News about about MCB faculty, students and staff.
Crammed inside every human cell are numerous strands of chromosomal DNA that, if laid end-to-end, would span a distance of about two meters. A special enzyme mechanically untangles the DNA, keeping our chromosomes from resembling a string of Christmas tree lights jammed into a box after the holiday. Someday, biochemist James Berger's efforts to understand the same enzyme in cancer cells could lead to new tumor-fighting drugs.
Assistant Professor Lu Chen has been awarded the prestigeous Packard Fellowship for Science and Engineering from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.
For more information see:
Professor Hiroshi Nikaido will present this year's Roger Y. Stanier Memorial Lecture on Thursday November 4 in 100 Genetics & Plant Biology Building.
What happens when you touch a hot pan on the stove? You probably yell and yank your hand away. Between the sizzle and the scream though, an amazingly fast and complex cascade of cellular communication occurs inside your body.
To study the electrical intricacies of the nervous system, neurobiologist Ehud Isacoff is developing new optical methods that enable scientists to watch the cellular symphony unfold at the nanoscale.
Understanding the dynamic structure of neuronal proteins could lead to new treatments for diseases like cystic fibrosis, epilepsy, and some forms of paralysis, Isacoff says. The first step though is to take a long, hard look at the dynamics of ion channels, the tiny electrical gates in a cell's membrane that govern cellular transport and signaling.
The Department of Molecular and Cell Biology is seeking applications for four faculty positions.
Applications should include a curriculum vitae; a list of publications; a brief description of research accomplishments; a statement of research objectives and teaching interests; and reprints of three most significant publications. Please arrange to have three letters of reference sent to the address below. Applicants are expected to join the faculty July 1, 2005 or thereafter.
We seek candidates at any level (tenured or tenure-track). Excellent candidates in all areas of Immunology will be considered, but we are particularly interested in those working on host-pathogen interactions; pathogenesis; innate immunity; tumor immunology; cytokine signaling; inflammation; cancer biology and signal transduction.
Four years ago, a new weapon in the war on cancer made it to clinical trials accompanied by headlines and hope. Gleevec, a drug manufactured by Novartis, appeared to selectively turn off a specific cancer-causing protein like a light switch, stopping the progress of a severe form of leukemia in its tracks.
The odd thing is that nobody really knew how the drug knocked out the leukemia-causing cells while leaving healthy proteins alone. Just seven months before the FDA approved Gleevec in May 2001, Professor John Kuriyan announced that he had solved the puzzle.
The Presidential Early Career Award (PECASE) is the nation's top honor for scientists at the beginning of their careers. Previous recipients of the award include MCB Professor in Residence Abby Dernburg in 2002 and Professor Carolyn Bertozzi in 1999.
For more information visit:
Official White House Press Release
Official UC Press Release
NIH PECASE Program Site
One way to disrupt a mechanical process is to throw a wrench into the works. This also holds true for viruses, biological parasites that hijack a cell's reproductive mechanisms to replicate themselves. The key though to successful sabotage is knowing precisely where to toss the wrench.
Jennifer A. Doudna, a UC Berkeley professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, is aiding the hunt for this kind of Achilles' Heel in the Hepatitis virus. According to the Center for Disease Control, nearly 4 million Americans and 170 million people worldwide have been infected with Hepatitis C, one of the strains Doudna studies. The failure of available therapies results in 10,000 deaths every year just in this country.
Read the Complete article at ScienceMatters@Berkeley.
The Distinguished Research Mentor award is designed to honor faculty members in the College of Letters & Science who have performed exceptional service as research mentors for undergraduate students. The Distinguished Faculty Advisor award is designed to recognize faculty members who have made a significant contribution to undergraduate education by offering outstanding counsel and guidance to undergraduates in planning their academic and professional careers.
For more information about these awards and past recipients please visit the official faculty award information page.