Biological 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 More

International collaboration shows that marsupial saber-tooth cats were more closely related to possums than fearsome predators. Read More

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 More

Paleontologist and associate professor of biological sciences Larisa DeSantis finds answers about early hominin diets are with an unrelated group of mammals—tapirs. Read More

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 More

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 More

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 More

The Genetics Society of America has recognized Seth Bordenstein, an evolutionary geneticist and microbiologist at Vanderbilt, for an initiative that brings real-world scientific research into middle school, high school and college biology classes. Read More

The quokka, a small marsupial native to Australia, is an example of a species vulnerable to extinction in the country’s harsh surroundings. In a new study, researchers at Vanderbilt University demonstrate evidence for the dramatic decline of quokkas over the past century. Read More

In a new study, scientists at Vanderbilt report definitive evidence of a mechanism within ants that is responsible for unlocking aggression. The research—the first to pinpoint this mechanism and its precise role in ant biology—reports a social characteristic which could help account for their evolutionary success. Read More

Clint E. Carter, an emeritus professor of biological sciences whose research focused on immunology and tropical diseases, died Nov. 9. Carter is being remembered by former colleagues and students for his unfailing kindness and warmth. Read More

Vanderbilt investigators have identified 13 previously unknown drug compounds that cause false positive screenings for amphetamines, buprenorphine (an opioid), cannabinoids and methadone. Read More

Tony Capra, Lisa Fazio and Renã A.S. Robinson have been selected as Chancellor’s Public Voices Fellows for the spring 2020 semester. Read More

According to a new study, the tiny zebrafish may hold the secret to regenerating damaged retinas in humans. Read More

The Vanderbilt Evolutionary Studies Initiative seeks to position the university as a global leader in evolutionary studies by engaging a large group of scholars who share this research interest. Read More

Investigators have discovered how a DNA repair pathway protein shields sites of damage to avoid mutations and maintain genome integrity. Read More

The Vanderbilt greenhouses are a lush, light-filled retreat in the heart of campus, and Jonathan Ertelt is charged with making sure each of their inhabitants thrives. Read More

Dean P. Whittier, an emeritus professor of biological sciences at Vanderbilt and an internationally known researcher on the biology of ferns, died May 29. He was 83. Read More

Vanderbilt’s six newest endowed chairs were honored by colleagues, university leaders, family members and donors at a ceremony on April 30 in the Student Life Center. Read More

Postdoctoral scholars Samantha Yohn and Anneke Sanders and ophthalmology professor Rebecca Sappington were honored by the Graduate School at the 13th Annual Vanderbilt Postdoctoral Association Symposium on April 9. Read More