Research. Research in the Washington University Department of Biology addresses a wide range of biological questions, across and between the sub-disciplines of biology: from single molecules to systems, and from steady state equilibria to dynamic remodeling over milliseconds to millions of generations. Intellectually, the department draws its strength from an exceptionally interactive and collaborative faculty who possess a wide range of interests at all levels of biological organization and who utilize many different biological systems and model organisms. Faculty in the department form overlapping clusters of interest in plant biology, genetics/cell/developmental biology, microbiology, biochemistry, neurosciences, and evolution/ecology/population biology.

Education and Training. Our department has primary responsibility for undergraduate education in the biological sciences, and all of our faculty participate in that mission. In addition, The Department of Biology manages graduate education in conjunction with the Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences (DBBS). The Plant Biology and the Evolution, Ecology, and Population Biology graduate programs are centered in our department. We also have many post-doctoral trainees in the Biology Department. Our faculty members strive to make their training experience beneficial to both the post-doctoral student and the department as new research is explored and long-term research collaborations are formed.

Environment. As a member of the Division of Natural Science and Mathematics in the College of Arts & Sciences, Biology is linked to chemistry, the physical sciences and mathematics; as a member of the Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Biology is linked to the basic science departments of one of the country’s premier medical schools. Furthermore, the department enjoys synergistic interactions with colleagues at several outstanding off-campus research facilities, including the Tyson Research Center, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, the Missouri Botanical Gardens, including the Shaw Nature Reserve, and Monsanto Corporation These interactions ensure that our trainees – undergraduate to post-doctoral – have access to the broadest possible opportunities for training and career development.