Department of Biological Science

FSU workshop on maize genome profiling leads to new study on corn flowering

Published: July 9, 2020 | 12:37 pm | Posted in: Science & Technology

Study co-author Md Shamimuzzaman working in the Bass Laboratory. Courtesy of Hank Bass

A genomic mapping technique developed in part at Florida State University has played a crucial role in a new study aimed at understanding growth in corn, a major U.S. crop. Professor of Biological Science Hank Bass and colleagues at FSU have refined the technique, called chromatin sensitivity profiling, over the past decade. They used it […]

FSU researchers net $200K NSF grant to study bat linked to COVID-19

Published: June 15, 2020 | 10:46 am | Posted in: Science & Technology

A team of Florida State University researchers has received a $200,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to create a global data set on the horseshoe bat, a possible source of the novel coronavirus plaguing nations worldwide. Professor of Biological Science Austin Mast and College of Communication and Information digitization specialist Deborah Paul, along […]

It’s a family thing: FSU research shows guppies help their brothers when it comes to the opposite sex

Published: March 26, 2020 | 12:43 pm | Posted in: Science & Technology

When it comes to finding a mate, male guppies rely on their brothers to ward off the competition. In a new study published by a Florida State University team, researchers found that male Trinidadian guppies observe a form of nepotism when it comes to pursuing the opposite sex. These tiny tropical fish often help their brothers in the mating process […]

FSU researchers help discover new genetic variants that cause heart disease in infants

Published: March 6, 2020 | 3:00 pm | Posted in: Health & Medicine

From left, College of Medicine graduate student Jamie Johnston, College of Medicine Associate Professor Jose Pinto, College of Medicine graduate student Maicon Landim-Vieira and Department of Biological Science Professor P. Bryant Chase. Courtesy of P. Bryant Chase.

Florida State University researchers working in an international collaboration have identified new genetic variants that cause heart disease in infants, and their research has led to novel insights into the role of a protein that affects how the heart pumps blood. It is a discovery that could lead to new treatments for people suffering from […]

Fishing for answers: Researchers develop tool to incorporate social, cultural concerns in resource management

Published: October 14, 2019 | 2:59 pm | Posted in: Science & Technology

For years, fisheries managers have struggled to find a delicate balance between competing financial and ecological needs. Now, a team of researchers led by a Florida State University faculty member is working toward integrating a third factor — the social and cultural needs of different groups of people. “Everyone wants their piece of the pie […]

FSU study: Fish may be key to controlling growth of reef bacteria

Published: September 30, 2019 | 9:57 am | Posted in: News

In response to local and global climate stressors, a type of bright red bacteria has proliferated on reefs worldwide often snuffing the life out of precious corals and changing the reef ecosystem. To learn more about this process and what might be used to control it, Florida State University researchers conducted extensive research on Caribbean […]

FSU researcher receives early career fellowship for work on algal species

Published: September 18, 2019 | 9:30 am | Posted in: Science & Technology

A Florida State University researcher has won an early career award for her work examining the abundance of algal species that are indistinguishable, even under a microscope. Assistant Professor of Biological Science Sophie McCoy received the Norma J. Lang Early Career Fellowship from the Phycological Society of America to explore the ecological differences and consequences […]

An agricultural mystery: FSU researchers work to understand bacteria killing citrus trees

Published: September 11, 2019 | 2:07 pm | Posted in: Science & Technology

A team of biologists has put on their detective hats to investigate the complicated bacterium behind citrus greening, a problematic plant disease that has felled citrus orchards across Florida and threatened the Sunshine State’s once prosperous orange crop production. One problem: The bacteria that causes citrus greening — Liberibacter asiaticus — won’t grow in a […]

Eminent scientist, National Academy member to join FSU faculty

Published: August 27, 2019 | 3:00 pm | Posted in: Science & Technology, University News

An esteemed evolutionary biologist and member of the National Academy of Sciences is joining the Florida State University faculty. Steven Stanley will join FSU’s Department of Biological Science where he will collaborate with several different researchers on projects ranging from dinosaur evolution to the intricacies of gastropods. He also will mentor younger faculty members who […]

Survival of the fittest: Research team finds that population density is key to evolution

Published: August 26, 2019 | 12:13 pm | Posted in: Science & Technology

A multiuniversity research team including a Florida State scientist has found that a lack of predators creates an environment that is key to evolutionary changes found in guppies. Florida State University Robert O. Lawton Professor of Biological Science Joseph Travis and a team of researchers have been studying guppies for more than a decade. The […]

Landmark study signals shift in thinking about stem cell differentiation

Published: June 20, 2019 | 11:22 am | Posted in: Science & Technology

Dave Gilbert, the J. Herbert Taylor Distinguished Professor of Molecular Biology

A pioneering new study led by Florida State University biologists could fundamentally change our understanding of how embryonic stem cells differentiate into specific cell types. The research, published today in the journal Stem Cell Reports, calls into question decades of scientific consensus about the behavior of embryonic stem cells as they transition to endoderm, a […]