Meet MCB: Biochemistry PhD student Yiquan Wang

Yiquan Wang sits smiling in a white lab coat with his arms crossed next to a computer displaying his artwork in the Wu Lab.
Yiquan Wang is a PhD student in the School of Molecular and Cellular Biology at UIUC. In our latest "Meet MCB" video, Yiquan shares how he's bridging his love for art and biochemistry to help people better understand virology.

The Changing Shape of HIV

Model of HIV
The Procko lab applies big data tools to molecular biochemistry.Their goal: a better understanding of how we might fight HIV-1.

Decoding Life with MCB: Decoy Proteins

Podcast album artwork. Titled "Decoding Life with MCB: Life is extraordinary. So is the work we do."
Life is extraordinary. So is the work we do. In a brand new podcast, Decoding Life with MCB, the School of Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign explores the impact of our students, faculty, staff, and alumni in each episode.

What is the new variant of coronavirus in the UK?

Headshot of Erik Procko outside
New mutations to the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 are emerging, including one in the United Kingdom with higher infection rates that has sparked new travel bans. Erik Procko, a professor of biochemistry at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, has been studying mutations in the spike...

Decoy receptor neutralizes coronavirus in cell cultures

Headshot of Erik Procko outside
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread, scientists and health care providers are seeking ways to keep the coronavirus from infecting tissues once they’re exposed. A new study suggests luring the virus with a decoy – an engineered, free-floating receptor protein – that binds the virus and...

Simulated sea slug gets addicted to drug

Cyberslug was modeled on Pleurobranchaea californica, a sea slug with a simple nervous system.
Rhanor Gillette and his colleagues simulated a sea slug brain in a computer model, added a few extra circuits, and gave it access to food and an intoxicating drug. The work offers insight into the process of addiction and will be a useful tool for further studies, Gillette said.