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Life Inspiring

At the School of Molecular & Cellular Biology

We seek answers to fundamental questions about how organisms work and the many implications for life. Through a rich culture of collaboration, we drive new discoveries in human health and empower students with the critical and analytical skills needed for successful careers.

News from the School of MCB

Pallob Barai and Reean Abdullah at the lab bench
MCB researchers uncover a novel mechanism of STAT3 activation in cancer
One day, on assignment researching non-canonical functions of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases — housekeeping enzymes essential for protein synthesis — Pallob Barai noticed an intriguing pattern.“A particular AARS enzyme, TARS1, was found to be correlated with poor patient survival in different cancers,...
Wearing a blue blazer, Nash Kalsotra stands in a biochemistry lab between two benches while two graduate students behind him
Auinash Kalsotra named Phillip A. Sharp Professor of Biochemistry
The School of Molecular and Cellular Biology is honored to announce that Auinash Kalsotra has been named the Phillip A. Sharp Professor in Biochemistry.Dr. Kalsotra is one of the world’s pre-eminent RNA researchers and has also been...
Comingling RNA barcodes, each correlating to a neuron, indicate where neurons connect in the brain
RNA barcodes enable high-speed mapping of connections in the brain
By tagging neurons with molecular “barcodes,” researchers mapped connections among thousands of neurons in the mouse brain with unprecedented speed and resolution.The approach could expand understanding not only of the layout of elaborate networks in the brain, but also how the brain functions,...
Alma mater with outstretched hands
Alumna Dr. Irene Jones, retired geneticist, establishes graduate fellowship fund
On April 26, 1986, reactor number four at the Chernobyl Nuclear Plant exploded, causing a fire to erupt and releasing massive amounts of radioactive material. It remains one of the worst nuclear disasters in human history and its effects are still being studied by scientists today.As a biologist at...
Three petri dishes on a lab bench
New study finds deep ocean microbes already prepared to tackle climate change
Deep-sea waters are warming due to heat waves and climate change, and it could spell trouble for the oceans’ delicate chemical and biological balance. A new study, however, demonstrates that the microbe Nitrosopumilus maritimus may already be adapting well to warmer, nutrient-poor waters....
graduate students and their peer mentors give thumbs up and peace signs to camera while sitting in an auditorium
Creating Connection: How peer mentorship is reshaping graduate life in MCB
When graduate students arrive on campus for the first time, many of them coming from distant states or other countries, their first days can feel isolating as they navigate choosing a lab and research focus, deciding where to live, securing employment, and building new friendships. These challenges...
Yupeng Li -- Lipid on the Move
Illinois scientists play key role in discovering new family of membrane transport protein
The task: calculate every movement of every human in New York City and, based on those data, create a picture-perfect map of the city's skyline. Seem impossible?And yet, this resembles what two School of Molecular & Cellular Biology scientists recently accomplished while investigating E....
CREW Students
MCB undergrads flourish in federal work-study CREW program
Ask any scientist and they’ll tell you what a joy it is to discover something they didn’t know they didn’t know. “The best parts of science tend to be serendipitous,” said the School of Molecular & Cellular Biology’s Jhewelle Fitz-Henley. “The things that you find out, you’re like, ‘I did not...

School of MCB Convocation

9 a.m. Sunday, May 17, 2026
MCB students put arms around each other at a welcome event

Innovative education

How will you change the world?

Our mission is to empower students. In MCB you will receive a rigorous education and you can tailor a curriculum according to your passions. Our alumni have become physicians, researchers at top-tier institutions, and business leaders. They've launched biotechnology start-ups and founded free healthcare clinics. They are changing the world. You can, too.

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A community of collaborators

Impactful research

We are at the forefront of life-changing biomedical research. Combatting infectious diseases like influenza. Uncovering insights into neurological and metabolic disorders. Developing new treatments for diseases such as breast cancer. New and exciting research programs are being developed in neuroscience, immunology, microbial sciences, developmental biology, mechanobiology, and much more. Faculty, postdocs, graduate students, and undergraduates are all part of the MCB research community.

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