Biological & Life Sciences
Department of
Faculty & Staff
Cancer Biology & Oncology
Investigators: Tallapaka, Njoo (CHEM), Renganathan (CHEM)
Cancer is a disease that affects people from all populations and from many different backgrounds. The current pipeline of cancer research at ASDRP seeks to:
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develop new therapeutic options for leukemia, colorectal cancer, and breast cancer
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identify mechanisms of activation, proliferation, metastasis, and immortalization of cancer cells
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engineer new antibody therapeutics to selectively target cancer tissues


Research Areas
Research in the Biology department spans a variety of disciplines in the life sciences as we seek to discover more about the living world around us. Researchers in the Biosciences are currently working on a range of research campaigns from developing therapies for neurodegenerative disease to identifying factors for optimizing crop yields in urban agriculture, and from isolating and sequencing environmental DNA from soil samples to probing mechanisms of cell signaling in cancer cell proliferation.
Microbiology
Investigators: Kaur, Mikhail
Studying the universe's smallest organisms can provide clues about the roles that microbes play in local ecology as well as in human disease. Our microbiologists are working on:
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developing antifungal compounds to combat mycotoxin-producing fungi and foodborne illness
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using environmental DNA (eDNA) sequencing techniques to determine species dispersion
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identifying molecular mechanisms of microbe-host communications
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developing next-generation antibiotics to treat bacterial and parasite infections


Environmental Science & Ecology
Investigators: Suresh, Kruger, Kaur, Shurtz
Environmental and ecological research at ASDRP seeks to bring to light the complexity of the planet we live in. Our researchers in environmental science are working on:
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determining impacts of human activity on local ecology and on climate change
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combating destructive forest fires through mitigation strategies
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using environmental DNA (eDNA) to search for species dispersion
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identifying gene flow in wildlife populations and gauge susceptibility to climate change
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optimizing crop yields in urban agriculture to feed underprivileged communities in collaboration with local community gardens


Molecular Neuroscience
Investigators: Truong
Developing new knowledge on how molecular mechanisms affect organism behavior is critical to identifying ways of treating numerous human diseases.
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using genetically engineered model organisms to investigate the progression and prevention of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease
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investigating drug dependence and treatments for Schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders
