Welcome To CSB
The Department of Cell & Systems Biology (CSB) advances research and teaching in the most dynamic and vital areas of biological research
Meet our Faculty
Explore who’s behind our latest outstanding publications.
Recent Publications
Membrane ruffling is a mechanosensor of extracellular fluid viscosity
Pittman M, Iu E, Li K, Wang M, Chen J, Taneja N, Jo MH, Park S, Jung W, Liang L, Barman I, Ha T, Gaitanaros S, Liu J, Burnette D, Plotnikov S, Chen Y
2022, Nature Physics, 10.1038/s41567-022-01676-y
Eph/ephrin signaling controls cell contacts and formation of a structurally asymmetrical tissue boundary in the Xenopus gastrula
Barua D, Winklbauer R
2022, Developmental Biology, 10.1016/j.ydbio.2022.07.007
Ancient whale rhodopsin reconstructs dim-light vision over a major evolutionary transition: Implications for ancestral diving behavior
Dungan SZ, Chang BSW
2022, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 10.1073/pnas.2118145119
Latest News
August 2, 2022
Microscopic detectors of viscosity – Plotnikov lab collaboration reveals how cells measure fluid thickness and move faster despite resistance
Researchers at University of Toronto and Johns Hopkins University have identified a specific cellular structure that allows cells to sense fluid…
July 7, 2022
CSB Graduate Wins Award for Best Plant Biology Paper of 2021
The 2021 Ragai Ibrahim Award for best student paper in plant biology was awarded to CSB graduate Dr Purva Karia by the Canadian Society for Plant…
July 5, 2022
Dean Melanie Woodin elected as Vice-President of the Canadian Association for Neuroscience
Congratulations to CSB Professor Melanie Woodin on her election as Vice-President of the Canadian Association for Neuroscience (CAN). Prof Woodin has…
Research at CSB
The most dynamic and vital areas of biological research.

Education
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Nick Provart
Professor and Chair
At CSB, our Professors create modern, interactive instruction for an engaged student body and our Sessional Lecturers provide a personal approach. Our exceptional students, post-docs and professors are recipients of prestigious honours. We will continue to produce outstanding discoveries that enhance and challenge our understanding of living organisms

What’s Happening at CSB
Did you know? The 2022-2023 #VanierCanada Graduate Scholarships competition is open! ✨
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Researchers at @UofT have shed light on the evolutionary transition of whales' early ancestors from on-shore living to deep-sea foraging, suggesting that these ancestors had visual systems that could quickly adapt to the dark.

Whales' eyes offer glimpse into their evolution from land to sea: U
University of Toronto researchers have shed light on the evolutionary transition of whales' early ancestors from on-sh...
www.utoronto.ca