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Research Publications

Stories about recent journal articles featuring work by MCB faculty and students.

Wind-chill out! Researchers discover how flow stresses out bacterial pathogens

Researchers have discovered the addition of fluid to human pathogens triggers a "windchill-like" effect that sensitizes cells to hydrogen peroxide, a well-known agent of cell stress and DNA damage. Their findings have been published in PNAS.

Lethal damage to the ribosome, arguably the most important machinery in living organisms, can be repaired

New research from University of Illinois biochemistry professor Raven Huang reveals that lethal ribosomal damage in bacteria can be reversed by a pair of bacterial enzymes named PrfH and RtcB. The finding raises the question of whether similar ribosomal damage can also be repaired in humans because...

New therapeutic target identified for triple-negative breast cancer

Breast cancer is categorized into three major subtypes: hormone receptor-positive, HER2-positive, and triple-negative. Although there are targeted therapeutic approaches for the first two, there are limited options for triple negative-breast cancer patients. In a new study, researchers have...

Light-activated technique helps bring cell powerhouses back into balance

University of Illinois biochemistry professor Kai Zhang and collaborators developed a technique using light to regulate mitochondria, the energy-producing powerhouses inside cells. The technique could address mitochondrial diseases and cancer.

Scientists discover a small immune system that packs a big punch

A recent study by a team of researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has discovered a unique immune system in bacteria composed of a single enzyme that destroys a broad range of bacterial viruses (known as phages). Their findings were published in Cell Host & Microbe.

Research illuminates balancing act for protein linked to Fragile X Syndrome and Alzheimer's disease

A new study by researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign suggests the overexpression of a particular gene could serve as a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. Their findings could also lead to better understandings of the links between Alzheimer’s disease, Fragile X Syndrome, and...