Research Areas

The Field of Plant Biology encompasses a broad range of research interests, including:

• Plant Systematics, Evolution and Paleobotany
• Plant Development, Structures and Reproduction
• Chloroplast and Mitochondrial Biology
• Plant Interactions with the Abiotic and Biotic Environment
• Genomics of Plant Diversity

Concentrations

Historically, the Field of Plant Biology has been divided into nine "concentrations":

• Paleobotany
• Systematic Botany
• Plant Morphology, Anatomy & Biomechanics
• Cytology
• Plant Biochemistry
• Plant Cell Biology
• Plant Ecology
• Plant Physiology
• Plant Molecular Biology

These terms are still used to help define the composition of PhD thesis committees. They are required on the graduate application to the Field, on the "Special Committee Selection and Change Form" and on the "Results of Examination Form". A list of Faculty members by Concentration is available. However, many biological questions are now approached at various levels, e.g. integrating molecular genetics data to evolution or integrating biochemistry with physiology and cell biology.