Welcome to the Department of Biology
Studying life in all its forms and scales through cutting-edge research and innovative teaching.
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.
Giving
Your donations can improve the student experience, advance research, and support efforts across the Department of Biology.
Undergraduate Programs
Explore majors, honors curriculums and certificates.
Graduate Programs
Considering a Master or PhD? Explore these programs.
Research
Researchers in the Department of Biology are in the field and in the lab studying flora, fauna, fungi and more.
Featured News
Molecular “bypasses” improve grass plants’s synthesis of lignin and starch, laying the early groundwork for evolutionary success
Research
One hundred million years ago, long before human intervention, ancestors of grasses, like wheat, rice and maize generated “bypasses” of chemical pathways that are used to create two critical compounds: lignin and starch. These more efficient pathways could explain why grass plants are so successful in nature and agriculture, according to a new paper recently published in Science.
Like a beltway that creates a more flexible traffic flow in a city, these metabolic bypasses led to efficient and robust synthesis of both lignin and starch, chemical compounds that are critical for plants
Faculty Q&A: Kristina Young researches how human land use reshapes ecosystems
Faculty
As an ecologist, Young studies sustainable land management and methods to halt and reverse land degradation, especially in deserts.
Department of Biology FAQs
Department News
Answers to frequently asked questions about the new Department of Biology.
Research differentiates new species of endangered baobab tree in Madagascar
Research
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison recognize a new species of baobab tree, Adansonia bozy, unique to Madagascar, according to a study published in the journal Taxon.
Department Events
October
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Biology Colloquium
The Biology Colloquium is a series of lectures hosted by the Department of Biology.
To subscribe to the Biology Colloquium mailing list…
News
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UW researchers train future scientists and educate communities about wisconsin’s peatlands
Peatlands are powerhouses when it comes to improving water quality, minimizing flood risks, providing habitat and storing carbon. Yet, most people are unaware of these important ecological places. Researchers and students from…
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Molecular “bypasses” improve grass plants’s synthesis of lignin and starch, laying the early groundwork for evolutionary success
Words: Elise Mahon | Photos: Sarah Friedrich One hundred million years ago, long before human intervention, ancestors of grasses, like wheat, rice and maize generated “bypasses” of chemical pathways that are used…
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Research differentiates new species of endangered baobab tree in Madagascar
By Elise Mahon Researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison recognize a new species of baobab tree, Adansonia bozy, unique to Madagascar, according to a study published in the journal Taxon. Previously, members…
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Faculty Q&A: Kristina Young
Kristina Young joined the UW–Madison faculty in January 2026 as an assistant professor of climate change ecology. As an ecologist, she studies how human land use reshapes ecosystems, with an eye toward…
Media Mentions
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Agave Death Bloom featured as State Journal Photo of the day
UW-Madison’s Botany Garden and Greenhouse’s Agave victoriae-reginae plant bloomed in early June, catching the attention of the public and the Wisconsin State Journal. The plant, which is about 30 years old, blooms…
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Professor Damschen talks biodiversity on WPR
Professor Ellen Damschen joins WPR’s The Larry Meiller Show to discuss why biodiversity matters in Wisconsin, and what scientists are doing to conserve plant and animal life. Listen to the episode.
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Professor Simon Gilroy on Startalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson
Are plants more aware than we think? Do they have feelings? Neil deGrasse Tyson, Gary O’Reilly, and Harrison Greenbaum explore the intelligence of plants with astrobotanist Simon Gilroy. From venus flytraps to…
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What’s wrong with ‘The Most Studied Lake in the World’?
The algae bloom-covered shorelines of Lake Mendota indicate serious lake health issues. How do we right the ship? It starts with science. View full article here.