Nov 28, 2022
A Grinnell graduate and biochemist solves the structure of elusive proteins while re-imagining the culture of scientific research.
Biology News
Nov 3, 2022
The meeting gathered researchers from institutions across Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin for two days of lectures, research presentations, and fellowship.
Oct 28, 2022
Weeks after they concluded their summer science MAPs, we met up with five students to ask them about their research, the process of scientific inquiry, and what the MAP experience has taught them.
Jul 1, 2022
In this Authors and Artists podcast episode, Charvann Bailey discusses her route to a doctorate in biology, the struggles of post-docking and bench science, and her decision to teach at a liberal arts college as well as her work trying to find new therapies to treat lung cancer.
Sep 27, 2022
On the thirtieth anniversary of the Grinnell Science Project, the Student Assistants of GSP reflect on community, confidence, and becoming ambassadors to their peers.
Sep 26, 2022
Interdisciplinary learning has guided Anthony Wenndt ’15 toward becoming a change-maker in the global agricultural ecosystem. He wants to ensure that research is equitable and fully responsive to the needs of the most marginalized communities.
Sep 26, 2022
After 29 years teaching in the Grinnell biology department, Professor Leslie Gregg-Jolly is preparing to enter senior faculty status. She’s worn many hats in her time at Grinnell, not only teaching and mentoring but serving as the College’s chief diversity officer, associate dean of the College, and as chair of the Departments of Biology and Biological Chemistry.
Sep 26, 2022
Lorena Ulloa ’15 entered Grinnell highly interested in medicine and declared her majors in Biology and Spanish by the end of her first year. Today, she finds satisfaction in the intellectual variety and challenge that her work as a nurse affords her.
Sep 6, 2022
Clark Lindgren, Keisuke Hasegawa, Pascal Lafontant, Vida Praitis, Josh Sandquist, and Mark Levandoski were awarded the NSF Major Research Instrumentation grant to purchase a laser scanning confocal microscope, a breakthrough in the research capabilities of faculty and students throughout the sciences at Grinnell.
Aug 25, 2022
The Grinnell College Department of Biology is seeking to hire a colleague whose research and expertise fall under the umbrella of evolutionary biology. You can see the full position description and application details here.
Biology Stories
Our social environment affects how we study other organisms. We often use the animal world as justification or examples for how humans should be, which is dangerous.
What is One Health? It’s “recognizing the interconnected relationships between human, animal, and environmental health and working together across those disciplines and sectors," says Griffith.
Conservation work needs individuals who can foster a mindset of interconnectedness.
You never know where your life is going to take you. So be open to possibilities that might open up.
I really appreciate that I went to school in a time when I learned to relate to the patient, professionally, socially, and personally.
The experience of learning how to think scientifically can help develop a person's critical thinking skills. Scientific inquiry helps people differentiate between things that are real and things that are not real.
My work allows me to better see the connection between the research realm and the more human part of the world. In my current position, I am able to work towards making science more relevant for policy and decision making, and I find those goals to be a lot more tangible.
If you have taken a class with Professor Lafontant, you may have picked up on a sense of what he calls wonderment. Wonderment is a word that reflects his belief that the whole world of science is fascinating.
It’s a physician’s role to look beyond the analytics and think ‘What does this feel like to the patient and family? What does a longer wait time mean for future care?’
The best work that we can do for the environment, for nature and wildlife, and for each other, is get involved with the local communities because that is where the impact of our work can be seen.
Where the sciences are headed with research is exactly what’s embedded into classes at Grinnell. It starts from the very beginning with Intro to Biology, and continues as two or three authentic research projects for every class after that.
Vince Eckhart, Waldo S. Walker Professor of Biology