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Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering

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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
E-mail: hako@hawaii.edu, mbbe@ctahr.hawaii.edu
Web: www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/mbbe

Faculty

*Graduate Faculty

*H. Ako, PhD (Chair)—aquaculture, environmental biochemistry and biotechnology
J. P. Bingham, PhD—peptide synthesis, marine neurotoxins
*D. Borthakur, PhD (Graduate Chair)—plant-microbe interaction, plant biotechnology
*D. Christopher, PhD—Photosynthesis, photosensory signal transduction, gene regulation, genomics
*L. D. Gautz, PhD—bioproduction control and automation, electromechanical systems engineering
*A. Hashimoto, PhD—bioengineering
*D. M. Jenkins, PhD—biosensors and bioinstrumentations.
*P. S. Leung, PhD—bioproduction systems analysis, quantitative methods, resource economics
*Q. Li, PhD—bioremediation, environmental biotechnology
*P. Nerurkar, PhD—carcinogen-induced metabolic disorders and biochemical mechanisms of environmental carcinogenesis.
*G. Presting, PhD—bioinformatics
*W-W. Winston Su, PhD—biochemical engineering, cell culture engineering
*P. Y. Yang, PhD—bioprocess engineering, waste/ waste water 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

A. Alvarez, PhD—plant-pathogen interactions, biocontrol of plant diseases
M. J. Antal, PhD—alternate energy, combustion
A. S. Bachmann, PhD—tumor growth and cell differentiation
J.-P. Bingham, PhD—biochemistry, peptide synthesis, conus toxins
C. Boyd, PhD—biochemistry, cell molecular biology
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
M.C. Hermosura, PhD—cell biology
T. Hoang, PhD—molecular microbiology
J. Hu, PhD—plant virology
Y. S. Kim, PhD—animal biotechnology
J. Kimura, PhD—biochemistry
J. C. Leong, PhD—marine biotechnology
P. Li, PhD—biochemistry, cell biology
C. C. Liu, PhD—bioengineering
P.S. Lorenzo, PhD—cancer biology
S. M. Masutani, PhD—thermal conversion of biomass
W.C. McClatchey, PhD—molecular evolution, conservation biology
C. Morden, PhD—molecular systematics
V. Nerurkar, PhD—molecular virology and epidemiology
J. Ramos, PhD—cancer biology
C. Ray, PhD—ground water hydrology, bioremediation
J.F. Scott, PhD—cell and molecular biology
R. Shohet, MD—molecular medicine
C. Tamaru, PhD—aquaculture
A. Theriault, PhD—medical technology, signal transduction
M. M. C. Tsang, PhD—agricultural engineering
S. Q. Turn, PhD—biomass gassification
G. Wang, PhD—marine microbial biotechnology
A. Angel Yanagihara, PhD—biochemistry, peptide toxins
J. Yang, PhD—animal molecular biology and biotechnology
J. Yu, PhD—bioengineering, marine bioproduct development

Affiliate Graduate Faculty

H. H. Albert, PhD—plant molecular biology and biotechnology
C.-S. Lee, PhD— aquaculture
P. H. Moore, PhD— sugarcane biotechnology, plant molecular biology
R. Ming, PhD—sugarcane breeding and biotechnology
A. J. Stokes, PhD—cell biology
Q. Yu, PhD—plant molecular biology
J. Zhu, PhD—plant transformation, biotechnology

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

The Academic Program

The Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering Department features a multidisciplinary faculty having a broad spectrum of interests in biotechnology, molecular biology, biochemistry, and bioengineering. 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 bioengineering (BS and MS) and in molecular biosciences and bioengineering (MS and PhD) and participates in the interdepartmental Plant and Environmental Biotechnology Program (BS).

Bioengineering Program

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

Undergraduate Study

BS in Bioengineering

The mission of the bioengineering program is to provide students a unique opportunity to study the fundamentals of engineering and biology and the application of engineering and biology, and the application of engineering to biological systems. Example applications in Bioengineering 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 bioengineering courses. Students receive integrated training in biology and engineering, culminating in a two-semester engineering design sequence.

To fulfill its mission, the bioengineering program:

1. Provides students with the fundamentals of engineering;
2. Trains students to become engineers with the skills to design, manufacture, test, and/or operate systems in which living organisms or biological products are a significant component; and
3. Graduates students with the skills to function in modern society as expected of a professional engineer with a baccalaureate degree.

The bachelor of science in bioengineering 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:
  • ECON 120 or 130 or 131 (DS)
  • BIOL 171/171L (DB/DY)
  • CHEM 162/162L (DP/DY)
  • ENG 100 or approved FW course (FW)
  • Two approved courses in Global and Multicultural Perspectives (FG)
  • MATH 241, 242, 243, and 244 (FS)
  • PHYS 170/170L and 272/272L (DP/DY)
  • 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 Bioengineering degree
• College requirements:
  • NREM 310
• Basic engineering requirements:
  • EE 160 and 211
  • CEE 270, 271, and 320
  • ME 311
  • Engineering mathematics elective (see advisor)
• Bioengineering requirements:
  • BIOL 172/172L or MICR 351/351L
  • Biology elective (see advisor)
  • CHEM 272/272L
  • BE 350/350L, 360, 373, 481, and 482
  • At least 15 credits from courses BE 405, 420, 421, 431, 437, 440, 460, or CEE 355

A minimum of 128 credit hours is required for graduation.

Graduate Study

MS in Bioengineering

The research areas in bioengineering 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

• Twenty-one (21) course credits and nine (9) thesis research credits.
• Directed Research (course 699) and Thesis (course 700) cannot be used to satisfy course credit requirements
• Twelve (12) or more course credits must be at 600 level or above.
• Twelve (12) or more course credits must be in Bioengineering; of these nine (9) must be earned in courses numbered 600-698.
• One graduate seminar in Bioengineering 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

• Twenty-seven (27) course credits and three (3) credits of Directed Research (course 699) on a design or research project.
• The Directed Research (course 600) cannot be used to satisfy course credit requirements.
• Eighteen (18) or more course credits must be at 600 level or above.
• Eighteen (18) or more course credits must be in Bioengineering; of these twelve (12) must be earned in courses numbered 600-698.
• One graduate seminar in bioengineering 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

Dr. P. Y. Yang
Graduate Chair, Bioengineering
University of Hawai‘i
3050 Maile Way, Gilmore 105
Honolulu, HI 96822
Tel: (808) 956-8459
Fax: (808) 956-9269
E-mail: pingyi@hawaii.edu

BE Courses

Graduate Program in Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering

The Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering (MBBE) 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, 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, Cancer Research 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 the Graduate Division. 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 MBBE 499), 6 credits of MBBE 699 and 6 credits of MBBE 700. Graduate students are encouraged to take one credit seminar (MBBE 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 MBBE 499), 3 credits of MBBE 699. Graduate students are encouraged to take one credit seminar (MBBE 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- pages), 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 and MBBE 401 (Molecular Biotechnology). The courses must be pre-approved by the major advisor and graduate chair. Graduate students are encouraged to take one credit seminar (MBBE 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 the UH Manoa campus. 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: There should be frequent discussion 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/her research subject. He/she should discuss with his/her supervisor about the main focus of the “review of literature” chapter of his/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 in 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. The Graduate Division 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

All graduate students are encouraged to take MBBE 401 Molecular Biotechnology or an equivalent course as a prerequisite. 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 620 Plant Biochemistry
• MBBE 621 Metabolic Engineering
• MBBE 651 Signal Transduction and Regulation of Gene Transcription
• MBBE 680 Methods in Plant Molecular Biology
• MBBE 683 Advance Bioinformatics Topics in Biology
• MBBE 687 Advanced Lab Techniques
• BE 606 Instrumentation and Measurement
• BE 622 Experimental Methods in Cause-Effect Modeling
• BE 634 Biological Treatment
• BE 638 Biosystems Modeling
• BE 648 Biosystems Simulation
• BE 660 Bioseparation processes
• CMB 621 Cell Molecular Biology I
• CMB 622 Cell Molecular Biology II
• MICR 625 Advanced Immunology
• MICR 632 Advanced Microbial Physiology
• MICR 671 Bacterial Genetics
• PEPS 630 Plant Virology
• PEPS 646 Plant Bacterial Interactions
• PEPS 681 Pesticide toxicology
• TPSS 604 Advanced Soil Microbiology
• TPSS 614 Cellular Genetics of Crops
• TPSS 640 Advanced Soil Chemistry

Financial Assistance

Contact Information

MBBE Courses