OVERVIEW

Established in 1994, the Graduate Institute of Biotechnology is a conglomerate of collegial and lively community of researchers devoted to providing a congenial atmosphere for research and learning. The faculty includes eight professors and one associate professors. In addition, four adjunct professors from the Graduate Institute of Genomics and Bioinformatics, the Graduate Institute of Biochemistry, and the Department of Life Sciences also participate into the teaching task-forces in order to establish a multidisciplinary training program. The institute offers both M.S. and Ph.D. programs. Each year up to 27 and 4 local students are admitted for the M.S. and Ph.D. programs, respectively. We also accept international students. Currently, several doctoral degree-seeking students from India, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Belize and United States are working at the Institute. Through the challenging courses and research projects, students shall be able to acquire advanced knowledge and learn sophisticated skills for conducting cutting-edge biotechnology researches.

RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

A variety of research projects are being undertaken by the faculty of the Institute. Based on the study subjects and research goals, the projects can be roughly classified into three categories which regard (1) molecular pathogen-host interaction, (2) molecular plant development and (3) application-oriented researches. The major pathogens under investigation include Bamboo mosaic virus,Geminivirus, Infectious bursal disease virus and Pseudomonas syringae. Taking Bamboo mosaic virus as an example, the functions of the virus-encoded proteins and the various RNA motifs have been intensively studied by teamwork for two decades. A handful of plant host proteins involved in various biological processes such as virus replication, virus cell-to-cell movement and plant innate defense mechanism have been identified by means such as differential expression of plant proteins in response to the virus infection and UV-induced crosslinking between plant proteins and the viral RNA. The effects of those host proteins on the viral proliferation and the in-depth mechanisms involved have been investigated by a variety of genetic, biochemical and biophysical tools. With respect to molecular plant development, the organs and organelle which have been targeted include flower, pollen, rice embryo, and oil body. The genes that regulate floral initiation, formation and senescence have been identified from Arabidopsis thaliana and a variety of horticultural flowers. Some proteins that specifically express in pollen and embryo have also been identified and functionally characterized. Goals of application-oriented researches include, but not limit to, platform development for protein expression, vaccine development, transgenic plant development, active compound identification from remedial herbs and novel enzyme identification from microbes. The details about each of the research achievements can be accessed through the individual websites of the faculty.

COURSES

The Institute offers a broad range of courses and encourages students to participate in discussion-based learning so that they not only acquire profound knowledge but also develop critical viewpoints. Among the courses, <<Biotechnology>> and <<Principle and Techniques>> in Molecular Biology are compulsory for M.S. degree-seeking students, while <<Special Topics in Biochemistry>> and <<Special Topics in Biotechnology>> are compulsory for Ph.D. students. Selective courses offered by the Institute include <<Methods in Molecular Biology>>, <<Bioinformatics>>, <<Plant Molecular Development>>, <<Plant Genomics>>, <<Structure and Function of Nucleic Acids>>, <<Molecular Virology>>, <<Microbial Genetics>>,<<Introduction to Biochemical Engineering>>, <<Practice of Patent Application>> and many others. Students can also take courses offered by other Departments on the campus. Top scientists from abroad in the related research field are invited to give lectures from time to time to help the students keep abreast of the latest scientific advancements.

PROSPECTIVE

Biotechnology is considered one of the mainstream technologies in the 21st century that will generate enormous impacts on many aspects ranging from health care, crop production, bioprocessing to environment remediation. Given that, the long-term goal for the Institute is to provide a competitive environment for graduate students to pursue outstanding academic research and develop modern biotechnology. Students from abroad who are interested to study at the Institute and try to seek a financial aid can visit the website at the Office of International Affairs, National Chung Hsing University, for detail application information.The institute also participates into the Taiwan International Graduate Program (TIGP) in Molecular and Biological Agricultural Sciences (MBAS), a Ph.D. study program found by Academia Sinica and National Chung Hsing University in 2003.