Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology

The Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology provides stimulating educational and research opportunities at the forefront of mechanistic life sciences. We welcome you to explore our pages and to participate in the community of molecular, cellular, and developmental biologists at UC Santa Barbara.

Recent News

Small Pest, Big Battle: MCDB researchers collaborate to use gene editing to control disease-causing mosquitoes, thanks to a multimillion-dollar contract from DARPA
A Biophysical ‘Smoking Gun’: Scientists studying Alzheimer’s disease begin to unravel how the protein tau transitions from soluble liquid to solid fibrous tangle
A Rising Star: UCSB researchers dissect the process by which blood vessels shrink, which could have important implications for human health
Why Antibiotics Fail: UCSB biologists correct a flaw in the way bacterial susceptibility to these drugs is tested
An Orchestrated Process: UCSB researchers develop a more precise and controlled method of engineering tissues from stem cells
Guiding Light: UCSB biologists discover an unexpected role for a light-sensitive receptor protein in the central brain that regulates circadian rhythms