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Welcome to the Department of Biology


Studying life in all its forms and scales through cutting-edge research and innovative teaching.

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Meet the New Center for Botany

Botanical sciences are more important than ever. Learn about the research and outreach our dedicated researchers are investing in.

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Giving

Your donations can improve the student experience, advance research, and support efforts across the Department of Biology.

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Undergraduate Programs

Explore majors, honors curriculums and certificates.

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Graduate Programs

Considering a Master or PhD? Explore these programs.

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Research

Researchers in the Department of Biology are in the field and in the lab studying flora, fauna, fungi and more.

Featured News

People take measurements in a dry field site.
Drylands like this lichen field in Namibia are vulnerable to degradation that increases sources of sand and dust storms.

Considering land’s potential to improve mitigation of degradation, wind erosion, sand and dust storms

Research

A new approach to mitigate harmful wind erosion, sand and dust storms uses land potential to better match land management practices with the needs of a particular area. The paper was recently published in Land Degradation and Development by UW–Madison assistant professor Kristina Young.

Sand and dust storms affect millions of people around the world, causing immense damage to infrastructure and health. To help address this issue of land degradation, the United Nations’ Convention to Combat Desertification designated 2025-2034 the Decade on Combating Sand and Dust Storms.

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A diptych of two images, on the left a leaf with a red hue, on the right, a container of ground up red dust.

Paint the Plant Red: a natural alternative to synthetic food dyes

REsearch

Professor Hiroshi Maeda worked with CALS scientists to create a sustainable and healthy red dye from soy beans. Read more in the latest edition of Grow Magazine, produced by the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. Photo by Michael King/UW CALS

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Department of Biology FAQs

Department News

Answers to frequently asked questions about the new Department of Biology.

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Making research less daunting: Bio 152 prepared undergraduate for prestigious research fellowship

Students

Zaira Malloy-Salgado spent the summer as an inaugural HHMI Cech Fellow. A few years ago, research was still daunting and intimidating but thanks to Biology 152, she was encouraged to take the leap.

Department Events

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Biology Colloquium

The Biology Colloquium is a series of lectures hosted by the Department of Biology.

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