MCB PhD student selected for Beckman Institute Fellowship

Seven graduate students, including one from the School of Molecular & Cellular Biology, have been awarded 2021 Beckman Institute Graduate Fellowships. The program offers University of Illinois graduate students at the MA, MS, or PhD level the opportunity to pursue interdisciplinary research at...

Geographies of death: Study maps COVID-19 health disparities in Greater Santiago

People up to age 40 living in economically depressed municipalities in the Greater Santiago, Chile, metropolitan area were three times more likely to die as a result of the infection than their counterparts in wealthier areas, researchers report in the journal Science. People ages 41-80 in low...

MCB undergrads selected for Community-Academic Scholars Initiative, will pursue community-based research this summer

Congratulations to students in the School of Molecular & Cellular Biology who were chosen to participate in the Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Institute’s...

MCB students, faculty, and staff recognized for their extraordinary efforts during COVID-19

We’re proud to share the news that many School of Molecular & Cellular Biology students, faculty, and staff members have received College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Impact Awards. The awards, announced this week, recognize inspiring efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. So many in our...

Structure matters over sequence for cys-loop cell receptors

Cells communicate with each other by sending, receiving, and decoding signals. Signals that cannot cross the cell membrane directly – such as ions, water-soluble small molecules, and peptides – need to be detected by receptor proteins on the cell’s outer surface.

New summer research fellowship for underrepresented students

The University of Illinois School of Molecular & Cellular Biology is pleased to announce that AbbVie and the Black Business Network in partnership with the school have funded a new Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) that provides financial support for a student conducting research...

Martha Gillette wins Beckman Institute's 2021 Vision and Spirit Award

Congratulations to Martha Gillette, who has been named the Beckman Institute’s 2021 winner of the Vision and Spirit Award. Gillette is director of the Neuroscience Program, Alumni Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology, and a professor of molecular and integrative physiology.

MCB undergraduate awarded Goldwater Scholarship

Congratulations to MCB junior Evan Dray, who was awarded the prestigious Barry M. Goldwater scholarship! Dray, of East Peoria, Ill., and a graduate of East Peoria Community High School, is pursuing majors in ...

Researchers uncover new insights in mechanisms of thymineless death

Andrei Kuzminov, professor of microbiology at the University of Illinois, leads research into the mystery of thymineless death, where mutant cells that cannot synthesize the essential molecule thymine will die unless the growth environment has thymine readily available. With graduate student Pritha...

Researchers structurally characterize a dual-function transporter

The regulation of glutamate, an excitatory neurotransmitter abundant in the central nervous system, is critical for maintaining normal brain function. Glutamate regulation is achieved via extracellular transport of the amino acid. There are two primary classes of proteins involved in the transport...