Structure matters over sequence for cys-loop cell receptors

Professors Gisela D. Cyme and Claudio Grosman stand side by side in lab.
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.

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

Bust of Arnold Beckman.
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 statement on solidarity with Asian American communities

Block I with text "MCB" below it
The MCB community stands together in denouncing all acts of hate against Asians and Asian Americans, just as we denounce all acts of intolerance and hate within and outside our MCB community. We stand in solidarity with our Asian and Asian American colleagues against the forces of intolerance and...

Unraveling mechanisms of FXR in protection against liver diseases

Headshot of Jongsook Kim Kemper
Obesity is rising in prevalence and poses a major concern for the health of our general population. Currently affecting over one-third of the population of the United States, obesity is often comorbid with other diseases, such as diabetes, fatty liver disease, cardiovascular disease, and some...

Welcome to Professor Xinzhu Yu

Headshot of Xinzhu Yu
Professor Yu was one of ten new faculty hires made in the School of Molecular and Cellular Biology in the last three years. Yu is an assistant professor of molecular and integrative physiology and is an affiliate of the Beckman Institute.

Welcome to Professor Benjamin Auerbach

Headshot of Ben Auerbach
Professor Auerbach was one of ten new faculty hires made in the School of Molecular and Cellular Biology in the last three years. Auerbach is an assistant professor of molecular and integrative physiology, and is also an affiliate of the Beckman Institute.

New NIH grant to fund U of I research on Fragile X Syndrome

Exterior of National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD.
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...

Meet MCB: Professor Nien-Pei Tsai

Nien-Pei Tsai
Dr. Tsai’s lab focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying neuronal excitability imbalance in neurological and psychiatric disorders including epilepsy and autism.