Department of Biological Sciences

205 Natural Sciences, 4:00 p.m.

September 12, Graduate Student Research Showcase:
Shaunna Phipps, “Salt-induced gene expression in Chara longifolia and Chara australis: Implications for salt tolerance mechanisms”
Baradwaj Ravi, “Mining the transcriptome of foxglove (Digitalis lanata) for elucidating the biosynthetic pathway of digoxin, a cure for heart failure”

September 19, Dr. Stephen Free
Professor, University at Buffalo
“Fungal Cell Wall Biogenesis”

October 3, Dr. Joan A. Steitz
Distinguished Speaker
Sterling Professor, Yale
“Lupus and Snurps: from bedside to bench and back again”

October 10, Dr. Jasper Rine
Professor, UC, Berkeley
“Epigenetic Inheritance of Transcriptional States: What do Nucleosomes Actually Remember?"

October 17, Dr. Ruben Gonzalez
Professor of Chemistry, Columbia

November 7, Dr. Mamadi Yilla
Distinguished Alumni
Deputy Coordinator
US Department of State
“Health and Diplomacy: A surprising approach to U.S. international interests”

November 14, Dr. Sofia Origanti
Assistant Professor, St. Louis University
“Translating Under Stress: Context-Dependent Regulation of the Eukaryotic Initiation Factor 6”

December 5, Dr. Fernando Estrada, Assistant Professor, UB
“Structural and functional regulation of the mycobacterial enzyme CYP121; a drug target in the fight on Tuberculosis”

Fall 2019: The Department of Biological Sciences is pleased to welcome a new member of our faculty. Soo-Kyung Lee is engaged in studying gene regulation that directs cell fate determination during development of the central nervous system. Lee's major research models are developing spinal cord and cortex. In collaboration with Jae Lee’s group, she recently initiated a new venture with a neurodevelopmental disorder named FoxG1 syndrome, which is characterized by severe congenital brain anomalies. Lee's major experimental approach involves mouse genetics and genome-wide studies such as single cell RNA-seq and ChIP-seq. The Lee lab is recruiting at all levels and anyone interested in her lab should contact Professor Lee directly. See faculty profile.

Fall 2019: The Department of Biological Sciences is pleased to welcome a new member of our faculty. Jae W. Lee studies gene regulation that directs cell fate specification during development of neurons in the hypothalamus arcuate nucleus, which controls growth, metabolism and reproduction. Lee also studies a neurodevelopmental disorder named FoxG1 syndrome, which is characterized by severe congenital brain anomalies, in close collaboration with Soo-Kyung Lee’s group. Experimentally, Lee mainly utilizes mouse genetics and genome-wide approaches such as single cell RNA-seq and ChIP-seq. Lee’s lab is recruiting at all levels and anyone interested in his lab should contact Professor Lee directly. See faculty profile.

Excerpt from national news report:  "Can science save the avocado? Like many commonly cultivated fruits and vegetables, avocados are under threat from climate change. One recent report predicts that by 2050, high temperatures and reduced precipitation in California will dramatically slash yields of the popular fruit, which thrives in moderate temperatures and humidity." Read more.

Charlotte Lindqvist and UB geologist Jason Briner are co-principal investigators for an NSF-funded study that examines rocks, fossils, and DNA from Ice Age plants and animals. Their research aims to shed light on human migration into the Americas. This summer, the UB team visited Alaska to collect scientific samples. More on UB Seen.

Congratulations to Rupkatha Banerjee, a PhD student in Dr. Shermali Gunawardena’s lab, for receiving the 2019 UB Student Excellence Award, as an honoree of the College of Arts and Sciences. Rupkatha will be presenting her work and receiving the award at
the Celebration of Student Academic Excellence, April 25, 2019

The Awards for Excellence in Research, Scholarship and Creativity recognize outstanding contributions from each decanal area that achieve superiority in presentation, content, and scope, and which therefore merit acknowledgement as efforts worthy of university-wide distinction. The awards recognize student projects that exhibit the highest characteristics of achievement among this select group.

Geneticists investigate biological processes by examining the phenotypic consequences of altering genes. Our faculty study how information encoded in DNA is interpreted to produce functional proteins.

Faculty study evolutionary change using a variety of techniques capitalizing on recent advances in genomics methodology and the evolution of viruses, plants, fish, and humans.

Our faculty study a variety of model systems using electrophysiology and imaging techniques to understand sensory signalling and the cellular processes underlying important neuronal disorders. 

Our faculty study cell biology and signalling pathways that are used by filamentous fungi and budding yeast to adapt to their environments. Our research uses yeast as a model organism to study the mechanisms of gene expression.

Microbiology faculty study microorganisms including viruses, bacteria, and protozoans.

Signaling faculty study cellular communication and the intracellular pathways that regulate activity. These faculty use a wide range of model organisms and techniques to examine a diverse array of signalling pathways involved in hormonal regulation, sensory transduction, and cell growth and metabolism.

Faculty study essential biological processes with particular relevance to the understanding of animal life.

Our research concerns plant evolutionary biology; molecular phylogenetics and population genomics; chromatin and gene expression; genome stability; and the genetics of aquatic invertebrates.

Cell and Molecular faculty study the regulation of protein expression, from transcription to translation to post-translational modification.

Faculty research focuses on photosynthesis, plant evolution, plant genomics, gene regulation, environmental remediation, and the metabolic engineering of pharmaceutical compounds.