Templated trimerization of the phage L decoration protein on capsids
Protein Sci.

MCB is excited to introduce our two newest faculty members, Dylan Murray and Kristin Ramsey

Dylan Murray joins the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology as an assistant professor. Murray earned his doctorate degree in molecular biophysics from Florida State University and worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the National Institutes of Health. Murray’s research interest focuses on how microscopic molecules like proteins and DNA in humans and plants collectively produce much larger phenomena required to maintain life. His work has broad applications from fighting neurodegenerative disease and cancer to engineering plants to produce petrochemicals or to survive drought.

Kristen Ramsey joins the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology as an assistant professor. She received her bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Florida State University as a Goldwater Scholar and her doctoral degree at the University of California, San Diego in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Ramsey previously served as an NIH Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Biophysics at Johns Hopkins University. Her research is focused on integrating molecular biophysical approaches with cell-based functional assays to further understand the fundamental biology of pathogen-sensing and signaling by innate immune RNA sensors from humans, birds, and scavenger species.

Nathan Alder, along with collaborator Doron Rapaport from the University of Tübingen (Germany), has received an award from the Reinhard-Frank Foundation for research on mitochondria-targeted bioactive compounds. Support from this foundation is designed to advance novel research that builds upon existing research strengths and promotes sustained partnership between participating institutions. The supported research will explore how some small molecules with strong therapeutic potential for treating mitochondrial disorders may function at the outer membrane of the mitochondrion, combining Alder’s expertise in the analysis of mitochondria-targeted compounds with Rapaport’s expertise in the biogenesis of mitochondrial proteins. This funding will support joint research activities in the Alder and Rapaport labs as well as reciprocal institutional visits and training opportunities for lab personnel.

Nathan Alder and Eric May have been awarded an R01 grant from the NIH National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) as co-investigators on a project led by Steve Claypool at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. The project, entitled “An intimate and multifaceted partnership: cardiolipin and the mitochondrial ADP/ATP carrier” (R01HL165729), is a four-year award, with a total award amount exceeding $2 million. This project will use multidisciplinary approaches for understanding the functional interactions between the ADP/ATP carrier (AAC) of the mitochondrial inner membrane and cardiolipin, the signature phospholipid of the mitochondrion. Following up on recent research progress from the Claypool group, the work supported by this grant will elucidate how cardiolipin regulates AAC folding as well as higher-order assembly of AAC with the respiratory chain supercomplex, both of which are essential for mitochondrial energy metabolism. The labs at MCB will make complementary contributions to the work, using biophysical techniques with mitochondrial and reductionist model systems (Alder Lab) and computational approaches to address dynamic AAC-lipid interactions (May Lab). A key objective of this research is to elucidate the molecular basis of disease-associated defects in AAC-cardiolipin interactions that may arise from alterations in lipid metabolism and heritable mutations in the AAC transporter. These insights will inform current models of AAC regulation and the role of AAC-lipid interactions in mitochondrial diseases.

New head of the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology explains the complexities of the evolving field — and why well-trained scientists are in high demand. Read full article in UConn Today

The Department of Molecular and Cell Biology would like to congratulate Dr. Carol Teschke for her recent election to the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering  (CASE) Continue reading →

Dr. Eric May’s Research Highlighted in UConn Today UConn Today, April 23, 2021, Kim Krieger, UConn Communications
See Article

James Cole is among five UConn researchers awarded internal funding to support researchers who are using their expertise to find new solutions to address the Covid-10 pandemic The program will award up to $50,000 to recipients.

Dr. James Cole received $43,439, Targeting the Endoribonuclease of Coronaviruses, Co-PIs: Mark Peczuh, Chemistry

See full article in UConn Today

Graduate Program in Genetics and Genomics

Department of Molecular and Cell Biology

University of Connecticut

Related Proposal for the Doctoral Degree

Nadine Lebek

B.S. University of New Haven, 2017

Characterizing Synphilin-1 in proteostasis and

α-synuclein clearance

Thursday, July 30th, 2020

1:00 PM

Webex Virtual Seminar

https://uconn-cmr.webex.com/uconn-cmr/j.php?MTID=m5c67dae1396d39f1b25599f52127db2d

Major Advisor: Dr. Kenneth Campellone

Associate Advisor: Dr. Barbara Mellone

Associate Advisor: Dr. Leighton Core

Examiner: Dr. Aoife Heaslip

Examiner: Dr. David Goldhamer