Scientists working here in the genetics lab assist others by sequencing DNA of organisms by request. Meanwhile, they are also pursuing a project of their own, a study of schistosomes, human parasites responsible for schistosomiasis, a disease second only to malaria as a world health problem.

Genetic analysis is a relatively new tool in biology. It has big implications in taxonomy, where the goal is to classify plant and animal species. In some cases, genetic analysis can show that two organisms that appear identical are actually from two different species altogether.