The Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology strives to develop new knowledge through basic research about the function of living organisms with focus on the molecular and cellular levels of all branches of life — bacteria, plants, and animals. Our faculty research strengths are animal physiology and neurobiology, biochemistry, cell biology, developmental biology, microbiology and plant molecular biology. We are home to the undergraduate concentration in Cell and Molecular Biology that graduates nearly 200 students per year. Our Q&A Biology section offers answers to questions about biology. We hope you find our site informative!

Publications

MCDB faculty, research staff and Ph.D. candidates document their findings in renowned academic journals such as Cell and PNAS.

Zebrafish Help Identify Mutant Gene in Rare Muscle Disease

Zebrafish with very weak muscles helped scientists decode the elusive genetic mutation responsible for Native American myopathy...