The Genome Center at Washington University has played a major role in elucidating the sequence of the entire human genome. As we enter the 21st century, scientists face unprecedented intellectual challenges from this vast amount of newly available information and the increasingly complex technology of our world. This enormous amount of information allows us to conceive of experiments that were unimaginable only a decade ago. In the post genome era, biological science becomes an increasingly integrated enterprise. To meet the exponentially increasing demands of modern science, each scientist needs a thorough knowledge of his or her specialty, but also must possess a familiarity with the information and skills of other disciplines.
Meaningful contributions require techniques and information from many endeavors.
The X-ray crystallographer not only purifies and crystallizes proteins but also uses recombinant DNA techniques to create altered forms. Similarly, decoding the sequence of a gene does not necessarily lead to an understanding of its function or relationship to other genes. Understanding gene function requires the ability to interpret subtle and complex changes in the physiology of an intact organism. For nearly 30 years, the Ph.D. programs administered by DBBS have operated at those frontier interfaces. I encourage you to explore the programs of study available at the Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences.