Structure of a bis-benzimidazole drug bound in the minor groove of the DNA duplex C-G-C-G-A-A-T-T-C-G-C-G.PDB: 109D
Czarny, A., Boykin, D. W., Wood, A. A., Nunn, C. M., Neidle, S., Zhao, M., Wilson, W. D. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1995, 117, 4716.
The Joint Major in Chemistry & Biology
The disciplines of biology and chemistry are undergoing remarkable and converging transformations. In response to these new developments, Harvey Mudd College adopted in the Spring of 2004 a new Joint Major in Chemistry and Biology that will instruct students in the fundamentals of biology and chemistry that are necessary to pursue careers at the interface between the two disciplines. The Chemistry and Biology major will comprise several areas of study, including biochemistry, molecular biology, chemical biology, bioorganic chemistry, as well as other specialized areas at this interface.
Our objective is to enable students to think at the interface, to effortlessly move back and forth between chemistry and biology. They will have the background to appreciate the biological context of their research questions and they will have mastered the chemistry fundamentals that underlie the properties and reactions of biomolecules. These students will be able to make connections and have insights that are difficult to obtain without a thorough training in both chemistry and biology. We expect that the program in Chemistry and Biology will capture the imaginations of talented HMC students and reinforce their abilities to think across disciplines.
If you are interested in knowing more about this new opportunity you should contact Professor David Asai (Biology) or Professor Bill Daub (Chemistry).
Requirements for the Degree Required courses for the joint major are listed below. In addition students must complete the Technical Core and the Humanities/Social Sciences requirements common to all HMC students.
Chemistry (17 units)
Chemistry 51 - Physical Chemistry (3 units)
Chemistry 53 - Physical Chemistry Laboratory (2 units)
Chemistry 56 - Carbon Compounds (3 units)
Chemistry 58 - Carbon Compounds Laboratory (1 unit)
Chemistry 103 - Analytical Chemistry (3 units)
Chemistry 105 - Organic Chemistry (3 units)
Chemistry 109 - Analytical Chemistry Laboratory(1 unit)
Chemistry 111 - Organic Chemistry Laboratory (1 unit)
Biology 54 - Biology Laboratory (1 unit)
Biology elective A (3 units) - chosen from:
Biology elective B (seminar course, 3 units) - chosen from:
Biology elective C (laboratory, 2 units) - chosen from:
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BMB) Courses (12 units)
Chemistry 182 - Chemistry in Living Systems (3 units)
Chemistry 184 - Methods in Biochemistry (1 unit)
Biology 111 - Molecular Biology Lab (2 units)
Biology 113 - Molecular Biology (3 units)
Biology 189/Chemistry 189 - Topics in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (3 units)
Colloquium/Seminar
Two semesters of Biology 191-192 and two semesters of Chemistry 199 where the same course
is taken an entire year.
Senior Research (6 units)
Chemistry 151-152 or Biology 193-194 (Thesis will have two readers, a mentor from one department
and a co-reader from the other department).
Sample Pathway Through the Joint Major in Chemistry and Biology
FRESHMAN
| Fall | Units | Spring | Units | |||||
| Chemistry 21 and 25 | 4 | Chemistry 22 and 26 | 4 | |||||
| Physics 23 | 2 | Physics 24 and 28 | 4 | |||||
| Math 11 and 12 | 4 | Math 13 and 14 | 3 | |||||
| Computer Science 5 | 3 | Biology 52 | 3 | |||||
| Humanities 1 | 4 | Humanities 2 | 3 | |||||
| Total | 17 | Total | 17 |
SOPHOMORE
| Fall | Units | Spring | Units | |||
| Chemistry 51 | 3 | Biology 54 | 1 | |||
| Chemistry 53 | 2 | Chemistry 56 | 3 | |||
| Math 61 and 62 | 3 | Chemistry 58 | 1 | |||
| Physics 51 and 53 | 4 | Math 63 and 64 | 3 | |||
| Humanities and SS#1 | 3 | Engineering 59 | 3 | |||
| Humanities and SS#2 | 3 | |||||
| Humanities and SS#3 | 3 | |||||
| Total | 15 | Total | 17 |
JUNIOR
| Fall | Units | Spring | Units | |||||
| Biology 111 | 2 | Biology 182/Chemistry 182 | 3 | |||||
| Biology 113 | 3 | Biology | 184/Chemistry 184 | 1 | ||||
| Chemistry 105 | 3 | Biology Elective A | 3 | |||||
| Chemistry 111 | 1 | Biology Lab C | 2 | |||||
| Humanities and SS#4 | 3 | Humanities and SS#6 | 3 | |||||
| Humanities and SS#5 | 3 | Humanities and SS#7 | 3 | |||||
| Colloquium or Seminar | 0 | Colloquium or Seminar | 0 | |||||
| Total | 15 | Total | 15 |
SENIOR
| Fall | Units | Spring | Units | |||
| Senior Research | 3 | Senior Research | 3 | |||
| Biology 189/Chemistry 189 | 3 | Biology Seminar B | 3 | |||
| Chemistry 103 | 3 | Humanities and SS #9 | 3 | |||
| Chemistry 109 | 1 | Humanities and SS #10 | 3 | |||
| Integrative Experience | 3 | Elective | 2 | |||
| Humanities and SS #8 | 3 | Seminar or Colloquium | 0 | |||
| Seminar or Colloquium | 0 | Elective | 2 | |||
| Total | 16 | Total | 16 |
Grand Total 128
Harvey Mudd College