Department of Biological Sciences

Richard B. Aronson, Ph.D., Head

Director, Graduate Programs
David J. Carroll, Ph.D.

Director, Undergraduate Programs
Richard L. Turner, Ph.D.

Degree Programs

Biochemistry: Biology Emphasis, B.S. 
Biological Sciences - Aquaculture, B.S. 
Biological Sciences - Conservation Biology and Ecology, B.S. 
Biological Sciences - General Biology, B.S. 
Biological Sciences - Marine Biology, B.S. 
Biological Sciences - Molecular Biology, B.S. 
Biological Sciences - Premedical Biology, B.S.  
Biological Sciences - Biotechnology, M.S. 
Biological Sciences - Cell and Molecular Biology, M.S. 
Biological Sciences - Ecology, M.S. 
Biological Sciences - Marine Biology, M.S. 
Biological Sciences, Ph.D. 
Biomathematics, B.S.  
Conservation Technology, M.S.  

Undergraduate Minor Program

Biology Minor  

Professors
Richard B. Aronson, Ph.D., coral reefs, climate change, paleoecology, marine ecology, Antarctica.

Mark B. Bush, Ph.D., paleoecology, biogeography, Amazonian speciation, tropical conservation, wetland ecosystems.

Michael S. Grace, Ph.D., molecular control of photoreceptors in the retina and nonretinal photoreceptors of the brain, pineal and parietal organ.

Julia E. Grimwade, Ph.D., DNA replication, DNA-protein interaction, bacterial cell cycle control, antibiotic discovery.

Alan C. Leonard, Ph.D., molecular biology, microbial growth control, DNA replication, superhelicity and methylation as regulators of DNA bioreactivity, DNA-protein interactions.

Junda Lin, Ph.D., molluscan and crustacean aquaculture, marine ecology.

Richard A. Tankersley, Ph.D., ecology, physiology and behavior of marine and freshwater invertebrates.

Ralph G. Turingan, Ph.D., vertebrate functional morphology, community structure of fishes, ecological morphology of feeding systems.

Robert Van Woesik, Ph.D., population and community ecology of coral reefs, emphasis on mechanisms underlying large scale patterns in coral community structure and diversity.

Associate Professors
David J. Carroll, Ph.D., molecular basis of signal transduction at fertilization.

Charles D. Polson, Ph.D., application and development of biotechnology in undergraduate education, nucleic acid analysis, electrophoretic separation.

Jonathan M. Shenker, Ph.D., finfish aquaculture, biology and ecology of early life stages of fishes, environmental toxicology.

Richard L. Turner, Ph.D., reproduction and life histories of marine organisms, physiological ecology of marine organisms, general biology of echinoderms.

Shaohua Xu, Ph.D., protein structure, function and relationship to osteoporosis and Alzheimer’s, molecular imaging, nanoscience.

Assistant Professors
Tristan J. Fiedler, Ph.D., research administration and federal government relations, genomics, bioinformatics, molecular and cellular biology; genetics, marine biology, fisheries.

Spencer E. Fire, Ph.D., marine mammalogy, wildlife toxicology.

Eric Guisbert, Ph.D., biochemistry and molecular biology of the heat-shock response in animals.

Kenia P. Nunes, Ph.D., vascular physiology, hypertension, diabetes, erectile dysfunction.

Andrew G. Palmer, Ph.D., plant physiology, plant biochemistry, chemical ecology.

Christin L. Pruett, Ph.D., bird population genetics, endangered species, speciation, adaptation, bird conservation.

Instructor
Glenn A. Miller, Ph.D., coastal ecology.

Research Faculty
Aaron J. Adams, Ph.D.; Lisa K. Moore, Ph.D.

Professor Emerita
Eleanor E. Storrs, Ph.D.

Professors Emeriti
Arvind M. Dhople, Ph.D.; Charles E. Helmstetter, Ph.D.; John G. Morris, Ph.D.; Russell C. Weigel, Ph.D.; Gary N. Wells, Ph.D.

Overview

The biological sciences examine every aspect of living organisms, from the biochemical reactions involved in supporting cellular processes to the interaction of organisms with their environment. Research is an integral part of the study of biological sciences, and students are encouraged to participate in ongoing research directed by departmental faculty. Each option allows research courses to fulfill up to nine credit hours of restricted or free elective credit.

Between the sophomore-junior and junior-senior years, students can elect to participate in the summer field biology, and conservation biology and ecology programs. Field biology courses serve as required courses in the conservation biology and ecology option and can serve as restricted electives for various programs. Students wishing to participate are encouraged to consult with their advisers early during the academic year to reserve places in the classes. Courses in the summer field program are taught in Africa, Australia, the Bahamas, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Peru and Puerto Rico, and the Appalachian Mountains in the United States.

Minor Program

A minor in biology is offered through the biological sciences department. A complete policy statement regarding minors can be found in the Academic Overview  section. Information about current minor offerings is available through the individual colleges/departments.

Research

Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Molecular Genetics: A variety of molecular and biochemical approaches are used in the department to answer questions related to regulation of cell duplication, signal transduction in early development, circadian rhythms and sensory systems, microbial pathogenesis, plant growth, and the assembly of subcellular structures. A major effort is underway to develop novel cell culture systems for production of synchronously growing populations of human cells. Intracellular complexes of DNA and protein are under study to elucidate the regulatory mechanisms that trigger DNA replication and cell division in bacteria. The role of signal transduction pathways induced by calcium in the fertilization step of embryogenesis is another active area of research. Drug discovery efforts are focused on the genetics of the polyketide synthesis pathway in a variety of uncharacterized microorganisms collected from extreme environments. Development and analysis of new bacterial growth inhibitors is also underway for Mycobacterium, Escherichia and other important bacterial pathogens. Another expanding research area is the neurophysiological and molecular analysis of photoreceptors, particularly the infrared receptors in snakes. The diversity of biochemical and molecular research conducted by members of the biological sciences department provides for a rich and interactive environment for graduate students.

Marine Biology: The marine biology faculty maintain active research programs in finfish, crustacean, molluscan, coral and echinoderm biology. The evolution and ecological physiology of organismal design are investigated using high-speed videography, electromyography, and biomechanical and ecomorphological analysis of feeding in field-caught and laboratory-reared fish. Fisheries research includes analyses of early-life history and recruitment patterns of estuarine-dependent sport fish species. Crustacean research centers on the ecology and physiology of adult and early-life history stages, especially the migratory behavior of spawning female crabs and the recruitment and habitat selection of post larvae. Research on suspension-feeding invertebrates examines the mechanisms responsible for food capture, selection and processing. Remote sensing, as well as laboratory and field investigations of corals, explores the effects of global-climate change on coral reefs. Studies of echinoderms have concentrated on their reproduction, anatomy, systematics and ecology by using physiological, histological, morphological and field techniques. Aquaculture programs are investigating the reproductive and feeding biology of ornamental shellfish and finfish species.

Molecular Marine Biology: Collaborative research among diverse faculty and students enables the application of molecular biological techniques to marine biology topics such as genetic identification of fishery populations, biochemistry of molluscan shell growth, response of marine organisms to anthropogenic pollutants, genetic engineering in aquaculture and the relationship of enzymes to rates of calcification and skeletogenesis in commercially significant marine organisms.

Ecology and Conservation Biology: Research activities include studies of coral reef ecology, climate change, paleobotany, paleoecology, biogeography, biodiversity, macroevolution, freshwater and marine aquaculture, fisheries ecology, population ecology of birds, ecomorphology and the life history and ecology of selected crustaceans and echinoderm species. Study locations range from local to international, including the Indian River Lagoon, Alaska, the Yucatan Peninsula, Panama, the Galapagos Islands, Amazonia and Antarctica.