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Department of Plant Biology

Unlocking the Secrets of Plant & Fungal Biology

Learn about our research

Welcome

Welcome to the Department of Plant Biology at the University of Georgia! 

We provide an open, inclusive and supportive intellectual environment for students, postdocs, staff and faculty to identify and address cross-cutting fundamental challenges in plant and fungal biology. We pride ourselves in the breadth and depth of training opportunities in both research and teaching. 

Our faculty includes internationally recognized researchers advancing knowledge of biological processes acting at all scales, from biochemical and molecular to our global ecosystem. Many of our faculty have interdisciplinary research programs that span multiple traditionally-defined research domains. In addition to plant and fungal biology, our program includes experts in insect evolutionary biology, computational biology, and discipline-based science education, providing our students with a unique breadth of opportunities in their professional training and research. 

The Plant Biology major is designed to give students a broad understanding of plant and/or fungal biology relevant to current environmental and societal challenges - and thus relevant to jobs. It includes several core classes similar to a biology major (e.g. genetics, evolution), but provides the flexibility to build an interdisciplinary program of study from a broader range of courses. Students can pursue an emphasis in either Plant Ecology & Environment, Plant Biotechnology & Bioinformatics, or Plants & Microbes.

 

Featured Content

Latest News

Kelly Dawe, Distinguished Research Professor in Plant Biology and Genetics, is studying how DNA breaks and gets repaired in corn. 
Jim Leebens-Mack, Professor in Plant Biology, together with Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar Arthur Edison and the students in their bioinformatics class, sequenced the genomes of the famous hedges in Sanford stadium.
We are excited to have our Undergrad Fall Social, hosted by the Plant Biology Department, this coming Tuesday October 29th at 5:30pm.

Support us

We appreciate your financial support. Your gift is important to us and helps support critical opportunities for students and faculty alike, including lectures, travel support, and any number of educational events that augment the classroom experience. Click here to learn more about giving.

Give Now

Every dollar given has a direct impact upon our students and faculty.

Group of undergraduate students gathered at a greenhouse.

Our Undergraduate Program

The Department of Plant Biology's undergraduate program provides students with training in cutting-edge Science and maintains a tight-knit community for students to study plants and/or fungi within an overarching evolutionary framework. Students majoring in Plant Biology may select from three areas of emphasis: Plant Ecology & Environment, Plant Biotechnology & Bioinformatics, or Plants & Microbes. Plant Biology students take introductory biology classes (e.g. Evolution and Ecology, Genetics) then select an area of emphasis to put together an interdisciplinary program of study with a wider range of electives than a standard Biology degree. 

Learn more about Undergraduate Program

Our Graduate Program

In our graduate program, we pride ourselves in the breadth and depth of training opportunities in both research and teaching that we provide our graduate students in the Plant Biology program. Our faculty includes nationally and internationally recognized experts in all levels of biology, from biochemistry to global change. Faculty listed by broad research areas can be found here (http://www.plantbio.uga.edu/research), but keep in mind that many of our faculty have interdisciplinary research programs that span traditional areas. Please check out our department's brochure and contact faculty of interest.

Learn more about Graduate Program

Students and faculty potting up plants for selling.