Biochemistry

Subject abbreviation: BCH College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences

Richard J. Debus, Ph.D., Chair Department Office, 2323 Webber Hall Graduate Program (951) 827-4116 Undergraduate Program (951) 827-1763 biochemistry.ucr.edu

Professors Thomas O. Baldwin, Ph.D. Richard J. Debus, Ph.D. Daniel R. Gallie, Ph.D. Russ Hille, Ph.D. Xuan Liu, M.D., Ph.D. Stephen R. Spindler, Ph.D. Professors Emeriti Craig V. Byus, Ph.D. (Biochemistry/Biomedical Sciences) Michael F. Dunn, Ph.D. Helen L. Henry, Ph.D. Darold D. Holten, Ph.D. Richard A. Luben, Ph.D. (Biochemistry/Biomedical Sciences) Anthony W. Norman, Ph.D. (Biochemistry/ Biomedical Sciences) Ning G. Pon, Ph.D. Justin K.M. Roberts, Ph.D. Jolinda A. Traugh, Ph.D. Associate Professors Paul B. Larsen, Ph.D. Ernest Martinez, Ph.D. Frank Sauer, Ph.D. Assistant Professors Gregor Blaha, Ph.D. Li Fan, Ph.D. Noboru Sato, Ph.D. Jikui Song, Ph.D. Senior Lecturer Miriam Ziegler, Ph.D. ** Affiliated Emeritus Irving L. Eaks, Ph.D. Cooperating Faculty Michael E. Adams, Ph.D. (Entomology/Cell Biology and Neuroscience) Peter Atkinson, Ph.D. (Biomedical Sciences) Jeffrey Bachant, Ph.D. (Cell Biology & Neurosciences) Julia Bailey-Serres, Ph.D. (Botany and Plant Sciences) Katherine A. Borkovich, Ph.D. (Plant Pathology and Microbiology) Kathryn DeFea, Ph.D. (Biomedical Sciences) Iryna Ethell, Ph.D. (Biomedical Sciences) Thomas Eulgem, Ph.D. (Botany and Plant Sciences) Karine Gaelle Le Roch, Ph.D. (Cell Biology & Neuroscience) Sarjeet Gill, Ph.D. (Biomedical Sciences) Hailing Jin, Ph.D. (Plant Pathology and Microbiology) Edward Korzus, Ph.D. (Psychology) Cynthia K. Larive, Ph.D. (Chemistry) Julia Lyubovitsky, Ph.D. (Bioengineering) Manuela Martins-Green, Ph.D. (Cell Biology & Neurosciences) Thomas H. Morton, Ph.D. (Chemistry) Leonard Mueller, Ph.D. (Chemistry) Eugene Nothnagel, Ph.D. (Biomedical Sciences) Constance Nugent, Ph.D. (Cell Biology & Neurosciences) Alexander Raikhel, Ph.D. (Entomology) Anandasankar Ray, Ph.D. (Entomology) Schiller, Neal, Ph.D. (Biomedical Sciences) John Shyy, Ph.D. (Biomedical Sciences) Frances Sladek, Ph.D. (Cell Biology & Neurosciences) Christopher Y. Switzer, Ph.D. (Chemistry) Vullev, Valentine I., Ph.D. (Bioengineering) Ian Wheeldon, Ph.D. (Biomedical Science) Emma Wilson, Ph.D. (Biomedical Sciences) Raphael Zidovetzki, Ph.D. (Cell Biology & Neurosciences)

The three emphases areas within the Biochemistry major are Chemistry, Biology, and Medical Sciences. The Biology and Chemistry emphases are for students interested in postgraduate education or employment in the basic areas of the discipline of Biochemistry. The goal of the Medical Sciences emphasis is to prepare students for admission to postbaccalaureate education in the health professions. The Biology, Chemistry, and Medical Sciences emphases focus on the development of laboratory and critical thinking skills, and hands-on laboratory experience. In addition, participation in an independent research project (BCH 197) or research tutorial (BCH 190), carried out under the supervision of a faculty member, is encouraged. Internships in industry (BCH 198-I) are also available, and often lead to valuable job experience and employment opportunities.

The department offers both B.A. and B.S. degrees. The major and emphasis requirements are the same for both, and most students choose the B.S. degree. The B.A. degree requires 12 additional units of Humanities and Social Sciences courses, and 16 units or a course 4 equivalency level of a foreign language (see College Breadth Requirements).

Note A maximum of 12 units of 190-199 courses may be counted toward the 180 unit graduation requirement. All courses used towards the Biochemistry major requirements must be taken for letter grades.

Transfer students majoring in Biochemistry must complete at least three of the following full-year sequences, which must include first- year calculus and general chemistry:

• 1. First-year calculus, equivalent to

MATH 009A, MATH 009B, MATH 0046

• 2. General chemistry, equivalent to CHEM 001A, CHEM 001B, CHEM 001C, CHEM 01LA, CHEM 01LB, CHEM 01LC

• 3. Organic chemistry (must be completed with a

minimum grade of “B” in each term)

• 4. General biology, equivalent to BIOL 005A,

BIOL 05LA, and BIOL 005B (and BIOL 005C, if available)

• 5. General physics (calculus-based) equivalent

to PHYS 002A, PHYS 002B, PHYS 002C or PHYS 040A, PHYS 040B, PHYS 040C

Students must have a minimum grade point average of 2.70 in transferable college courses.

See Undergraduate Studies section.

See College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Colleges and Programs section.

Some of the following requirements for the major may also fulfill some of the college’s breadth requirements. Consult with a department advisor for course planning.

The major requirements and the emphasis requirements are the same for the B.A. and the B.S. degree in Biochemistry. Choose one emphasis. All upper-division courses presume completion of the life sciences core curriculum.

Continuation in the major requires that the student maintains cumulative and upper division/science GPAs of 2.00 or higher, a GPA of 2.00 or higher in each academic quarter, and makes adequate progress in the major with no more than 16 units of repeated courses. Adequate progress in the major is defined as

• (a) earning no grade lower than a “C-” in any

required lower division mathematics or science course, STAT 100A, CHEM 112A, CHEM 112B, CHEM 112C, or any upper division BCH course, and (b) completing MATH 9B and CHEM 1A by the end of the Fall Quarter of the second year of residence and BCH 110A, BCH 110B, and BCH 110C by the end of the third year of residence. Freshmen must also complete BCH 95 with a grade of “S” during their first year of residence. Freshmen in the Medical Science Emphasis must also complete BCH 96 with a grade of “S” during their first year of residence. A student who does not meet these adequate progress standards will be discontinued from the major. In addition, a student who receives a grade of “D+” or lower in any two of the courses in (A) on the first attempt, or in any one of these courses in each of two attempts, will be discontinued from the major. Students who receive a grade lower than “B-” in BIOL 5A or CHEM 112A are strongly encouraged to complete BCH 100 during their second year of residence to better prepare themselves for BCH 110A, BCH 110B, and BCH 110C.

Biology Emphasis

• 1. Lower-division requirements (56-57 units)
• a) BCH 095 or equivalent

• b) BIOL 005A, BIOL 05LA, BIOL 005B, BIOL 005C

• c) CHEM 001A, CHEM 001B, CHEM 001C,

CHEM 01LA, CHEM 01LB, CHEM 01LC

• d) MATH 008B or MATH 009A, MATH 009B,

MATH 046

• e) PHYS 002A, PHYS 002B, PHYS 002C,

PHYS 02LA, PHYS 02LB, PHYS 02LC

• 2. Statistics requirement (5 units): STAT 100A

• 3. Upper-division requirements (59–65 units)

• a) BCH 101, BCH 102, BCH 110A, BCH 110B, BCH 110C, BCH 184

• b) At least 7 units from BCH 111, BCH 120,

BCH 153/BIOL 153/BPSC 153, BCH 162, BCH 180 (E-Z), BCH 183/BPSC 183, BCH 186, BCH 187, BCH 210, BCH 211, BCH 212

• c) BIOL 102

• d) CHEM 109 or CHEM 110A; CHEM 112A,

CHEM 112B, CHEM 112C

• e) Choose three biological science courses

from the following:

• (1) BCH 111, BCH 120, BCH 153/BIOL 153/BPSC 153, BCH 162, BCH 180

(E-Z), BCH 183/BPSC 183, BCH 186, BCH 187, BCH 210, BCH 211, BCH 212

• (2) BIOL 105, BIOL 108, BIOL 114, BIOL 117, BIOL 121/MCBL 121, BIOL 121L/

MCBL 121L, BIOL 123/MCBL 123/ PLPA 123, BIOL 124/MCBL 124, BIOL 128/CBNS 128, BIOL 151, BIOL 155/ BPSC 155, BIOL 157, BIOL 159/NEM 159, BIOL 160, BIOL 161A, BIOL 161B, BIOL 171, BIOL 171L, BIOL 173/ENTM 173, BIOL 175

• (3) BIOL 104/BPSC 104, BIOL 132/BPSC 132, BIOL 143/BPSC 143, BIOL 148/

BPSC 148, BIOL 155/BPSC 155, BPSC 135

• (4) BIOL 100/ENTM 100, BIOL 173/ENTM 173, ENTM 128

• (5) CBNS 101, CBNS 106, CBNS 116,

CBNS 120/PSYC 120, CBNS 120L/ PSYC 120L, CBNS 124/PSYC 124, CBNS 125/PSYC 125, CBNS 150/ ENTX 150, CBNS 169

• (6) ENSC 100

• (7) ENTX 101, CBNS 150/ENTX 150

• 4. BCH 190 or BCH 197 are available as

elective courses to juniors who have completed BCH 102 and to seniors. No more than 9 units of courses numbered 190-199 may be counted towards the major.

Chemistry Emphasis

• 1. Lower-division requirements (61-62 units)

• a) BCH 095 or equivalent

• b) BIOL 005A, BIOL 05LA, BIOL 005B, BIOL 005C

• c) CHEM 001A, CHEM 001B, CHEM 001C,

CHEM 01LA, CHEM 01LB, CHEM 01LC, CHEM 005

• d) MATH 008B or MATH 009A, MATH 009B,

MATH 046

• e) PHYS 002A, PHYS 002B, PHYS 002C,

PHYS 02LA, PHYS 02LB, PHYS 02LC

• 2. Statistics requirement (5 units): STAT 100A

• 3. Upper-division requirements (58–59 units)

• a) BCH 101, BCH 102, BCH 110A, BCH 110B, BCH 110C, BCH 184

• b) At least 7 units from BCH 111, BCH 120,

BCH 153/BIOL 153/BPSC 153, BCH 162, BCH 180 (E-Z), BCH 183/BPSC 183, BCH 186, BCH 187, BCH 210, BCH 211, BCH 212

• c) BIOL 102

• d) CHEM 109 or CHEM 110A; CHEM 112A,

CHEM 112B, CHEM 112C

• e) Two courses from CHEM 110B, CHEM 113, CHEM 125, CHEM 150A, CHEM 150B, CHEM 166 (Other graduate

courses may be substituted by students with a GPA of 3.00 or better with permission of the instructor and the faculty advisor.)

• 4. BCH 190 or BCH 197 are available as

elective courses to juniors who have completed BCH 102 and to seniors. No more than 9 units of courses numbered 190-199 may be counted towards the major.

Medical Sciences Emphasis

• 1. Lower-division requirements (54-55 units)

• a) BCH 095 or equivalent

• b) BCH 096, BCH 098-I

• c) BIOL 005A, BIOL 05LA, BIOL 005B, BIOL 005C

• d) CHEM 001A, CHEM 001B, CHEM 001C,

CHEM 01LA, CHEM 01LB, CHEM 01LC

• e) MATH 008B or MATH 009A, MATH 009B

• f) PHYS 002A, PHYS 002B, PHYS 002C,

PHYS 02LA, PHYS 02LB, PHYS 02LC

• 2. Statistics requirement (5 units): STAT 100A

• 3. Upper-division requirements (59 units)

• a) BCH 101, BCH 102, BCH 110A, BCH 110B, BCH 110C, BCH 120, BCH 184

• b) BIOL 102

• c) CHEM 109 or CHEM 110A; CHEM 112A,

CHEM 112B, CHEM 112C

• d) CBNS 101

• e) At least 8 units from BIOL 121, BIOL 161A, BIOL 161B, BIOL 171, CBNS 106,

CBNS 150/ENTX 150.

Graduate and upper-division courses can be substituted with permission of the instructor and the faculty advisor. Graduate courses require a GPA of 3.0 or greater in the sciences.

Students should be aware that CHEM 005 is often a requirement for admission to professional schools. Biochemistry 116 / Programs and Courses