The School is comprised of seven disciplines that fall under three clusters: Biotechnology, Biodiversity & Evolutionary Biology and Cellular Biology.
Biotechnology
Biotechnology is the branch of applied science that uses living organisms and their derivatives to produce products and processes. The Biotechnology cluster is comprised of three disciplines:
- Biochemistry
- Genetics
- Microbiology
Prof Carola Niesler
Academic Leader: Biotechnology – PMB
niesler@ukzn.ac.za | 033 260 5465
Prof Shahidul Islam
Academic Leader: Biotechnology – WVL
IslamD@ukzn.ac.za | 031 260 8717
Biodiversity & Evolutionary Biology
Biological Sciences
Ecology
Ecology is the study of organisms, the environment and how the organisms interact with each other and their environment. It is studied at various levels, such as organism, population, biosphere and ecosystem.
Marine Biology
Marine biology is the study of marine organisms, their behaviors and interactions with the environment. Marine biologists study life in the oceans, and sometimes the oceans themselves.
Dr David Glassom
Academic Leader: Biodiversity/ Evolutionary Biology – WVL
Glassom@ukzn.ac.za | 031 260 3183
Prof Jeffrey Finnie
Academic Leader: Biodiversity/ Evolutionary Biology – PMB
Finnie@ukzn.ac.za | 033 260 5151
Cellular Biology
Cell biology is the study of cell structure and function, and it revolves around the concept that the cell is the fundamental unit of life. Focusing on the cell permits a detailed understanding of the tissues and organisms that cells compose.
Dr Dalene Vosloo
Academic Leader: Cellular Biology – WVL
VoslooD@ukzn.ac.za | 031 260 3237