Finding a new link between cellular respiration and virulence in S. aureus

Photo of two rows of pink test tubes in an orange test tube holder.
Due in part to COVID-19, more and more people realize the importance of taking early steps to understand the virulence mechanisms of pathogens, especially in the face of their widespread resistance to drugs. Doing so gives researchers and clinicians a head start in preparing against future...

Team deciphers how myotonic dystrophy generates lethal heart dysfunctions

Headshot of Auinash Kalsotra.
Roughly 80% of people with myotonic dystrophy – a common form of muscular dystrophy – experience dangerous heart ailments, and heart rhythm defects are the second-leading cause of death in those with the condition. In a new study, researchers traced the molecular events that lead to heart...

MCB's Commitment to Diversity and Equity

Block I with text "MCB" below it
The School of Molecular and Cellular Biology would like to follow up on the statement sent out by the University of Illinois on Saturday. As noted by UI President Timothy Killeen, “The horrifying image of George Floyd dying as a police officer knelt on his neck is one that will be forever burned...

MCB researchers aim to speed up drug discovery through RiPPs

Illustration of the ultrastructural morphology exhibited by SARS-CoV-2 and the spike proteins that adorn the outer surface of the virus.
As the globe currently deals with the novel coronavirus pandemic, public interest in biological research has begun to grow. However, curative research takes time: drug discovery requires years of effort and financial resources to yield results. Even with focused endeavors, it would still take...

A novel approach to a new career

Carole Stivers
Alumna Carole Stivers worked as a biochemist in Silicon Valley—and then started anew as a science fiction writer.

Prof. Stephen Sligar receives the Christian B. Anfinsen Award

Stephen Sligar
The Christian B. Anfinsen Award, sponsored by The Protein Society, recognizes technological achievement or significant methodological advances in the field of protein science. The recipient of this award in 2020 is Professor Stephen Sligar, professor of Biochemistry and former director of the...

New cryo-EM structures of a lipid-sensitive ligand-gated ion channel

New cryo-EM structures of a lipid-sensitive ligand-gated ion channel
In biology, it is generally believed that a protein’s sequence determines its structure, which in turn determines its function. However, in the case of membrane proteins, the reality is more complicated than this simple statement. “In recent years, the importance of a protein’s local environment...