Biochemistry

Acanthamoeba can cause diseases blinding keratitis, an infection of the eye, or granulomatous amebic encephalitis, a generally fatal infection of the brain and spinal cord. Antifungals that target the biosynthesis of fungal sterols, such as ergosterol, are often used as treatment, but the Acanthamoeba ergosterol biosynthetic pathway has been shown to differ significantly from that found in fungi. Read More

Tina Iverson, Louise B. McGavock Chair and Professor of pharmacology and biochemistry, will take the role of associate dean for faculty on July 1, 2024. Read More

Cryo-ET suffers from the “missing wedge” problem: as samples become more tilted, their thickness at the extremes is increased and sample penetration decreases. William Wan and collaborators describe the creation of a new subtomogram averaging package called STOPGAP. Read More

By targeting a notoriously undruggable protein found in many cancers, the discovery of BI-0474 may pave the way for new cancer treatments. Shared on opnMe.com by Boehringer Ingelheim, this innovative molecule is available for global researchers to explore new research avenues. Read More

Foundational research from the Hiebert lab reveals genetic targets that can be leveraged to identify therapies that affect lymphoma cell growth. Read More

Within the intellectual powerhouse that is Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center thrives a group of doctors, engineers, computer scientists and others who also are visionaries, inventors and entrepreneurs. Several of these change-makers also donate their time and expertise through the Vanderbilt Innovation Ambassadors Program to help colleagues in their departments recognize and pursue the world-altering potential of their own ideas. Read More

World-renowned leader in biochemistry David Cortez wins the 2024 Hans Neurath Award for the development and application of creative technological approaches to identify and characterize proteins involved in DNA and genome maintenance.  Read More

The labs of Emily Hodges, assistant professor of biochemistry, and Tony Capra, associate professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of California, San Francisco, have devised a method to separate the relative contributions of cis vs. trans regulatory mechanisms to gene regulatory divergence between species. Read More

Jennifer Pietenpol, Executive Vice President for Research and chief scientific and strategy officer for VUMC and professor of biochemistry and otolaryngology, is the 2024 recipient of the Science of Oncology Award, for outstanding contributions to basic or translational research in cancer. She is among a select group of global oncology leaders being recognized with special awards by ASCO and Conquer Cancer, the organization’s foundation. Read More

Fourteen biomedical sciences students from across the School of Medicine Basic Sciences and the School of Medicine have been awarded the Provost Pathbreaking Discovery Award from the Graduate School. Read More