http://www.utm.utoronto.ca/biology

UTMBiology, 3359 Mississauga Road, Mississauga, ON (2026)

09/09/2026

Do you have a future in biology?

Join us for the launch of our 2026/27 career spotlight series to find out! Don't miss this opportunity to learn about the career opportunities available to you in the biology field while enjoying a catered lunch.

📅 September 29, 2026
⏰ 12-1pm
📍 DV3130 (Council Chambers)
🍴 Free lunch will be provided for attendees!
✨ Open to all UTM undergrad students

Come get inspired, ask questions, and discover where a career in biology can take you!

📲 RSVP here: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/HkRDhyQ0KE

09/08/2026

🌱Enroll now: BIO312 - Plant Physiology! 🌱

Plants can't run from stress. They sense it, signal it, and adapt.

BIO312: Plant Physiology explores how plants function at every scale, from cell to whole ecosystem: how they harness light for photosynthesis, move water and nutrients through their tissues, and respond to drought, heat, cold, and other environmental challenges, including a changing climate. Every lecture concept is put into practice through hands-on labs.

Enroll today to secure your spot this fall!

09/01/2026

PhD candidate Anya Franks and MS.c graduate (2024) Scott Ford publish their co-first authored paper, "Chorismate and isochorismate turnover reveal hidden dynamics of aromatic metabolism in Arabidopsis leaves" in the journal The Plant Cell!

Anya and Scott developed a new mass spectrometry method to track chorismate metabolism in Arabidopsis. Their findings reveal that chorismate remains in chloroplasts until converted to isochorismate, which forms a large cytosolic reserve supporting plant defense. This work reshapes understanding of aromatic metabolite trafficking and pathogen response.

Congratulations, Anya and Scott!

Read the paper: https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koag251

Full summary:
The shikimate pathway provides precursors for synthesizing aromatic compounds in plants and bacteria, including the three aromatic amino acids. The product of this metabolic sequence, chorismate, is the last common intermediate in the synthesis of thousands of primary and secondary metabolites. In plants, the metabolism of aromatic compounds involves exchange of intermediates between multiple subcellular compartments, but the details have remained elusive. Here, first authors Anya Franks and Scott Ford describe a new mass spectrometry method to study the synthesis and turnover of chorismate in the model plant Arabidopsis. Using stable isotope labeling, they confirmed that chorismate is present exclusively in the chloroplast, exiting this compartment only after conversion to isochorismate, a precursor to the plant defense hormone salicylic acid. They further showed that this store of isochorismate in the cytosol is far larger than anticipated, providing an aromatic carbon reserve for defensive metabolism when the plant is attacked by pathogens. This significant revision to the field redefines how we think about the trafficking and turnover of aromatic metabolites in plant cells and offers a new model for understanding how plants respond to pathogen attack. This highly novel and fundamental contribution was published in the prestigious journal The Plant Cell.

08/31/2026

🌿 BIO339: Plant Identification and Systematics is back this fall!

Discover the fascinating world of plants through the study of their diversity, evolution, and classification. Learn the principles of plant taxonomy, explore modern methods of phylogenetic reconstruction, develop practical plant identification skills using keys and Floras, and become familiar with the major plant families and species of Eastern Canada. Along the way, you'll gain a deeper appreciation for the natural world around you.

Ready to see plants in a whole new way? Enroll now!

08/27/2026

🌊🐠 Applications opening soon: explore tropical marine biology in Belize with BIO332! 🪸☀️

Coming Summer 2027, BIO332: Tropical Marine Biology will take students beyond the classroom and into the incredible marine ecosystems of Belize’s Barrier Reef — the second largest coral reef system in the world!

During this research-intensive field course, students will:
- Explore coral reef, seagrass, and mangrove ecosystems
- Gain hands-on experience with marine field research methods
- Learn about tropical marine biodiversity, ecology, evolution, and conservation
- Study reef fishes, invertebrates, seabirds, marine mammals, and more
- Design and carry out group-based field research projects

The course includes May 12–14 at UTM, followed by May 17–30 in Belize, where students will stay at the Calabash Caye Field Station on Turneffe Atoll.

Curious about BIO332? Join one of our upcoming information sessions to learn more about this exciting new Summer 2027 field course!

📅 September 15 | 1–2 PM
📅 November 12 | 12–1 PM
📅 January 13 | 12–1 PM

Register here: https://bit.ly/4qz4tdT

Interested students can also reach out to instructors Christoph Richter ([email protected]) or Cassidy D’Aloia ([email protected]) for more information.

08/26/2026

📢 We’re hiring!

The Biomedical Communications program at the University of Toronto Mississauga is seeking a full-time, tenure-stream Assistant Professor in Biomedical Communications, with an anticipated start date of July 1, 2027.

The successful candidate will bring research and practical expertise in the design and study of visual media for medical and scientific communication, including areas such as illustration, animation, interactive media, simulation, and data visualization. Candidates should demonstrate excellence in research and teaching, along with strong creative or visualization practice.

The role includes developing an innovative, externally funded research program, teaching in the MSc in Biomedical Communications and undergraduate Biomedical Communications minor, and contributing to graduate program activities and service.

📅 Application deadline: October 19, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET

Learn more: https://bit.ly/4gQ1x9v

08/24/2026

🌊🐠 Applications opening soon: explore tropical marine biology in Belize with BIO332! 🪸☀️

Coming Summer 2027, BIO332: Tropical Marine Biology will take students beyond the classroom and into the incredible marine ecosystems of Belize’s Barrier Reef — the second largest coral reef system in the world!

During this research-intensive field course, students will:
- Explore coral reef, seagrass, and mangrove ecosystems
- Gain hands-on experience with marine field research methods
- Learn about tropical marine biodiversity, ecology, evolution, and conservation
- Study reef fishes, invertebrates, seabirds, marine mammals, and more
- Design and carry out group-based field research projects

The course includes May 12–14 at UTM, followed by May 17–30 in Belize, where students will stay at the Calabash Caye Field Station on Turneffe Atoll.

Curious about BIO332? Join one of our upcoming information sessions to learn more about this exciting new Summer 2027 field course!

📅 September 15 | 1–2 PM
📅 November 12 | 12–1 PM
📅 January 13 | 12–1 PM

Register here: https://bit.ly/4qz4tdT

Interested students can also reach out to instructors Christoph Richter ([email protected]) or Cassidy D’Aloia ([email protected]) for more information.

08/21/2026

Congratulations to Brittany Mascarenhas (Cheng Lab) on the publication of her first-authored paper! 🎉

Brittany’s research explores how our internal biological clock responds and adjusts to light, identifying β-arrestin1 (ARRB1) as an important regulator of this process. Her findings reveal a previously unknown mechanism involved in resetting our circadian rhythms and highlight the important role of endosomal signaling in circadian timekeeping. 🧠⏰

Congratulations to Brittany and the Cheng Lab on this exciting publication! 👏

08/19/2026

🎉 Congratulations to all of our student researchers who participated in last week’s Biology Summer Research Day!

This year’s event featured 10 oral presentations and 23 poster presentations, showcasing the incredible research being conducted by our undergraduate students across the Department of Biology. A huge thank you to everyone who presented and helped make the day such a success!

We’d also like to give a special congratulations to this year’s presentation award recipients:
🏆 Oral Presentations:
Winner: Johanna Kiik (Johnson Lab - middle)
Runners-Up: George Thomas (Short Lab), Lauren Flemming (Ghorbani Lab), and Given Messam-Harris & Derek Menkiti (Chatfield Lab)

🏆 Poster Presentations:
1st Place: Alyssa Punn (Murray Lab - front right)
2nd Place: Anika Tan (Layton Lab - front left)
3rd Place: Kyle Wong (Johnson Lab)

Congratulations to all of our presenters on a fantastic Summer Research Day! 🔬🌱🧬

08/13/2026

📸 New Date: Biology Undergraduate Headshots!

Our rescheduled undergraduate headshot session will now take place on Thursday, August 20 from 9:30 AM–12:00 PM!

Stop by for a free professional headshot—perfect for LinkedIn, applications, and other professional profiles.

📅 Thursday, August 20
⏰ 9:30 AM–12:00 PM
📍 CCT building entrance closest to the Student Centre
📸 Approximately 5–10 minutes per student, depending on turnout

Headshots will be taken outdoors and remain weather dependent. We hope to see you there! ☀️

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