consultation with his supervisor and the graduate chair.
  • CTAHR Symposium: Students are encouraged to make a poster presentation in the CTAHR symposium in the first year. They must make a presentation in the second year and should continue to make presentations in subsequent years until graduation.
  • Other presentations: Students are encouraged to make oral and poster presentations in other national and international conferences. A number of travel scholarships are available from the Graduate Student Organizations. Often the supervisors provide funds for student travel. Students can also make presentations in a number of research symposia organized at UH Manoa. These include Tester Symposium, Microbiology Symposium, and BioMed Symposium.
  • The first manuscript: Students should try to complete the manuscript that was started as a part of the qualifying exam and get it published as soon as possible.
  • Committee meetings: Students should meet at least once a year with the committee.
  • Proposal seminar: Frequent discussions are encouraged between the student and the major advisor about the progress and direction of research. When a student and the major advisor both agree that the project is going well and there are some good data, the student may be allowed to write a full proposal and then present a proposal seminar. All graduate faculty and students are invited to the proposal seminars. A proposal seminar must not be delayed beyond three years. If it is delayed beyond three years, the graduate chair will discuss with the committee and consider transferring the student to the MS program.
  • Revision of dissertation proposal. Sometimes, a project may not go as expected and run into unexpected problems. Under such a situation, the project may have to take a new direction and some of the objectives may have to be modified. The student should invite a committee meeting and present a revised proposal.
  • Comprehensive exam: It is an oral exam given by the committee and the graduate chair. The graduate chair or a representative appointed by him serves as the moderator for the exam. The committee will ensure that the student has learnt molecular biosciences or bioengineering and mastered the subject well. The comprehensive exam must not be delayed beyond three years. If it is delayed beyond three years, the graduate chair will discuss with the committee and consider transferring the student to MS program.
  • Review of literature: The students are encouraged to conduct an extensive literature review related to his or her research subject. He or she should discuss with his or her supervisor about the main focus of the "review of literature" chapter of his or her dissertation. This must be completed and forwarded to the committee within the first three years.
  • Publications: Publications are essential requirements of a PhD degree in MBBE. Students are encouraged to publish several papers in refereed journals. There must be at least one publication as the first author in a standard refereed journal. Only under an exceptional situation, where research subject is very problematic, and the supervisor assures and convinces the committee and the graduate chair that a publication is forthcoming, a student may be considered for graduation without a publication on the day of defense.
  • Submission of dissertation to the committee: Students are encouraged to write and submit the 'Review of Literature' chapter to the committee well in advance, preferably one year before submitting the complete dissertation. They can also write the chapters 'Introduction' and 'Materials and Method' in advance. All chapters of the dissertation must be first submitted to and corrected by the major advisor before submitting to the rest of the committee. The committee members may refuse to read the chapters if these were not previously read, corrected, and approved by the major advisor.
  • Final dissertation defense: The final dissertation defense seminar is perhaps the most important event for PhD. Therefore, a student must prepare well for this presentation. A student must get approval of the major advisor and the committee for presenting a defense seminar. Graduate Education must be notified in advance by the student through the graduate chair about the date, time, and place of dissertation defense. Graduate faculty and students must be invited to the defense seminar.

List of Approved Courses for MBBE Graduate Students

The following 400-level courses are recommended:

  • MBBE 401, 402, 405, 408, 412, 483,
  • BE 410, 420, 431, 460,
  • BIOL 407

The 600-level courses can be selected from the following list of courses. Students can select other courses after obtaining approval from the committee and the graduate chair.

  • MBBE 601, 620, 625, 650, 651, 683, 687,
  • BE 606, 622, 625, 634, 638,
  • CMB 621, 622,
  • MICR 625, 632, 671,
  • PEPS 630, 646, 681,
  • TPSS 604, 614, 640

Financial Assistance

Most students in the MBBE program are currently supported through teaching assistantships, research assistantships, or fellowships. In addition, tuition is waived for all assistantships and most fellowships. It is recommended that students interested in research assistantships contact faculty working in their area of interest regarding availability. Additional fellowship support is available from the East-West Center, which offers scholarships to Asian, Pacific, and American students for affiliation in one of their programs.

Contact Information

Dr. Gernot Presting
Graduate Chair, Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering
University of Hawai`i at Manoa
Phone: (808) 956-8861
Fax: (808) 956-3542
Email: gernot@hawaii.edu

BE Courses

MBBE Courses