At the University of South Carolina
School of Medicine, the student enrolled in the Ph.D. Biomedical Science program with
specialization in Microbiology and Immunology receives extensive training in the basic
sciences, gaining both theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience. The goal of this
program is to prepare students to become productive biomedical researchers and
high-quality teachers. Microbiology involves the study of micro organisms and the
pathogenesis of the diseases that they cause. Immunology involves the study of the immune
response to these microorganisms, as well as the immune response to altered-self
(anti-tumor responses and autoimmune disorders). The two fields are closely linked and are
often difficult to distinguish. Microbiology and Immunology are involved in many disease
processes. Our times are unique for studying Microbiology and Immunology and biomedical
sciences in general. Recent technological advances have revolutionized Microbiology and
Immunology, with a very significant impact on our understanding of these areas and the
development of novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for a number of life
threatening diseases.
Faculty in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology have
diversified research interests and specializations. These include cell biology, molecular
and pathogenic virology, bacterial pathogenesis, humoral and cellular immunology,
analytical microbiology and taxonomy. The graduate program is highly interactive. There
are collaborative interactions of the faculty within the program, with other faculty of
the Medical School and the University, and with investigators in other institutions. The
faculty of the Department is strongly committed to maintaining an excellent graduate
program and to creating a strong academic environment, in which graduate students are
given every opportunity to experience the excitement of discovery and to develop into
independent scientists who will initiate and maintain their own research programs. The
research of the faculty has been recognized in various ways, including the award to the
faculty of a number peer-reviewed grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and
other agencies, and the appointment of members of the faculty to numerous study sections,
national and international committees and editorial boards.
Graduates from the program have been very successful in seeking and
obtaining excellent positions. Most of them are holding academic and/or research
positions. The Graduate Program is supported by funds from the medical school and by
research grants and departmental resources. Generally, all students in the program are
fully supported financially.
The information included here provides a comprehensive
description of our graduate program. We hope that you will share our enthusiasm for the
program, and that you will be encouraged to consider the opportunities that it provides.
The Department of Microbiology and Immunology, located in a modern
building which was renovated when the School of Medicine moved to its new campus in 1982,
houses several state-of-the-art instruments: four mass spectrometers dedicated to chemical
analysis of bacterial markers: a Liquid Chromatograph -Tandem Mass Spectrometer (LC-MS-MS)
(Quattro, triple quadrupole, electrospray), a Gas Chromatograph-Tandem mass Spectrometer
(GC-MS-MS) (Quattro, triple quadrupole, electron impact/chemical ionization), a GC-MS-MS
(GCQ ion trap, electron impact/chemical ionization), and a GC-MS system (MSD, electron
impact only); a Coulter laser flow cytometer and a Meridian Instruments Confocal Adherent
Cell Analysis System 570 for fluorescent analysis of cells and tissues. Excellent confocal
and electron microscopy facilities are available at the School of Medicine.
The University of South Carolina also has a number of core
facilities including the Monoclonal Antibody Facility for production of specific antibody
probes, the Oligonucleotide Synthesis Facility for the analysis and purification of
oligonucleotides, the Trangenic Mouse Facility for the production of genetically altered
strains of mice, and the DNA Analysis Facility.
All library needs can be serviced either by the School of Medicine's
library, which receives most major biomedical science periodicals, or by the nearby
University of South Carolina Library. The School of Medicine also has an excellent animal
care facility which is fully accredited by the AAALAC.
The course of study in this program leads
to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy with specialization in Microbiology and Immunology.
Students are initially enrolled in course work with a gradual transition towards
laboratory-based research, culminating in full-time research in the final years. During
the first year the student may choose several laboratories in which to gain practical
research experience and selects an adviser. The broad range of research activities being
conducted by the Microbiology and Immunology faculty affords the student opportunities to
conduct research in any of the subdisciplines of microbiology, including molecular and
pathogenic virology, cell biology, humoral and cellular immunology, bacterial
pathogenesis, taxonomy and analytical microbiology.
All formal course work is completed by no later than the end of the
second year. At the end of the first year, a student maintaining at least a B average
takes the qualifying examination in Microbiology and Immunology and, satisfying this, is
admitted to candidacy in the Ph.D. program. After passing the qualifier examination, an
advisory committee is appointed to help guide the student's progress. Most students are
expected to complete the program of study in four to five years.
In order to satisfy program requirements, all students must take the
following courses in sequence:
YEAR ONE 
Semester I and Semester II
BMSC 754/755 Medical Biochemistry I and II 
click on the blue arrows to go to a brief course description
BMSC 700 Biomedical Science Interdisciplinary Laboratory I
MBIM 720 Medical Microbiology
BMSC 701 Biomedical Science Interdisciplinary Lab II (May be
taken later in consultation with advisor)
Seminar in Microbiology & Immunology
PLUS ONE or TWO of the
following courses
(each course is given once/2 yr. cycle):
MIBM 710 Advanced Immunology
MBIM 739 Medical Bacteriology
MBIM 740 Virology
PLUS
Seminar in Microbiology & Immunology
In the summer, at the end of year one, all students take:
QUALIFIER EXAMINATION: The
qualifier examination is a written examination to test thestudent's overall ability to
synthesize information in microbiology and biochemistry.
YEAR TWO
BMSC 702 Medical Cell Biology
PLUS ONE or TWO of the following courses
(each course is given once/2 yr. cycle):
MIBM 710 Advanced Immunology
MBIM 739 Medical Bacteriology
MBIM 740 Virology
PLUS Thesis Research
YEAR THREE ETC.
Thesis Research
In addition to the stated
requirements, the student is expected to attend the following each semester:
Microbiology and Immunology Seminar Series (MBIM 801)
Biomedical Sciences Seminar Series
Other items such as journal clubs may be recommended. Teaching of the laboratories and Patient Oriented Problem Solving (POPS) sessions in MBIM 720, in the first semester of the second and third years of study, is required. These sessions last only several weeks.
The student's dissertation, which is the
culmination of graduate study, should make a significant contribution to the body of
current knowledge in biomedical science. The student will be required, as the final act
before graduation, to present to the advisory committee an oral defense of the
dissertation.
MBIM 720 (Comprehensive Microbiology) - 6
credits. (Prereq: consent of the instructor). Fundamental and clinical principles of
microbiology and immunology as they relate to bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites.
Major areas include immune system (organismic, cellular, and molecular levels),
host-parasite interactions and infectious diseases (morphology, biology, and
epidemiology). Lectures, conferences, and laboratories.
MBIM 740 (Virology) - 3 credits. (Prereq:
minimum of one semester of biochemistry and consent of the instructor). Description of
viral structure, chemical composition, and replication; new concepts of the role of
viruses in genetics, immunity, and cancer, as well as in acute and chronic infections.
Three lecture hours per week.
MBIM 710 (Advanced Immunobiology) - 4 credits.
(Prereq: introductory immunology and one semester of biochemistry). Current concepts in
immunologic recognition and response to antigen presenting cells of the lymphoreticular
system, their ontogeny, surface markers, and interactions. Immunoglobulins, their
structure and functions. Non-immunoglobulin humoral factors and their role in immune
responses and immunoregulation. Four lecture hours per week.
MBIM 739 (Medical Bacteriology) - 3 credits.
(Prereq: consent of instructor). Description of bacterial structure and metabolism. How
infectious agents cause disease, are identified and treated with chemotherapeutic agents.
Comparision of diversity of host-pathogen interactions.
MBIM 801 (Microbiology & Immunology Seminar Series)
- Fall and Spring semesters.
BMSC 702 (Medical Cell Biology) - 4 credits.
(Prereq: basic biochemistry and consent of instructor). Structure and assembly of the
eucaryotic cell, with emphasis on translation of genetic information into cellular
architecture. Relation of process malfunction to various disease states.
BMSC 754 (Biomedical Biochemistry I) [CHEM 754]
- 4 credits. (Prereq: consent of instructor). First of a two-semester sequence covering
the major areas of biochemistry in a biomedical context. Chemistry of amino acids and
proteins, enzymology, metabolism of carbohydrates and lipids. Emphasis is on biomedical
research applications. Four lecture hours per week.
BMSC 755 (Biomedical Biochemistry II) [CHEM
755] - 4 credits. (Prereq: CHEM 754). A continuation of BMSC 754. Topics include
nucleic acids and protein biosynthesis, blood chemistry, respiration, acid-base chemistry,
metabolism, and nutrition. Four lecture hours per week.
BMSC 700 (Biomedical Science Interdisciplinary Laboratory
I) - 3 credits. Survey for new Biomedical Science graduate students of major
problem areas and research methods in Biomedical Science with introduction to faculty,
services, facilities, and major equipment of the Basic Science departments of the School
of Medicine.
BMSC 701 (Biomedical Science Interdisciplinary Lab II)
- 3 credits. (Prereq: BMSC 700 and consent of instructor). Intensive tutorial for advanced
Biomedical Science graduate students in laboratory techniques and/or methodology outside
of department of specialization.
Students interested in the program must complete and
provide the department with the following information:
Graduate School Application Form
Two letters of recommendation
Transcripts
Scores for the General GRE and Advanced
GRE in
a) Biology,
b) Chemistry, or
c) Biochemistry, Cell & Molecular Biology
(Note: In certain circumstances requirement of the Advanced GRE may be waived; other science subjects may be substituted for the Advanced GRE)
A statement describing research
interest and reason for wanting to obtain a Ph.D. degree
For foreign applicants, the
following additional information is required:
Scores for the TOEFL
Visa Application/Financial
Certification Form
It is anticipated that most students in Microbiology and Immunology
will be supported through assistantships. In the first year, support is generally provided
in the amount of $11,500 per year by the Department of Microbiology and Immunology from
several medical school and departmental graduate funds and subsequently from
external-grant support for specific research projects. Upon successfully passing the
comprehensive examination the stipend is increased to $12,500 per year. Stipends are
awarded on a competitive basis and are determined by academic performance, information
received from supplemental application material and, if possible, information elicited
during a personal interview. Reduced fees for students with graduate assistantships are
$900.00* per semester. Full tuition fees are$2,088.00* per semester for in-state residents
and $4,240.00 for out-of-state residents.
*Tuition rates are quoted for 1996-97 academic year. Rates are subject to change.
For a complete application packet contact:
Program Coordinator
Office of Graduate Studies
University of South Carolina School of Medicine
Columbia, South Carolina 29208
Phone: (803) 733-3100
Fax: (803) 733-3168
To obtain general information about
the Bio-Medical Sciences Graduate Program, please send an e-mail by clicking on the button
at the left
For specific information concerning the Graduate Program
in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, please contact:
Alvin Fox, Ph.D.
Professor
Director of Graduate Studies in Microbiology & Immunology
University of South Carolina School of Medicine
Columbia, South Carolina 29208
Phone: (803) 733-3288
Fax: (803) 733-3192
To obtain
specific information on the Microbiology and Immunology Department's Graduate Program,
please send an e-mail message to Dr Fox by clicking on the button at the left
or contact the Department's Business Associate by clicking on
the button at the left
The University of South Carolina System provides affirmative action and equal opportunity in education and employment for all qualified persons regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or veteran status.
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Board of Trustees of the University of South Carolina
This page last changed on Tuesday, May 05, 2009
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