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 - Biomedical Science, 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 - 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.

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

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.

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.

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, biochemical and chemical biology approaches are used in the department to address basic questions related to the regulation of cell growth and division, signal transduction, protein folding, stress responses, chemical signaling and vision. Other research focuses on medically relevant questions with respect to bacterial pathogenesis, fertility, Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular disease and cancer. One area is the study of intracellular complexes of DNA and protein to elucidate the regulatory mechanisms that trigger DNA replication and cell division in bacteria. Development and analysis of new bacterial growth inhibitors is underway for important bacterial pathogens. The role of signal transduction pathways induced by calcium in the fertilization step of embryogenesis is another active area of research. Another focus area is the neurophysiological and molecular analysis of photoreceptors, particularly the infrared receptors in snakes. The diversity of 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 have active research programs in marine ecology, functional morphology, evolution and aquaculture. The evolution and ecological physiology of body design and feeding in fish are investigated using high-speed videography, electromyography, and biomechanical and ecomorphological analysis of feeding in field-caught and laboratory-reared animals. Fisheries research includes analyses of early-life history and recruitment patterns of 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 juveniles. Remote sensing, laboratory and field investigations of corals explore the effects of climate change on coral reefs. Studies of echinoderms have concentrated on their reproduction, anatomy, systematics and ecology using physiological, histological, morphological and field techniques. Aquaculture programs are investigating the reproductive and feeding biology of ornamental shellfish and finfish species, including threatened populations of seahorses. Deep-sea research in Antarctica is focused on biological invasions mediated by climate change.

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 past and future climate change, paleobotany, paleoecology, biogeography, biodiversity, macroevolution, freshwater and marine aquaculture, coral reef ecology, fisheries, 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, Yucatan Peninsula, Panama, Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, Galapagos Islands, Micronesia, Peru and Antarctica.