Molecular & Integrative Physiology (MIP)

Photo of Dan Llano sitting in front of a microscope and computer.

Fetal exposure to PCBs affects hearing health later in life

Researchers at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology found that early exposure to an environmental chemical called polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, made it more difficult for mice to recover from sound-related trauma sustained later in life.
Exterior photo of Beckman Institute in summertime

Scientists develop new framework for super-resolution ultrasound

Researchers at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology used deep learning to develop a new framework for super-resolution ultrasound.
Wide exterior shot of the Beckman Institute on a summer day.

Beckman Institute announces 2023 fellowship, award recipients

Twelve students have been selected to receive 2023 Beckman Institute fellowships and awards. The awards, which fund interdisciplinary research that takes place over the summer, will be celebrated at a poster session on July 28, 2023.
The sea slug, Pleurobranchea californica

Study: Brain circuits for locomotion evolved long before appendages and skeletons

A new study finds parallels between the brain architecture that drives locomotion in sea slugs and that of more complex segmented creatures with jointed skeletons and appendages. 
Kathure Mugambi stands in front of column inside IGB building.

Meet MCB: Undergraduate researcher Kathure Mugambi

Kathure Mugambi is a senior undergraduate student in Molecular and Cellular Biology. She is also the undergraduate assistant for the IGB Lunchbox series.
Benita Katzenellenbogan and John Katzenellenbogen

Novel Compound May Block Certain Forms of Aggressive Cancer

University of Illinois scientists Benita Katzenellenbogen, Swanlund Professor of Molecular & Integrative Physiology, and John Katzenellenbogen, Swanlund Professor of Chemistry, have developed a new compound with efficacy in suppressing tumor initiation, progression, and metastasis of several...
The 2023 cohort of the Beckman Institute Postdoctoral Fellows Program (from left): Kelly Powderly; Patricia Cintora; Zhengchang Kou; Yannan Hu; Zane Thornburg; and Alejandro De la Cadena. They are standing outside in a group with arms folded, smiling for the camera.

Members of MCB labs earn newly-established fellowships focused on cancer research

The Beckman Institute has announced its 2023 class of six postdoctoral fellows. Fellows are selected in accordance with the core values of the institute: excellence, collaboration, integrity, transdisciplinarity, exploration, and diversity.
Illustration of an instrumented tissue mimic

Illinois to co-lead new CZ Biohub in Chicago

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has been chosen to lead the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Chicago – a new biomedical hub – along with the University of Chicago and Northwestern University. The three-university team was selected to lead the new biomedical hub as part of a competitive...
Illustration of a human standing with a DNA strand circling the human. Image by Michael Vincent.

Possible genetic basis and mouse model found for severe nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

The SRSF1 gene acts as a guardian against DNA damage in the liver, School of MCB researchers found. When it is missing or inactivated, severe nonalcoholic fatty liver disease symptoms develop.
Exterior of Beckman Institute at nighttime. Lights in the building are on and trees along path to the building are illuminated.

Research: Reading for pleasure can strengthen memory in older adults

Researchers at the Beckman Institute, with help from the Champaign Public Library, investigated the potential benefits of reading in improving memory. They found that regular, engaged leisure reading can strengthen memory skills in older adults, laying the groundwork for better practices in...