MacArthur Foundation Lauds Biology's Best

A population geneticist, a biophysicist, and a biomedical illustrator have all been awarded $500,000 over five years — no strings attached — by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation as part of its Fellows Program. Carlos Bustamante at the Stanford University School of Medicine is lauded for "mining DNA sequence data to address fundamental questions about the mechanisms of evolution, the complex origins of human genetic diversity, and patterns of population migration," according to the MacArthur Foundation. CalTech's John Dabiri is celebrated for his work "investigating the hydrodynamics of jellyfish propulsion," while the Walter & Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research's Drew Berry is honored for his "scientifically accurate, aesthetically rich visualizations" of biological processes. Oregon State University marine biologist Kelly Benoit-Bird and entomologist Marla Spivak at the University of Minnesota were also named 2010 MacArthur Fellows.