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Biochemstry


Overview | Programs | Courses | Faculty | Contact

Faculty Affiliation

Medicine

Degree Programs Offered

Biochemistry – MSc, PhD

Collaborative Programs

The following collaborative programs are available to students in participating degree programs as listed below:

1. Biomedical Engineering

  • Biochemistry, MSc, PhD

2. Biomolecular Structure

  • Biochemistry, PhD

3. Developmental Biology

  • Biochemistry, MSc, PhD

4. Genome Biology and Bioinformatics

  • Biochemistry, PhD

5. Neuroscience

  • Biochemistry, MSc, PhD

Overview

Biochemistry is the study of the molecular events underlying biological processes. Consequently it makes fundamental contributions to all disciplines concerned with living systems.

The department offers modern facilities for research leading to the Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in a wide variety of areas including the relationship between structure and biological function in proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids as well as complex multi-component systems such as membranes and subcellular organelles.

Contact and Address

Web: http://biochemistry.utoronto.ca/
Email: carrie.harber@utoronto.ca
Telephone: (416) 978-2702
Fax: (416) 946-8228

Department of Biochemistry
University of Toronto
Room 5205, Medical Sciences Building
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8
Canada

Degree Programs

Biochemistry

Master of Science

Minimum Admission Requirements
  • Normally, minimum B+ average in last two years of study in an honours/specialist BSc program in biochemistry/molecular biology. Students with strong academic credentials in honours/specialist programs in disciplines related to biochemistry/molecular biology also considered.
  • Applicant arranges for personal reference forms from three individuals familiar with academic performance.
  • Applicants who obtained a degree outside Canada are generally required to have an MSc degree in biochemistry or in a closely related subject area and must arrange for general GRE examination results to be sent to the department.
  • Applicants from outside Canada whose primary language is not English and who graduated from a university where the language of instruction was not English must provide TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) and TWE (Essay Writing) scores.
    • Paper-based TOEFL: minimum 580 score and 5 on the TWE.
    • Internet-based TOEFL: minimum 93/120 score and 22/30 on the writing and speaking sections.
    • In the absence of TOEFL results, an IELTS score of at least 7 is also acceptable.
Program Requirements
  • Complete any courses that were a condition of acceptance
  • Complete a 0.5 full-course equivalent (FCE) from the following list: BCH 2021H Selected Topics in Biochemistry; BCH 2027H Membrane Proteins: Structure, Function, and Disease; BCH 2028H Protein Quality Control and Trafficking within the Secretory Pathway; BCH 2029H Protein Folding and Disease; BCH 2030H Molecular Aspects of Cell Signalling; or BCH 2024H0 Focused Topics in Biochemistry.
  • Participate in BCH 2020Y0 Master's Seminar Course in Biochemistry.
  • Thesis and successful completion of an oral examination on his or her research and related aspects of biochemistry.
  • Normally, MSc students are expected to participate as full-time students and to maintain full-time status in their laboratories until thesis completion and final defence.

Normal Program Length: 6 sessions full-time

Time Limit: 3 years full-time

Doctor of Philosophy

Minimum Admission Requirements
  • Applicant arranges for personal reference forms from three individuals familiar with academic performance.
  • Applicants who obtained a degree outside Canada are generally required to have an MSc degree in biochemistry or in a closely related subject area with high academic standing and must arrange for general GRE examination results to be sent to the department.
  • Applicants from outside Canada whose primary language is not English and who graduated from a university where the language of instruction was not English must provide TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) and TWE (Essay Writing) scores.
    • Paper-based TOEFL: minimum 580 score and 5 on the TWE.
    • Internet-based TOEFL: minimum 93/120 score and 22/30 on the writing and speaking sections.
    • In the absence of TOEFL results, a MELAB (Michigan English Language Arts Battery) score of at least 92 is also acceptable.
  • Students accepted into the PhD program through one of three routes:
    1. via reclassification from the MSc program;
    2. on completion of an MSc degree in biochemistry or a cognate discipline;
    3. directly from a BSc if, in the opinion of the Biochemistry Graduate Committee, the student has an outstanding academic record.
  • The latter two categories require the student to successfully complete a qualifying examination within the first 18 months.
Program Requirements
  • Complete any courses that were a condition of acceptance.
  • Complete 1.5 internal or external (from cognate departments) graduate-level courses, including at least one 0.5 FCE from the following list: BCH 2021H Selected Topics in Biochemistry; BCH 2027H Membrane Proteins: Structure, Function, and Disease; BCH 2028H Protein Quality Control and Trafficking within the Secretory Pathway; BCH 2029H Protein Folding and Disease; BCH 2030H Molecular Aspects of Cell Signalling; BCH 2024H0 Focused Topics in Biochemistry. Students may fulfil the 1.5-FCE course requirement entirely from this list.
  • Participate in BCH 2022Y0 Doctoral Seminar Course in Biochemistry.
  • Submit a thesis and defend it at the doctoral final oral examination.
  • Normally, PhD students are expected to participate as full-time students and to maintain full-time status in their laboratories until thesis completion and final defence.

Normal Program Length: 4 years full-time; 5 years direct-entry

Time Limit: 6 years full-time; 7 years direct-entry

Course List

For course details and availability, consult the department's website.

BCH 1371H Laboratory Course in Biochemistry (BCH 371)§
BCH 1422H Membrane Proteins: Structure and Function—Lectures (BCH 422H)§
BCH 1426H Regulation of Signalling Pathways—Lectures (BCH 426H)§
BCH 1440H Protein Biosynthesis—Lectures (BCH 440H)§
BCH 1441H Bioinformatics (BCH 441H)§
BCH 1471Y Advanced Biochemistry—Laboratory (BCH 471Y)§ (prerequisite is BCH 371§ or equivalent)
BCH 2020Y0 Master's Seminar Course in Biochemistry (Credit/No Credit)
BCH 2021H Selected Topics in Biochemistry: Advanced lectures to supplement the above lower-numbered courses in Biochemistry
BCH 2027H Membrane Proteins: Structure, Function, and Disease
BCH 2028H Protein Quality Control and Trafficking within the Secretory Pathway
BCH 2029H Protein Folding and Disease
BCH 2030H Molecular Aspects of Cell Signalling
BCH 2022Y0 Doctoral Seminar Course in Biochemistry (Credit/No Credit)
BCH 2024H0 Focused Topics in Biochemistry
JBB 1425H Structural Biology: Principles and Practice—Lectures (BCH 425H)§
JBB 2025H Protein Crystallography—Lectures
JBB 2026H Protein Structure, Folding and Design
JBI 1428H Molecular Immunology—Lectures (JBI 428H)§
JBL 1507H Biochemistry of Inherited Disease
JNP 1017H+ Molecular and Biochemical Basis of Toxicology
JNP 1018H+ Current Topics in Molecular and Biochemical Toxicology
JNR 1444Y Fundamentals of Neuroscience: Cellular and Molecular—Lectures (PSL 444Y)§
JTB 2010H Proteomics and Functional Genomics
JTB 2020H Applied Bioinformatics

Graduate Faculty

Full Members

Adeli, Khosrow - DipChem, MSc, PhD
Attisano, Liliana - BSc, PhD
Baker, Robert - BSc, PhD
Bazett-Jones, David - BSc, MSc, PhD
Bear, Christine - BSc, MSc, PhD
Brown, Grant - BSc, PhD
Callahan, John - BSc, MSc
Chakrabartty, Avijit - BSc, MSc, PhD
Chan, Hue Sun - BSc, MA, PhD
Clarke, David - PhD
Davidson, Alan Richard - BSc, PhD
Deber, Charles - BSc, PhD
Forman-Kay, Julie - BSc, PhD
Glover, John - BSc, MSc, PhD
Grinstein, Sergio - BSc, PhD
Houry, Walid - BS, MS, PhD
Howell, Lynne - BSc, PhD
Ingles, C James - BSc, PhD
Isenman, David - BSc, BSc, PhD
Jorgensen, Annelise - MSc, PhD
Kay, Lewis - PhD
Keeley, Frederick - BSc, PhD
Klip, Amira - ScD
Lewis, Peter - BSc, PhD
Lingwood, Clifford - BSc, PhD
Maclennan, David - BSc, MSc, PhD
Manolson, Morris - PhD
McQuibban, Angus - BSc, MSc, PhD
Moraes, Trevor - BS, MSc, PhD
Moran, Laurence - BSc, PhD
Pai, Emil - PhD
Palazzo, Alexander - PhD
Parkinson, John - BS, PhD
Pomes, Regis - PhD
Privé, Gil - BSc, PhD
Pulleyblank, David - BSc, PhD
Rand, Margaret - BSc, PhD
Reithmeier, Reinhart - BSc, PhD (Chair and Graduate Chair)
Rini, James - BSc, PhD (Coordinator of Graduate Studies)
Robinson, Brian - BSc, PhD
Rotin, Daniela - BSc, MSc, PhD
Rubinstein, John - BSc, PhD
Rubinstein, John L - BSc, PhD
Segall, Jacqueline - BSc, PhD
Sharpe, Simon J - BSc, PhD
Siu, Chi-Hung - BA, PhD
Smibert, Craig - BSc, PhD
Stagljar, Igor - BS, PhD
Steipe, Boris - MD, PhD
Trimble, William - BSc, PhD
Volchuk, Allen - BSc, PhD
Williams, David - BSc, MSc, PhD
Wodak, Shoshana - LicScChem, PhD
Yip, Christopher - BSc, PhD

Members Emeriti

Anwar, Rashid - BSc, MSc, PhD
Bennick, Anders - DipPerio, MSc, DDS, PhD
Gurd, James - BA, PhD
Lane, Byron - BA, PhD
Marks, Alexander - MD, PhD
Moscarello, Mario - BA, MD, PhD
Murray, Robert - MS, MD, MB, PhD
Packham, Marian - PhD
Painter, Robert - BSc, PhD
Sarkar, Bibudhendra - BPhm, MPharm, PhD
Schachter, Harry - BA, MD, PhD
Williams, George - BSc, DSc, DSc, Fell Royal Society Canada

§ Arts and Science undergraduate course
0 Course that may continue over a program. The course is graded when completed.
+ Extended course. For academic reasons, coursework is extended into session following academic session in which course is offered.

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