FACULTY

RESEARCH

DNA carries the instructions for building proteins, enzymes, and many other molecules organisms need to operate. Genes are made up of DNA and are the basic unit of heredity. Genetics is the study of the function and composition of the DNA as genetic material, whereas genomics is the study of an organism’s complete set of genetic information. Genomic tools can be used in many different research applications (a few of our faculty's research areas): studying patterns of diversification and speciation of animals, assessing ecological drivers of viral host range evolution, determining how cells construct anatomy, or even understanding how cells respond to inflammation. Students who are interested in gaining genetic research experience have a wide array of systems to choose from microbes, plants, viruses, herps, mammals to various organismal diseases. Students are encouraged to research out to faculty whose research topics align with their own interests.

TEACHING

TTU Biology offers Genetics as part of the biology core curriculum, as well as a wide array of other electives such as Human Genetics, Genomes and Society, Population Genetics, Genomes and Genome Evolution, The Biology of Fungi, and The Genetics of Microorganisms. Most of the genetics courses have labs to provide hands-on experience to students.

Current course offerings via Open Classes

ROBERT J. BAKER GENETICS RESOURCES COLLECTION

The Museum of Texas Tech University's Robert J. Baker Genetic Resources Collection is a biological archive of more than 470,000 mammal, bird, reptile, amphibian, fish and invertebrate tissue and DNA samples from >100,000 individuals from all over the globe. Preserving these materials provides resources for research in the areas of  genomics, systematics, epidemiology, environmental toxicology, and more. Read more about the genetic resources collection.

HIGH PERFORMANCE COMPUTING CENTER

Many TTU Biology faculty and students utilize the Texas Tech University's High Performance Computing Center (HPCC). High Performance Computing Center (HPCC) promotes and supports research and teaching by integrating leading-edge high performance computing and data processing resources for faculty, staff, and students. Read more about the HPCC.