2021-01-05
- Recent clinical trials involving Fragile X Syndrome (FXS), a genetic disorder that causes mild to severe intellectual disability, indicate that potential drug treatments are not as effective as researchers initially hoped. This lack of therapeutic potential suggests there are some gaps in our understanding of the neural mechanisms at play in FXS patients. Thanks to a new grant from the National...
2020-12-31 - “Don’t refrain from getting involved in initiatives beyond academics! Step out of your comfort zone.” - Surabhi Sonam, PhD Student in the Jonathan Henry Laboratory
2020-12-31 - Dr. Tsai’s lab focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying neuronal excitability imbalance in neurological and psychiatric disorders including epilepsy and autism.
2020-12-31 - Dr. Nelson’s lab focuses on determining how different hormones and metabolite factors impact breast and ovarian cancer progression.
2020-12-23 - New mutations to the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 are emerging, including one in the United Kingdom with higher infection rates that has sparked new travel bans. Erik Procko, a professor of biochemistry at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, has been studying mutations in the spike protein, the part of the virus that binds to human cells. In an interview with News Bureau biomedical...
2020-12-21 - With support and leadership from the School of Molecular & Cellular Biology, the Microbial Systems Initiative (MSI) aims to harness the existing and emerging strengths of the microbial sciences community and establish the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign as a leading center that will continue to attract and nurture a diverse, creative, and connected group of faculty and trainees.
2020-12-17 - It has been over 60 years since scientists first identified the molecule that we know today as immunoglobulin (Ig) A. IgA is the predominant class of antibody found in human mucus where it is known as secretory (S) IgA. SIgA functions to bind microbes in extracellular regions such as the gut and lungs where it is involved in a variety of poorly understood mechanisms that can promote both pathogen...
2020-12-14 - Current cancer treatments include drugs that target standard protein synthesis in cells, which can kill cancer cells, but also targets healthy cells. To address this issue, associate professor of biochemistry and Cancer Center at Illinois (CCIL) member, Hong Jin, is focusing on a non-canonical protein translation pathway, which will allow researchers to develop drugs with targeted specificity.
2020-12-11 - Congratulations to Rachel Whitaker for being chosen as a University Scholar. Whitaker, a professor of microbiology, conducts groundbreaking research on the dynamics of microbes and their viruses and how they...
2020-12-10 - Recent research from Professor Catherine Christian-Hinman in the Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology has identified an animal model capable of modeling some aspects of catamenial epilepsy without hormone treatments, creating exciting possibilities in the field for advancement in disease research and patient treatment. This research has been published in Experimental Neurology in...
2020-12-08 - Kannanganattu V. Prasanth, professor of cell and developmental biology, and members of his lab investigate the regulation of gene expression and RNA biology with a focus on cancer. In a new article published in eLife, “The S-phase-induced lncRNA promotes cell proliferation by controlling YAP1/Hippo signaling pathway,” Prasanth and fellow researchers detail the role of long noncoding RNAs in cell...
2020-12-02 - During the first week of November 2020, the School of MCB hosted its second annual Undergraduate Research Symposium. Given that the event could not be safely held in person, the symposium was reorganized to be conducted virtually.
2020-12-02 - Alumni Professor of MicrobiologyJohn E. Cronan at the University of Illinois recently published work on the biotin synthesis pathway and its role in mycobacterium and tuberculosis. Cronan’s lab primarily works on lipid metabolism and fatty acid synthesis. In his recent publication, Cronan takes a deeper dive into the role of biotin in the growth of mycobacteria.
2020-11-30 - On January 9, 2020, the World Health Organization announced the discovery of a mysterious string of pneumonia-like cases in Wuhan, China, which they believed could be caused by a novel coronavirus. At the same time in Illinois, executives at the medical device and healthcare company Abbott Laboratories were activating their crisis management system. As a global corporation, Abbott homed in on the...
2020-11-24 - Gut hormones play an important role in regulating fat production in the body. One key hormone, released a few hours after eating, turns off fat production by regulating gene expression in the liver, but this regulation is abnormal in obesity, researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign found in a new study.