Designated Emphasis in Biotechnology Bylaws
Administrative Home: Biotechnology Program
First approved in 1997 and updated 3/2002
Graduate Council’s Approval Date for 2002 Revisions: May 13, 2002
submitted December 2004 (approval pending)

Article I - Objective

The Designated Emphasis Program in Biotechnology (hereafter referred to as the DEB or the Program) is organized primarily to indicate a specialization in Biotechnology for established Ph.D. degree programs and will be administered within the offices of UC Davis Biotechnology Program, in conformance with the Rules of the Graduate Studies of University of California, Davis campus. Successful completion of this Program will indicate that the recipient of the established Ph.D. degree has received additional training in Biotechnology. These individuals will receive a DEB notation on their diploma and transcripts upon completion.
Participating graduate programs currently include 23 programs: Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry; Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Biological systems engineering (formerly Biological & Agricultural Engineering); Biomedical Engineering; Biophysics; Cell & Developmental Biology; Chemical Engineering; Chemistry; Civil and Environmental Engineering; Comparative Pathology; Entomology; Genetics; Immunology; Materials Science and Engineering; Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering; Food Science; Microbiology; Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Physiology (formerly Physiology); Nutrition; Pharmacology & Toxicology; Plant Biology; Plant Pathology; and Statistics. Chairs of other graduate programs or departments can request inclusion in the DEB by petitioning the DEB Executive Committee and approval by Graduate Council.

Article II – Membership

i. Faculty

The Program will consist of those persons associated with the Davis campus qualified to guide candidates to degrees in biotechnology-related areas of research. Program participants must be a member of an affiliated Graduate Group or Department, have an active research program, and be willing to participate in the Program's activities: qualifying exams; annual retreat; informal chalk talks; Current Progress in Biotechnology seminar; etc.
Faculty can apply to the DEB program at any time. A request for DEB membership, stating that the bylaws have been read and be upheld, should be sent to the current DEB chair (with a copy to the DEB program coordinator). Admissibility will be determined by a majority vote of the Executive Committee of the Program. An acceptance letter will be sent to the new DEB faculty member in a timely manner.
The Executive committee will review one third of the membership every year by asking questions and requesting information pertinent to their participation in the Program. An updated list of faculty members will be maintained on the DEB web site (www.deb.ucdavis.edu).

Continued membership in the DEB is contingent upon:

1. Member in good standing in a DEB-affiliated graduate program.
    
2. Performance of services to the DEB program (must fulfill one or more duties over the previous three years);
    
• Act as the major professor for a pre-doctoral student in the DEB program.
   
• Serve on the executive committee of the DEB or the Biotechnology Training Grant.
   
• Provide graduate level instruction in the core DEB courses: MBC 263, MCB 282; MCB/ECH 294 or GGG296.
   
• Serve on the qualifying examination committee as the DEB reviewer.
   
• Attend the annual biotechnology training retreat (at least once within a three year period).
   
• Assist in outreach activities: locating new internship sites; securing additional fellowships; etc.

Termination of DEB faculty membership:

• At the request of the Faculty member to the DEB chair (with a copy to the DEB program coordinator).
   
• Failure to comply with the minimum requirements for DEB membership during the previous three-year period will result in termination. Notification of impending termination will be issued six months before actual termination.
   
• A faculty member may reapply for membership after termination.

This information will be posted on the DEB website in the updated bylaws. When a faculty member applies for DEB membership, the program coordinator or chairperson will meet with the applicant to emphasize the importance of being an active member of the DEB graduate program.

ii. Graduate Group/Department

The chair of a graduate group or department may request DEB affiliation by sending a letter to the DEB Chair (with a copy to the DEB program coordinator) along with a list of interested faculty members. An example is as follows:

iii. Students

Qualified students (predoctoral graduate students in good academic standing) must apply to the DEB program online at www.deb.ucdavis.edu after meeting with a program advisor. Students interested in participating in DEB must first be enrolled in the Ph.D. program of one of the participating graduate groups and be under the direct mentorship of a DEB faculty member. The current list of affiliated faculty and graduate groups can be found at www.deb.ucdavis.edu. If the faculty mentor and/or department/graduate group are not members, they may apply for DEB membership at any time (see procedure in sections i and ii).
The student’s application will be reviewed by the DEB executive committee. Upon approval by the executive committee, student must complete the Designated Emphasis application at Graduate Studies. The application form can be found at here. After obtaining appropriated signatures it must be filed with Graduate Studies. Upon enrollment with Graduate Studies, a copy of the form will be sent to the student as well as for the Biotechnology Program.

1. Course Requirements - Satisfactory completion of the following courses is required:

• MCB 263 (2 units), Biotechnology Fundamentals and Application. Offered winter quarter.
   
• MCB 282 (variable): Biotechnology Internship. A minimum of 3 months internship at a biotechnology company or interdisciplinary lab (either a research program in a different college on campus, or an off campus affiliate such as Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, etc.). The appropriateness of the internship will be at the discretion of the DEB executive committee. An industry internship is preferred.
   
• MCB 294/ECH 294 (1 unit): Current Progress in Biotechnology Seminar. Offered every quarter (fall, winter, and spring). A minimum of three quarters of enrollment in the course is required.
   
• MIC292 (1 unit): From Discovery to Product: An Introduction to Biotechnology at the Industrial Level. Offered every other year. MIC292 is an elective that may substitute for one quarter of MCB /ECH294.
   
• GGG 296 (2 units) Scientific Professionalism and Integrity - responsible conduct in science. Offered fall quarter.

2. Qualifying Exam Requirements:

• The Ph.D. qualifying exam should demonstrate appropriate knowledge within the area of biotechnology. At least one faculty member of the DEB shall participate in the qualifying examination.
   
• Guidelines for topics for qualifying exam (DEB area)
  [also posted on the DEB website: www.deb.ucdavis.edu]

  The DEB faculty representative on the PhD Qualifying exam should question the student on topics related to material covered in MCB263 (Biotechnology Fundamentals and Application), GGG296 (Scientific Professionalism and Integrity) and/or biotechnology related areas of the student’s research proposal.

  Topics covered in MCB263 typically include: fundamental principles of molecular biology (recombinant DNA methods, restriction endonucleases, vectors, promoters, creating and screening a library, transformation methods); alternative expression systems (bacterial, yeast, insect, mammalian, plant and animal); bioprocess engineering (bioreactor designs, operating strategies and scale-up considerations, protein recovery and purification methods) and tools/methods used in biotechnology such as PCR, microarrays, etc.

  MCB263 is designed to train graduate students interested in careers in biotechnology research. Students learn the fundamentals of molecular biology and chemical engineering as they relate to recombinant DNA technology. This includes the principles of rate processes of biological systems,optimization of bioreactor performance, and other practical issues related to over-expression and production of recombinant molecules.

  Text: Molecular Biotechnology: Principles and Applications of Recombinant DNA, 2nd Ed. B.R. Glick and J.J. Pasternak, American Society of Microbiology Press, 1998.
  Reference Text: Bioprocess Engineering Principles. Pauline M. Doran. Academic Press. 1995.

  The reviewer may ask questions related to core bioethics issues covered in GGG 296. Topics include: scientific conduct; manuscript preparation; grant writing; seminar presentations, and time management. Emphasis is on the responsibilities of scientists to factually and thoughtfully communicate results.

  The reviewer may also examine on special biotechnology topics related to the student’s research proposal.

3. Thesis Requirements:

The dissertation committee shall include at least one DEB faculty member. The major professor must be a participating DEB member and can satisfy the requirement.

4. Additional Requirements:

Regular attendance at the annual biotechnology retreat and the informal Pizza Chalk Talk Seminars (talks by students and faculty on current research) are required.

5. Graduation:

Students must complete a yearly progress report at the end of each year (available online at www.deb.ucdavis.edu). Upon completion of the dissertation and all of the Program requirements, the final verification form (found online) must be completed and filed with Graduate Studies. The DEB notation will be listed on the diploma and transcripts. Completion of the DEB exit form (also online) is requested so that the Program can track the graduates and receive valuable feedback. This form should be filed with the DEB Program Coordinator, housed in the Biotechnology Program (biotechprogram@ucdavis.edu).

Article III - Organization & Administration

Article IV - DEB Program Chair

The Chair of the Executive Committee will be nominated by the Executive Committee members and recommended to the Dean of Graduate Studies for appointment. The Chair of the DEB will be appointed by the Dean of Graduate Studies, in accordance with the Graduate Council approved "Policy for a Designated Emphasis” * and will serve as the Chair of the Program and Chair of the Executive Committee for a 3 year term.

* 2004 DE policy:

1. The Executive Committee (EC) will act as the committee that takes care of the nomination process (Nomination Committee; NC).
    
2. The EC will solicit nominations from the entire faculty of the DEB. A list of willing nominees will be provided to the entire DEB faculty, inviting commentary on the nominee’s suitability for the position of Chair. The EC/NC should assure the faculty that their comments will be kept confidential. This would mean that if any members of the EC/NC were to consider being Chair, then that person would have to be recused from the process to maintain the confidentiality of the faculty comments.
    
3. The EC/NC will forward to the Dean of Graduate Studies a memo that provides the list of nominee(s), assurance that the solicitation of nominees included the entire faculty of the Designed Emphasis in Biotechnology, and that the nominees are willing to serve if appointed. All commentary received from the faculty should be attached and forwarded to the Dean of graduate Studies.
    
4. The nominee(s) will meet with the Associate Dean for Graduate Programs, who will make recommendations to the Dean for Graduate Programs. Appointment letters will be mailed and terms will be for 3 year

Article V Committees

The Executive Committee acts as the membership committee for faculty, students and graduate groups/departments, curriculum committee and the fellowship committee.

Article VI Student Representatives

The student representative shall serve as a non-voting student advocate on the DEB Executive Committee for a period of one academic year, which may be extended to a maximum of two years. The student representative will be introduced to academic policy issues, industry outreach, bioethics and the selection process of seminar speakers for MCB/ECH294. The student representative will be an advocate for the concerns of the students in the DEB program.

The DEB executive committee will appoint a student representative from a pool of nominations (faculty or student generated). The nomination form will include:

• Date
   
• DEB Student contact information
   
• Major/ Major professor
   
• Class level
   
• Statement as to why this candidate should serve on the DEB executive committee (one page limit).

Note: Student representatives may not participate in discussions dealing with collective bargaining issues. Students should be asked to leave the meeting prior to any such discussions. The student representative may also be excused from some executive committee meetings, in which the discussion topic is not pertinent to student issues.

Article VII

Graduate Advisor The Program Coordinator serves as an advisor.

Article VIII Meetings

The Chair of the Executive Committee for the Program and the affiliated Ph.D. program designees shall meet at least twice a year to discuss matters of importance to the Program. The program coordinator or Chair may call a special meeting as deemed necessary. Special meetings may be petitioned by faculty members (a request by five or more members is required).

Article IX Quorum

The Program will abide by the directive of the Graduate Council for a minimum quorum (http://gradstudies.ucdavis.edu/gradcouncil/bylaws.pdf.). All issues that require a vote must be:

1. voted on by 50+% of the eligible members
    
2. passage requires a 50+% supporting vote
    
3. voting may be done by E-mail ballot
    

Article X Amendments

All amendments and revisions must be submitted to Graduate Council for review and approval. Passage of amendments to bylaws must satisfy the program’s quorum rules.