Cell and developmental biology seeks to understand how cells work, how they coordinate their actions in tissues, and how these processes change during development from a single fertilized egg to a complex multicellular organism. These studies rely on the use of molecular biology tools and the analytical methods of genetics and biochemistry. Insights gained from basic cell and developmental biology have particularly important applications for understanding and treating cancer, a disease in which cells behave inappropriately, in part because developmental programs are wrongly activated.

Cell and developmental biology is a unique strength at the Biology department. Scientists are studying key questions in cell-cell interaction and development in a variety of model systems such as yeast, worms, flies, mice, and mammalian stem cells.

Biology

Susan Gilbert

Lee Ligon

Patrick Maxwell

George Plopper

Biomedical Engineering

Vesna Damljanovic

Jan Stegemann

Deanna Thompson