biological sciences
Graduate student condenses energy research to take top prize at Three Minute Thesis competition
Apr. 5, 2019—For the seventh straight year, Vanderbilt graduate students competed March 29 to summarize years of research and discovery into a clear three-minute presentation as part of the annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition.
How attracting multiple mates affects flirting fads in birds
Feb. 22, 2019—For many species, extravagant displays are a critical part of attracting a mate. Think of a peacock’s long tail or a songbird’s elaborate melody. When considering these populations, scientists at Vanderbilt University wondered if they could use new methods to test a theory that has been around for almost 150 years: that having multiple reproductive...
Rokas elected to American Academy of Microbiology
Feb. 6, 2019—Antonis Rokas, who holds the Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair in Biological Sciences, has been elected a fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology. He was among the 109 new fellows welcomed by the academy in 2019.
Faculty selected as Chancellor’s Public Voices Fellows for fall 2019
Jan. 30, 2019—Hiba Baroud, Jeffrey Bennett and Suzana Herculano-Houzel have been named to the first cohort of the Chancellor’s Public Voices Fellowship, a semester-long program designed to expand Vanderbilt’s global reach by amplifying the impact of faculty academic research.
School for Science and Math students place in national competition
Jan. 9, 2019—Three members of the School for Science and Math at Vanderbilt’s senior class are semifinalists in the Regeneron Science Talent Search.
Today’s budding yeasts shed traits from their 400-million-year-old ancestor
Nov. 8, 2018—Evolutionary biologists decoded the genomes of nearly a third of known budding yeast species, allowing them to reconstruct an ancient parent’s metabolic characteristics.
Karate kicks keep cockroaches from becoming zombies, wasp chow
Oct. 31, 2018—Far from being a weak-willed sap easily paralyzed by the emerald jewel wasp’s sting to the brain, the cockroach can deliver a stunning karate kick that saves its life, biologist Ken Catania has found.
Why does it take humans so long to mature compared to other animals? Look to your neurons!
Oct. 30, 2018—How long humans and other warm-blooded animals live—and when they reach sexual maturity—may have more to do with neurons in their cortex than body size or mass, according to new research by Associate Professor of Psychology Suzana Herculano-Houzel.
Two proteins slow down the train of DNA replication in Drosophila
Oct. 29, 2018—This work was the foundation for an NSF grant to interrogate how the Rif1 protein controls DNA replication.
Studying cellular deliveries
Oct. 26, 2018—James Patton and colleagues have demonstrated how colon cancer cells transmit genetic data to other cells.
High-speed atomic force microscopy reveals clock protein interactions
Aug. 20, 2018—Prof. Carl Johnson and his team discovered on-and-off interactions between KaiA and KaiC take only seconds but combine to create a 24-hour oscillation of phosphorylation in a test tube.
New committee advances research through limited submission opportunities
Aug. 16, 2018—Twenty faculty members have been appointed to the new Limited Submission Opportunities Plus review committee to help bring innovative research to the attention of external sponsors.