James J. Bull (professor)
Encyclopedia
James J. Bull is currently Johann Friedrich Miescher Regents Professor in Molecular Biology
at the University of Texas at Austin
. He is best known for his influential 1983 monograph, Evolution of Sex Determining Mechanisms.
In the early 1990s, he changed the focus of his work to experimental evolution
and phylogenetics
, and has since had considerable success in both fields. His work in experimental evolution involves observing genetic and phenotypic changes in bacteria
and bacteriophages, the viruses that attack bacteria.
In 2003 he was elected a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
.
Molecular biology
Molecular biology is the branch of biology that deals with the molecular basis of biological activity. This field overlaps with other areas of biology and chemistry, particularly genetics and biochemistry...
at the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
. He is best known for his influential 1983 monograph, Evolution of Sex Determining Mechanisms.
In the early 1990s, he changed the focus of his work to experimental evolution
Experimental evolution
In evolutionary and experimental biology, the field of experimental evolution is concerned with testing hypotheses and theories of evolution by use of controlled experiments. Evolution may be observed in the laboratory as populations adapt to new environmental conditions and/or change by such...
and phylogenetics
Phylogenetics
In biology, phylogenetics is the study of evolutionary relatedness among groups of organisms , which is discovered through molecular sequencing data and morphological data matrices...
, and has since had considerable success in both fields. His work in experimental evolution involves observing genetic and phenotypic changes in bacteria
Bacteria
Bacteria are a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals...
and bacteriophages, the viruses that attack bacteria.
In 2003 he was elected a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
.