Animal Genetics

The Department of Genetics and Biochemistry has active research programs in both human and animal genetics. Research areas include veterinary, developmental, diagnostic, epidemiological, and clinical human medical genetics. A number of faculty operate at the Greenwood Genetic Center where some of our graduate students perfrom research.

• Weiguo Cao – DNA Damage and Repair

• Leigh Anne Clark – Canine Genetics

• Anand Srivastava – Inherited Abnormalities

• Alison Starr – Canine Genetics

• Liangjiang Wang – Genomics and Bioinformatics

Cell and Developmental Biology

Research areas in cell and developmental biology include signal transduction and cellular communication, cellular trafficing, and membrane stucture and transport.

• Julia Frugoli – Plant Genetics and Cell Signaling

• Hong Luo – Transgenic Plant Genetics

• James Morris – Microbial Cell Biology

• Meredith Morris – Microbial Cell Biology

• Kimberly Paul – Microbial Biochemistry

• Michael Sehorn – DNA Repair and Recombination

Genomics, Bioinformatics, and Population Genetics

The department has active programs in bioinformatics, phylogenetics, biological networks, and population genomics. Some of the researchers in the department have constructed bioinformatics software and web utilities for public use.

• Leigh Anne Clark – Canine Genetics 

• Alex Feltus – Bioinformatics and Network Biology 

• Amy Lawton-Rauh – Population Genomics 

• Haiying Liang – Woody Plant Genetics 

• Rajandeep Sekhon – Plant Molecular Genetics and Genomics

• Alison Starr – Canine Genetics 

• Liangjiang Wang – Genomics and Bioinformatics 

Microbial Pathogenesis

Research on microbial pathogens includes eukaryotic pathogens such as Enteamoeba histolytica and Trypanosoma brucei.

• Cheryl Ingram-Smith – Microbial Biochemistry 

• Lukasz Kozubowski – Microbial Biochemistry and Cell Biology 

• James Morris – Microbial Biochemistry and Cell Biology 

• Meredith Morris – Microbial Biochemistry and Cell Biology 

• Kimberly Paul – Microbial Biochemistry 

• Kerry Smith – Microbial Pathogenesis and Biochemistry 

Plant Genetics and Biochemistry

Research on plant genetics and biochemistry includes transgeneic plants, large woody plants, plant genomics, population genetics, cell biology, and evolutionary genetics.

• Alex Feltus – Bioinformatics and Network Biology 

• Julia Frugoli – Plant Genetics and Cell Signaling 

• Amy Lawton-Rauh – Population Genomics 

• Haiying Liang – Woody Plant Genetics 

• Hong Luo – Transgenic Plant Genetics

• Rajandeep Sekhon – Plant Molecular Genetics and Genomics

• William Marcotte – Plant Genetics and Biochemistry 

Protein Stucture and Function

Research programs in the area of protein structure and function include enzymology, cellular structural proteins, metabolic biochemistry, nucleic acid damage and repair, and physiological function of enzymes and proteins.

• Weiguo Cao – DNA Damage and Repair 

• Cheryl Ingram-Smith – Microbial Biochemistry 

• William Marcotte – Plant Genetics and Biochemistry 

• Michael Sehorn – DNA Repair and Recombination 

• Kerry Smith – Microbial Pathogenesis and Biochemistry