biological sciences

Trudy Mackay sits in front of a microscope in a lab.

Jan 13, 2016

Mackay Wins Prestigious Wolf Prize

Trudy Mackay receives one of the world's most prestigious awards for academic achievement, a Wolf Prize.

Dec 1, 2015

Trap-jaw Ants Exhibit Previously Unseen Jumping Behavior

An NC State biologist finds that trap-jaw ants leap forward as well as backward to escape threats.

Blood vessels from deminineralized bone of B. canadensis

Dec 1, 2015

Researchers Confirm Original Blood Vessels in 80 Million-Year-Old Fossil

The findings add to the growing body of evidence that structures like blood vessels and cells can persist over millions of years

Heather Patisaul studies how chemicals in the environment affect us. In this image, she’s examining neurons in the brain of a laboratory rat colored by a process called immunohistochemistry.

Oct 17, 2015

Shaping A Less Toxic Future

Heather Patisaul is shedding new light on how chemicals in everyday products are reshaping our brains, bodies and behavior.

Sep 1, 2015

Tail As Old As Time – Tracing Ankylosaur’s Tail Evolution

How did the ankylosaur get its distinctive tail club? The handle arrived first, and the knot at the end followed.

A student checks on an ant colony collected from the warming chambers in Duke Forest.

Aug 6, 2015

The Ecology of the Future and the Future of Ecology

NC State biologists are working with underrepresented college students and designing citizen science tools to give middle school students everywhere the chance to be involved in scientific discovery.

Abstract architecture at entrance to NC State University

Jul 12, 2015

Early Lead Exposure Affects Gene Expression Throughout Life

The study, led by NC State biologists, sheds more light on the long-term effects of early lead exposure on DNA and may help to develop therapies to treat or reverse the damage.

Jun 8, 2015

The Butterfly Effect: Insect’s Wings Key to Azalea Pollination

An NC State biologist has found that in the case of the flame azalea, all pollinators are not created equal.

Areal view of deforested patches of forest

May 14, 2015

Shrinking Habitats Have Adverse Effects on World Ecosystems

An extensive study of global habitat fragmentation led by an NC State biologist points to major trouble for a number of the world’s ecosystems and the plants and animals living in them.

May 13, 2015

New Project Tackles Genetic Switchboard for DNA

The Genotype-Tissue Expression project aims to explain links between genetic variation and disease.