Allegheny biochemistry students learn by doing
We’ll prepare you to navigate the blurred distinctions between the sciences through an interdisciplinary and integrated major in the field of biochemistry.
You’ll be exposed to a variety of hands-on education opportunities as we encourage you to see the connections between scientific disciplines.
special lectures
The annual Lord Lecture brings some of the nation’s most distinguished chemists to the College for residencies of up to one week. Recent Lord Lecturers include:
- Roald Hoffmann, Nobel Prize–winning chemist, poet, and playwright
- Dudley Herschbach, winner of the 1986 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
- George Whitesides, Mallinckrodt Professor of Chemistry at Harvard University and winner of the 1998 National Medal of Science
- Katherine A. Mirica, Associate Professor of Chemistry at Dartmouth
The annual Darling Lecture Series brings a nationally-known biologist to campus for a public lecture and meetings with students.
Recent Internships
Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory
Oak Ridge National Lab
Duke University Marine Lab
South Dakota State University
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Purdue University
University of Nebraska
Mayo Clinic
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical School
Graduate Schools
Our biochemistry program prepares students to attend graduate school in biochemistry, molecular biology, biophysics, immunology, microbiology, cell biology, pharmacology, etc.
Biochemistry majors are also prepared to enter the health professions (e.g., medicine, dentistry, optometry) or to seek employment in government and industrial laboratories.
Student Research
Many biochemistry majors carry out independent research or collaborative research with faculty in addition to the Senior Comp. Biochemistry majors frequently present their research at regional and national scientific conferences.
Recent Senior Comps
The Senior Comp is the culmination of four years of experience, imagination, and study. It is the moment when you demonstrate what you’ve learned by teaching us something new.
An Analysis of Frameshift Mutation on Mms21 Activity in DNA Damage Repair
A Comparative Analysis of the Structure-Function Relationship in Bacterial Eumelanin and Pyomelanin
The Independent Function of Mms21 E3 SUMO Ligase
Characterization of Histone Variant H2a.z in DNA Damage Response and Repair
High Glucose Induced Oxidative Stress in Human Retinal Cells in the Presence and Absence of Glucocorticoid Signaling
Generating novel col4a1 gene mutations in Drosophila melanogaster using CRISPR/Cas9
Knockdown of the TDP-43 protein to model ALS in Drosophila melanogaster
Correlating Antimicrobial Peptide Expression with Infection Status in Ixodes scapularis Ticks
Exploring Negative Chemotaxis Interactions of Two Attractants in Dictyostelium discoideum