Biological Sciences

Welcome to the Department of Biological Sciences

Welcome to Biology at ETSU! Our department has broad expertise across disciplines in Molecular & Cellular Biology and Ecology, Evolution & Behavior. We come from all over the world and conduct research in diverse study systems, from cells to ecosystems, proteins to communities, bacteria to mammals. We use cutting edge techniques such as advanced imaging, genome editing, and computational approaches alongside field and laboratory experiments. This provides many training opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students in research, teaching, and professional development. 

The Department of Biological Sciences is part of ETSU's School of Science, Engineering, and Math. 

 Dhirendra Kumar

Professor and Chair of Biological Sciences

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:FOR INFORMATION ON THE DOWNTOWN CENTER SHUTTLE AND PARKING, PLEASE SEE THE FOLLOWING LINK:  DTC SHUTTLE           ALL BIOLOGY COURSES WILL BE TAUGHT OUTSIDE OF BROWN HALL BEGINNING SPRING SEMESTER 2025. PLEASE SEE BELOW FOR A LIST OF COURSE LOCATIONS.                                                    

• Biology 1 and Biology 2 for Majors Labs (Biol 1111 and Biol 1121) will be in Stanton Gerber, VA campus 178, in rooms A001/A002/A003
  
• Biology 1 and Biology 2 for Majors Lectures (Biol 1110 and 1120) will be in Gilbreath in the Bud Frank Theater, Room 118
  
• Biology 1: Biology of Your World and Biology 2: Biology of You (Non-Majors  Lectures and Labs, Biol 1010, 1020, 1011, 1021) will be in Lamb Hall. BIOL 1010 lecture will be in room 131, BIOL 1020 lecture will be in room 337. Labs are in room 406
  
• All other Biology classes will be at the Downtown Center building, located at 125 E Market St, with parking garage access on Buffalo Street. Parking gargage requires an ETSU parking permit.

• PERMITS AND COMMON STUDENT QUESTIONS

  Permits:

  If you have any questions regarding permits or the process of filing a permit, please refer to this permit guide.

  SACA Approval Checklist:

  For anyone needing SACA Approval from out department chair, please refer to this SACA Approval Checklist.

• STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

  Recognition of Excellence

  This year’s 1911 Society honorees includes one of our own: Aashi Vora: Bachelor of Science in Biology. Congratulations Aashi!

  Congratulations to students Trent Lewis and Zoe McCready, who represented ETSU at the iGEM Giant Jamboree in Paris last week. This competitive event brings together teams from around the world to celebrate innovation in synthetic biology. The ETSU team is tackling micronutrient deficiencies – also known as hidden hunger – that affect over two billion people globally. Unlike starvation, hidden hunger stems not from lack of food but from diets lacking essential vitamins and micronutrients. Their project, which involves engineering soybean seeds to produce beta-carotene without creating genetically modified organisms, builds on groundbreaking work by Dr. Tianhu Sun of our Department of Biological Sciences. 

  Congratulations to Sidney Booher, student to Dr. Lee, for tieing for second place in the poster competition at the SOCON undergraduate research forum! To learn more about her achievement, read about it in this SOCON article.

   

• FACULTY SPOTLIGHT

   Recognition of Excellence

  Dr. Sun has once again been recognized for his ground breaking work in vitamin research and his achievment of winning the National Food and Agriculture Award.  Click here to read more about his accomplishment.  

  Several ETSU faculty and staff have received great news regarding the receipt of federal funding since the start of the academic year. One of those faculty members is Dr. Anoop Arunagiri in the Department of Biological Sciences. In a highly competitive federal funding environment, the recent awards reflect the innovative and impactful work being conducted by our outstanding faculty. Congratulations Dr. Arunagiri!

  Another Congratulations is in order for our trailblazing scientist, Dr. Aruna Kilaru, who has earned another international recognition as a newly named Fellow of the American Society of Plant Biologists. Click here to read more.

  Congratulations are in order to Dr. Aruna Kilaru a distinguished Professor in the Department of Biological Science as she was given a Lifetime Achievement Award at International Conference on Current Innovations & Technological Advances in Agriculture & Allied Sciences(CITAS-2024).

  And, Congratulations to Dr. Thomas Jones for being selected to serve as Interim School Director for our school: The School of Science, Engineering and Math in the College of Arts and Sciences.

  More news from us:

  Scores of people don’t get enough vitamins.  An East Tennessee State University scientist is working to remedy that. The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research has awarded Dr. Tianhu Sun, an assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, $450,000 over the next three years to support a potentially groundbreaking study focusing on increasing the vitamin content in seeds.

  Read More

   

   

   

  ETSU joins global conversation on bee decline with innovative research

• ARTICLES

   Erwin Pollinator:

  It is not just about the trout at Erwin National fish Hatchery. The facility is also being utilized as an outdoor pollinator garden research work for Scientists and Students at East Tennessee State University.