March 13, 2026 Above: An image of a Drosophila pseudoobscura testis. The DNA of developing spermatids was stained and digitally tinted for depth. Credit: Christopher Large Study identifies the Overdrive gene as a quality control “checkpoint” for sperm formation in Drosophila, which gets weaponized by selfish chromosomes to boost odds of passing into the next generation. A […]
Read MoreCool Science Radio: GSL and the oldest stories of life January 20, 2026 Above: Michael Werner Nematodes are among the most abundant animals on Earth, yet much remains unknown about how these roundworms adapt to extreme environments. Michael Werner, assistant professor of biology at the University of Utah, discusses new research uncovering nematodes living inside […]
Read MoreDecember 19, 2025 Research led by U biologist Franz Goller reveals how cowbirds create ‘liquid’ notes by tightly controlling two sound sources in their vocal organ, mimicking the physics of falling water droplets. Cowbirds are special among songbirds for the “watery” timbre of their singing, which resembles the sound of falling droplets striking water, a […]
Read MoreThe salty waters of the Great Salt Lake are not as inhospitable as once thought. It all began when Utah’s own Dune worm hunters—biologist Julie Jung, then a postdoctoral fellow working in the lab of Assistant Professor Michael Werner at the University of Utah—decided to take a closer look. This story was featured on NPR’s All Things Considered (December 16, 2025). The […]
Read MoreOctober 29, 2025 Above: Richard Clark To those outside the loop, the importance of scientific studies into topics like rocks, insects and other abundant everyday objects may seem small. But such studies are among the most critical to pursue. Something common enough to have daily effects is, well, having daily effects! In the case of […]
Read MoreAugust 14, 2025 Above: Great Salt Lake Utah’s Great Salt Lake is a place of extremes, and its ecosystem is evidence that life can thrive under some of Earth’s most hostile conditions. Scientist say it may hold clues for life on other planets, too, especially Mars, which was once replete with salty lakes. Specifically, researchers […]
Read MoreJuly 30, 2025 Carbon ‘off-sets’ are not working. U-led research results in roadmap for harnessing Earth’s natural processes to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide A lot of the climate-altering carbon pollution we humans release into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels gets drawn into Earth’s oceans and landscapes through natural processes, mostly through photosynthesis as plants […]
Read MoreJuly 1, 2025 Above: In his lab, David Carrier: “If you’re going to study fighting, sometimes you have to get punched in the face.” An evolutionary biologist, boundary pusher and occasional lab hazard, Dave Carrier didn’t just study evolution. He tested it — on himself, on treadmills, and sometimes in the ring. Over a career spanning more […]
Read MoreMay 22, 2025 Above: Wilkes Scholar and Geology & Geophysics undergraduate Autumn Hartley presents research at the Wilkes Climate Summit. Credit: Todd Anderson “Let’s start with the three pillars of urgency. Climate change—it’s here, it’s us, and it’s damaging,” said William Anderegg, director of the Wilkes Center for Climate Science & Policy at the University of Utah. “There […]
Read MoreMay 13, 2025 Originally from Tennessee, moving across the country was daunting, but it also was the start to a transformative journey filled with leadership, discovery, and lasting connections. From the beginning, biology felt like a natural fit. “Both of my parents studied microbiology, so I grew up viewing the world through a microscopic lens,” […]
Read More“Growing up in an immigrant household where my parents instilled the importance of education.” “Language and culture have always been important in my family and integral to my upbringing and life at home. I was born in the U.S. My parents immigrated to the U.S. from El Salvador in 2002, looking for employment and educational […]
Read MoreApril 23, 2025 “After I got out of the military, I was planning on going into nursing and was taking classes in Washington. I took a microbiology class and I loved the course. When I completed it, I asked the professor for a letter of recommendation and when he gave it to me, he told […]
Read More“I have learned that research is hard and that it does not always work,” Kayla says, “But perseverance and dedication pays off and I hope to bring this attitude into graduate school and the future!” Over the past two years Kayla Marks has worked in the Judson-Torres lab at the Huntsman Cancer Institute, contributing to […]
Read More“People only get brave when they have nothing to lose. Be brave anyway.” Tanya Vickers – School of Biological Sciences “As I entered college, I was in renal failure and had two choices: Return home and enjoy the rest of my declining life, or make one last effort to achieve my childhood dream. I chose the […]
Read MoreJanuary 9, 2025 Above: Trap camera photo of a coyote recorded in the Wasatch Mountains in October 2019. Credit: Austin Green. Counterintuitive findings are based on images from hundreds of trap cameras deployed in nationwide campaign to document wildlife. Coyote populations across the United States are influenced by a number of factors, but surprisingly their […]
Read MoreTalia Backman – Ph.D. student, School of Biological Sciences, shares a micrograph of tailocins. From multicellular organisms, like us humans, to single-cell bacteria, living things are subject to attack by viruses. Plants, animals and even bacteria have evolved strategies to combat pathogens, including viruses that can threaten health and life. Talia Backman, a University of Utah […]
Read MoreSep 25, 2024 Above: Applied Carbon’s pyrolyzer. PHOTO CREDIT: Applied Carbon Applied Carbon, formerly known as Climate Robotics, has developed a mobile, in-field solution that picks up crop waste left after harvesting and converts it into carbon-rich biochar in a single pass. The resulting product is deposited back onto the field, simultaneously increasing soil health, […]
Read MoreMay 30, 2024 Above: Photo of the wolf captured by Çağan Şekercioğlu on eastern Turkey’s Kars-Ardahan plateau. Photo Credit: Çağan Şekercioğlu Utah biologists track gray wolves with GPS collars and camera traps as their numbers rebound into populated parts of northeast Turkey. After 14 years of gathering and analyzing field data, an international research team […]
Read MoreBacteriophages, viruses that attack and destroy bacteria, are everywhere in the natural world where they play a vital role in regulating microbe populations in ways that are not yet well understood. New research led by the University of Utah and University College London (UCL) has found that plant bacterial pathogens are able to repurpose elements of […]
Read MoreBy Hannah Meier , PhD Student, School of Biological Sciences Caption: [from left to right]: Tegan Lengyel, a PhD student in the Anderegg lab, investigates the impact of climate change on forest biodiversity and carbon sequestration. Rebecca Senft, a PhD student in the Aparecido lab, delves into the interaction between global change and invasive species. Hannah Meier, […]
Read MoreA heart attack will leave a permanent scar on a human heart, yet other animals, including some fish and amphibians, can clear cardiac scar tissue and regrow damaged muscle as adults. Scientists have sought to figure out how special power works in hopes of advancing medical treatments for human cardiac patients, but the great physiological […]
Read MoreWe have two copies of each chromosome in every cell in our bodies except in our reproductive cells. Sperm and egg cells contain a single copy of each chromosome with a unique mix of genes from our parents, an evolutionary trick to give our offspring genetic variability. The sperm and egg are made during […]
Read MoreSmall choices can make a big impact this holiday season, starting with your Christmas tree! As Douglas firs and white pines appeared in lots around Salt Lake City, Natalie Vickers, a junior pre-occupational therapy major and video intern at the School of Biological Sciences, got curious—how does the tree-trimming tradition fit into a changing climate? […]
Read MoreAssociate Professor of biology Sophie Caron is a 2023 awardee. The University of Utah Presidential Scholar Award supports the work of exceptionally promising mid-career faculty in academic units across campus by providing $10,000 in funding each year for three years to the award winners. In addition to Caron, an internationally prominent neuroscientist, other awardees include […]
Read MoreRead the full issue of OUR DNA 2023, the magazine of the School of Biological Sciences LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR Keeping the Past Alive
Read More“Cancer cells are often thought of as maverick cells that break the rules and by doing so end up damaging or even killing their host,” says University of Utah professor Fred Adler. “But cancer cells in fact continue to depend on other cells in their environment to survive, particularly under the intense stress we place them […]
Read More“I first stepped foot in a tropical rainforest in 1975 and have been back every year doing research on how plants defend themselves against getting eaten by insects,” says Phyllis “Lissy” Coley, distinguished professor emerita of biology at the U. She is newly elected member of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). NAS Members are elected […]
Read MoreA few more than 2,000 people currently live in Salina, Utah just north of Interstate 70 and tumbling west of a 217,000-acre geological feature called the San Raphael Swell. It’s a gateway to some of the most remote (and still yet-to-be-permanently settled) land) in the Beehive State. But for Carl “Ty” Mellor, it’s been an […]
Read MoreOne of the best ways to engage in science, technology, engineering and math is through hands-on activities. Utah STEM Fest does just that and much more! This year the event takes place September 27-28 with a family night Sept. 27 from 4-8 pm with free admission! STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. It’s […]
Read MoreBy Alex Horn I joined the Air Force as an 18-year-old cadet. I came to the U as part of a program that would allow me to later return to the Air Force Academy to teach. In my doctoral studies, I wanted to understand the relationships between our evolved propensity to form intense fraternal bonds […]
Read MoreTo whom It may concern, No, avian vampire flies do not parasitize vampires. January 31, 2022, Week 02 – Isla De Santa Cruz, Ecuador Philornis downsi is a fly that I’ve mentioned in my past couple letters, but I haven’t talked much about its importance, or our project for that matter. Originally, it was suggested […]
Read MoreYou’ve heard of cells. But what are they exactly? If they’re so small, they’ve got to be simple, right? Not so fast. Watch this video. It’s an introduction from Khan Academy to cellular biology. Now that you know more about cells, check out this video which talks about the difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. […]
Read MoreThe expanding CRISPER-Cas universe continues to provide new tools for manipulating genomes in animals. James “Jamie” Gagnon who currently holds the Mario Capecchi Endowed Chair at the School of Biological Sciences understands that embryonic cells “talk” to each other to coordinate the construction process. “Cells are master linguists – they use dozens of different languages, […]
Read More