About Us
Founded in the 1970’s as the first of its kind in the United States, the Department of Structural Biology is a world leader in the molecular and structural understanding of biology. The discipline sits at the interface of physics, chemistry, and biology. Research in the department spans a wide range of biological problems at the molecular, cellular, tissue, and whole animal scales, and includes the molecular basis of transcription and translation, cellular signaling, development of multicellular tissues, virus structural biology, immunology, and computational biology.
Many of these studies involve the development and application of advanced methodologies, including x-ray crystallography, electron microscopy, NMR, single molecule spectroscopy, tomographic imaging and computer science. We have outstanding expertise and infrastructure in these areas, including close ties to the SLAC National Laboratory, which houses advanced x-ray sources including the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource and the Linear Coherent Light Source, the world’s first hard x-ray laser.
The emphasis of research in the department is on understanding fundamental cellular processes in terms of the structure and function of biological macromolecules and their assemblies. Techniques used include standard methods of biochemistry, cell culture, single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy, genetic engineering, and three dimensional structure determination by x-ray diffraction, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and electron microscopy, coupled with the development of computational methods.
The Department of Structural Biology is comprised of 14 faculty members and covers a broad range of research in structural biology, as well as biophysics and biochemistry. Problems currently under investigation include molecular recognition by the immune system; cellular recognition by adhesion molecules; structure and activity of molecular chaperones; structure and mechanism of ribozymes; transcriptional mechanisms; and protein folding.
Graduate students in Structural Biology design their individual course program with a combination of specialized courses and core advanced courses in structural biology, biochemistry, genetics and cell biology to meet their educational goals. The graduate program strongly emphasizes hands-on research training. Information about graduate studies in the department is available through the Biosciences web site.
The various Biosciences programs host regular seminars featuring guest lecturers from leading biosciences programs throughout the world. Students also participate in an annual retreat which features research presentations by each group in the department.
People
Browse the people that work for Stanford's Department of Structural Biology.
Directors of Graduate Studies: Theodore Jardetzky
Connect with Us
Visit our website: https://med.stanford.edu/structuralbio.html
Email us: biophys-ssa@lists.stanford.edu
Call our main office: (650) 723-7576
Find Us on Campus or Send Us Mail
Department of Structural Biology
Sherman Fairchild Science Building – D100
299 Campus Drive West
Mail Code: 5126
Stanford, CA 94305