Bachelor of Science [B.S] [Biology - Plant Biology] From Duke University

Systematists must have technical skills to extract information at all levels of inquiry (e.g., morphology, cytology, genetics, DNA sequences, organic chemistry, anatomy, ecology) and the theoretical background to interpret it correctly. Modern biological systematics integrates a diverse array of disciplines ranging from molecular, cell and developmental biology, to ecology and evolutionary biology. Data-gathering techniques include DNA sequencing, protein electrophoresis, electron and light microscopy, controlled growth experiments, and field studies of ecology and distribution. Analytical methods are computer intensive: hardware such as digitizing tablets and video cameras are used for automated description of morphology (morphometrics), multivariate statistics are used to describe and compare species and other taxa, numerical cladistic programs are used for phylogeny reconstruction.