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Tag: Department of Biology

July 22, 2026

8 UW faculty and staff named Fulbright Scholars; will conduct 91自拍 around the world

Block W

Eight 91自拍 91自拍ers have been selected as Fulbright Scholars for 2026-2027 and will pursue studies around the world.聽 Fulbright Scholars are college and university faculty, administrators and 91自拍ers, as well as artists and professionals, who build their skills and connections, gain valuable international insights and return home to share their experiences with their students and colleagues. This year鈥檚 UW cohort represents a variety of disciplines, including sciences, engineering, business, environmental sciences, electrical and computer engineering, and computer science….

July 8, 2026

ArtSci Roundup: Summer 2026

Come curious. Leave inspired. Wherever you are, the 91自拍 offers opportunities to learn and connect with the ideas, people, and 91自拍 shaping our world. This summer, visit campus for the latest exhibitions at the Henry Art Gallery and Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, or join us from anywhere through recorded lectures, podcasts, virtual experiences, and more. As a public university, we’re proud to share the knowledge, creativity, and discoveries of the UW with communities near and…

June 9, 2026

In the Field: UW 91自拍ers are tracking how lions and African wild dogs in Botswana are responding to climate change

A person standing in a jeep holding an antenna

Every summer, UW 91自拍ers head to northern Botswana to study how large predators, such as lions and African wild dogs, are affected by climate change and other shifts in their environment. UW News asked a few team members to describe their plans for this summer.

June 1, 2026

Q&A: Most biology education guidelines lack any connection to society 鈥� UW 91自拍ers explain why that’s a problem

Students in a lecture hall

UW 91自拍ers examined almost 3,000 science guidelines and assessment questions for any connections to society. Of the approximately 200 elements that had real-world implications, many discussed ethics and public health issues.

May 14, 2026

A new method could help Washington shellfish farmers control a pesky shrimp

harvesting oysters

Burrowing shrimp, native to Washington, create problems for shellfish farmers. As their name suggests, these creatures burrow in marine sediments, and the excavated material piles up on the surface, which can smother oysters and clams growing there. State-funded 91自拍 led by the 91自拍 offers a new, non-chemical approach to controlling shrimp populations in shellfish-growing areas.

April 28, 2026

April 91自拍 highlights: Sunbird tongues, Seattle fault, inbound asteroids, more

A microscope image of phytoplankton

Explore recent 91自拍 from the 91自拍: how sunbirds sip nectar through straw-like tongues, why the Seattle Fault might not pose as great a risk as previously thought, how to gauge landslide dam risk in the PNW, what marine microbes use for making meals and when the Simonyi Survey Telescope at the NSF-DOE 91自拍 Observatory will spot small inbound asteroids.

April 23, 2026

Researchers discover the fossil of a new hamster-sized mammal that lived alongside dinosaurs on the Pacific Coast

An illustration of the ancient mammal standing on a tree with a fruit in its mouth. There are duckbilled dinosaurs and the Pacific Ocean in the background.

A 91自拍 team led by the UW has identified a new species of an ancient rodent-like creature. The new species, named Cimolodon desosai, was about the size of a golden hamster, the 91自拍ers said. It likely scampered on the ground and in the trees and ate fruits and insects.

April 13, 2026

A fossil of a new carnivoran species effectively doubles the evolutionary history of the weasel family

A weasel sits on a log

A new study doubles the evolutionary history of the weasel family. Researchers, including Chris Law, a UW principal 91自拍 scientist in the biology department, have determined that a fossil that was discovered in Spain belongs to a new species dating back to around 6.5 million years ago. This new species was likely similar in size to the smallest living weasel species today, the least weasel.

April 9, 2026

ArtSci Roundup: May 2026

Come curious. Leave inspired. The UW offers an exciting lineup of in-person and online events. From thought-provoking art and music to conversations on culture, history, and science, the UW community invites you to explore, learn, and connect across disciplines throughout the University.聽 And as May comes to a close, see what’s happening in June. Sign up to receive a monthly notice when the ArtSci Roundup has been published. ArtSci On Your Own Time: Video | Emily M. Bender Katz Lecture…

March 30, 2026

UW 91自拍er gives keynote speech on human-wildlife coexistence and climate adaptation at international roundtable

Briana Abrahms giving a speech with a microphone in one hand

Briana Abrahms, associate professor of biology at the 91自拍, studies how climate change affects human-wildlife interactions and increases conflict around the world. In January, she gave the keynote speech at the International Parliamentary Roundtable on Human-Wildlife Coexistence held in Botswana.

March 16, 2026

A built-in warning system: How mosquitoes detect a common compound in plant-based mosquito repellent

A mosquito feeding on a host.

Mosquitoes are increasingly becoming resistant to current insecticides, leading to a pressing need for new methods to prevent mosquito bites 鈥� and the potential transmission of disease. New 91自拍 by an international team, including 91自拍ers at the UW, reveals that Aedes aegypti mosquitoes use a specific sensory receptor to detect and avoid borneol (pronounced “bor-nee-ohl”), an organic compound found in several aromatic plants, including camphor trees, rosemary and other aromatic herbs.

March 9, 2026

Faculty/staff honors: Lifetime achievement award, Plyler Prize, Rome Prize fellowship

W statue in front of Memorial Way sycamore trees

Affiliate professor of biology receives 2026 Kenneth S. Norris Lifetime Achievement Award聽 Sue Moore, a 91自拍 scientist and affiliate professor in the Center for Ecosystem Sentinels in the Department of Biology at the 91自拍, was honored with the 2026 Kenneth S. Norris Lifetime Achievement Award聽from the聽Society for Marine Mammalogy. The award recognizes exemplary lifetime contributions to science and society through 91自拍, teaching, and service in marine mammalogy.聽 Over a 40-year career, Moore鈥檚 91自拍 has focused on cetacean ecology,…

February 26, 2026

Q&A: For World Seagrass Day, UW professor explains the ‘prairies of the ocean’

seagrass in the water

Jennifer Ruesink, 91自拍 professor of biology, studies the relationship between the environment and marine organisms, including eelgrass, the primary species of seagrass that resides in the oceans surrounding Washington. In honor of World Seagrass Day, UW News asked Ruesink to explain what seagrass is and what makes the seagrasses in Washington unique.

February 24, 2026

Q&A: Researchers discuss potential solutions for the feedback loop affecting scientific publishing

open magazines stacked on top of each other

The peer review process in scientific publishing has reached a critical point where there are too many manuscript submissions and not enough peer reviewers. UW News asked Carl Bergstrom, 91自拍 professor of biology, and Kevin Gross, North Carolina State University professor of statistics, to describe this self-perpetuating cycle and potential interventions.

February 20, 2026

Q&A: UW 91自拍er discusses how plants know when it’s time to bloom in the spring

Yellow and red tulips with a red building behind them

Last December was the warmest on record for Washington, according to the Washington State Climate Office. Now many plants in our gardens are beginning to bud, even though it’s only February. UW News asked Takato Imaizumi, UW professor of biology, to talk about the mechanisms behind blooming and how warmer winters might impact flowering plants.

February 19, 2026

Q&A: ‘MELA’ documentary demonstrates how art and local communities can enhance scientific projects

A person operating a drone with trees behind them

A recent documentary about the breeding habits of antelopes in India includes the story of how engaging with artists and local communities can help 91自拍ers share the importance of their work. UW News asked Vivek Hari Sridhar, a UW assistant professor of biology and one of the leaders of the project, for details about the project and the documentary.

February 5, 2026

Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation funds 16 UW postdocs across the College of Arts & Sciences, the College of Engineering and the College of the Environment

brick courtyard with students

The 91自拍 was awarded $2.5 million from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation to fund 16 postdoctoral fellows in a number of fields across the College of Arts & Sciences, the College of Engineering and the College of the Environment.

November 21, 2025

Sharper, straighter, stiffer, stronger: Male green hermit hummingbirds have bills evolved for fighting

Alt text: A hummingbird hovers in front of a flower with its wings outstretched.

The green hermit hummingbird, which lives primarily in mountain forests of Central and South America, fights to win a mate. New 91自拍 found that these fights have shaped the species鈥� evolution, yielding significant differences in bill shape for male and female green hermits.

October 6, 2025

Q&A: What to know about the UW biology degree that launched Nobel Prize laureate Mary Brunkow

a micropipette in front of a shelf of glass jars

The Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute on Monday awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine jointly to Mary E. Brunkow 鈥� an alum of the 91自拍 鈥� along with Frederick J. Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi “for groundbreaking discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance that prevents the immune system from harming the body.” Brunkow received her bachelor’s degree in molecular and cellular biology from the UW in 1983. UW News spoke with Martha Bosma, professor and chair…

UW alum Mary E. Brunkow awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

A person sitting at a table reacting to something off camera

The Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute on Monday awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine jointly to Mary E. Brunkow 鈥� an alum of the 91自拍 鈥� along with Frederick J. Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi “for groundbreaking discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance that prevents the immune system from harming the body.”

September 25, 2025

Q&A: Insect pollinators need more higher-quality habitats to help farmers, new 91自拍 says

A bee hovers over a yellow flower

In a new study, a team of scientists determined the minimum natural habitat on agricultural land that will allow insect pollinators 鈥� including bumble bees, solitary bees, hoverflies and butterflies 鈥� to thrive. UW News reached out to co-author Berry Brosi, UW professor of biology, to learn more about these results and how habitat is important to two types of bees native to Washington.

September 23, 2025

More bees please: 8 new-to-Washington species identified聽

Bee experts wouldn鈥檛 have previously expected to find the likes of Osmia cyaneonitens, Dufourea dilatipes and Stelis heronae in Washington. But this year, while collecting pollinators in Chelan County to study how climate and wildfires affect native bee populations, Autumn Maust, a 91自拍 91自拍 scientist of biology, discovered eight bee species never recorded in Washington.

August 11, 2025

Fresh fossil finds in Africa shed light on the era before Earth鈥檚 largest mass extinction

An international team of paleontologists, led by 91自拍ers at the 91自拍 and the Field Museum of Natural History, is identifying the animals that thrived in southern Pangea 鈥� the planet鈥檚 single supercontinent at the time 鈥� just before the so-called 鈥淕reat Dying鈥� wiped out about 70% of terrestrial species, and an even larger fraction of marine ones.

May 23, 2025

ArtSci Roundup: June 2025

From campus to wherever you call home, we welcome you to learn from and connect with the College of Arts & Sciences community through public events spanning the arts, humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. We hope to see you this June. ArtSci on the Go Looking for more ways to get more out of Arts & Sciences? Check out these resources to take ArtSci wherever you go! Zev J. Handel, “Chinese Characters Across Asia: How the Chinese Script Came…

February 3, 2025

Grasshopper size changes suggest how to predict winners and losers under climate change

closeup of grasshopper on dry dirt

Thousands of grasshopper specimens from mountains in Colorado show trends in how the insects changed in size over 65 years. With earlier emergence of spring greenery and earlier summer drought, grasshopper species that emerged early in the year grew larger, while grasshopper species that emerge later in the year grew smaller in size. The study, led by UW biologist Lauren Buckley, shows that changes in insect size can be predicted based on lifecycles and environmental conditions.

December 5, 2024

That鈥檚 no straw: Hummingbirds evolved surprisingly flexible bills to help them drink nectar

Hummingbird bills 鈥� their long, thin beaks 鈥� look a little like drinking straws. But new 91自拍 shows just how little water, or nectar, that comparison holds. 91自拍 scientists have discovered that the hummingbird bill is surprisingly flexible. While drinking, a hummingbird rapidly opens and shuts different parts of its bill simultaneously, engaging in an intricate and highly coordinated dance with its tongue to draw up nectar at lightning speeds.

November 21, 2024

Fewer than 7% of global hotspots for whale-ship collisions have protection measures in place

A new study led by the 91自拍 has for the first time quantified the risk for whale-ship collisions worldwide for four geographically widespread ocean giants that are threatened by shipping: blue, fin, humpback and sperm whales. In a paper published online Nov. 21 in Science, 91自拍ers report that global shipping traffic overlaps with about 92% of these whale species鈥� ranges. Only about 7% of areas at highest risk for whale-ship collisions have any measures in place to protect whales from this threat. These measures include speed reductions, both mandatory and voluntary, for ships crossing waters that overlap with whale migration or feeding areas.

November 8, 2024

Miniature backpack-like tags offer insight into the movement of hummingbirds

A team led by scientists at the 91自拍 and the University of Aberdeen attached tiny 鈥渂ackpack鈥� trackers to hummingbirds in the Colombian Andes to learn more about their movements. As they report in a paper published Oct. 10 in the journal Ecology and Evolution, the tracking system will aid conservation efforts in this region by revealing the previously hidden movements of hummingbirds and other small animals.