Why Iowa?

Our students aren’t passive learners. At Iowa, you’ll go inside the lab and contribute to world-renowned research working alongside faculty experts to explore the diverse realms of the biological sciences.

Undergraduate programs

iBio Graduate Program

Faculty

Why study here?

Whether you aspire to be a research scientist, professor, physician, forensic scientist, biotechnologist, public health professional, natural resource expert, science communicator, or so much more — Iowa’s Department of Biology will prepare you to take your next step through courses, experiential learning, and engagement in research.

Research

Bin Z. He portrait

Stresses strengthen disease-causing yeast

Biologists at the University of Iowa have found that C. glabrata, after being exposed to a mild stress, becomes more resistant to hydrogen peroxide, a chemical weapon employed by the human immune system to eliminate infecting microbes. The biologists further learned that this exposure-to-resistance escalation in C. glabrata does not appear in its close relative, the benign Saccharomyces cerevisiae, also known as brewer’s or baker’s yeast.

Portrait of John Manak

Biologists show how brain’s immune system response worsens epilepsy

In a new study, the researchers lay out a chain of events that can cause seizures—the most common manifestation of epilepsy—to worsen. The sequence begins when oxidative stress in the body causes the brain’s immune system to react. That activation by the brain’s resident immune cells (called glia) triggers more severe seizures.

Brian Berger working in a lab

Iowa antibody bank stands ready to fight the next pandemic

On the corner of Dubuque Street and Iowa Avenue, just a block east from the Old Capitol, thousands of possible clues toward deciphering human diseases are stored in liquid nitrogen. Floating in glass tubes, the hybridomas—cell lines used to create antibodies, the foundational pieces of human and animal immunity—hold clues to how our brains work and our muscles develop. They point the way to treatments for emerging viruses that have yet to be named. They could even help combat a future pandemic.

News and announcements

Congratulations Spring 2025 Graduates!

Friday, May 30, 2025
Congratulations to the graduate students in the Department of Biology who graduated in Spring 2025!

Biology Instructor Receives Institutional Faculty/Staff of the Month Award

Sunday, May 25, 2025
Kristine Williams, an Assistant in Instruction in the Department of Biology, was the recipient of an Institutional Faculty/Staff of the Month award for April 2025.

Department of Biology Announces Award Recipients for 2024-2025

Sunday, May 18, 2025
The Department of Biology held their Awards Ceremony on Friday, May 9, 2025. Congratulations to all of these faculty, staff, graduate and undergraduate students for their accomplishments!
biology students on site

$6M

Faculty in the Department of Biology received more than $6 million in grant funding in 2023.

students walking down hallway in Biology building

55 %

of undergraduate students participated in research outside of regular course assignments.

(2017 data)

student at a microscope

1,040

More than 1,000 students are enrolled as biology undergraduate majors at Iowa.

Events

Art & Write Night promotional image

Art & Write Night

Friday, June 6, 2025 6:00pm to 8:00pm
University of Iowa Museum of Natural History
NOTE: The April 4th occurrence in this series will move to the Old Capitol Museum for a very special Art & Write Night!Join the long, rich, historical tradition of artists creating in our spaces.Professional, aspiring, and amateur artists alike, make our museum your muse. The return of this popular program series welcomes guests into the Museum of Natural History's magical gallery spaces after-hours to work on sketching or writing projects with other campus and community artists.Tell a friend...
Genetics/Biology Special Seminar: Debashish Bhattacharya, Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers University promotional image

Genetics/Biology Special Seminar: Debashish Bhattacharya, Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers University

Thursday, June 12, 2025 2:30pm
Psychological and Brain Sciences Building
The Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Genetics will be celebrating their 50th Anniversary and Annual Student Retreat with a special seminar co-sponsored by the Department of Biology featuring Debashish Bhattacharya, PhD, as the speaker. Dr. Bhattacharya is currently a Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry and Microbiology at Rutgers University and was a former professor in the Department of Biological Sciences (now Department of Biology) and Genetics Graduate Program Director at the...
Topics in Human Genetics promotional image

Topics in Human Genetics

Monday, June 16, 2025 12:00pm to 1:00pm
Pappajohn Biomedical Discovery Building
The course is open to individuals wishing to learn more about current topics in Human Genetics who meet the following criteria; individuals must have completed a course in genetics and are currently in a genetics lab, or have past genetics research experience. Genetics educators are also welcome to attend the course.The objective of the course is to provide persons familiar with genetics a broad overview of gene identification, molecular genetics, complex disease, next generation sequencing...
Topics in Human Genetics promotional image

Topics in Human Genetics

Monday, June 23, 2025 12:00pm to 1:00pm
Pappajohn Biomedical Discovery Building
The course is open to individuals wishing to learn more about current topics in Human Genetics who meet the following criteria; individuals must have completed a course in genetics and are currently in a genetics lab, or have past genetics research experience. Genetics educators are also welcome to attend the course.The objective of the course is to provide persons familiar with genetics a broad overview of gene identification, molecular genetics, complex disease, next generation sequencing...
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Seminars

Genetics/Biology Special Seminar: Debashish Bhattacharya, Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers University promotional image

Genetics/Biology Special Seminar: Debashish Bhattacharya, Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers University

Thursday, June 12, 2025 2:30pm
Psychological and Brain Sciences Building
The Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Genetics will be celebrating their 50th Anniversary and Annual Student Retreat with a special seminar co-sponsored by the Department of Biology featuring Debashish Bhattacharya, PhD, as the speaker. Dr. Bhattacharya is currently a Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry and Microbiology at Rutgers University and was a former professor in the Department of Biological Sciences (now Department of Biology) and Genetics Graduate Program Director at the...
Topics in Human Genetics promotional image

Topics in Human Genetics

Monday, June 16, 2025 12:00pm to 1:00pm
Pappajohn Biomedical Discovery Building
The course is open to individuals wishing to learn more about current topics in Human Genetics who meet the following criteria; individuals must have completed a course in genetics and are currently in a genetics lab, or have past genetics research experience. Genetics educators are also welcome to attend the course.The objective of the course is to provide persons familiar with genetics a broad overview of gene identification, molecular genetics, complex disease, next generation sequencing...
Topics in Human Genetics promotional image

Topics in Human Genetics

Monday, June 23, 2025 12:00pm to 1:00pm
Pappajohn Biomedical Discovery Building
The course is open to individuals wishing to learn more about current topics in Human Genetics who meet the following criteria; individuals must have completed a course in genetics and are currently in a genetics lab, or have past genetics research experience. Genetics educators are also welcome to attend the course.The objective of the course is to provide persons familiar with genetics a broad overview of gene identification, molecular genetics, complex disease, next generation sequencing...