Biology Research

From the molecular basis of plant development and adaptation, to cell physiology and differentiation, researchers in this area emphasize the fine scale examination of biological problems at a cellular and molecular level. They explore the mechanisms behind an organism’s growth, development, and behavior.

Departmental research in the area of conservation and restoration biology ranges from Mississippi old growth forests to the Gulf of Mexico to the tropics and the Southern Hemisphere. Researchers in this area study ways of restoring ecosystems and conserving and maintaining global biodiversity.

From microorganisms to coral reefs to the evolution of traits and behaviors, researchers in the area of evolution, biodiversity, and systematics investigate biological diversity at scales from molecules to communities. Some researchers focus on patterns in species diversity while others focus on evolutionary aspects of biodiversity.

Departmental researchers in this area study organisms and biological processes in freshwater, marine, and wetland ecosystems. This research makes us of local resources such as the University of Mississippi Field Station, Sardis Lake, or the Mississippi River, and goes further afield to the Gulf of Mexico and marine environments around the world.

Departmental research in the area of microbiology focuses on different aspects of microorganisms, from how bacterial cells develop, how microorganisms communicate, how their interactions evolve, and how communities of microorganisms change depending on the environment or host organism.

Researchers in the area of neurobiology, behavior, and physiology tend to look at organismal processes, whether it is how an organism behaves or how an organism’s physiology changes under different conditions. Research spans the range of biology, from the molecular and cellular basis of behavior to interactions between organisms in an ecological context.

Departmental research in the area of symbioses and species interactions focuses on how organisms belonging to different species interact. These interactions can be tight symbioses such as mutualism or parasitism, or looser interactions in the broader sense of community ecology.

The field of biology education research uses interdisciplinary knowledge and methods to enhance teaching and learning in university science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs.