Author
Organizing Microtubule Asters
Aug. 8, 2018—Microtubules (MTs) are a critical component of the cytoskeleton, playing a role in a range of processes from cell polarization to division. MTs are polymers of αβ-tubulin that grow and shrink from a rapidly changing plus-end and a more slowly changing minus-end to form two primary architectures – linear bundles and radial asters. In most in vitrostudies,...
Dynamics of Basement Membrane Repair
Aug. 8, 2018—The basement membrane (BM) is an ancient, highly conserved structure that lies under the basal surface of epithelial cells and wraps around organs such as muscles and nerves. It provides mechanical stiffness and modulates cellular communication by interacting with signaling molecules. Although much is known about BM structure, its dynamic aspects – the ability to...
Deans Award for Exceptional Achievement in Graduate Studies
Aug. 8, 2018—Megan Rasmussen (Gama Lab), Natalya Ortolano (Gama Lab), Claire Strothman (Zanic Lab) and Chloe Snyder (Gould Lab) are recipients of the 2018 inagural Deans Award for Exceptional Achievement in Graduate Studies. The award honors outstanding graduate students in the School of Medicine who are entering their 4th year of study. The award provides each student $5,000/year of stipend support for two...
Dissertation Defense – Heather McCartney
Jul. 5, 2018—Heather McCartney, Macara Lab, will defend on Friday, July 13, 2018, at 11:00 am in 3131 MRB III. The title of her dissertation is: "SAN1 – a novel nuclease involved in DNA interstrand crosslink repair"
Alex Andrews Dissertation Defense
Jun. 7, 2018—Alex Andrews' dissertation defense takes place on Thursday, June 21, 2018 at 2:00 pm in 3131 MRB III. The title of his dissertation is, "SAN1- A Novel Nuclease Involved in Interstrand Cross-Link Repair"
Kathleen Gould wins SEC Faculty Achievement Award
Apr. 2, 2018—Kathleen Gould, Louise B. McGavock Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology in the School of Medicine, is Vanderbilt’s winner of the 2018 Southeastern Conference Faculty Achievement Award. The awards, now in their seventh year, are an initiative of SECU, the academic arm of the Southeastern Conference, and recognize senior faculty at SEC institutions with outstanding records in teaching,...
Study tracks protein’s role in stem cell function
Mar. 22, 2018—Reporting last month in the journal Stem Cell Reports, Vanderbilt University researchers found that a form of MCL-1 maintains stem cell pluripotency through its role in the inner matrix of mitochondria, the cell’s energy producing “power plants.” When this MCL-1 is depleted by an inhibitor, stem cells differentiate. MCL-1 depletion also changes the shape of mitochondria, which are very dynamic...
Meredith Weck Dissertation Defense
Feb. 6, 2018—Meredith Weck's (Tyska Lab) dissertation defense is Tuesday, February 20th, 10:00 a.m. ~ 11:00 a.m., 3131 MRB III, "Mechanisms of myosin-7b function in brush border assembly" Flyer
Zachary Elmore Dissertation Defense
Feb. 6, 2018—Zachary Elmore's (Gould Lab) dissertation defense is Friday, February 23rd, 12:00 p.m. ~ 1:00 p.m., 3131 MRB III, "Stay on target: The kinase domain of CK1 enzymes contains the localization information, essential for Dma1-mediated mitotic checkpoint signaling"
Cell skeleton and the brush border
Feb. 1, 2018—Irina Kaverina, PhD, Matthew Tyska, PhD, and colleagues in Argentina explored the role of microtubules — part of the cellular “skeleton” — in building the border, which is critical for healthy organ function. The investigators used a cell model of individual intestinal cell polarization (the establishment of “sidedness”) and found that disruption of microtubules prevented brush border...