Biology

The Department of Biological Sciences has a strong tradition at the University of Idaho, with nearly 300 students in the program pursuing either a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science in Biology. This top program offers competitive research opportunities and a team of well-respected faculty members who value research, but who also share a passion for teaching and advising students.

With a bachelor's degree in biology, you'll be prepared for a successful future in graduate school, in the business world, or in a government or state agency. Our alumni also have been very successful in gaining admission into medical, dental, physical therapy and other allied health programs.

As a biology major, you’ll gain a thorough understanding of natural history, anatomy, and physiology, and of molecular, cellular, developmental, and quantitative biology. You’ll learn how to ask the right questions, make observations, evaluate evidence and solve problems. Our courses focus on several fundamental concepts:

• An understanding and appreciation of the diversity of life on Earth
• An understanding of the basic principles and mechanisms that all living organisms rely upon
• An understanding of levels of biological analysis, from the organismal and historical to the cellular and molecular
• A basic understanding of the principles and mechanisms of evolution

Prepare for Success

Biology students have a genuine curiosity to learn about the natural world, a diligent work ethic and an infatuation with studying problems and developing creative solutions. If this describes you, a biology degree could take you where you want to go in life. To set yourself up for success, it’s important that you take as many courses as possible in mathematics and science, especially chemistry. And, because you need to develop critical thinking skills, you should take several English classes, as well. These courses will give you the confidence and skills you’ll need to formulate, prepare and communicate logical and convincing arguments.

Your First Year

During your first year, you’ll begin building your core foundation in science with an introduction to biology and chemistry, in addition to taking general university requirements, such as writing communications, history, humanities and mathematics. To help you through your transition into university life, you’ll be assigned a staff adviser who is committed to your success. A sample of first and second year biology classes include:

• Biol 115 – Cells and the Evolution of Life
• Biol 116 – Organisms and Environments
• Biol 210 – Genetics
• Biol 212 – Molecular and Cellular Biology

What You Can Do

With a bachelor's degree in biology, you may become a:

• Biological scientist
• High school biology or chemistry teacher
• Medical doctor
• Physical therapist
• Dentist
• Nurse
• Zoologist
• Academic professor/researcher 
• Pharmaceutical researcher 
• Pharmaceutical sales representative
• Forensic scientist
• Consultant
• Biotechnician

Opportunities

Many graduates with a bachelor's degree in biology will pursue a health-related profession. Nearly 80 percent of students who are admitted into medical, dental, and physical therapy schools have majored in a core science (especially biology, microbiology, psychology or chemistry).

Or, you could teach advanced biology or chemistry to high school students. A background in biology also prepares you to build a career at a university, museum, zoo or with a government agency, such as working for the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife or the Environmental Protection Agency. You may also have a career as a consultant, in which you could use your scientific training, for example,  to manage environmental impact assessments for a civil engineering firm. Or, you could have a career with a biotechnology company, applying scientific principles to develop products or enhancements in agriculture, food science, or medicine.

Other alumni have exciting and rewarding careers in academia as university professors and researchers.

Current Research

The Department of Biological Sciences encourages undergraduate research and annually offers five undergraduate research awards, including the Curtis and Mary Sundquist Award and four departmental awards, to support these activities. Faculty research interests are grouped into three main focus areas:

• Ecology and evolution (animal behavior, genetics, microbial ecology, systematics)
• Neurobiology (retinal development and neurophysiology)
• Reproductive biology (development, endocrinology, fertility)

• Lisa Heuvel is studying the role of molecular signaling systems in rod and cone cells of the developing eye of the zebra fish.
• Matt Racine is studying the swimming performance of domesticated and wild fish. He’s interested in analyzing and understanding if, and how quickly, the genetic traits of fish are changed when they become domesticated.
• Justin Doble is studying how ageing influences the functioning of zebra fish sperm.

Hands-On Experience

As a biology student you’ll learn primarily in a traditional lecture and lab environment. You'll also have the opportunity to earn credit toward graduation through internships, practicums and other directed study activities ─ all with preapproval from your adviser.

Facilities

The University of Idaho features several top-rated research facilities, institutes and centers on the Moscow campus:

• Aquaculture Research Institute
• Bioinformatics Core Facility
• Center for Reproductive Biology
• DNA Sequencing Facility
• Electron Microscopy Center
• Environmental Research Institute
• Molecular Biology Core Facility
• Stillinger Herbarium
• Structural Biology Core Facility
• University of Idaho Libraries

Faculty Involvement

While your entry level classes will tend to be large, with classes exceeding 100 students, your upper division courses will be much smaller, typically with class sizes between 10 and 30 students. We believe that smaller classes give you the opportunity to interact with your professors and your classmates in a more comfortable and inviting environment.

Matt Anway, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
The research in my lab focuses on understanding the molecular processes that regulate the adult testis and prostate gland in men. We study how environmental toxicants and age affect the function and disease onset in the testis and prostate gland. We utilize a variety of molecular approaches in attempts to characterize the function of the epithelial cells at the molecular level. In the prostate, we are interested in determining key regulatory events that could be used as biomarkers for prostate diseases. In the testis, we are interested in understanding the hormonal regulation of the Sertoli cells and how age influences their functional processes.
» manway@uidaho.edu

Onesmo Balemba, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
The area that interests me most for research is the pathophysiology of diseases that affect gastrointestinal (GI) functions. I would like to focus on investigations leading to better understanding of neuromuscular and immune system host responses in diabetes, and infectious diarrhea, and therapeutic strategies for these conditions.
» obalemba@uidaho.edu

Celeste Brown, Ph.D.
Associate Research Professor
Dr. Celeste Brown has two research areas, how gene regulation changes in response to selection, and the evolution of disordered proteins. The link between these two disparate areas is that often proteins involved in gene regulation are disordered. The gene regulation studies involve laboratory-based research and the disordered protein studies involve bioinformatics approaches.
» celesteb@uidaho.edu

Joseph G. Cloud, Ph.D.
Department Chair & Professor
Projects in Dr. Cloud’s research program are primarily directed toward understanding germ cell development in salmonids and the establishment of a germplasm repository for threatened and endangered fish. Ongoing research projects in the lab include the cryopreservation and transplantation of salmonid gonads and the isolation, culture, and reestablishment of germinal stem cells. Additionally, sperm collected from numerous populations of Snake River chinook salmon and steelhead are cryopreserved and stored annually.
» jcloud@uidaho.edu

Gary Daughdrill
Research Associate Professor
Research in my lab focuses on developing a greater understanding of how the three dimensional structure of a protein specifies biological function. In particular, I am interested in the relationship between protein flexibility and biological function. When novel genes are sequenced, their structure and function can often be reliably predicted based on sequence similarity and evolutionary relationships to proteins with known structures.
» gdaugh@uidaho.edu

Larry J. Forney, Ph.D.
Professor
The research done in Dr. Larry Forney’s laboratory centers on the diversity and distribution of prokaryotes. Both field and laboratory studies are done to explore the temporal and spatial patterns of community diversity, as well as factors that influence the dynamics of inter- and intra-species competition and how environmental conditions might influence the tempo of adaptive evolution. Most of these studies are highly interdisciplinary in nature, and done in collaboration with mathematicians, statisticians, computer scientists, geologists, environmental engineers, physicians, and clinical scientists.
» lforney@uidaho.edu

James A. Foster, Ph.D.
Professor
My research objective is to explore and attempt to understand both natural and simulated evolution, a field I call “evolutionary studies.” I develop and analyze algorithms, such as multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic inferencing algorithms. I also explore the practical and theoretical limits of algorithms modeling evolution, such as genetic programming and genetic algorithms.
» foster@uidaho.edu

Luke J. Harmon, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Our research investigates ecological and evolutionary aspects of adaptive radiations. Current projects span a wide range of taxa and time scales, including adaptive radiation in E. coli biofilms, evolution of island lizards in the Caribbean and Indian Ocean, and macroevolutionary dynamics of vertebrates. You will find more information about all of these projects on the research and publications pages.
» lukeh@uidaho.edu

Rolf L. Ingermann, Ph.D.
Professor
Rolf Ingermann is investigating the reproductive physiology of lower vertebrates at the biochemical, cellular and organismic levels. He is currently examining various aspects of metabolic regulation within gametes of salmonids and sturgeon. These include pursuing questions focused on inhibition of sperm motility and fertility by carbon dioxide, control of sperm metabolism by carbon dioxide and pH, the role of stored (versus newly synthesized) adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in the functioning of sperm and eggs, and the physiological significance of the very low buffering capacity of fish seminal fluid versus other body fluids and tissues.
» rolfi@uidaho.edu

Denim M. Jochimsen
Lecturer
» denimj@uidaho.edu

Kevin R. Kelliher, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
I have broad research interests that overlap and combine the fields of neuroendocrinology, chemoreceptive sciences and behavioral neuroscience. My research program addresses fundamental questions about the neural control of social behavior at cellular, systems and behavioral levels. One aspect of my research addresses the relative roles of different chemosensory systems or subsystems for the processing and perception of chemosensory cues that influence social behavior.
» kelliher@uidaho.edu

Mike Laskowski, Ph.D.
Professor
Research interests: Cell Signaling
» mlaskow@uidaho.edu

Bruce Mobarry
Lecturer
Bruce is currently teaching Bio 116
» bmobarry@uidaho.edu

James J. Nagler, Ph.D.
Professor
Nagler’s research interests cover the broad area of fish reproductive physiology. There are four main avenues of current research emphasis. First, the endocrinology of estradiol within the gonads of the rainbow trout and the functional implications for sexual development. A second line of research is exploring the unusual occurrence of male-linked genetic markers in female fall chinook salmon in the Columbia River watershed. The cause and consequences of this occurrence are being investigated.
» jamesn@uidaho.edu

Scott L. Nuismer, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
My research focuses on the ecology and evolution of species interactions. The overall aim is to better understand how coevolution shapes patterns of biodiversity and the geographic distributions of interacting species. Work in my lab addresses these issues with a combination of mathematical modeling and field studies.
» snuismer@uidaho.edu

Olle Pellmyr, Ph.D.
Professor
My research interests are primarily in the evolutionary ecology of species interactions and coevolution, with foci primarily on pollination biology and herbivory. Most current work deals with the evolution and maintenance of mutually beneficial interactions, and for the last several years I have used one of the classical cases of coevolution - yucca and yucca moths – as a model system for this purpose. My lab is divided in two work spheres to integrate fieldwork and lab-based analyses. Most projects combine ecological, behavioral, phylogeographic, and phylogenetic tools that together can test hypotheses about micro- and macroevolutionary aspects of plant-animal interactions.
» pellmyr@uidaho.edu

Barrie Robison, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
My general research interests lie at the interface between genomics, evolutionary biology, and fisheries biology. Specific areas of research emphasis in my lab include the genetic architecture of complex traits, the evolution of locally adaptive phenotypes, and genomic analysis of behavioral variation in fish. I employ two study systems to investigate these issues, the rainbow trout and the zebrafish.
» brobison@uidaho.edu

Erica Bree Rosenblum, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
My research emphasizes understanding the processes that generate and impact biological diversity, with a focus on adaptive evolution across different levels of biological organization. I employ functional and comparative genomics tools to develop a mechanistic understanding of adaptive traits at the molecular level. However, I also work with real organisms in their real habitats, and my research is motivated by evolutionarily and ecologically important questions.
» rosenblum@uidaho.edu

Kristin A. Simokat
Lecturer
» ksimokat@uidaho.edu

Deborah Stenkamp, Ph.D.
Professor
Stenkamp’s research interests center on the examination of cellular and molecular mechanisms of vertebrate retinal development and regeneration, with a specific focus on photoreceptor differentiation, using zebrafish as the primary experimental model.
» dstenkam@uidaho.edu

John "Jack" M. Sullivan, Ph.D.
Professor
Our understanding of the processes of nucleotide substitution (DNA sequence evolution) has been expanding greatly over the last 10 years. Furthermore, it has become apparent that ignoring such processes as heterogeneity of base composition, substitution pattern, and rate variation among nucleotide sites can compromise attempts to estimate phylogeny from DNA sequence data. Therefore, model-based analyses of DNA sequence data have become increasingly wide spread because such approaches afford the investigator the opportunity to account for such processes explicitly.
» jacks@uidaho.edu

Eva Top, Ph.D.
Professor
Eva Top is a microbial ecologist whose interests can be roughly divided into two major areas. The main research interest is the role of horizontal gene transfer in the adaptation of bacterial populations and communities to changing environmental conditions, and in bacterial evolution in general. The second area of interest is the diversity, structure and dynamics of bacterial communities in natural or bioreactor environments, such as soil, sediments, wastewater treatment reactors, and gastrointestinal ecosystems, and how these communities respond to various disturbances.
» evatop@uidaho.edu

Holly A. Wichman, Ph.D.
Professor
The Wichman Lab studies viruses and their subcellular relatives, transposable elements. These two lines of research are united by a molecular approach and a strong evolutionary context. L1 elements have been active in mammals for over 150 million years and make up about 20% of the genome. Most of the copies in the genome are ancient molecular fossils, so it is a challenge to sift through all of the old copies to find those that have been recently active.
» hwichman@uidaho.edu