Fall 2008

At the Crossroads of Science and Diversity
National Institutes of Health grant supports circadian clock research for a first-year biology graduate student

Developing New Tools For Improving Plants’ Field Performance
Paul Rushton awarded 2 grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the United Soybean Board to study plant drought stress and to create a database of soybean gene promoters

Biology Graduate Students Reach Out
Madison House volunteers take time to mentor local high school students in science

Seasonal Affective Disorder May Be Linked to Genetic Mutation
by Fariss Samarrai (UVA TODAY)
With the days shortening toward winter, many people will begin to experience the winter blahs. For some, the effect can be devastating.

Light Receptors in Eye Play Key Role in Setting Biological Clock
by Fariss Samarrai
Biologists at the University of Virginia have discovered a switching mechanism in the eye that plays a key role in regulating the sleep/wake cycles in mammals.

Biology Professors Named as National Academies Education Fellows in the Life Sciences
Drs. Claire Cronmiller and Michael Wormington share innovative approaches to teaching biology courses

The Race to a Photo Finish
If you’re a small, good-tasting aquatic creature like a crayfish, claws and a calcified exoskeleton may not be enough to ward off bigger and stronger ambush predators like fish, wading birds or aquatic mammals.