​Plant Biology
The Program in Plant Biology at Washington University provides training in the use of plants, mosses, algae, and photosynthetic prokaryotes as experimental organisms to address fundamental biological questions.
Plants are remarkable organisms, and these are exciting times in which to study their unique biology. Plant biology is moving into a new phase, fueled by genomics and the expansion of experimental tools and resources. Unprecedented opportunities exist at Washington University to pursue research questions and training in plant genetics, biochemistry, cell biology, development, molecular evolution, physiology, and epigenetics. The faculty and Ph.D. Program in Plant Biology at Washington University enjoy a strong reputation in all of these disciplines.
Saint Louis is an important and expanding center for plant research. Students in the Plant Biology Program at Washington University benefit from integration into the extensive biomedical research community at Washington University and from partnerships with the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center and with Monsanto Company, a leader in plant biotechnology. Students who are primarily interested in plant population biology, taxonomy, systematics, economic botany, ecology or conservation biology should apply to the Evolution, Ecology and Population Biology Program at Washington University, which enjoys strong ties with the Missouri Botanical Garden.
The Department of Biology addresses a wide range of biological questions, across and between the sub-disciplines of biology: from single molecules to systems, and from steady state equilibria to dynamic remodeling over milliseconds to millions of generations. The department also maintains a web site dedicated to The Graduate Training Program in Plant Biology.