Program Overview

Graduate study in Plant Biology at the University of Kentucky is conducted under the auspices of the Plant Biology Program, one of the disciplinary areas associated with the Integrated Plant and Soil Sciences Graduate Program. The Plant Biology Program at the University of Kentucky was formerly known as the Plant Physiology/Biochemistry/Molecular Biology Program. This program is an interdisciplinary one involving faculty in four departments in the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment.This program is nationally ranked (in the top ten life science programs in the category "Biological & Biomedical Sciences, Various" in the FSP Index rankings).

The research specialties of the various faculty are diverse and include:

• plant molecular biology
• plant biotechnology
• enzymology and protein chemistry
• plant-pathogen interactions
• plant tissue culture and plant transformation
• plant gene expression
• physiological and environmental regulation of plant production and quality

The Program offers an excellent balance of research, coursework, and practical technical training leading to the Ph.D. degree. Laboratories with state-of-the-art instrumentation and a high faculty-to-student ratio give students exceptional opportunities to perform original research and to develop professionally.

Collaborative research is possible and encouraged, and presentation of research results at regional and national meetings is expected. Research fellowships and assistantships permit students to devote all of their research efforts toward their dissertation research. Numerous weekly seminars are held by the departments that participate in the Plant Biology Program. These offer students the opportunity to interact with nationally and internationally recognized scientists, as well as with other students and postdoctoral scientists in the life sciences at the University of Kentucky.