Have you ever wondered how a cell knows whether it’s supposed to be skin or muscle? Or philosophized about “nature vs. nurture,” that is, how contributions from both genetics and the environment influence physical phenotypes? Epigenetics, a relatively new field in biology, helps explain the mechanistic basis for this phenomenon—and is the field I have […]
Read MoreJune 5, 2024 Above: John “Jack” Longino, in the tropics University of Utah professor Jack Longino’s research mainly takes him to Central America, but on the weekend he collects and examines the diverse ant species around him. Jack Longino likes to spend his weekends close to the ground. He often wears a vest that holds […]
Read MoreBy Hannah Meier , PhD Student, School of Biological Sciences Caption: [from left to right]: Tegan Lengyel, a PhD student in the Anderegg lab, investigates the impact of climate change on forest biodiversity and carbon sequestration. Rebecca Senft, a PhD student in the Aparecido lab, delves into the interaction between global change and invasive species. Hannah Meier, […]
Read MoreFor the 2024 University of Utah student commencement speaker Eron Powell, a love of learning is one of the most important things he is taking away from his time at the U. “Outside of college and into the future, I hope to always be able to educate myself,” Powell said. “We are never complete people. […]
Read MoreApril 2, 2024 by Fred Adler After listening to an egregiously (and quite uncharacteristically) dull math colloquium some years ago, I had a revelation that there are three good reasons to do mathematics: it is important (solves an open problem), it is useful (cures cancer) and it is beautiful. These good reasons are not mutually […]
Read MoreA heart attack will leave a permanent scar on a human heart, yet other animals, including some fish and amphibians, can clear cardiac scar tissue and regrow damaged muscle as adults. Scientists have sought to figure out how special power works in hopes of advancing medical treatments for human cardiac patients, but the great physiological […]
Read MoreMarch 27, 2024 Poet Claudia Rankine, physicist Brian Greene, and neuroscientist and artist Bevil Conway are the keynote speakers for this year’s Utah Symposium in Science and Literature, taking place from April 10-12 at the Eccles Alumni House on campus. Claudia Rankine is the author of “Citizen: An American Lyric,” a New York Times bestseller, […]
Read MoreMarch 13, 2024 Brine shrimp and brine flies aren’t the only animals inhabiting the Great Salt Lake. Utah biologists find tiny nematodes in its reef-like microbialites. Julie Jung examines nematodes recovered from Great Salt Lake. Credit: Brian Maffly, University of Utah ^^ Banner video above: “Finding Nematode: How University of Utah biologists founds worms in […]
Read MoreMarch 13, 2024 Above: Post-doctoral researcher (Werner lab, School of Biological Sciences) examines nematodes recovered from the Great Salt Lake. Credit: Brian Maffly. Brine shrimp and brine flies aren’t the only animals inhabiting the lake. Utah biologists find tiny nematodes in its reef-like microbialites. Scientists have long suspected nematodes, commonly known as roundworms, inhabit Utah’s […]
Read MoreSophie Caron, associate professor in the School of Biological Sciences, is the recipient of the College of Science Excellence in Teaching and Mentoring Award for 2023. Sophie Caron. Banner photo above: the Caron Lab. While Caron is highly regarded for her stunning work in neuroscience research, she is also cherished within the College of Science […]
Read MoreWe have two copies of each chromosome in every cell in our bodies except in our reproductive cells. Sperm and egg cells contain a single copy of each chromosome with a unique mix of genes from our parents, an evolutionary trick to give our offspring genetic variability. The sperm and egg are made during […]
Read MoreSmall choices can make a big impact this holiday season, starting with your Christmas tree! As Douglas firs and white pines appeared in lots around Salt Lake City, Natalie Vickers, a junior pre-occupational therapy major and video intern at the School of Biological Sciences, got curious—how does the tree-trimming tradition fit into a changing climate? […]
Read MoreAssociate Professor of biology Sophie Caron is a 2023 awardee. The University of Utah Presidential Scholar Award supports the work of exceptionally promising mid-career faculty in academic units across campus by providing $10,000 in funding each year for three years to the award winners. In addition to Caron, an internationally prominent neuroscientist, other awardees include […]
Read MoreRead the full issue of OUR DNA 2023, the magazine of the School of Biological Sciences LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR Keeping the Past Alive
Read More‘Plants do have immune systems or immune responses, and a lot of people don’t realize that,’ explains Efthymia ‘Effie’ Symeondi. “They have a pretty complicated and well-defined system for responding to pathogens.” The post-doctoral researcher in the School of Biological Sciences is this year’s recipient of the College of Science Outstanding Post-Doc Award. Symeondi’s fascination […]
Read MoreNADKARNI NAMED NATGEO EXPLORER AT LARGE The National Geographic Society has appointed famed University of Utah forest canopy researcher Nalini Nadkarni as a National Geographic Explorer at Large. A Professor Emerita at the School of Biological Sciences, Nadkarni, an ecologist who pioneered the study of Costa Rican rainforest canopies and an avid science communicator, will serve as […]
Read MoreOrchids, mosses, ferns—or epiphytes, defined as nonparasitic plants that grow on other plants—are crucial for Earth’s biodiversity and play essential roles in forests around the world, building habitat in trees for myriad other life forms, from bacteria and insects to birds and reptiles. However, the very attributes that have enabled epiphytes to thrive in forest […]
Read MoreFALL’S FLAMBOYANCE To many, Utah’s fall leaves are a dazzling display of nature’s beauty. To Eleinis Ávila-Lovera, the autumnal switch to reds, yellows, oranges and purples tells a chromatic story of survival. Eleinis Ávila-Lovera. Banner photo: Archie enjoys the fall leaves changing in Millcreek Canyon. Credit: Jessica Taylor “Whenever I see plants outside, I’m always […]
Read MoreANDY THLIVERIS: ‘REMEMBER THE UNDERGRADS’ In December 2022, Andrew Thliveris BS’83 made a special trip to Salt Lake City with his wife Lauren. They joined the School of Biological Sciences in a belated (due to the pandemic) remembrance of K. Gordon Lark who had passed away more than two-and-a-half years earlier in April 2020. […]
Read MoreDOING RIGHT BY RIGHT WHALES More than 50 years ago, Victoria Rowntree, research professor of biology at the University of Utah, was invited by the animal behaviorist Roger Payne to visit his then-new right-whale research project at Península Valdés (PV) in Patagonia, Argentina. Victoria Rowntree, in the field. Banner photo: Instituto de Conservación de […]
Read MoreCLENCHED FISTS AND FULL BEARDS Humans have not evolved to do any one thing. We evolved to make tools. We evolved to tell stories. We evolved to explore and more. And one thing that some scientists are now coming to recognize is that we also evolved to fight — with each other. David Carrier is […]
Read MoreHOW SPIDER MITES QUICKLY EVOLVE RESISTANCE TO TOXINS Although mites are arthropod-like insects, they have eight legs and are more closely related to ticks, spiders and scorpions. The two-spotted spider mite is tiny, hardly half a millimeter long, and is named for the pair of black spots on either side of its partially translucent body. […]
Read MoreMATHEMATICAL BIOLOGY ADDS UP The intersection between biology and math may seem like a large divide, but in reality, these disciplines gives rise to fascinating research approaches. Jody Reimer, an assistant professor at the U, has double appointments in biology and math. “Biology is very messy,” Reimer states. “There’s this feeling of wanting to find […]
Read MoreA STARK MESSAGE FROM MAUI Earth’s rapidly changing climate is taking an increasingly heavy toll on landscapes around the world in the form of floods, rising sea levels, extreme weather, drought and wildfire. Also at growing risk are the values of the property where these hazards are projected to worsen, according to a new study by […]
Read MoreWHAT THE INSPIRATION FOR ‘TREETOP BARBIE’ THOUGHT OF THE ‘BARBIE’ MOVIE The canopy scientist (a.k.a. “TreeTop Barbie”) and emerita professor of biology at the University of Utah talks about her unusual connection to the iconic doll. Margot Robbie in Barbie. PHOTO: JAAP BUITENDIJK/WARNER BROS. Nalini Nadkarni, professor emerita of biology at the University of […]
Read More“Cancer cells are often thought of as maverick cells that break the rules and by doing so end up damaging or even killing their host,” says University of Utah professor Fred Adler. “But cancer cells in fact continue to depend on other cells in their environment to survive, particularly under the intense stress we place them […]
Read MoreHERE COMES TROUBLE SHOOTING That portion of the foliage of trees forming the uppermost layer of a plant community is called the overstory. But just as critical to the health of that community is what’s called the understory: everything else in a tree down to its deepest roots. As with trees, so with universities, in […]
Read MoreWHEN THE ‘BRIGHT RED ARROW” TURNS EARTHWARD “[P]retty much all my adult life I’ve been on what I think of as riding this bright red arrow that will take me higher and faster and better with more achievements and more accomplishments, so that people will think, Oh my God, she’s really hot, she’s really worthwhile.” […]
Read MoreBRINGING NATURE TO EVERYONE A walk in the woods, in the desert, or even a city park can boost both your mood and your health — but access to nature isn’t always equal. Above: Nalini Nadkarni. Banner Photo: Austin Green (right), SRI Post-doc and SBS graduate leads a group “into the woods” Credit: Myra Gerst […]
Read MoreAs temperatures rise, and outside activities become more popular, many people are thinking about protecting themselves from sunburns and melanomas, primarily using sunscreen. Marlen Rice. Banner Image: Jamie Gagnon and Marlen Rice. Credit: Todd Anderson However, humans aren’t the only species that have to worry about UV damage. Many species use sunscreen, but not […]
Read MoreThe pandemic and its aftermath have raised anxiety to new levels. But the roots of anxiety-related conditions, including obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorder (OCSD), are still unclear. In a new study, University of Utah Health scientists discovered insights into the importance of a minor cell type in the brain — microglia —in controlling anxiety-related behaviors in laboratory […]
Read More“I first stepped foot in a tropical rainforest in 1975 and have been back every year doing research on how plants defend themselves against getting eaten by insects,” says Phyllis “Lissy” Coley, distinguished professor emerita of biology at the U. She is newly elected member of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). NAS Members are elected […]
Read MoreVulnerable forests and the carbon budget Jon Wang is an Earth systems scientist and recently joined the faculty of the School of Biological Sciences as an assistant professor. Born and raised in California, Wang’s undergraduate degree took him across the country to Brown University where he studied biology and geology. “It was the major […]
Read More