Mercyhurst University Biology Department

03/26/2026

Nice result for our Genetics students!

102 Mercyhurst students named authors on national genomic research study Friday, March 20, 2026 102 Mercyhurst students have earned authorship credit on a published scientific paper in the journal “Molecular Biology and Evolution” as part of a long-runn...

11/28/2020

Introduction to Tropical Biology Alumni, Project Buena Vista, the non-profit that cares for the property we visited on our trip, is participating in Giving Tuesday this year. Due to the pandemic, tourism in all of Peru has been essentially shut down since the spring. Hence we are now fully supporting our caretaker, Felipe, along with a helper. In addition, we are helping out Maria our main logistics contact in Peru. You may remember that she is the one that organized all of our travel in the mountains. If you are able, please consider making a small contribution next Tuesday so we can continue to take care of the property in anticipation of the resumption of activities in the coming year. Thanks!

https://www.projectbuenavista.org/donate

05/16/2020

Great Nature article for a layman's audience laying out the basic biology of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Take a look and understand what we are fighting against.

Scientists are piecing together how SARS-CoV-2 operates, where it came from and what it might do next — but pressing questions remain about the source of COVID-19.

05/12/2020

Mimics might one day synthesize drug molecules, turbocharge natural photosynthesis

05/07/2020

Scientists hope to turn gut microbes or their products into new antidepressants or drugs for other brain disorders

05/06/2020

Interesting research on the endoplasmic reticulum! There's still lots to learn about organelles!

Scientists representing an international consortium of labs—including postdoctoral associate Despoina Aslanoglou, PhD, Kenneth Fish, PhD, and the study’s senior author, Zach Freyberg, MD, PhD, from Pitt Psychiatry—has published a new study in Science Advances, reporting new insights into the o...

05/06/2020

Spring is a great time to find wildflowers. Try to find some, safely, in the woods near you.

This is a photo of a blue cohosh flower. As spring progresses to summer, the blue cohosh plant will become almost unrecognizable compared to its early spring appearance. Blue cohosh require rich soils to grow, so it is a sign of a good growing site. Thanks to Liz Casky for sharing this photo in response to the Virtual Wildflower Walk! https://arcg.is/Dvb5v

05/04/2020

Finish out the semester strong! ☘️

04/28/2020

We probably have some animal lovers who follow this page and could use this 😁

04/23/2020

Great story written by 2013 Biology alumnus Rhona Boyle on her experience as a COVID-19 physician working in Scotland. Keep up the great work, Rhona!

Rhona Boyle is a 2013 alumna and is currently a junior doctor in Scotland. Here she describes a typical day as a coronavirus doctor amid a pandemic.   I knew the first year of practicing medicine would be challenging. But I never once considered that within 6 months of becoming a doctor, I would be...