Intercollege Research
Research groups are unified through common experimental organisms and novel interactions that have developed
among investigators from different disciplines. The cell and development group includes faculty who seek to
compare and contrast the mechanisms of development in both plants and animals. The Drosophila groups work on
cellular, developmental, and evolutionary biology. Faculty collaborations have resulted in new research
areas, including studies of insect herbivores that use their innate chemistry to manipulate plant defenses,
research on the ecological genetics of larval recruitment in hydrothermal vent communities, and numerous
studies of molecular evolution of important or novel biological molecules. In short, Penn State’s
Department of Biology offers a multidisciplinary atmosphere, giving students an opportunity to study
biological processes at many levels using a variety of experimental organisms and systems.
