SPECIAL INITIATIVES

The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) is a nonprofit scientific and educational organization rooted from the American Physiological Society.
ASBMB’s mission is to advance the science of biochemistry and molecular biology through publication of scientific and educational journals, organization of scientific meetings, advocacy for funding of basic research and education, support of science education at all levels, and promotion of the diversity of individuals entering the scientific workforce.

ATRIUM consists of 15 labs working on the model plant Arabidopsis at the University of Maryland (CBMG, BIOL, PSLA and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering), UMBI, UMBC and Howard University.
ATRIUM holds a monthly meeting and hosts an annual Mini symposium on Plant Biology. For the past 10 years, the symposium has brought together scientists from two dozen regional universities, research institutes (e.g., J. Craig Venter Institute in Rockville, MD), government agencies (e.g, NSF, USDA and DOE) and industry (e.g., Pioneer, A Dupont Company in Delaware). ATRIUM has obtained USDA funding for graduate training fellowships.

GEMS is a monthly multi-lab meeting devoted to the use of genetic approaches in eukaryotic model organisms such asC. elegans, Drosophila, and Arabidopsis to study problems in development, signal transduction and gene expression.
GEMS is based in the CBMG Department and was initiated in 1995. GEMS participants include 16 laboratories at UMD (CBMG, BIOL, ENTM and ANSC), UMBI (CBR and CARB), and Howard University.

Since 2001, the University of Maryland Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics and faculty at the National Institutes of Health; USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville; University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute; the Virginia Regional College of Veterinary Medicine; and the National Cancer Institute have joined efforts to provide a state-of-the-art, NIH-funded graduate training program that emphasizes the breadth of virology.
Program members meet monthly, have a yearly retreat and have several established collaborations.

The Maryland Pathogen Research Institute (MPRI) brings together a broad-based, multi-disciplinary approach to the research of pathogenic microorganisms.
The Institute brings together leaders in Biosciences, Computational Sciences, Engineering and Nanosciences. Located on campus of the University of Maryland at College Park, these collaborations within MPRI shore the goal of developing a comprehensive program to diagnose, treat and prevent the spread of pathogens.

The University of Maryland NIH T32 Training grant supported program in Host-Pathogen Interactions immerses students in interdisciplinary host-pathogen research, striving to integrate advances in pathogenesis with genomics, bioinformatics and engineering.
Our training program has strong transnational research compotent, as trainees interact not only with experts in their own research area, but with scientists in other disciplines, such as computer sciences, bio-engineering, and environmental sciences.

Faculty learning community open to all faculty with research and training interests in Microbiology.