The Biology Department offers a balanced curriculum. Students study life at all levels - from molecules to cells, from microorganisms to plants and animals, and from individuals to populations. With the help of faculty advisors, students choose courses that fulfill both the degree requirements and their individual goals. The biology curriculum comprises slightly more than twenty-five percent of the course work required for graduation.
Biology majors begin with a five quarter sequence of required biology courses two of them with laboratories. The first three quarters focus on ecology,evolution physiology & genetics. The last two quarters students have "hands on" opportunity to learn about these subjects in a laboratory environment. After completing the core courses, students choose seven or more upper-division courses from a long list of electives.
Courses include strong writing components, experiments with modern equipment, and the critical analysis of data and scientific literature. Laboratory sections enroll twenty-four or fewer students, promoting close interactions between students and their professors. Assignments often require students to present their findings utilizing styles of professional scientific meetings or journals. Such activities prepare students for their future careers by developing the critical thinking and language skills needed by scientists.
Submissions from 2025
Gene expression and DNA methylation changes in response to hypoxia in toxicant-adapted Atlantic killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus), Neelakanteswar Aluru, Yaamini R. Venkataraman, Christopher S. Murray, and Veronica DePascuale
Protect US racial affinity groups, V. Bala Chaudhary, Sora Kim, Mónica Medina, Diane S. Srivastava, Nikki Traylor-Knowles, Marlene Brito-Millan, Alejandra Camargo-Cely, Snehanjana Chatterjee, Nancy Chen, Yolanda H. Chen, Kiyoko M. Gotanda, Samniqueka J. Halsey, Chandra N. Jack, Rosa M. McGuire, Cassandra M. L. Miller, Alex C. Moore, Suegene Noh, Theresa W. Ong, Ariane L. Peralta, Amanda Puitiza, Lucia N. Ramirez, Adriana L. Romero-Olivares, M. Fabiola Pulido-Barriga, Karina A. Sanchez, Christine Y. Sit, Chenyang Su, Juleyska Vazquez-Cardona, Yaamini R. Venkataraman, Chhaya M. Werner, and Lily Khadempour
Adolescent seizure impacts oligodendrocyte maturation, neuronal-glial circuit Formation, and myelination in the mammalian forebrain, Kylie Foutch, Iris Tilton, Aundrea Cooney, Cole Bender, Collin Licharz, Megan Baldemor, Caitlyn Rock, Atehsa Asal Sahagun, Robert Brock, Chloe Franzia, Mary Francis Garcia, Raghav Gupta, Christopher Arellano Reyes, Mariyam Lokhandwala, Daniela Moura, Hirofumi Noguchi, and Laura Cocas
GDF15 is a putative biomarker for distinguishing pulmonary veno-occlusive disease and pulmonary arterial hypertension, Amit Prabhakar, Eckart De Bie, Jacqueline T. DesJardin, and Prajakta Ghatpande
Essential role of protein kinase R in the pathogenesis of pulmonary veno-occlusive disease, Amit Prabhakar, Rahul Kumar, Meetu Wadhwa, and Abhilash Barpanda
Interrogating Metabolic Plasticity in Marine Organisms: A Framework for Best Practices Using Metabolomic and Lipidomic Approaches, Yaamini R. Venkataraman and Ariana S. Huffmyer
DNA methylation correlates with transcriptional noise in response to elevated pCO2 in the eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica), Yaamini R. Venkataraman, Ariana S. Huffmyer, Samuel J. White, Alan Downey-Wall, Jill Ashey, Danielle M. Becker, Zachary Bengtsson, Hollie M. Putnam, Emma Strand, Javier A. Rodríguez-Casariego, Shelly A. Wanamaker, Katie E. Lotterhos, and Steven B. Roberts
Plasticity, not Genetics, Shapes Individual Responses to Thermal Stress in Non-Native Populations of the European Green Crab (Carcinus maenas), Yaamini R. Venkataraman, Julia C. Kelso, Catlin Payne, Heidi L. Freitas, Jasmine Kohler, and Carolyn K. Tepolt
Submissions from 2024
Genotype-phenotype associations: What are they, and how are they related to broader society?, Armita Razieh Manafzadeh, Dina Navon, Yaamini R. Venkataraman, Jordon Millward, Farhat Batool, and Olayinka Murtala Ashiru
Reversal of pulmonary veno-occlusive disease phenotypes by inhibition of the integrated stress response, Amit Prabhakar, Rahul Kumar, Meetu Wadhwa, and Prajakta Ghatpande
Depletion of Protein Phosphatase 1 Results in Persistent Activation of the Integrated Stress Response and Age-Associated Exacerbation of Pulmonary Veno-Occlusive Disease, Amit Prabhakar, Meetu Wadhwa, Prajakta Ghatpande, and Rahul Kumar
Mechanisms underlying age-associated exacerbation of pulmonary veno-occlusive disease, Amit Prabhakar, Meetu Wadhwa, Rahul Kumar, and Prajakta Ghatpande
DNA Methylation Assessment, Yaamini R. Venkataraman, Kathryn Greiner-Ferris, Sam White, and Steven B. Roberts
Investigating genomic and plastic contributions to thermal tolerance in a non-indigenous crab, Yaamini R. Venkataraman, Sara Shapiro, Sarah Zuidema, Vanessa Calloway, Julia Kelso, Mikayla Newbrey, Lauren Stephenson, and Carolyn K. Tepolt
Submissions from 2023
Coordination of hydraulic and morphological traits across dominant grasses in eastern Australia, Robert J. Griffin-Nolan, Jeff Chieppa, and Alan K. Knapp
Grass trait–abundance relationships and the role of the functional composition of the neighboring community, Robert J. Griffin-Nolan and Brody Sandel
Essential role of the amino-terminal region of Drosha for the Microprocessor function, Amit Prabhakar, Song Hu, Jin Tang, and Prajakta Ghatpande
Characterizing host-pathogen interactions between Zostera marina and Labyrinthula zosterae, Yaamini R. Venkataraman, Amanda Shore, Sukanya Dayal, James Sanghyun Lee, Mahsa Alidoost Salimi, Grace Crandall, Malina M. Loeher, Mark Stoops, Megan Swanger, Morgan E. Eisenlord, Kathryn L. Van Alstyne, Mark D. Fast, Colleen A. Burge, and Maya L. Groner
Submissions from 2022
Ocean acidification does not overlook sex: Review of understudied effects and implications of low pH on marine invertebrate sexual reproduction, Jacqueline L. Padilla-Gamiño, Lindsay Alma, Laura H. Spencer, Yaamini R. Venkataraman, and Leah Wessler
Invertebrate methylomes provide insight into mechanisms of environmental tolerance and reveal methodological biases, Shelly A. Trigg, Yaamini R. Venkataraman, Mackenzie R. Gavery, Steven B. Roberts, Debashish Bhattacharya, Alan Downey-Wall, Jose M. Eirin-Lopez, Kevin M. Johnson, Katie E. Lotterhos, Jonathan B. Puritz, and Hollie M. Putnam
Differential DNA methylation in Pacific oyster reproductive tissue in response to ocean acidification, Yaamini R. Venkataraman, Samuel J. White, and Steven B. Roberts
Submissions from 2021
How do you mend inactive tumor suppressor mutants? You glue them!, Akiko Hata and Giorgio Lagna
Control of ribosomal protein synthesis by the Microprocessor complex, Xuan Jiang, Amit Prabhakar, Stephanie M. Van der Voorn, and Prajakta Ghatpande
Submissions from 2020
UV radiation increases flavonoid protection but decreases reproduction in Silene littorea, José Carlos del Valle, Mª Luisa Buide, Justen B. Whittall, Fernando Valladares, and Eduardo Narbona
Genome skimming and microsatellite analysis reveal contrasting patterns of genetic diversity in a rare sandhill endemic (Erysimum teretifolium, Brassicaceae), José Carlos del Valle, Julie A. Herman, and Justen B. Whittall
