UMBC Biological Sciences Department
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With more than 30 tenured and tenure-track faculty members and lecturers, UMBC’s Department of Biological Sciences is one of the university’s largest academic departments encompassing a wide breadth of research and teaching. Research faculty in the Biological Sciences focus on:
- Cell Biology
- Computational Biology
- Developmental Biology & Immunology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Molecular Biology & Genetics
- Neuroscience
- Plant Biology
Recent Submissions
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Draft Genome Sequence of Shewanella sp. Strain ISO12, a Candidate Probiotic Isolated from the Intestine of Fundulus heteroclitus
(American Society for Microbiology, 2020-05-28)The genome of Shewanella sp. strain ISO12, which was isolated from the intestine of wild-caught Fundulus heteroclitus, was sequenced and is reported here. Bioinformatic analysis revealed genes encoding the bacteriocin ... -
Hierarchical Distance Sampling Reveals Increased Population Size and Broader Habitat Use in the Endangered Bahama Oriole
(2020-01-10)Caribbean is home to over 20 passerine species listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered. The Bahama Oriole (Icterus northropi) is listed as critically ... -
Large female song repertoires and within‐pair song type sharing in a temperate breeding songbird
(Wiley Online Library, 2020-12-03)Female song has been significantly understudied in songbirds. While male song has been studied for centuries, female song has only begun to be explored in the last few decades. This is especially true in relation to ... -
Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells: Facilitators of Cancer and Obesity-Induced Cancer
Immature myeloid cells at varied stages of differentiation, known as myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC), are present in virtually all cancer patients. MDSC are profoundly immune-suppressive cells that impair adaptive ... -
Complications and Patient-reported Outcomes after TRAM and DIEP Flaps: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
(Wolters Kluwer Health, 2020-07-27)Introduction: Transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (TRAM) and deep inferior epigastric artery perforator (DIEP) flaps are the most common abdominally based breast reconstruction procedures. Each technique has its ... -
The reward integrator
(American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2020-10-02)Rewards are powerful stimuli that drive and reinforce goal-directed behaviors. There are a variety of factors that contribute to this process—such as motivation, anticipation, and contextual information—that are encoded ... -
Protein Phosphatase 2A and Clathrin-Mediated Endocytosis Facilitate Robust Melanopsin Light Responses and Resensitization
(ARVO, 2020-10)Purpose: Intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) that express the visual pigment melanopsin regulate non-image-forming visual tasks, such as circadian photoentrainment and pupil constriction, as well ... -
The role of diversity in science: a case study of women advancing female birdsong research
(Elsevier, 2020-08-24)Researchers of different genders and backgrounds contribute greatly to the diversity of questions and approaches in science. Historically birdsong was studied primarily as a male trait. However, as researchers in the field ... -
Exploration into the origins and mobilization of di-hydrofolate reductase genes and the emergence of clinical resistance to trimethoprim
(Microbiology Society, 2020-09-24)Trimethoprim is a synthetic antibacterial agent that targets folate biosynthesis by competitively binding to the di-hydrofolate reductase enzyme (DHFR). Trimethoprim is often administered synergistically with sulfonamide, ... -
Effect of Exam Wrappers on Student Achievement in Multiple, Large STEM Courses
Metacognition, the ability to think about and regulate one’s thinking, is an important factor in effective student learning. One intervention to promote student metacognition is the exam wrapper—a reflection students ... -
Genetic and Physiological Characterization of the Antibacterial Activity of Bacillus subtilis subsp. inaquosorum Strain T1 Effective Against pirABVp-Bearing Vibrio parahaemolyticus
(American Society for Microbiology, 2020-08-10)Acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND) is caused by PirAB toxin-producing Vibrio parahaemolyticus and has devastated the global shrimp aquaculture industry. One approach for preventing growth of AHPND-producing ... -
Spermathecal variation in temperate Opiliones
(Oxford University Press, 2020-08-17)Most arachnid fertilization occurs internally, allowing for a variety of post-copulatory mechanisms to take place. Females are expected to exert some level of control over sperm fate when 1) the point of gametic fusion is ... -
Surveying Potential Predators to Protect a Critically Endangered Bahamian Songbird
(UMBC Review, 2019-05-22) -
The Effects of Population Density on the Incidence of Developmental Deformities in Chemosensory Organs of Tobacco Hornworm Larvae (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae)
(Oxford University Press, 2020-07-17)Cultures of Manduca sexta Johanssen in our laboratory were found to have larvae with missing or deformed mouthparts or antennae. Hypothesizing that these developmental deformities were caused by crowded rearing conditions, ... -
Assessing the Age-Specific Phagocytic Ability of Adult Drosophila melanogaster Hemocytes using an In Vivo Phagocytosis Assay
(JOVE, 2020-06-11)Phagocytosis is an essential function of the innate immune response. This process is carried out by phagocytic hemocytes whose primary function is to recognize a wide range of particles and destroy microbial pathogens. As ... -
Standing genetic variation as the predominant source for adaptation of a songbird
(PNAS, 2018-12-17)What kind of genetic variation contributes the most to adaptation is a fundamental question in evolutionary biology. By resequencing genomes of 80 individuals, we inferred the origin of genomic variants associated with a ... -
Continuous Dynamic Modeling of Regulated Cell Adhesion: Sorting, Intercalation, and Involution
(Elsevier, 2019-10-31)Cell-cell adhesion is essential for tissue growth and multicellular pattern formation and crucial for the cellular dynamics during embryogenesis and cancer progression. Understanding the dynamical gene regulation of cell ... -
Male preference for conspecific females depends on male size in the splendid darter, Etheostoma barrenense
(Elsevier, 2020-06-20)Mating preferences vary among individuals in response to a number of factors, such as the age and phenotype of the choosing individual. However, studies addressing variation in mating preferences generally focus on female ... -
The use of porcine corrosion casts for teaching human anatomy
(Elsevier, 2017-06-01)In teaching and learning human anatomy, anatomical autopsy and prosected specimens have always been indispensable. However, alternative methods must often be used to demonstrate particularly delicate structures. Corrosion ... -
Nest microhabitat influences nest-site selection in dry prairie but not in pasture habitat for the endangered Florida Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum; floridanus) alternate title: Le microhabitat influe sur la sélection du site de nidification dans les prairies sèches, mais pas dans les pâturages, chez le Bruant sauterelle de Floride (Ammodramus savannarum floridanus), espèce en voie de disparition
(2020)Vegetation characteristics can influence nest-site selection and nest survival of birds. The Florida Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum floridanus) is a critically endangered ground nesting grassland bird endemic ...
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