PROGRAM DEFINITION
Biochemistry is the study of chemical reactions that take place in living organisms and systems. Students with a major in Biochemistry are trained extensively in Chemistry and the Physical and Biological Sciences. This challenging and marketable major provides a powerful combination of resources that are very attractive both to prospective employers in industry and medicine, and to graduate and professional schools in various fields.

NEBRASKA POINTS OF DISTINCTION
• The only program in Nebraska with comprehensive expertise in biomedical, agricultural, and microbial biochemistry
• Nationally recognized for research in plant and redox biochemistry
• The major is offered through two colleges (Arts and Sciences and Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources) to fulfill unique needs of students.
• Biochemistry is a partner in the new interdisciplinary major in Bioinformatics.
• Requirements met by majors satisfy Medical/Pharmacy School admissions requirements and prepare students well for the entrance exams.
• Hands-on research experience is highly encouraged through one-on-one interactions in faculty research labs.
• Students may participate in nationally funded and renowned cutting-edge research programs. Students are well-trained and highly competitive in the job market.
• Our recent graduates have enrolled in graduate and professional programs in first-tier schools such as Stanford, University of California, Harvard, Cornell, Washington University, and Yale.

FACILITIES
Biochemistry classrooms and laboratories are located in the George W. Beadle Center for Genetics and Biomaterials Research (Beadle Center), newly opened in 1995. This building houses faculty researchers in Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Virology, Immunology, Biological Sciences, Plant Sciences, Bioinformatics, and Cancer Biology. The Beadle Center contains:
• Modern multimedia classrooms and teaching labs
• State-of-the-art research labs
• Faculty researchers in many aspects of the life sciences
• Core research facilities for microscopy, DNA analysis, and bioinformatics
• Attached greenhouse complex

PROGRAM EXPECTATIONS (What’s expected of you as an undergraduate student)
• Cultivate a passion for understanding how living things work at the level of atoms and molecules
• Strong performances in General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Genetics, and Microbiology courses, as necessary preparation for Biochemistry
• Successful completion of Biochemistry 431 and 432, the key lecture courses for the major
• Hands-on training in modern biochemistry and molecular biology techniques through Biochemistry 433 (Laboratory in Biochemistry)
• Many Biochemistry majors work at least one semester in a faculty research laboratory, some throughout their entire undergraduate career.
• Develop skills in oral and written communication.

FACULTY
http://biochem.unl.edu/