Research Facilities

The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics offers excellent facilities for conducting research in the biophysical, cellular, and molecular biological sciences. In addition to modern, spacious laboratories, the department provides access to state-of-the-art instrumentation for investigators in departmental research groups. The Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) facility, which has recently been upgraded, houses 500- and 600-MHz Bruker NMR spectrometers. 

There are significant resources for conducting measurements in optical spectroscopy, such as a JASCO circular dichroism spectrophotometer, UV-visible spectrophotometers, and two new fluorimeters, including an SLM 48000 steady-state and lifetime apparatus with laser and lamp excitation sources.

The department's cutting-edge computer equipment includes some 25 Silicon Graphics workstations and a new Convex computer. These machines, together with other advanced computing resources available on the Columbia network, such as the new DEC alpha 2100 4-275 available through the Comprehensive Cancer Center, provide ample computing power for most applications.

There are also excellent microscopy facilities within the department, including confocal microscopes for imaging. Centralized cell-sorting equipment is available, as are state-of-the-art DNA sequencing, peptide/DNA synthesis, and protein-sequencing core devices.