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Biology Department News

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BIO Honored Graduate: David Kobe Serving Others At Home and Abroad

April 17, 2024
From freshwater fish to malaria, BYU's biology program has helped David Kobe develop a passion for biology, giving him the boost he needed to confidently apply to medical school.
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Assisting Marine Conservation Efforts in Tropical Pacific Islands: Tavailau Segi

April 11, 2024
Tavailau Segi wanted to return home to Samoa to do sediment runoff research, but the pandemic changed his plans for the better.
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Looking One Step Behind

February 16, 2024
Dr. Britlyn Orgill has connected more than 150 of BYU's premedical students with internships at premier R1 research institutions across the country, work she's added on top of her comedy and anesthesiology careers.
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From Classroom to Culture: Zach Eliason’s Berlin Internship

January 08, 2024
Working with an international team at Zayt Bioscience in Berlin, Germany, Zach Eliason (BIO ’23) used yeast microbes to produce palm oil alternatives.
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Evolution Education: The Power of a Role Model

December 31, 2023
Religion and evolution can be touchy subjects and we are often having to be careful about the assertions we make about the two. People may struggle to reconcile the two and this is the problem Kenny Harrington (Bio ‘24) tackled in his CURA research. Harrington took first place at the Fall 2023 College Undergraduate Research Awards (CURAs). His research explored how students increase their acceptance of the theory of evolution based on their scientific reasoning skills.
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"God is Involved": Faith and Science Seminar 2023

October 30, 2023
The auditorium seats were filled with students eager to hear the words of Dr. Ryan Cordner, microbiology and molecular biology associate professor, and Dr. Tim Jenkins, cell biology and physiology associate professor. Recipients of the College of Life Sciences Spiritually Strengthening Award, both professors spoke on how their faith guided their career and life paths.
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Knowing and Seeing: Hands-On Medical in Ghana

October 27, 2023
Partnering with the nonprofit Nurturing Nations, Maia Bingham (BIO ’24) had the opportunity to join biology professor Mark Belk’s travel group to Ghana to treat children for malaria and parasites in medical clinics and schools.
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Dr. Rachel Wood: Exploring Wetland Wonders

October 04, 2023
Meet Dr. Rachel Wood, a new assistant professor of biology researching aquatic ecosystems.
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Dr. John Sproul: Unearth the Unknown

October 02, 2023
Meet John Sproul, a new assistant professor of biology studying genes and phylogenetics.
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Making Mentorship A Living Reality

September 14, 2023
Biology PhD candidate Justina (Tina) Tavana was recently named a Human Genetics Scholar by the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG). The ASHG is comprised of 8,000 members with an interest in human genetics. Tavana was inducted as a member due to her contributions to health research in understudied populations.
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Immense Proteogenomic Dataset Provides New Resource For Pan-Cancer Analysis

August 14, 2023
A proteogenomic dataset that was organized with the leadership of BYU's Dr. Sam Payne provides a new and accessible research for pan-cancer analysis. The dataset was published in Cancer Cell and will be an invaluable resource for cancer research and treatment.
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50 Years of Teaching Evolution at BYU

July 26, 2023
Teaching evolution at BYU has an origin story decades in the making. Today, it acts as a testament to BYU’s commitment to search for and teach truth by integrating faith and science.
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The Contagion of Fear

July 26, 2023
The global prevalence of anxiety has increased in recent years, especially in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fish may help us understand human anxiety, social connection, and how to move forward.
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Learning From the Land on Lytle Ranch

July 28, 2022
Dallin Leota, the new owner of the Lytle Preserve, opens the land to BYU students, visitors, and Paiute tribe leaders to provide hands-on experiences with history, preservation, and land restoration.
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Life Under Ice: Profiles and Pictures

July 22, 2022
Alder Dillman
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Huddled Up for Healing: Working with the Football Team to Address a Degenerative Brain Disease

July 21, 2022
In 2002, the death of legendary NFL center Mike Webster introduced the world to the degenerative brain disease known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). The disease is marked by depression, rage, substance abuse, cognitive dysfunction, and dementia, and diagnoses are rising rapidly among retired football players.
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Liking a New Species of Lichen

May 05, 2022
Life Sciences students discover a new lichen species in Glen Canyon. As DNA sequencing didn’t match the green lichen, Jacob Henrie ('22) and biology professor Steve Leavitt concluded that this scaly symbiotic fungus was, in fact, a brand-new species of lichen.
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