July 15, 2014
There are no test tubes, petri dishes or microscopes in Ivan Erill’s research lab. No chemical cabinets or safety goggles. Indeed, the room in the Biological Sciences Building where the assistant professor of biological sciences works is what scientists call a “dry lab” – a bunch of desks, computers and swivel chairs. Erill is a computational biologist. He describes the field as “a hybrid between computer science and biology.”