Research Areas
Advancing Discovery in the Biological Sciences.
From molecules and cells to organisms and ecosystems, researchers in LSU’s Department of Biological Sciences explore how life works, develops and evolves. Our research spans three main divisions: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Cellular, Developmental, & Integrative Biology; and Systematics, Ecology and Evolution.
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
The Division of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology explores the molecules and chemical processes that make life possible. Combining chemistry and biology, faculty and students investigate how proteins, DNA, RNA, lipids, and carbohydrates function and interact. Research spans metabolism, enzyme activity, gene regulation, DNA repair, and the molecular basis of disease, advancing fundamental knowledge with applications in health, agriculture, and biotechnology.
Cellular, Developmental, & Integrative Biology
The Division of Cellular, Developmental, and Integrative Biology comprises a faculty with varied research interests employing a broad range of approaches to study organisms across plant and animal taxa. Experimental approaches include biochemistry, molecular biology, molecular genetics, electrophysiology, live cell imaging, morphometrics, light, and electron microscopy.
Systematics, Ecology and Evolution
The Division of Systematics, Ecology and Evolution explores the diversity of life, how organisms interact with their environments, and how species evolve. Faculty and students study a broad range of organisms and habitats to understand the processes that shape biodiversity, ecological relationships, and the evolutionary history of life.