Cell and Molecular biology trainer Michael Rust is working with a team of researchers who were recently awarded a $1.8 million grant from the NSF to design and create next-generation materials inspired and empowered by biological cells. He joins investigators from the University of San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, Syracuse University, and Rochester Institute of Technology to create self-directed, programmable, and reconfigurable materials using biological building blocks including proteins and cells
Ben Glick is 1/2 of one of the 2 new HHMI student advisor teams in CMB, with his trainee, Fernando Valbeuna. The are joined by Jon Staley, who is mentoring his second Gilliam trainee, Matthew McDonough.
DJ Speed has been named an HHMI Gilliam Fellow. He is a member of Jean Greenberg's lab.
Meike Lobb-Rabe has been selected for the Ruth L Kirschstein National Research Award. Her advisor is Robert Carrillo.
Meghan O'Connell was named an NSF Graduate Research Fellow. She is a member of David Kovar's lab.
Julia Meng was awarded the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. Julia is a member of Ellie Heckscher's lab.
Cody Hernandez (Cell and Molecular Biology) has been named an HHMI Gilliam Fellow. He is a member of Jon Staley's lab.
Jonathan Hall has (Cell and Molecular Biology) has been awarded the American Heart Association Pre-doctoral Fellowship. His advisor is Alex Ruthenburg.
How circuit wiring is specified is a key question in developmental neurobiology. Previously, using the Drosophila motor system as a model, Meng and colleagues found the classic temporal transcription factor Hunchback acts in NB7-1 neuronal stem cells to control the number of NB7-1 neuronal progeny form functional synapses on dorsal muscles (Meng et al., 2019). However, it is unknown to what extent control of motor neuron-to-muscle synaptic partnerships is a general feature of temporal transcription factors.
Sampriti Mukherjee has joined the Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology. The overarching goal of her lab is to understand how bacteria decode and integrate self-generated and environmentally-derived stimuli to control transitions between individual and collective behaviors.
