2026-04-22
- 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 recognized as one of the University of Illinois’ leading mentors. His lab focuses on how RNA...
2026-04-22 - 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, particularly non-small cell lung cancer,” recalled Barai, a PhD student in Cell and Developmental...
2026-04-07 - New research from the K.V. Prasanth lab, in collaboration with scientists across the University of Illinois and other institutions, has revealed that gene positioning near nuclear speckles — key nuclear domains that promote gene expression — along with the mechanistic functions of the non-coding RNA MALAT1, may act as driving forces underlying hypoxia-responsive gene regulation,...
2026-03-30 - The School of Molecular & Cellular Biology is pleased to congratulate the 2026 winners of its “Life Inspiring” art competition, which celebrates the intersection of life sciences and art.Students, staff, and faculty were encouraged to submit original works of art reflecting their scientific endeavors. Accepted mediums included graphic design, drawings, paintings, photography, and mixed media...
2026-03-23 - The School of Molecular & Cellular Biology is pleased to announce Dr. Guy Padbury as the guest speaker for its May 2026 convocation. On a recent visit to campus, he spoke about his path to Illinois, his work as a translational scientist, and what inspires him. Dr. Padbury’s career has been influenced by a wide range of experiences, beginning with his upbringing in a working-class family...
2026-03-16 - 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 the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory from 1980 until her retirement in 2005, Dr. Irene Jones...
2026-03-13 - 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, what happens when there is dysfunction and how neurodegenerative diseases progress.“When engineering a...
2026-03-09 - 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. Researchers predict that these surprisingly adaptable iron-dependent ammonia-oxidizing archaea will...
2026-02-27 - 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 can feel even more intense within small cohorts and highly specialized departments.“Sometimes we...
2026-02-24 - 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. coli membrane transport proteins — a system with billions of more variables and on an atomic...
2026-02-17 - Three faculty of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, including microbiologist Wei Qin, have received Sloan Foundation Fellowships from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation is a not-for-profit, mission-driven grantmaking institution dedicated to...
2026-02-16 - The gene most strongly correlated with Alzheimer’s disease also boosts seizure activity by decreasing levels of ions pumps and energy-producing enzymes in neurons, a new study by researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign found. Furthermore, the energy-making pathway was stimulated and seizures reduced in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease by administration of a blood pressure...
2026-01-22 - In new research, University of Illinois scientists have challenged previously held scientific ideas about loop-C’s functional role within ligand-gated ion channels, deepening biologists’ understanding of the complex neurotransmission process.Their study, “Disentangling the mechanistic role of loop-C capping in Cys-loop receptor...
2026-01-21 - 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 think that was going to happen.’”However, for many new college students, figuring out how to balance...
2025-12-17 - Congratulations to recipients of this year's School of MCB faculty and staff awards!It is a school tradition to recognize outstanding members of the community at our year-end holiday party, and this year we presented awards across seven categories, honoring achievements in research, teaching, and service.Outstanding MCB Graduate Student AwardSihang Zhou, Department of Cell...