Research strength in each of our graduate degree tracks is augmented by faculty members whose areas of expertise overlap more than one area. For example, there is a network of overlapping interests between members of our Evolution and Genetics groups and between the Cell and Development and the Neurobiology groups. In addition to the focal emphasis in Cell and Development, Evolution, Genetics and Neurobiology areas, several of our faculty members use primary plant systems and are organized into a Plant Physiology and Molecular Biology group. Thus, many faculty members are listed in more than one area.

Cell and Developmental Biology
Research in Cell and Developmental Biology includes studies on early development and axis formation, cell motility, the regulation of cell differentiation and gene expression, signal transduction, pattern formation, apoptosis, and neuronal path-finding. These studies focus on a diverse mix of experimental systems including human tumor and neuronal cells, yeast, the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium, Xenopus, zebrafish, mice, Arabidopsis, and maize. A common theme among the laboratories is the use of cellular and molecular biological approaches to understand the fundamental mechanisms underlying developmental processes.

Evolution
Evolutionary biologists in the Department of Biology are addressing the most fundamental problems in Evolution: the origin and evolution of genetic information, the origin of organelles through endosymbiosis, the evolution of gene and genome structure and composition, intron evolution, the evolutionary consequences of recombination, the genetic basis of speciation, and the evolution of sexual reproduction and sex chromosomes. Research in Evolutionary Ecology focuses on the environmental forces that drive genomic changes and ultimately, speciation. The Department is the home of the Roy J. Carver Center for Comparative Genomics which acts as a focal point for evolutionary research combined with computational and informatic methods.