Antonis Rokas
New method for tapping vast plant pharmacopeia to make more effective drugs
Apr. 14, 2017—Geneticists have developed an effective new method for identifying the genes that produce the chemicals plants use to protect themselves from predators, which are an important natural drug source.
Forget sponges: the earliest animals were marine jellies
Apr. 10, 2017—A powerful new method has been devised to settle contentious phylogenetic tree-of-life issues. such as "What is the oldest branch of the animal family tree?"
Provost names faculty committee to advise on major investment in graduate education and research
Jan. 25, 2017—Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Susan R. Wente has appointed a seven-member faculty committee to synthesize ideas submitted by each school and college into a set of recommendations for significant new investments in graduate education and research at Vanderbilt.
New online tool created to tackle complications of pregnancy and childbirth
Nov. 11, 2015—An interdisciplinary team of biologists and medical researchers have created a new platform, which they call GEneSTATION specifically designed to leverage the growing knowledge of human genomics and evolution to advance scientific understanding of human pregnancy and translate it into new treatments for the problems that occur when this complex process goes awry.
Vanderbilt biologists contribute to major genetic study of malaria mosquitoes
Nov. 27, 2014—Vanderbilt biologists played an important supporting role in a major genetic study of malaria-carrying mosquitoes published this week in the journal "Science."
Research is shaping the undergraduate experience
May. 6, 2014—According to a 2013 survey of graduating seniors, more than half did faculty-guided or independent research during their Vanderbilt careers. Read about five students for whom research has helped shape their undergraduate years.
Could comb jellies, close cousins of jellyfish, be the earliest ancestors of animals?
Dec. 13, 2013—With their intricate, translucent shapes and elaborate bioluminescent displays, comb jellies add beauty and mystery to the ocean depths. They also have an important story to tell about the origin of animals.
Untangling the tree of life
May. 15, 2013—Vanderbilt phylogeneticists examined the reasons why large-scale tree-of-life studies are producing contradictory results and have proposed a suite of novel techniques to resolve the contradictions.
‘Snooze button’ on biological clocks improves cell adaptability
Feb. 17, 2013—The circadian clocks that control and influence dozens of basic biological processes have an unexpected “snooze button” that helps cells adapt to changes in their environment. A study by Vanderbilt University researchers published online Feb. 17 by the journal Nature provides compelling new evidence that at least some species can alter the way that their...
What beer, dogs, cats and soy sauce have in common: The movie
Feb. 5, 2013—A new video report of research by Antonis Rokas and John Gibbons describes how humans domesticated microbes like yeast just as we domesticated cats and dogs.
What do beer, dogs and cats have in common? A tale of microbial domestication
Jul. 12, 2012—Study maps the genetic changes involved in the domestication of Aspergillus oryzae, one of the fungi used to make sake, soy sauce and miso.
Lipsey wins Earl Sutherland Prize for Achievement
Aug. 25, 2011—Mark Lipsey of Peabody was awarded the Earl Sutherland Prize for Achievement in Research at Fall Faculty Assembly.