Introduction

The graduate program in microbiology, offered through the Department of Biological Sciences, includes the MS and PhD degrees. The program offers specializations in cellular and physiological microbiology, microbial genetics and molecular microbiology, and environmental microbiology. The program encompasses a wide variety of disciplines, including bacterial physiology and metabolism, pathogenic microbiology, carcinogenesis and cancer cell biology, immunology, microbial genetics, microbial ecology and applied and environmental microbiology. The overall goals of the program are to develop scientists with strong interdisciplinary skills in research design, critical thinking and communication in microbiology, as well as expertise in a specific research area.

Programs of Study

MS The MS degree is usually completed within two years and requires 24 semester credit hours of formal course work and six semester credit hours of thesis research. If you are accepted into the program, you will be required to complete a curriculum that includes course work in cellular and physiological microbiology, microbial genetics and environmental microbiology. The first year of the program emphasizes general course work and research topic and proposal development. The second year focuses on research and thesis preparation and defense. The MS degree in microbiology will prepare you for careers in industry, hospital and public health laboratories, and state and federal agencies.

PhD The PhD degree is usually completed within four years. There is no minimum credit hour requirement; instead, a program will be established by you in consultation with your advisory committee. The program requires an approved plan of study (second year), successful completion of the qualifying exam for candidate status (third year) and research and dissertation preparation and defense (second through fourth years). The PhD in microbiology will prepare you for a career as a research scientist in academic institutions, in research laboratories and with state, federal and private agencies.

Centers, Institutes and Facilities

The Department of Biological Sciences houses research instrumentation and maintains affiliations with several campus-wide facilities. Imaging laboratories contain confocal, scanning and transmission electron microscopes. Additional electron microscopes are available through the University’s off-campus microscopy facility. The Clemson University DNA sequencing facility provides ABI and LiCor instrumentation for DNA sequencing and fragment analysis. A CT scanning facility is available through the Greenville Hospital System. Specific instruments include a real-time PCR machine, a fluorimeter plate reader and spectrophotometers. Walk-in incubators, cold rooms, special laboratories equipped for tissue culture, analytical ultracentrifug-ation, isotope analysis facilities and various chromatography facilities are also available. The Biotechnology Greenhouse has a number of environmental chambers for research use. You will have the opportunity to work with physicians and biomedical research faculty members at nearby facilities, including the research laboratory of the Greenville Hospital System in Greenville, SC and the Greenwood Genetics Center in Greenwood, SC. The Robert Muldrow Cooper Library, Clemson’s main library, has more than 2 million volumes and 6,000 serial and online journals.

Student Group

Both the MS and PhD programs seek students with strong backgrounds in the biological sciences whose interests complement existing emphasis areas in biomedical research, food safety and bioremediation.

The MS program has nine students. Of these, 57 percent are women, 95 percent attend full time and 36 percent are international students. The PhD program has 19 students. Of these, 60 percent are women, 90 percent attend full time and 39 percent are international students.

Student Outcomes

Recent graduates are employed in basic research; in industrial, hospital, public health and pollution control laboratories; with state and federal agencies; and in teaching positions in colleges and universities. Others are pursuing continuing graduate or postdoctoral studies in various institutions throughout the country.

Faculty Listing

• Min Cao, Assistant Professor; PhD, Cornell University, 2002. Microbial genetics, microbial pathogenesis and genomics; using the food-borne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes as a model to study bacterial stress response (especially oxidative and nitrosative stress), identifying novel virulence factors and developing new genetic tools (e.g. mariner-based transposon system). mcao@clemson.edu

• Wen Chen, Associate Professor; PhD, Ohio University, 1991. Prolactin receptor antagonists for human breast cancer therapy, development of protein-based therapeutics, molecular cloning of novel genes related to breast cancer formation.

wenc@clemson.edu

• Yuqing Dong, Research Assistant Professor; PhD, Peking University (China), 1999. Identify and functionally characterize the evolutionarily conserved genetic determinants important for longevity using C. elegans, the powerful genetic model system. Specifically, determine the transcriptional co-factor(s) of DAF-16 and to explore the potential longevity pathway(s) in C. elegans. ydong@clemson.edu

• Annel K. Greene, Professor; PhD, Mississippi State University, 1988. Environmental bioremediation, microbial food safety and animal co-products/biomass new product development, biosecurity and re-utilization. agreene@clemson.edu

• J. Michael Henson, Lecturer; PhD, University of Florida, 1983. Environmental microbiology; microbial transformation of organic and inorganic constituents in industrial applications and the environment; interactions between anaerobic bacteria, including syntrophic and methanogenic bacteria, in the production of potential sources renewable energy. hhenson@clemson.edu

• Thomas A. Hughes, Professor; PhD, North Carolina State, 1981. Cloning, sequencing, identification and, ultimately, the regulation of an enhancer of the bacteriocin lactacin B; gene organization and biochemical pathway of Sphingomonas paucimobilis for polyaromatic hydrocarbon degradation.

T020509@clemson.edu

• Xiuping Jiang, Assistant Professor; PhD, University of Maryland, 1996. Developing nanoparticle-based methods for rapid detection of food-borne pathogens such as Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter jejuni and Salmonella from food and environmental samples; investigating pathogen movement from the preharvest environment to fresh food; determining emergence and spread of ceftriaxone resistance in Salmonella due to the treatment of calves with ceftiofur on the farm. xiuping@clemson.edu

• Harry D. Kurtz, Assistant Professor; PhD, University of Idaho, 1989. Examining microbial ecosystems living in the deserts of southeastern Utah; developing management tools for use by the Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service for maintenance and care of parks and monuments in

this area of Utah; developing methods to aid efforts to stabilize coastal dunes in South Carolina. hkurtz@clemson.edu

• Lyndon L. Larcom, Professor; PhD, University of Pittsburgh, 1968. Mechanisms of carcinogenesis; effects of damage to DNA and mechanisms for repair of the damage; cellular defects in leukemias; techniques for quantitative molecular analysis. lllrcm@clemson.edu

• Tamara L. McNealy, Assistant Professor; PhD, University of Heidelberg, 2003. Virulence mechanisms of intracellular respiratory pathogens, in particular Francisella tularensis and Legionella pneumophila. Investigations into how the natural environment of these pathogens has adapted them for pathogenicity in humans. Host-pathogen interactions, gene regulation/expression in response to environmental signals, expression of bacterial membrane proteins in regulating immune response of host. tmcneal@clemson.edu

• Andrew S. Mount, Lecturer; PhD, Clemson University, 1999. Study of cellular and molecular biology of biomineralization in mollusks, using the Eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica as a model: understanding how the organism nucleates calcium carbonate crystals, the mantle as a shell-forming organ, the role of collagen and investigation of the role of the immune system in shell formation; developing novel functional genomic approaches that will enable transcriptome analysis of specific cell types related to the secretion of organic matrix proteins. mount@clemson.edu

• Kimberly S. Paul, Assistant Professor; PhD, Princeton University, 1998. Parasite-host adaptation in African Trypanosomes; cell biology, biochemistry and molecular biology of fatty acid metabolism; environmental sensing and regulation of lipid uptake and metabolism; lipid trafficking; mitochondrial biology. kpaul@clemson.edu

• Charles D. Rice, Professor; PhD, College of William and Mary, 1989. Comparative marine immunobiology, with a special interest in immunobiology of fishes; veterinary immunology; molecular and cellular aspects of neuroendocrine-immune interactions; ontogeny and phylogeny of tumor immunology; immunotoxicology. cdrice@clemson.edu

• Thomas R. Scott, Adjunct Professor; PhD, University of Georgia, 1983. Immunology, with a concentration on cellular immunity and cancer immunology; identification of cell surface markers on immunologically important cells; isolation of important cytokines regulating cell growth and differentiation. trscott@clemson.edu

this area of Utah; developing methods to aid efforts to stabilize coastal dunes in South Carolina. hkurtz@clemson.edu

• Lyndon L. Larcom, Professor; PhD, University of Pittsburgh, 1968. Mechanisms of carcinogenesis; effects of damage to DNA and mechanisms for repair of the damage; cellular defects in leukemias; techniques for quantitative molecular analysis. lllrcm@clemson.edu

• Tamara L. McNealy, Assistant Professor; PhD, University of Heidelberg, 2003. Virulence mechanisms of intracellular respiratory pathogens, in particular Francisella tularensis and Legionella pneumophila. Investigations into how the natural environment of these pathogens has adapted them for pathogenicity in humans. Host-pathogen interactions, gene regulation/expression in response to environmental signals, expression of bacterial membrane proteins in regulating immune response of host. tmcneal@clemson.edu

• Andrew S. Mount, Lecturer; PhD, Clemson University, 1999. Study of cellular and molecular biology of biomineralization in mollusks, using the Eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica as a model: understanding how the organism nucleates calcium carbonate crystals, the mantle as a shell-forming organ, the role of collagen and investigation of the role of the immune system in shell formation; developing novel functional genomic approaches that will enable transcriptome analysis of specific cell types related to the secretion of organic matrix proteins. mount@clemson.edu

• Kimberly S. Paul, Assistant Professor; PhD, Princeton University, 1998. Parasite-host adaptation in African Trypanosomes; cell biology, biochemistry and molecular biology of fatty acid metabolism; environmental sensing and regulation of lipid uptake and metabolism; lipid trafficking; mitochondrial biology. kpaul@clemson.edu

• Charles D. Rice, Professor; PhD, College of William and Mary, 1989. Comparative marine immunobiology, with a special interest in immunobiology of fishes; veterinary immunology; molecular and cellular aspects of neuroendocrine-immune interactions; ontogeny and phylogeny of tumor immunology; immunotoxicology. cdrice@clemson.edu

• Thomas R. Scott, Adjunct Professor; PhD, University of Georgia, 1983. Immunology, with a concentration on cellular immunity and cancer immunology; identification of cell surface markers on immunologically important cells; isolation of important cytokines regulating cell growth and differentiation. trscott@clemson.edu