This graduate research group focuses on the molecular basis of life, offering solid foundations in biochemistry, microbiology, and molecular genetics, with an emphasis on interdisciplinary training. Faculty research interests are diverse and include the molecular basis of microbial colonization and virulence; the biochemistry of cellular signaling; the molecular origins of cancer; the development of vaccines against infectious disease; the roles of microbial consortia in the marine environment; comparative and evolutionary genomics; the control of gene expression by endogenous and environmental signals; the genetics of marine organisms; the molecular biology and genetic modification of plants; agricultural biotechnology; and developmental gene regulation.Integrative and Evolutionary Biology (IEB): This graduate group focuses on the diversity of form and function of organisms from evolutionary and physiological perspectives, as well as the application of these approaches to health, agriculture, and the environment. Faculty research interests are diverse and include animal science (including reproduction, nutrition, management, and health), aquaculture (including ecology, physiology, nutrition, and health), cellular and behavioral neurobiology (including sensory biology and neuroethology), evolutionary biology, genomics (comparative, evolutionary, and marine), morphology and development (including functional morphology, biomechanics, and evolutionary developmental biology), paleontology, physiology and pathology (including environmental, stress, reproductive, and comparative physiology, endocrinology, aquatic pathology), plant biology, and human health.Ecology and Ecosystem Sciences (EES): This graduate research group focuses on patterns and processes within and among populations, communities, and ecosystems. Faculty research interests are diverse and include ecological studies across the spectrum of biological organization (molecular, organismal, population, community, ecosystem, and landscapes) that focus on the intra- and interspecific interactions of microbes, algae, plants, insects, invertebrates, and vertebrates that inhabit a variety of terrestrial, coastal, freshwater, and marine ecosystems. Much of this research addresses important environmental issues with implications for public policy such as the ecology of endangered species and habitats, the biological control of algal blooms, invertebrate pests, parasites and disease, anthropogenic nutrient enrichment and bioremediation, ecohydrology of coastal wetlands, landscape change, climate change, invasive species, fisheries, and habitat restoration.Environmental and Earth Sciences (EVES): This graduate research group focuses on the history, function, and condition of earth’s environments from local to global scales. Faculty research interests encompass all aspects of the natural sciences including geology, biogeochemistry, hydrology, soil science, assessment of biodiversity, microbial ecology, and global change. Most of this research uses combinations of geospatial data technologies, computer modeling, state-of-the-art analytical instruments, and field investigations to advance our knowledge of earth processes and the management of water resources, shorelines, wetlands, and terrestrial landscapes to sustain healthy environments and to rehabilitate and restore damaged environments.Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems (SAFS):This graduate research group takes a systems-based, interdisciplinary approach to the biological and environmental sciences as applied to agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries, nutrition, and food safety. The diverse group of faculty, with contributors from both the natural and social sciences, uses a broad array of approaches, from molecular to ecosystem-based, to help achieve the economically sustainable production, management, consumption, and utilization of plants and animals for the development of healthy communities. Areas of research include animal science (reproduction, nutrition, management, and health), aquaculture (ecology, physiology, nutrition, and aquatic pathology), horticulture (fruit and vegetable production, environmental horticulture, and turfgrass management), entomology and biocontrol of invasive species, nutrition and food safety, and soil science.