The research facilities of the Graduate Program in Molecular Microbiology are located on the downtown Boston campus of Tufts University. The campus is within the Chinatown district and overlaps with the main theater and shopping districts.

The residential sections of Beacon Hill and the Back Bay are within walking distance, and other housing in South Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, Malden, Brookline, Allston, and Brighton is less than 30 minutes away by subway or bicycle. Housing and living costs vary widely.

Metropolitan Boston’s cultural opportunities are well known - theater, symphony, museums, historic sites, big-league sports. Several other educational institutions, including Brandeis University, MIT, Harvard University, Boston College, Boston University, Northeastern University, and Wellesley College, some of which participate in cross-registration with Tufts, are nearby. The Boston area features a concentration of academic excellence, which fosters exchange and collaboration between individuals within the various institutions. The scientific community enjoys frequent seminars, and cross-attendance is common. The New England beaches and the mountains of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine are within easy reach.