Structural Biology

Structural biology is a branch of molecular biology, biochemistry, and biophysics concerned with the molecular structure of biological macromolecules (especially proteins, made up of amino acids, and RNA or DNA, made up of nucleotides), how they acquire the structures they have, and how alterations in their structures affect their function. This subject is of great interest to biologists because macromolecules carry out most of the functions of cells, and it is only by coiling into specific three-dimensional shapes that they are able to perform these functions. This architecture, the "tertiary structure" of molecules, depends in a complicated way on each molecule's basic composition, or "primary structure."

Biomolecules are too small to see in detail even with the most advanced light microscopes. The methods that structural biologists use to determine their structures generally involve measurements on vast numbers of identical molecules at the same time. These methods include:

Most often researchers use them to study the "native states" of macromolecules. But variations on these methods are also used to watch nascent or denatured molecules assume or reassume their native states. See protein folding.

A third approach that structural biologists take to understanding structure is bioinformatics to look for patterns among the diverse sequences that give rise to particular shapes. Researchers often can deduce aspects of the structure of integral membrane proteins based on the membrane topology predicted by hydrophobicity analysis. See protein structure prediction.

In the past few years it has become possible for highly accurate physical molecular models to complement the in silico study of biological structures. Examples of these models can be found in the Protein Data Bank.

* Description and images provided by Wikipedia under CC-BY-SA 3.0 license .

Matching Structural Biology Colleges

Indiana University-Bloomington

Four or more years; Public; $36,932 average out-state tuition; $9,913 average in-state tuition

Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Four or more years; Private not for profit

Yeshiva University

Four or more years; Private not for profit; $44,300 average out-state tuition; $44,300 average in-state tuition

University at Buffalo

Four or more years; Public; $24,990 average out-state tuition; $7,070 average in-state tuition

Baylor College of Medicine

Four or more years; Private not for profit

University of Washington-Seattle Campus

Four or more years; Public; $38,757 average out-state tuition; $10,927 average in-state tuition

Scholarships for Structural Biology Majors

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Regeneron Science Talent Search

Society for Science and the Public

Up to $250,000 November 07, 2024 See Details

Description

The Regeneron Science Talent Search is open to especially talented high school seniors. Students will be given the challenge of conducting independent science, math, or engineering research. To be considered, you must submit a maximum 20 - page research report explaining your experiments and conclusions. Research must be the work of a single...

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Regeneron Science Talent Search

Society for Science and the Public

award

Up to $250,000

deadline

November 07, 2024
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Description

The Regeneron Science Talent Search is open to especially talented high school seniors. Students will be given the challenge of conducting independent science, math, or engineering research. To be considered, you must submit a maximum 20 - page research report explaining your experiments and conclusions. Research must be the work of a single...

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Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Up to $30,000 Varies See Details

Description

The Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship is available to military veterans and their dependents who are pursuing studies in STEM fields. You must be a recipient of the Post-9/11 GI Bill or Fry Scholarship to be eligible for this award, which acts as an extension to expiring benefits of those programs.

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Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

award

Up to $30,000

deadline

Varies
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Description

The Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship is available to military veterans and their dependents who are pursuing studies in STEM fields. You must be a recipient of the Post-9/11 GI Bill or Fry Scholarship to be eligible for this award, which acts as an extension to expiring benefits of those programs.

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Jewel Scholars Program - Mount Mary College

Mount Mary College

$27,000 Varies See Details

Description

The Jewel Scholars Program is available to entering freshmen and transfer students at Mount Mary College who are majoring in Biology/Biological Sciences or Chemistry. You must demonstrate financial need and have a minimum GPA of 3.0 to be eligible for this award.

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Jewel Scholars Program - Mount Mary College

Mount Mary College

award

$27,000

deadline

Varies
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Description

The Jewel Scholars Program is available to entering freshmen and transfer students at Mount Mary College who are majoring in Biology/Biological Sciences or Chemistry. You must demonstrate financial need and have a minimum GPA of 3.0 to be eligible for this award.

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Lumpkins Family Merit Scholarship in the College of Science

University of Notre Dame

$25,000 January 01, 2025 See Details

Description

The Lumpkins Family Merit Scholarship in the College of Science is available to incoming freshman students at the University of Notre Dame who are majoring in the sciences. To be eligible for this renewable award, you must demonstrate outstanding academic achievement and a commitment to service.

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Lumpkins Family Merit Scholarship in the College of Science

University of Notre Dame

award

$25,000

deadline

January 01, 2025
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Description

The Lumpkins Family Merit Scholarship in the College of Science is available to incoming freshman students at the University of Notre Dame who are majoring in the sciences. To be eligible for this renewable award, you must demonstrate outstanding academic achievement and a commitment to service.

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National Space Club Keynote Scholarship

National Space Club

$20,000 November 01, 2024 See Details

Description

The National Space Club Keynote Scholarship is available to high school seniors and undergraduate and graduate students with definite plans to pursue a career in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics. You must be a U.S. citizen to be eligible for this award.

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National Space Club Keynote Scholarship

National Space Club

award

$20,000

deadline

November 01, 2024
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Description

The National Space Club Keynote Scholarship is available to high school seniors and undergraduate and graduate students with definite plans to pursue a career in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics. You must be a U.S. citizen to be eligible for this award.

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Science Ambassador Scholarship

Cards Against Humanity

$20,000 December 16, 2024 See Details

Description

The Science Ambassador Scholarship is available to women and non - binary high school seniors and undergraduate students who are pursuing a degree in a STEM field. To be considered, you must submit a three - minute video of yourself explaining a topic in science that you are passionate about.

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Science Ambassador Scholarship

Cards Against Humanity

award

$20,000

deadline

December 16, 2024
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Description

The Science Ambassador Scholarship is available to women and non - binary high school seniors and undergraduate students who are pursuing a degree in a STEM field. To be considered, you must submit a three - minute video of yourself explaining a topic in science that you are passionate about.

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Sturgis Fellowship

University of Arkansas

$20,000 February 01, 2025 See Details

Description

The Sturgis Fellowship is available to incoming freshmen who plan on majoring in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas. You must demonstrate exceptional academic performance to be considered for this renewable award. In addition, you must have a minimum 30 ACT/1320 SAT score and a minimum 3.8 GPA to be...

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Sturgis Fellowship

University of Arkansas

award

$20,000

deadline

February 01, 2025
See Details

Description

The Sturgis Fellowship is available to incoming freshmen who plan on majoring in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas. You must demonstrate exceptional academic performance to be considered for this renewable award. In addition, you must have a minimum 30 ACT/1320 SAT score and a minimum 3.8 GPA to be...

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Bess Heflin Fellowship

University of Texas at Austin, Office of Graduate Studies

$19,000 Varies See Details

Description

The Bess Heflin Fellowship is open to graduate students at the University of Texas at Austin. You must be studying one of the following programs: plant biology or botany, nutrition, ecology, evolution and behavior, economics, zoology, history, microbiology, cell and molecular biology, government, anthropology, sociology, psychology, biological...

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Bess Heflin Fellowship

University of Texas at Austin, Office of Graduate Studies

award

$19,000

deadline

Varies
See Details

Description

The Bess Heflin Fellowship is open to graduate students at the University of Texas at Austin. You must be studying one of the following programs: plant biology or botany, nutrition, ecology, evolution and behavior, economics, zoology, history, microbiology, cell and molecular biology, government, anthropology, sociology, psychology, biological...

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Alice P. Gast STEM Scholarship

Lehigh University

$12,500 January 01, 2025 See Details

Description

The Alice P. Gast STEM Scholarship is available to female students who are pursuing a degree in STEM at Lehigh University.

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Alice P. Gast STEM Scholarship

Lehigh University

award

$12,500

deadline

January 01, 2025
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Description

The Alice P. Gast STEM Scholarship is available to female students who are pursuing a degree in STEM at Lehigh University.

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SEI Native American Education Scholarship

Solar Energy International (SEI)

$10,000 Varies See Details

Description

The SEI Native American Education Scholarship is available to students interested in the solar energy industry. To be considered for this award, you must be at least 1/4 Native American Indian and a member of a federally recognized tribe. Selected candidates will be given tuition funds to cover SEI’s online or in-person training, with a goal of...

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SEI Native American Education Scholarship

Solar Energy International (SEI)

award

$10,000

deadline

Varies
See Details

Description

The SEI Native American Education Scholarship is available to students interested in the solar energy industry. To be considered for this award, you must be at least 1/4 Native American Indian and a member of a federally recognized tribe. Selected candidates will be given tuition funds to cover SEI’s online or in-person training, with a goal of...

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