Department of Biology

Larix siberica

Siberian Larch, taken at our field site near Lake Khovsgol in north-central Mongolia. We are analyzing tree-ring width and stable isotopes of the tree rings to reconstruct climate, and Larch responses to climate change, over the past century as the temperature in Mongolia has risen.

Malaria parasites

Malaria parasites (and their kin) can be viewed as minimal eukaryotes, harboring a nucleus (yellow), a secretory pathway the Golgi (purple) and specialized ‘rhotpry’ organelle (black), and two endosymbiotic organelles, the mitochondrion (red) and apicoplast (green).

Escherichia coli

Escherichia coli cells with fluorescently labeled chromosomal loci.

Polymorphism

Shell color polymorphism in Littorina obtusata.

Behavior

Baboon mother and offspring cross a flood plain in the Okavango Delta, Botswana

Arabidopsis

Wild-type and transgenic Arabidopsis plants expressing miR156, a microRNA that promotes juvenility and increases the rate of leaf initiation

Social evolution

Social sharing of liquid food between ant nestmates ©Alexander Wild

Bacterial Microcolonies

Cell-to-cell variability of Vibrio choerae expressing green fluorescent protein from a flagellar promoter.

News

Mia Levine wins the 2017 Allan Wilson Junior Award for Independent Research

August 24, 2017

Dr. Levine was recognized for her innovative and creative research into how intra-genomic conflict affects the evolution of DNA packaging proteins. The award is given annually to exceptional members of the Society for Molecular Biology & Evolution (SMBE) community who are in the early stages of an independent research career.
Emily Behrman, Biology Graduate Student, won the W.D. Hamilton Award from the Society for the Study of Evolution

June 27, 2017

Emily Behrman, who will graduate with her Doctor of Philosphy degree in August 2017, has won the prestigious W.D. Hamilton Award from the Society for the Study of Evolution. The award is given to the best student presentation at their annual international meeting. The presentation title was "Rapid Evolution of Learning in Natural Populations of Drosophila melanogaster."Her presentation was given at Evolution conference sponsored by the Society for the Study of Evolution, the American Society of Naturalists, and the Society of Systematic Biology.
Sarah Tishkoff elected to the National Academy of Sciences

May 3, 2017

Congratulations to Dr. Tishkoff on her election to the National Academy of Sciences!
Erica Boetefuer receives Dean's Award for Distinguished Teaching by Graduate Students

April 11, 2017

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Events

Mecky Pohlschröder, University of Pennsylvania

September 21, 2017 - 4:00pm - 5:00pm

Tedori Family Auditorium, Levin Building
Mark Siegal, New York University

September 28, 2017 - 4:00pm - 5:00pm

Tedori Family Auditorium, Levin Building
Gordon Berman, Emory

October 12, 2017 - 4:00pm - 5:00pm

Tedori Family Auditorium, Levin Building

More Events »

Highlights

Hands-On, Minds-On Professional Development for Local Teachers

For more than 20 years, Dr. Ingrid Waldron, Dr. Lori Spindler and colleagues in the Biology Department have been offering free professional development sessions to high school and middle school life science teachers. The three-hour sessions on Saturday mornings engage participating teachers in hands-on, minds-on learning activitites and analysis and discussion learning activities which have been designed for use in their classrooms. Presentations by Biology Department faculty members enhance teacher understanding of the relevant science. Teachers receive the supplies they need to carry out the hands-on activities in their classrooms.