Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Discover the chemical and physical principles that form the basis of life as we know it.
As a student of biochemistry and molecular biology at UMass Amherst, you’ll examine biological processes from physical, chemical, and genetic perspectives to better understand how biochemical reactions are integrated and regulated, and how genetic information is expressed. You’ll enhance your knowledge of cellular processes at both the biochemical and molecular levels.
You’ll undertake authentic, course-based laboratory research in areas such as plant natural products, plant microbe signaling, and protein structure-function. Our innovative courses will have you thinking in new ways—imagine exploring genetics and genomics by breeding virtual dragons!
Our faculty are consistently awarded funding for cutting-edge research from some of the most prominent scientific organizations, such as the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
With the skills you build here, you’ll be poised for success in a wealth of careers in the sciences or for acceptance into medical and dental schools.
Explore our programs
Alumni spotlight
In the spotlight
Kelly has a passion for research and aspires to further her career in scientific research by working with plants. She believes that “plants are a very important and necessary part of everyone’s lives and understanding them can give many insights into how to improve people’s quality of life.”
Featured faculty
Margaret Stratton
Associate Professor
Graduate program director for the Molecular & Cellular Biology Interdisciplinary Graduate Program and an associate professor in Biochemistry & Molecular Biolog
In the news
Researchers at UMass Amherst show how a small strand of RNA is key to fighting Cancer
Called let-7, the microRNA governs formation of the cellular memory pool and is a gift from the dawn of animal life.
CNS Career Center and Project Onramp Drive Paid Internship Opportunities for UMass Pell Grant Recipients
Opportunities to help all students combine their in-class academics with the real world to give them career experience to pursue their next step for careers
Cheung/Wu lab Receives four-year $1.5 Million Nih Research Award to Continue Research on Plant Reproduction
Biochemistry and Molecular biology professors, received a four-year, $1.5 million research award from the (NIH) for research on plant reproduction.