Research in molecular ecology and evolution is increasingly utilizing the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, placing a spotlight on its natural history.
Comparing maize to its wild ancestor teosinte advances our understanding of how it and other cereal crops evolved, and also identifies the genetic variation that can contribute to important agricultural traits.
The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has informed our understanding of molecular biology and genetics for decades, and learning more about its natural history could fuel a new era of functional and evolutionary studies of this classic model organism.
A better understanding of the remarkable diversity, natural history and complex ecology of E. coli in the wild could shed new light on its biology and role in disease, and further expand its many uses as a model organism.
The zebrafish is a premier model organism for biomedical research, with a rich array of tools and genomic resources, and combining these with a fuller appreciation of wild zebrafish ecology could greatly extend its utility in biological research.
Reading and discussing classic papers can be an effective way of teaching graduate students how to learn the skills they will need for a career in research.
Ignoring the probability of species variation when reporting observations about biological processes leads to misinterpretation of the experimental data.
