Plant and Microbial Biology B.S.

The plant and microbial biology (PMB) major trains students in all aspects of biology as they pertain to plants and microorganisms. Students have the flexibility to focus their studies on plants, microorganisms, or the interactions between the two, such as symbiotic interactions or pathogenic interactions.

All PMB majors are guaranteed experience in a research laboratory, as long as they show satisfactory progress toward their degree and make arrangements by the middle of their junior year. Current faculty research interests include genomics, gene expression, chromosome structure, plant growth substances, signal transduction, plant responses to stress, metabolic activities during development, molecular evolution and systematics, fungal and plant interactions, bacterial physiology, microbial biotechnological applications, nitrogen fixation by bacteria in symbiosis with plants, microorganisms for biodegradation and bioremediation, molecular methods to detect and assess environmental bacteria, and microbial metagenomics.