Marvin W. Fawley                                       Professor   Department of Biological Sciences                       318 Stevens Hall North Dakota State University Fargo, North Dakota 58105-5517 E-mail: marvin.fawley@ndsu.edu Voice: 701 231 7353 Fax: 701 231 7149

Karen P. Fawley Research Assistant Professor   Department of Biological Sciences 318 Stevens Hall North Dakota State University Fargo, North Dakota 58105-5517 E-mail: karen.phillips@ndsu.edu Voice: 701 231 7353 Fax: 701 231 7149

Interested in a career in biology? Check out the McGraw-Hill careers site.

Courses:

Fall, 2005

General Biology I, Biology 150

Spring, 2006

Evolution, Biology 459/659

Fall, 2004

Phycology, Botany 471/671

Molecular Evolution and Phylogenetics, Biology 796

Research Interests, Marvin Fawley

Our research focuses on phycology, the study of algae. For several years I have studied a group of marine green algae called the Prasinophyceae. Some of my work focused on the photosynthetic pigments and the photosynthetic light-harvesting complexes of some of these algae that possess the carotenoid pigment, prasinoxanthin. I am presently investigating the evolutionary relationships of these algae using DNA sequences, such as the 18S ribosomal RNA genes.  I recently received funding from the National Science Foundation to study the relationships of these organisms and other green algae, in collaboration with Mark Buchheim of the University of Tulsa and Rick Zechman of California State University, Fresno.  For more information on this project, visit the deepestgreen web site. 
 

Additional research deals with the use of molecular biology techniques to study the diversity and ecology of some freshwater algae. Employing some of our techniques, we have found a high level of diversity among coccoid (spherical) green algae (like the ones pictured) from the lakes of the Arrowwood Wildlife Refuge, North Dakota. Several of the organisms we have found are probably new to science.  Karen Fawley and I have received funding from the National Science Foundation to investigate the coccoid algae of the lakes of Itasca State Park, Minnesota.  To find out more about this research, visit our coccoid algae home page.

Algae Links:

Phycological Society of America

Green Plant Phylogeny Research Coordination Group

British Phycological Society

Seaweeds HomePage, includes AlgaeL

Diatom Home Page

The World of Algae

Micro*Scope at the Marine Biology Laboratory, Woods Hole

Cytographics, with some really great pictures.