细胞是生物体内组织的基本单位。细胞生物学家试图阐明细胞结构和功能组织的原理。发育生物学家发现，随着时间的推移，细胞在生物体的发育过程中如何相互分化，交流和联系。Marquette的细胞与发育生物学家是一个高度互动的小组。我们使用多种方法，包括遗传学，分子生物学，生物信息学和成像技术，来研究线虫，果蝇，拟南芥，衣藻和酵母等多种模型生物中的细胞和发育过程。具体的研究主题包括细胞运动分析，细胞外基质发育，线粒体生物发生以及植物开花的时间安排。
The Department of Biological Sciences offers a rigorous and intellectually driven PhD program that aspires to train scientists suited for careers in research and teaching. Students are trained to achieve academic excellence by triggering their innate curiosity and by gaining an appreciation for the rigor of the scientific method. This program provides excellent training in modern biology suitable for careers in academia, industry, and government.<br><br>Our graduate program in biological sciences offers unique opportunities for rigorous training in an intellectually driven and multidisciplinary research program. Students can select from our diverse research portfolio spanning Cell and Molecular Biology, Biochemistry and Structural Biology, Developmental Biology, Neuroscience, Microbiology, Ecology, Environmental Biology, Evolutionary Biology and Physiology. Our graduates find success in careers across Academia, Industry, and Government. The major endeavor of any student is the research that culminates in a dissertation or thesis. This research must be original and meet the highest standards of quality and thoroughness. The breadth of the department provides a diversity of research fields from which to choose.<br><br>To help in determining the best fit of student and mentor, first-year students do three laboratory rotations. During the rotations, students are temporary members of the laboratories whose research appears to be of greatest interest to them. Before the end of the student's second semester, an advisor who guides both research and selection of coursework is chosen by mutual agreement between faculty and student. The relatively small size of the research groups in this department allows students to interact closely with the faculty. Manuscripts arising from dissertation research are published in highly-respected peer reviewed journals.<br><br>The cell is the fundamental unit of organization in living organisms. Cell biologists seek to elucidate the principles whereby cells are organized structurally and functionally. Developmental biologists discover how cells differentiate, communicate and associate with one another over time in the development of an organism. The Cell and Developmental biologists at Marquette are a highly interactive group. We use diverse approaches including genetics, molecular biology, bioinformatics and imaging, to investigate cellular and developmental processes in a wide variety of model organisms such as C. elegans, Drosophila, Arabidopsis, Chlamydomonas and yeast. Specific research topics include analysis of cell motility, extracellular matrix development, mitochondrial biogenesis, and the timing plant flowering.