Research Strengths
Much of the research effort in the Department of Biology is encompassed by the general areas of Marine Biology, Ecology and Evolution, and Cell and Molecular Biology. These areas are not mutually exclusive; for example molecular approaches are often used to study the ecology and evolution or marine organisms. We only have space for a broad overview of ongoing research in each area of study. Please refer to research interests of individual faculty and adjunct faculty for additional details; you are strongly encouraged to contact faculty for more information about their specific research interests.
Marine Biology
 Well over half of our faculty work in marine or coastal systems. Faculty interests are diverse encompassing a wide range of organisms, seaweeds, plankton, marsh plants, coral reefs, crustaceans, mollusks, and marine vertebrates. Topics of study include systematics, physiology, ecology, and evolution;.most projects incorporate both laboratory and field components. Ecology and Evolution
 Approximately 75% of the research faculty in the Department of Biology work in these areas. There is a considerable research focus on the influence of humans on natural systems, with ongoing research in coastal erosion, marsh restoration, invasive species, toxicology, and conservation biology. Evolutionary biologists are conducting research in the areas of biogeography, population biology, systematics, ecophysiology, functional morphology, reproduction, and behavioral ecology. There is a strong emphasis on the application of molecular approaches in both ecological and evolutionary studies.
 Cell and Molecular Biology
 Over a third of the departmental faculty work in cellular or molecular biology. Plant scientists are studying cytoskeleton structure, plant movement, developmental pathways, phytohormones and gene regulation. Cell and molecular biologists focusing on animal and microbrial systems are investigating transport mechanisms, osmoregulation, sensory cell receptors, mutagenesis, DNA repair, genomics, and immunology. View Next Page |
Graduate students choosing to pursue studies in Biology at the University of Louisiana benefit from the expertise and national recognition of our faculty. The Department of Biology has been recognized by the state of Louisiana and the University as an Area of Excellence in Environmental Sciences, Integrative Biology and Biodiversity. In the most recent overall review of statewide biology programs, the Biology Department was ranked as the best in the State of Louisiana by an independent panel of distinguished biologists. The long standing commitment to research and teaching by a prominent and well-published faculty is evident in the quality and success of its graduates, the scale and scope of extramural research funding, sophistication of the research facilities, and visibility of the research agencies associated with the department. 
Departmental facilities and equipment for the support of graduate student research include greenhouses, an aquatics laboratory, and vehicles and boats for field research. The department also hosts a Nucleic acid analysis facility with 4 automated DNA sequencers and ancillary equipment. In addition to the department facilities, graduate students benefit from the department’s close working relationship with a number of other laboratories and organizations:
