Biochemistry is a fast-growing and dynamic field that allows you to apply chemistry to life and understand biological systems at the molecular level. You'll learn by working closely with faculty who are not only dedicated teachers, but also enthusiastic researchers.
As a biochemistry major at WLC, you’ll learn how to apply chemistry to biological systems and create new medical treatments, manipulate and research DNA, protein, and other macromolecules that make up the basis of life.
What medical breakthroughs could you help create?
You may assist on such projects as engineering microbial phosphate biosensors using recombinant DNA technology, applying cellular and molecular genetic strategies to investigate heart development, analyzing soil, studying protein structures and enzyme kinetics, biochemical analysis, and designing and synthesizing new antibiotic drugs.
This interdisciplinary major gives you a powerful toolkit to use in this versatile, and ever-changing career field.
Participate in impressive undergraduate research
The number of faculty-guided undergraduate research projects is always growing. You’ll assist faculty on research projects like using molecular genetic techniques to engineer microbial phosphate biosenors, heart development and non-embryonic stem cell biology, field and greenhouse soil science, subcelluar workings of bacteria to identify targets for new antibiotics, genetics of plant development, and infectious diseases.
You’ll have an opportunity to conduct research both in the lab and in the field. Previous projects include improving water quality in constructed wetlands, studying Ag nanoparticle effects on zebrafish, constructing printed sensors, performing stop-flow kinetic measurements, and experimentation with sulfonamides. Our seniors design, defend, and conduct experiments in a capstone research project designed to demonstrate the practical application of scientific principles in their area of interest. In addition, you may attend and present at national conferences, contribute to academic journals, and take part in academic competitions.
Work alongside expert faculty and enthusiastic researchers
Our students learn by working closely with faculty who are not only dedicated teachers, but also enthusiastic researchers. Like professors at many major research universities, nearly all WLC faculty members in the biology, biochemistry, and chemistry departments hold a doctorate degree and have made meaningful contributions to their field of expertise. But unlike these larger schools, you will never find yourself supervised by a teaching assistant.