MBB Independent Research Courses (01:694:281/282/283; 381/382; 385; 481/482; 489/490)
These courses are for MBB majors or prospective majors who are conducting independent research projects in a laboratory at Rutgers - most typically Piscataway/New Brunswick but can be other Rutgers campuses (e.g. Newark) with permission of the MBB Undergraduate Director. Students should expect to conduct at least 4-5 hrs of research in the laboratory each week for each credit of research (e.g. Students who take 3 credits should be in lab 12-15 hrs/week). A written report (2 double-spaced pages per credit) on their research efforts and results is due at the end of the semester that is uploaded to a Canvas site created for the research course.
Note: Registration in MBB research courses is by Special Permission only.
To enroll, students must first find a Rutgers faculty member to be their research advisor to work with and who will supervise and mentor the student’s research and be responsible for the grade. The student will complete the Special Permission Form for Undergraduate Research with the help of their research advisor.
Research Advisor
The research advisor is the head of the research lab (also called the Principle Investigator) who must be at the rank of a tenure-track Professor (Assistant Professor) or tenured Professor (Associate Professor or higher rank). A non-tenure track “Research Professor” can supervise/mentor the student’s research but in this case a tenure-track or tenured Professor must also be involved and this person will be responsible for the student’s grade (for questions contact the MBB Undergraduate Director).
A minimum GPA of 2.8 or better is required for registration in all research courses.
Sophomore Laboratory Research 01:694:281 (F), 282 (S), 283 (Su)
Research project in the laboratory of a Rutgers faculty member. Written report of research carried out during each term required. This course is intended for first or second year students conducting independent research. Note: Students doing research in the 694:281/282 courses should also perform research in their third and/or fourth year to count towards the MBB research requirement for graduation. Students typically register for 3 credits per semester. Exceptions can be made with the approval of the Undergraduate Director.
Undergraduate Laboratory Research 01:694:381 (F), 382 (S), 384 (Su)
Research project in the laboratory of a Rutgers faculty member. Written report of research carried out during each term required. This course is intended for third year students conducting independent research. Students typically register for 3 credits per semester. Exceptions can be made with the approval of the Undergraduate Director.
Advanced Undergraduate Laboratory Research 01:694:481 (F), 482 (S)
Research project in the laboratory of a Rutgers faculty member. Written report of research carried out during the each term required . This research course is intended for fourth year students conducting independent research. Students typically register for 3 credits per semester. Exceptions can be made with the approval of the Undergraduate Director. The student must also give an oral presentation of their research in 01:694:484 (Seminar in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry).
Honors Laboratory Research 01:694:495, 496
Pre- or Corequisites: 01:694:315, 407 and 383
Honors research project in the laboratory of a faculty member. In the fall semester students are required to attend a seminar each week on writing a thesis. Students write an Honors thesis and present their research results in 01:694:484 (Seminar in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry). To qualify, a student must have attained, at the end of the junior year, an overall cumulative grade-point average of 3.4 or better and a cumulative grade-point average of 3.4 or better in courses required for the major. Exceptional students not meeting these criteria but wishing to apply for honors research may petition the department undergraduate director in the Spring of their Junior year chairperson at the beginning of their senior year. Students accepted to the program are expected to complete two terms (4-6 credits per term) of honors course work. For more information please go: https://mbb.rutgers.edu/academics/undergraduate/departmental-honors-program. Honors students will also give an oral presentation of their research in 01:694:484 (Seminar in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry).
The 694:495 Fall Semester MBB Honors class typically meets on Tuesday 3:50-5:10 PM in Waksman Rm 1001 Busch campus. The 694:496 Spring semester MBB Honors has no scheduled class time.
These courses fulfill the MBB Departmental Learning Goal(s) as follows:
01:694:281,282,283 Goals 3,4
01:694:381,382 Goals 3,4
01:694:481, 482 Goals 3,4
01:694:495, 496 Goals 3,4
3. Students should demonstrate the ability to design experiments and critically analyze data.
4. Students should demonstrate the ability to communicate their research and findings orally through seminar and poster presentations and through written research papers.
For further information about the research courses and on how to find a lab please go to http://mbb.rutgers.edu/undergraduate/undergraduate-research
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