Molecular Biology Research at UCF: A Multifaceted Approach
The University of Central Florida (UCF) fosters a dynamic environment for molecular biology research, preparing students for careers in health sciences, biotechnology, and related fields. With a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration and cutting-edge technologies, UCF offers a range of research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students alike.
Preparing Future Scientists and Professionals
The Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology at UCF is dedicated to equipping students with the knowledge and skills necessary for success in their chosen careers. The department's mission is to prepare students for entry into professional schools in health sciences such as medical school, dental school and veterinary medicine school or graduate school and to enter technical work force in biotechnology and/or pharmaceutical and other medical technology industry. Approximately 900 students are enrolled in the department’s undergraduate major in molecular biology and microbiology. Students may enrich their education by participating in one of several student organizations or by working with faculty on directed research.
Fostering Interdisciplinary Research
The diverse research interests of the faculty in the department create a unique environment for interdisciplinary research. This collaborative atmosphere allows students to gain exposure to various perspectives and approaches, enhancing their understanding of complex biological problems.
Accessing Research Opportunities
UCF provides resources to help students find research opportunities. The research database is for internal use only. Faculty member contact information is password protected. Students receive the access code by attending a How to: Get Started in Undergraduate Research workshop or meeting with an OUR Peer Mentor. Tips from the Office of Undergraduate Research on Finding Research Opportunities: Before exploring positions, make an appointment with a peer mentor, attend a Get Started workshop, or check out this quick pdf guide to Getting Started: Getting Started in Undergraduate Research. Check out the KNIGHT RESEARCH SCHOLARS PROGRAM (KRSP) team research project list. Graduate Students and Post-Doctoral Scholars post research project positions for undergraduate team members. Please keep in mind this database is only for internal use, and before reaching out to faculty we highly recommend you meet with our peer mentor, or attend our workshops.
Spotlight on the Parasitic Behavioral Manipulation Lab
One example of the innovative research conducted at UCF is the work of the Parasitic Behavioral Manipulation Lab. The integrative nature of our research makes for a vibrant lab with researchers from various backgrounds and with a variety of research interests. Our lab is an inclusive workplace where everyone can feel comfortable being their authentic selves. We value our differences and believe that learning and sharing ideas across race, gender, age, religion, identity, nationality, and experiences makes us all better scientists and human beings.
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This lab focuses on understanding how parasites can manipulate the behavior of their hosts. Infected animals often behave differently from healthy animals. These changes can involve precise manipulations caused by parasites to increase that parasite’s chances to spread. How exactly manipulative parasites can alter host behavior is largely unknown. The lab uses the fungus-infected “zombie ants” as a model to fill this knowledge gap.
The lab embraces a multidisciplinary approach, utilizing a variety of tools and research disciplines within the broad field of biology to answer research questions. As such, the undergraduate researchers in our lab might work on a smaller, more specific project or organism, but will still get exposed to a range of interesting research perspectives from other scientists in the lab. Prospective students who fit well within this lab are curious, motivated to learn new skills, and passionate about science. Students will get experience working as part of a team as well as independently. Space for undergraduate students in the Parasitic Behavioral Manipulation Lab is limited. The number of students joining the lab in any given semester is directly dependent on the number of current students, and research project needs.
Databases and Resources for Molecular Biology Research
UCF provides access to a wide array of databases and resources to support molecular biology research, including:
Biological Sciences, MEDLINE, and TOXLINE: This database includes the renowned Biological Sciences, MEDLINE, and TOXLINE databases and provides full-text titles from around the world, including scholarly journals, trade and industry journals, magazines, technical reports, conference proceedings, and government publications.
AGRICOLA: AGRICOLA is a bibliographic database, produced by the National Agricultural Library, consists of worldwide literature citations for journal articles, monographs, proceedings, theses, patents, translations, audiovisual materials, computer software, and technical reports pertaining to all aspects of agriculture and related fields. Since 1985, the CAB Thesaurus has been used to select controlled vocabulary terms for subject indexing. a composite of several ant literature databases.
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MEDLINE: MEDLINE provides authoritative medical information on medicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, the health care system, pre-clinical sciences, and much more.
ESPM (Environmental Sciences and Pollution Management) and Environmental Impact Statements (EIS): "This database includes the … AGRICOLA, TOXLINE, ESPM (Environmental Sciences and Pollution Management) and Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) databases and provides full-text titles from around the world, including scholarly journals, trade and industry journals, magazines, technical reports, conference proceedings, and government publications.
Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts (ASFA), Oceanic Abstracts, and Meteorological & Geoastrophysical Abstracts (MGA): "includes the renowned Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts (ASFA), Oceanic Abstracts, and Meteorological & Geoastrophysical Abstracts (MGA). It provides full-text titles from around the world, including scholarly journals, trade and industry journals, magazines, technical reports, conference proceedings, and government publications.
JoVE (Journal of Visualized Experiments): an STM (Science, Technology and Medicine) publisher of 269 peer-reviewed open access journals. Center for Distributed Learning is providing access to all JoVE video content.
Conference Proceedings Citation Index: Conference Proceedings Citation Index helps researchers access the published literature from …
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OATD.org (Open Access Theses and Dissertations): "brings together free, full-text scholarly articles from hundreds of universities and colleges worldwide. OATD.org aims to be the best possible resource for finding open access graduate theses and dissertations published around the world. Metadata (information about the theses) comes from over 1100 colleges, universities, and research institutions.
ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global: Each dissertation published since July, 1980 includes a 350-word abstract written by the author. Master's theses published since 1988 include 150-word abstracts. Simple bibliographic citations are available for dissertations dating from 1637.
These resources provide access to a wealth of information, enabling researchers to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in their fields.
Integrating Molecular Biology with Cutting-Edge Technologies
UCF researchers are exploring the integration of molecular biology with advanced technologies such as machine learning and quantum computing. For this project, we will be exploring the integration of molecular biology and machine learning with complex analysis relying on quantum computing. To start off, protein folding is an incremental process. Proteins are biological polymers of amino acids, and each have different physiological effects. There are thousands of undiscovered protein structures that discoveries could revolutionize the medical industry and save lives through new drugs. Quantum computing, with its unique capabilities for processing large amounts of information simultaneously and performing complex simulations, has the potential to significantly advance our understanding of protein folding and drug design. For example, quantum computing could be used to simulate the folding pathways of proteins more accurately and efficiently, and to optimize the design of drugs that interact with specific proteins. Through a database of known proteins, we can use A.I to parse through and predict new structures and functions as well.
This interdisciplinary approach holds immense promise for accelerating discoveries in areas such as drug design and personalized medicine.
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