Welcome to Molecular and Integrative Physiology

In this post-genomic era, physiology is uniquely poised at the nexus between molecular function and whole animal integration with the goal of understanding how the functions of thousands of encoded proteins serve to bring about the highly coordinated behavior of cells and tissues underlying physiological functions in animals and how their dysfunction may lead to disease. Research and graduate training in the Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology is focused on understanding the regulation and function of gene products at multiple levels of biological organization, from molecules and macromolecular complexes to cells, tissues, and whole organisms. With the tools of molecular genetics and modern systems biology, physiologists are at the forefront of dramatic advances currently occurring in life and biomedical sciences. Advanced training in molecular and integrative physiology will provide the necessary foundation to prepare for a career in this exciting area of functional biology.

Claudio Grosman, Head

MIP News

Study reveals a novel target for the treatment of breast cancer

Image Caption: Treatment with the drug pimozide reduced tumor growth in a mouse model of breast cancer. Immunohistochemistry for phosphorylated (active) STAT5 and total STAT5 protein indicates that activation of STAT5 signaling is inhibited by pimozide treatment in vivo. Adapted from Mapes, et al. (Journal of Biological Chemistry 2018).
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Virtual predator is self-aware, behaves like living counterpart

Rhanor Gillette and his colleagues built a virtual ocean predator that has simple self-awareness.
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Researchers identify new physiological regulators of the one carbon cycle metabolism. The findings were published in Nature Communications.

Professor of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, Jongsook Kim Kemper and the first and co-corresponding author, Young Kim, co-author Sangwon Byun, and colleagues demonstrated that Aromatic Hydrocarbon Receptor (AHR) and the orphan nuclear receptor, Small Heterodimer Partner (SHP), have an unexpected function in regulating one carbon (1C) metabolism in the fed-state. Dysregulation of the 1C metabolism by the AHR-SHP axis leads to metabolic problems like fatty liver disease.
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Chung Lab: Prolonged seizure activity causes caspase dependent cleavage and dysfunction of G-protein activated inwardly rectifying potassium channels.

New findings suggest that novel down-regulation of GIRK channels by caspase-3 may contribute to NMDAR-dependent hippocampal atrophy following chronic epileptic seizures
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The Grosman and Tajkhorshid labs collaborate on "Chasing the open-state structure of pentameric ligand-gated ion channels." Their findings are presented as the cover story in the December Issue of The Journal of General Physiology.