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Genetic inheritance might seem straightforward enough. Middle schoolers around the country learn the formulaic predictions of Punnett Squares, and for the most part, the science appears cut-and-dry. Chromosomes passed on through sperm or eggs have a 50-50 shot at inheritance. Right?

Meaghan Parlee ’21 graduated into a job as a project management specialist at Charles River Laboratories, a position that precisely fits her Hamilton research experience and her overarching interest in the business side of science.

Assistant Professor of Biology Natalie Nannas along with collaborators at the University of Georgia recently won a four-year National Science Foundation Grant for a project titled "Rebuilding a kinesin-based meiotic drive system from defined component."

Jodi Weiss ’19 and Assistant Professor of Biology Natalie Nannas attended the 60th Annual Maize Genetics Conference. The international meeting took place in St. Malo, France, in March.

Since the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA in 1953, the study and the understanding of genetics has grown exponentially. Gene therapy, the Human Genome Project, and “designer babies” exhibit the growing interest and relevance of genetics on modern society. Kari Koga ’15, a biology major, has had the opportunity to explore her passion for genetics research for the past three summers with Evolutionary Genomics.

Fever, coughing, vomiting, diarrhea: all of these are symptoms of parasite infestation. Nematodes are one of the most common types of human, animal and plant parasites. Not all nematodes are parasitic and not all parasites are nematodes, but these microscopic creatures are part of one of the most diverse phyla on the planet. Suman Sarker ’11, Barsha Baral ’13 and Shahin Islam ’12 working under Assistant Professor of Biology Wei-Jen Chang and Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology Ashleigh Smythe, are looking at genetics to more thoroughly categorize nematodes.