Uncategorized

Single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) binding proteins protect and promote the processing of ssDNA that is formed during replication and repair. Among these are RPA (replication protein A), which associates with ssDNA at the replication fork to facilitate lagging-strand synthesis and prevent fork collapse, and RAD51, which forms filaments on ssDNA at… Read More

The ability of the nervous system to transmit impulses rapidly depends on the presence of myelin, a complex membranous structure that provides insulation to neuronal axons. In the peripheral nervous system (PNS), myelin is formed by multiple Schwann cells, each of which wraps its membrane in a spiral fashion around… Read More

Synaptic plasticity – the ability of neurons to increase or decrease the strength of signal transmission in response to changes in synaptic activity – is a key process in learning, cognition, and memory. Considerable data suggest that noradrenergic neurons that project their axons to the cortex and hippocampus play a… Read More

Kudos to Neil Osheroff, who was honored by the Association of Biochemistry Educators with their 2017 Distinguished Service Award! This award represents appreciation for an individual who has demonstrated either a profound, sustained, or leadership contribution to improving the postdoctoral experience. The award is presented in alternating years to either an… Read More

Masakazu Shiota (Molecular Physiology & Biophysics), is one of 13 recipients of funding from Vanderbilt's 2017 Discovery Grants program for "Development and Validation of Dual Recombination System in Mice."  Read more… Read More

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) have found a way to calm the “genomic storm” that triggers the often-lethal consequences of sepsis. Sepsis, an exaggerated and overwhelming inflammatory response to various infections, is a leading cause of death in the United States and around the world. Using a cell-penetrating peptide they… Read More

High circulating glucose, the hallmark of diabetes, is linked to the disease’s most serious complications including heart disease, kidney failure, blindness and amputation. Diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death and costs the nation an estimated $322 billion a year. Restoring the action of insulin has been the traditional treatment… Read More

Ronald Emeson was presented with the Teacher of the Year Award at last week’s 26th annual Joel G. Hardman Student-Invited Pharmacology Forum. Emeson is now a three-time winner of the award. He previously received it in 2003 and in 1995, the first year it was awarded. Read More

Vanderbilt Basic Sciences Prof. Richard Caprioli (Department of Biochemistry) is featured in the cover story of the American Chemical Society’s primary trade magazine, Chemical and Engineering News. The article outlines how imaging mass spectrometry (IMS), pioneered in the Caprioli laboratory, has now been broadly adopted by the pharmaceutical industry. IMS enables… Read More

Vanderbilt University cancer researcher Ann Richmond, Ph.D., 2016 recipient of one of the highest honors for scientific achievement bestowed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, will be a keynote speaker during a national VA research conference next week at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. “Cancer Immunotherapy: Advances and Challenges” is the… Read More