Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at BCM

12/13/2021

https://time.com/heroes-of-the-year-2021-vaccine-scientists/

In giving the world a weapon against COVID-19, these scientists built a defense against challenges yet to come

12/06/2021

We are excited to announce that Dr. Jeremy Wilusz has joined our faculty as associate professor. Dr. Wilusz comes to BMB from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. His research focuses on understanding how noncoding RNAs are generated, regulated, and function. Dr. Wilusz received a B.S. in molecular and cellular biology from Johns Hopkins University, a Ph.D. from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and completed postdoctoral work at MIT. He was recently awarded a CPRIT Rising Star Award. Welcome to BMB Dr. Wilusz!

12/03/2021

On Thursday, December 9, BMB will host Dr. Miguel Garcia-Diaz, Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacological Sciences at Stony Brook University. Dr. Garcia-Diaz's research focuses on understanding how mitochondria, the energy factories of the cell, are able to use their genome to build the different structures necessary for mammalian respiration. For information on this and other BMB seminars, please visit https://www.bcm.edu/.../biochemistr.../events/seminar-series

11/23/2021

On December 2nd, BMB will host a presentation by Dr. Randy Stockbridge of the University of Michigan Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. Dr. Stockbridge's research focuses on discovering and understanding novel microbial membrane proteins. For information on this and other BMB seminars, please visit https://www.bcm.edu/.../biochemistr.../events/seminar-series

11/17/2021

On Thursday, November 18th, BMB will present a virtual seminar with Dr. Joseph Mindell, Senior Investigator with the Membrane Transport Biophysics Section of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Dr. Mindell will discuss "Protons to patients: evaluating the role of the chloride transporter ClC-7 in lysosomal function." For information on this and other BMB seminars, please visit https://www.bcm.edu/departments/biochemistry-and-molecular-biology/events/seminar-series

11/12/2021

On November 18 at 10:00 am, BMB will host a presentation by Joseph Mindell, M.D., Ph.D., Senior Investigator Membrane Transport Biophysics Section of NIH. Dr. Mindell joined National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke as an investigator in 2002. His laboratory uses a combination of structural and functional approaches to answer mechanistic questions regarding ClC channels and other anion transport proteins. For information on this and other upcoming seminar series speakers, visit https://www.bcm.edu/departments/biochemistry-and-molecular-biology/events/seminar-series

11/05/2021

BMB would like to invite you to a virtual seminar on November 11 titled "Power to the protein: analyze, build, protect with Spy and Neiss superglues." Please note -- this presentation will take place at 10:00 am. The seminar will be presented by Dr. Mark Howarth of the Department of Biochemistry at Oxford University. Dr. Howarth's lab focuses on developing new approaches for disease prevention, diagnosis and therapy, and seeks to provide fundamental insight into how biological systems function. For information on this and other upcoming seminar series speakers, visit https://www.bcm.edu/.../biochemistr.../events/seminar-series

10/27/2021

Join the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology on November 4th for a discussion with Dr. Edward Yu, Professor of Pharmacology, on "structural and functional diversity of RND transporters." Dr. Yu's research at Case Western Reserve University focuses on the structure, assembly and mechanism of the resistance-nodulation-cell division (RND)-superfamily efflux pumps as well as their regulation. For information on this and other upcoming seminar series speakers, visit https://www.bcm.edu/.../biochemistr.../events/seminar-series

10/22/2021

On TUESDAY, October 26, the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Department of Pharmacology will co-host Dr. Anne West of Duke University for a discussion on "Chromatin regulation of neuronal maturation." Dr. West's research focuses on understanding at a cellular/molecular level how neuronal activity regulates the formation and maturation of synapses during brain development, and ultimately using genetic model systems to understand how defects in this developmental process lead to cognitive dysfunction. For information on this and other upcoming seminar series speakers, visit https://www.bcm.edu/.../biochemistr.../events/seminar-series

10/18/2021

The faculty, staff and students of BMB would like to congratulate Dr. Helen Heslop on her election to the National Academy of Medicine. Dr. Heslop is director of the Center for Cell and Gene Therapy and interim director of the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center. Election to the National Academy of Medicine, one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine, recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service.

Dr. Helen Heslop, director of the Center for Cell and Gene Therapy at Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital and Houston Methodist Hospital...

10/15/2021

On October 21, the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at BCM will host Seminar Series Speaker, Joshua Riback, Assistant Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology at BCM. He will discuss "Composition dependent form and function of biological condensates." Dr. Riback's research focuses on elucidating the underlying principles which spatiotemporally organize molecular interactions and the formation of macromolecular complexes in cells.

For information on this and other upcoming seminar series speakers, visit https://www.bcm.edu/departments/biochemistry-and-molecular-biology/events/seminar-series

10/04/2021

A team of researchers at Baylor College of Medicine has developed a drug-based genetic platform that enables scientists to track genetic manipulations in a laboratory fruit fly. This advancement, described in Cell Reports, makes it easier and faster to study the role of genes on diseases. First author on the article, Dr. Nick Matinyan, was a graduate student in Dr. Koen J.T. Venken’s lab at Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at BCM while he was working on this project. Other contributors to this work include Mansi S. Karkhanis, Yezabel Gonzalez, Antrix Jain, Alexander Saltzman, Anna Malovannaya and Alejandro Sarrion-Perdigones, all at Baylor College of Medicine.
https://blogs.bcm.edu/2021/09/28/from-the-labs-studying-gene-function-is-now-easier-faster-and-more-efficient/

A drug-based genetic platform enables scientists to follow genetic manipulations in the laboratory fruit fly more efficiently.