BACKGROUND
In 1989 the National Institutes of Health initiated a new and innovative program of graduate Training Grants in Biotechnology. One of the first nine grants awarded nationwide funds the Biotechnology Training Program at Washington State University.
OVERVIEW
The central strategy of modern biotechnology is to manipulate segments of DNA by recombinant techniques in order to alter or to produce large quantities of proteins with specific medical or commercial value. Many of the most difficult problems in the field of biotechnology are issues related to the propertiesof proteins. Continued progress will require a substantial increase in the number of scientists trained in the fundamentals of protein chemistry in all levels of research from basic to applied and at institutions ranging from universities to biotechnology firms. The Biotechnology Training Program at WSU, funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health, addresses this need by providing interdisciplinary graduate training in biotechnology with a major emphasis on the fundamentals and complexities of protein chemistry. This group includes three members of the National Academy of Sciences. Twenty-five individuals from six departments in four colleges constitute a core training faculty that provides both depth and breadth in this area. The emphasis on proteins emerges naturally from past and current strengths of the faculty at WSU, from the array of resources, programs and cooperations already in place, and from strong institutional support.
• Depth and Breadth in Protein Chemistry. For decades, WSU has been a leader in the study of protein chemistry. Currently a group of distinguished investigators, working with plants, animals or bacteria are focusing on fundamental questions about proteins.
• Interdisciplinary Programs and Cooperation. The community of biological scientists at WSU is open, cooperative and interactive. There are many formal interdisciplinary programs and collaborations; at least as important for the enrichment of graduate training are the multitude of informal instances of instruction, cooperation and assistance among laboratories across the campus.
• Providing for the Needs of Biotechnology. Biotechnology firms, particularly those established in the last two decades, regularly hire WSU-trained scientists. Some of these scientists have already attained substantial prominence.
• Links between Basic and Applied Research. A basis for expanded interactions between basic and applied research within the context of this Training Program is provided by a) cooperative research and training between faculty in basic science departments and the Bioprocessing Group in the Department of Chemical Engineering, b) an array of projects funded by the Washington Technology Center, c) individual collaborations between WSU scientists and biotechnologyfirms, and d) a network of contacts between WSU and the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest Laboratory located in Richland, Washington.
• Institutional Commitment. A recently completed $60-million building program provides superb physical facilities for trainees and training faculty. An array of university-administered centers offer access to state-of-the-art instrumentation.
• Special Opportunities for minority students. WSU is strongly committed to recruitment of graduate students who are members of underrepresented minority groups. Several institutional traineeships have been designated in Biotechnology for this purpose.
FEATURES
The training program aims to produce scientists and engineers with sound interdisciplinary backgrounds who will be qualified to meet major needs of biotechnology in academic, industrial or government service. The program provides state-of-the-art training in basic science relevant to biotechnology and an education in the applied aspects of biotechnology, with particular emphasis on protein chemistry. The resulting trained scientists and engineers will have the facility and background to combine basic and applied research. We aim for flexibility within a framework that provides a range of options for rigorous training in state-of-the-art basic science and engineering. Trainees enter one of six Ph.D. programs: Biochemistry and Biophysics, Genetics and Cell Biology, Microbiology, Plant Physiology, Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, or Chemical Engineering, and have the innovative option of combining the Ph.D. in one of those fields with a M.S. in Computer Science. Because of the many cross-affiliations among the training faculty, trainees have opportunities to choose from among the degree programs or switch from one to another as desired, dependent upon specific degree requirements. The training program involves the following major features:
• Financial support (assuming acceptable progress) throughout the trainee's graduate career. All tuition costs and medical insurance are also covered.
• Travel funds for attendance at national and international meetings.
• First-hand experience in the biotechnology industry through an industrial internship in a biotechnology firm or institution.
• Research projects chosen from 25 prominent research programs focused on a variety of aspects of protein chemistry.
• Visits by leading scientists and engineers from academia and industry to present seminars and interact with trainees.
• Core course work emphasizing protein chemistry and biotechnology.
Individuals completing our Biotechnology Training Program with its major emphasis on the fundamentalsand complexities of protein chemistry will be qualified for a vast array of positions in academic institutions,government laboratories and especially the biotechnology industry.