Steven Biller
Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences
Studying marine microbes, from the genomic to ecosystem level.
My research investigates the systems biology of microbes living within complex communities. I use model systems to decipher the genetic and cellular mechanisms through which individual cells interact with other organisms and their environment, and explore how these interactions ultimately contribute to emergent community behaviors. I am particularly interested in the oceans, and much of my current work centers around the marine cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus—the smallest and most abundant photosynthetic organism on the planet. My lab explores diverse aspects of this microbe through a combination of laboratory, computational, and field studies. Some current areas of interest include investigating the ecological roles of extracellular vesicles, the impact of co-culture interactions on microbial physiology, and the forces that shape the function, biogeography, and evolution of these organisms in the global oceans. To address these types of cross-scale questions, my group integrates approaches from genomics and computational biology, ecology, cell biology, microbial physiology, systems biology, and oceanography.
I teach across the Biology curriculum, including Introductory Cellular and Molecular Biology (BISC 110), co-teaching Genetics (BISC/BIOC 219), and a course in Genomics and Bioinformatics. In my teaching, I try to convey my fascination with complexity of the natural world and the importance of thinking about questions in Biology from a combination of molecular, ecological, and evolutionary perspectives. I hope students walk away from my classes both with both new knowledge about topics in biology as well as an appreciation for all that is yet to be discovered.
In addition to my own teaching and research, I am interested in the development of genomic database resources and educating the public about the importance of the oceans to our planet. I have also been involved in teaching a graduate-level summer microbiology course in CA.
Outside of the lab, I enjoy running around with my kids, exploring the outdoors, woodworking, reading, listening to music, baseball, and playing guitar (extremely poorly).
Education
- B.A., Williams College
- Ph.D., Stanford University
Current and upcoming courses
Genomics and Bioinformatics with Laboratory
BISC333
Computational analyses of large-scale datasets have become central to modern biology. In this class, students will learn how 'omics' techniques such as genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics can help to answer questions in diverse fields ranging from cell biology to ecology and evolution. Lectures and discussions of primary literature will utilize examples from microbiology to introduce students to the design, analysis, and interpretation of 'omics'-based studies. We will explore the theory behind key bioinformatic algorithms and gain hands-on experience applying these tools to real datasets. The laboratory will culminate in an original research project utilizing genomic data to study microbial ecosystems. Topics covered include genome sequencing, assembly and interpretation; comparative genomics; metagenomics; transcriptomics; metabolic models; network analysis; and machine learning.
This course has a required co-requisite Laboratory - BISC 333L.
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Introductory Cellular and Molecular Biology with Laboratory
BISC110
A foundation course that focuses on the study of life at the cellular and molecular level, including eukaryotic and prokaryotic cell structure, function of biological macromolecules, molecular genetics, cellular metabolism, and key topics in cell biology. This course will provide the fundamental tools for exploration of cellular and molecular biology with the aim of enhancing conceptual understanding. Laboratories focus on experimental approaches to these topics and are shared with BISC 112. One year of high school chemistry or equivalent is strongly recommended. Either BISC 110, BISC 110P, BISC 112, BISC 112Y, or BISC 116; or BISC 111, BISC 111T, BISC 113, or BISC 113Y may be taken first. Students must attend lab during the first week in order to continue in the course.. This course has a required co-requisite lab - BISC 110L.. Please be aware that there is no guarantee you will be able to swap into different lecture or lab sections, due do the demand in this course. We encourage you to make initial registration choices carefully and wisely.