Biological Sciences
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Vanderbilt research shows how polar bears maintained highly specialized diets during periods of Arctic warming—until now
Dental analysis from Larisa DeSantis shows that polar bears may not be able to compete for food sources as their environment melts away. Read MoreApr 1, 2021
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Bordenstein elected to American Academy of Microbiology
Seth Bordenstein, Centennial Professor of Biological Sciences and director of the Vanderbilt Microbiome Initiative, has been elected to fellowship in the American Academy of Microbiology. Read MoreMar 2, 2021
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Newly discovered molecule disrupts virus infections through protein quality control pathways
Molecule 147 neutralizes 95 percent of Dengue and Zika viruses, a promising direction for host-directed treatments and combination therapy. Read MoreJan 26, 2021
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Immune and circulatory systems are functionally integrated in all insects, Vanderbilt biologists demonstrate
A new study shows that insect immune and circulatory systems cooperate to fight infection, similar to those in mammals. Read MoreDec 16, 2020
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Analysis of ancient teeth reveal clues about how sociopolitical systems grow
Isotope analysis of ancient Peruvian teeth gives anthropologists a clearer image of how cooperating societies function. Read MoreDec 15, 2020
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To understand how SARS-CoV-2 replicates, Vanderbilt scientists look at host cell-virus interactions
Understanding the function of host cells when infected with SARS-CoV-2 may lead to host-directed antiviral therapeutics. Read MoreDec 7, 2020
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Six Vanderbilt faculty elected as AAAS fellows in 2020
Six Vanderbilt University faculty members have been elected 2020 fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, an honor bestowed upon AAAS members by their peers. Read MoreNov 24, 2020
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Honey bees lose sleep after ingesting pesticides, leading to greater stress and lower hive survival rates
Vanderbilt research shows the unintended consequence of pesticides is the death of a bee’s circadian rhythm, not the bee herself. Read MoreNov 5, 2020
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Vanderbilt paleontologists host National Fossil Day event for kids Oct. 10
Kids and lifelong learners can hear directly from paleontologists about bizarre creatures of the past during a free virtual National Fossil Day event on Saturday, Oct. 10, at 10 a.m. CT. Registration is required. Read MoreOct 2, 2020
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Neanderthal DNA contributes to genetic diversity, bringing more understanding to human evolution
New research shows surprising effects of interbreeding between Neanderthals and ancestors of some modern humans. Read MoreJul 31, 2020
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Get to know Vanderbilt’s residential faculty: Professor Douglas McMahon
As the new academic year approaches, Vanderbilt’s faculty heads of house are revealing some things about themselves in this special portrait series. Get to know Douglas McMahon, professor of biological sciences and faculty head of Crawford House. Read MoreJul 29, 2020
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Vanderbilt develops computational method to explore evolution’s influence on preterm birth
The first comprehensive study of how diverse evolutionary forces influence the leading cause of infant mortality is led by Vanderbilt researchers. Read MoreJul 24, 2020
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Amidon named 2020 Vanderbilt Prize Student Scholar
Katherine Amidon, a PhD student in the Department of Biological Sciences at Vanderbilt University, has been selected as the 2020 Vanderbilt Prize Student Scholar. Read MoreJul 22, 2020
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Vanderbilt receives NIH award to enhance student diversity in biomedical sciences
Vanderbilt awarded NIH funds to establish the Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) program to support diverse and research-focused undergraduates in biomedical sciences. Read MoreJul 14, 2020
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International collaboration draws new conclusions about ‘convergent evolution’ of saber-tooth cats
International collaboration shows that marsupial saber-tooth cats were more closely related to possums than fearsome predators. Read MoreJun 26, 2020
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Vanderbilt Undergraduate Microbiome Society donates $1K to Second Harvest Food Bank
The Vanderbilt Undergraduate Microbiome Society recently made a donation of $1,000 to Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee as part of VUMS’ efforts to raise awareness about the microbiome and to better the local community. Read MoreJun 24, 2020
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Unexpected mammal provides insight into the lives of ancient hominins
Paleontologist and associate professor of biological sciences Larisa DeSantis finds answers about early hominin diets are with an unrelated group of mammals—tapirs. Read MoreJun 11, 2020
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New discovery shows infection of the lungs can be caused by hybrid fungi
A team of scientists at Vanderbilt has discovered the first known instance of a hybrid fungal species causing aspergillosis, an ensemble of different types of lung infections that often impacts immune-compromised people. Read MoreJun 4, 2020
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Vanderbilt lab develops app for analyzing crowd-sourced songbird recordings
With a new app from a team at Vanderbilt, birdsong researchers can better leverage crowdsourced fieldwork and audio recordings from amateur birders and citizen songbird scientists. Read MoreApr 20, 2020
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Biology researchers capture shape-shifting delivery structures in body’s cellular “FedEx system”
A new cellular biology study reports the first visualization of a unique shape-shifting structure in the human body which plays an important role in the timely delivery of fats and proteins. Read MoreMar 9, 2020