CSB Training Opportunities

Outreach, Education, & Instrument Certification

• Protein Production & Characterization - All new users must complete one-on-one training before gaining self-served access to CSB instrumentation. User fees vary depending on the instrument. Expression vectors developed by the CSB are provided to Vanderbilt researchers free of charge.

• Macromolecular Crystallography - Training and certification on X-ray instrumentation is conducted on an individual basis. Training on any instrument is available by scheduling time with the Director of Operations. Facility training and support is available for researchers with no previous crystallography training. This is currently done on an individual basis. Anyone considering crystallography should be committed to spending several months learning the techniques. However, this can be accomplished in segments as the project develops.

• Biomolecular NMR - There are three progressive levels of training offered, nominally associated with 1D, 2D and finally 3D NMR techniques. Each course certifies the user to perform experiments of an increasingly sophisticated level. The courses begin with a lecture component but emphasize hands-on training to familiarize users with the instruments. These courses are provided to Vanderbilt researchers free of charge.

• Computational Structural Biology - Training and consultation in a variety of Computational Structural Biology techniques is available via Workshops and one-on-one sessions. Workshops and consulting services are supported in part by user fees, but initial consultation and project feasibility determination are always free of charge.

Graduate Opportunities

• Molecular Biophysics Graduate Training Program
  The Molecular Biophysics Training Program is an interdisciplinary program offering training opportunities in a wide range of topics in Molecular Biophysics, using a broad spectrum of physical, chemical, and computational approaches.

• Chemical and Physical Biology Graduate Program
  The CPB Program is a PhD track, multidisciplinary program introducing elements of biology to students who wish to pursue a doctoral degree at the interface of the chemical, physical, and biological sciences. The curriculum will prepare students for research careers at the chemistry-biology interface, in structural biology, in molecular biophysics, or in computational biology. Previous didactic training in the biological sciences is not required for entry into the CPB program.

• Interdisciplinary Graduate Program
  Individuals pursuing a PhD in the basic biomedical or biological science departments at Vanderbilt University join these departments through the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in the Biomedical Sciences (IGP). Participating programs and departments include Biochemistry, Biological Sciences, Cancer Biology, Cell & Developmental Biology, Human Genetics, Microbiology & Immunology, Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Neuroscience, Pathology, and, Pharmacology.

• Chemistry Department Graduate Program
  The Department of Chemistry at Vanderbilt University has recently occupied a new $32 million research and teaching facility. The department is currently undergoing a period of aggressive expansion with several new faculty members joining the department, and additional searches currently in progress. In such a dynamic environment, the opportunities for graduate research in chemistry are constantly growing.