Sam Wasser and The Center for Conservation Biology featured in news articles around the world for their work to save elephants from dangerous ivory poachers
Research led by Prof. Sam Wasser has yielded a powerful new tool for law enforcement officials tracking poached ivory. By finding genetic markers unique to different elephant populations across Africa, Wasser is able to use DNA from poached ivory to identify the region and even the population from which the ivory came. This information allows law enforcement officials to concentrate their efforts in areas where elephants are in the greatest danger of being poached. Read more: African carnage: One year's seized ivory likely came from 23,000 elephants.

Sanjay Sane, Alexandre Dieudonne, and Tom Daniel published in the Feb. 9th issue of Science for their work on hawk moth navigation. The photo is by Armin Hinterwirth
How hawk moths manage to be so adept at flying has long perplexed scientists. These moths do not possess sensory organs called halteres known to aid other insects in flight, and they typically fly in low-light conditions making flight based on visual cues difficult. Sane, Dieudonne, Daniel, and a fourth colleague discovered the answer to this mystery in the moth's antennae. Learn more about their exciting findings: Microsurgery and Super Glue show how antennae aid moth navigation.

Regina Redman and Rusty Rodriguez published in the Jan. 26th issue of Science for their work on a three-way symbiosis between a virus, fungus, and plant
Previously Redman and Rodriguez discovered a tropical panic grass growing in geothermal soils in Yellowstone National Park tolerates high soil temperatures only when colonized by a particular fungus. Neither the fungus nor the plant can survive the extreme soil temperatures without the other. Now, along with two colleagues, they've discovered that the fungus must be infected by a virus in order for heat tolerance to be conferred. The exact mechanism is, as of yet, unknown, but without the virus neither the plant nor the fungus would survive long in the heated conditions of their native habitat. Yet another example of the complex relationships among different organisms! A Virus in a Fungus in a Plant: Three-Way Symbiosis Required for Thermal Tolerance.

Prof. Christian Sidor returns from collection trip in Niger with new fossils from the pre-triassic era
Sidor and his team set out to north central Niger to "investigate the relationship between climate and the distribution of animal and plant life in the distant past," according to a Burke Museum news release. The fossils are important to understanding the influence of climate on evolution and also for testing climate models of the area during the Permian period, Sidor said in the UW Daily Article: Fossils Arrive at the Burke.

Genes called 'Speechless" and 'Mute' discovered by biology Prof. Keiko Torii and research team
Prof. Keiko Torri published two papers, one in Nature and one accepted in Developmental Biology on Dec. 20th.. More...

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Rescue the once beautiful K-wing courtyard and make it a vibrant and welcoming community and learning space for Biology Students! Read about this proposal created by the Biology Honors Society and learn about other ways you can help to support the department. More...

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