Microbiology

College of LAS names alumni award winners from CDB and MICRO

The College of Liberal Arts & Sciences has announced the recipients of its 2018 annual alumni awards: Anne Carpenter, (PhD,'03 CSB) and Joanne Chory, (MS, '80 MICRO).

John Cronan Lab: Solving the process of lipoic acid assembly in humans

The Cronan lab recently published a paper in PNAS titled “Protein moonlighting elucidates the essential human pathway catalyzing lipoic acid assembly on its cognate enzymes.”

Researchers discover a starring role for chaperone protein Hfq in gene regulation

A cell’s efforts to respond and adapt to its external environment rely on an elaborate yet coordinated set of molecular partnerships within. The more we learn about this complicated internal dance, the more we appreciate the flexibility of its roles. In a recent University of Illinois study,...

Blanke Lab: Disease-causing stomach bug attacks energy generation in host cells

Researchers report in a new study that the bacterium Helicobacter pylori – a major contributor to gastritis, ulcers and stomach cancer – resists the body’s immune defenses by shutting down energy production within the cells of the stomach lining that serve as a barrier to infection.

Bacterial chromosomal breakdown during isolation highlights the unusual regulation of the surface nucleases

A recent paper in PLOS ONE from the Kuzminov lab illustrated a novel phenomenon, RiCF, aka “RNase-induced chromosomal fragmentation.”

Brooke Lab: Certain Flu Virus Mutations May Compensate for Fitness Costs of Other Mutations

New research published in PLOS Pathogens finds that unexpected mutations help flu virus retain fitness by counteracting changes needed to dodge the immune system

Microbiology alumna wins the 2018 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences

La Jolla—Salk Institute scientist Joanne Chory, one of the world’s preeminent plant biologists who is now leading the charge to combat global warming with plant-based solutions, has been awarded a 2018 Breakthrough Prize for her pioneering work deciphering how plants optimize their growth,...

MCB graduate students present "Science on Tap"

The MCB Graduate Student Association (GSA), known as the MCBees, inaugurated a new outreach event, “Science on Tap,” on Sunday, November 19, 2017. Zach Costliow (Degnan Lab) presented, “Homebrewed Vitamins: What B1 and B. thetaiotaomicron are doing in your gut” at Riggs in Urbana.

Dr. Brenda Wilson honored with the Dr. Larine Y. Cowen Leadership in Diversity Award

The Celebration of Diversity program is an annual event that brings together campus and community leaders to affirm their collective support for an inclusive society and community. This event celebrates the achievements of faculty, academic professionals and civil service employees who make...