News
Macara elected AAAS fellow
Nov. 20, 2017—Fifteen Vanderbilt University faculty members conducting a range of biomedical and clinical research have been elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science this year. They are among 396 fellows from around the country selected by their peers “because of their efforts toward advancing science applications that are deemed scientifically or socially distinguished.” Ian Macara,...
A lipid’s role in cell division
Nov. 17, 2017—Proper cell division is a basic process critical to cell survival. A ring composed of actin filaments and myosin motor proteins pinches the cell apart, producing two daughter cells with equal amounts of cellular components. Reporting in the Journal of Cell Biology, Kathleen Gould, Ph.D., and colleagues characterized how this powerful contractile ring remains anchored to the plasma...
Gould and Snider are studying how the contractile ring forms and functions in cell division
Nov. 14, 2017—For years, Kathleen Gould, Ph.D., and her colleagues have drawn models of the contractile ring — the molecular apparatus that physically divides cells — and its parts. They used genetic studies to probe how the protein parts fit together, but their models involved some educated guesses. “We drew things certain ways, but we didn’t really know,” said...
Sweatt, Tansey discuss influence of epigenetics on research
Nov. 3, 2017—Basic research underway at Vanderbilt University Medical Center is raising hopes that one day it will be possible to reverse memory loss in people with Alzheimer’s disease and stop a major driver of cancer in its tracks. During a Vanderbilt Cutting-Edge Discovery Lecture last week, David Sweatt, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Pharmacology, and William...
Gut response to fluid flow
Oct. 27, 2017—Flow of fluids through the gut, such as milk from an infant’s diet, generates a shear stress on cells lining the intestine. Ken Lau, Ph.D., and colleagues have demonstrated that microvilli – finger-like membrane protrusions – are capable of sensing shear forces and subsequently drive an intracellular response called autophagy.
Marija Zanic Participates in Flexner Discovery Lecture
Oct. 24, 2017—A trio of Vanderbilt University scientists, including CDB's Marija Zanic, recently described their cutting-edge investigations of cellular dynamics and cancer treatment during a Flexner Discovery Lecture.
Brunette & Taneja earn top honors in Nikon small world photomicrography competition
Oct. 10, 2017—Dylan Burnette won a top 20 (19th place) award in the Nikon small world photomicrography competition. Nilay Taneja won an image of distinction (top100) in the same competition. The competition invites images from scientists worldwide.
Cell signals that trigger wound healing are surprisingly complex
Oct. 4, 2017—Despite a tremendous amount of scientific study, many outstanding mysteries still surround the way in which cells in living tissue respond to and repair physical damage. One prominent mystery is exactly how wound-healing is triggered.Using an ultrafast, ultraprecise laser, a team of physicists and biologists at Vanderbilt University has taken an important step toward understanding the...
David Allis – Flexner Discovery Lecture Series
Sep. 7, 2017—The Department of Cell and Developmental Biology hosted David Allis on September 7th for the first Flexner Discovery Lecture Series of the year. David Allis' talk was titled, "Varying the terrain of epigenetic landscapes: implications for gene regulation, development and cancer" Dr. David Allis is the Joy and Jack Fishman Professor and Head of the Laboratory of Chromatin Biology and Epigenetics at The Rockefeller University and a member of the...
Jason MacGurn Awarded RSG Grant
Jun. 22, 2017—Jason MacGurn received a 2017 Research Scholar Program Grants (RSG) Projects award to fund the Cell Dynamics Symposium!
CDB Hosts BRET 25th Reunion
Jun. 6, 2017—On June 2nd the CDB hosted part of the Biomedical Research Education and Training (BRET) office's 25th Reunion. Approximately 170 Interdisciplinary Graduate Program (IGP) alumni attended, some of whom met with CDB faculty and toured our facilities, including the new Nikon Center of Excellence imaging lab. In the “Latest Discoveries from CDB Benches” portion of the event, participants conversed with...
15th Annual CDB Retreat Award Winners are . . . .
May. 26, 2017—The 15th Annual Cell and Developmental Biology Retreat was held May 19, 2017 at the Joe C. Davis YMCA Outdoor Center in Nashville. This annual event provides an opportunity for faculty, staff, and lab members to meet and discuss their research in a relaxed environment. The agenda consisted of student presentations and poster sessions. Award Winners! Congratulations to our award...
Polarity protein role in cell survival
Apr. 28, 2017—Cell survival is dependent upon regulation of numerous proteins, both cytosolic and membrane bound. Reporting in Nature Communications, Mukhtar Ahmed, Ph.D., and Ian Macara, Ph.D., identified an unexpected link between cell survival and the polarized delivery of proteins to the surface of mammary epithelial cells.
A molecular clue to longevity
Apr. 18, 2017—Understanding the processes that regulate aging is crucial to potentially increasing longevity and enhancing quality of life. Using the budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae), Christopher Lord, Ph.D., Ophir Ospovat and Susan Wente, Ph.D., demonstrated that accumulation of tRNA (transfer RNA) in the nucleus increased replicative life span. These results were published this month in the journal RNA.
Chloe Snider Named Vanderbilt Prize Scholar
Mar. 30, 2017—Congratulations to Chloe Snider, CDB graduate student in Kathy Gould’s laboratory, who has been named the Vanderbilt Prize Scholar for 2017. The Vanderbilt Prize Scholar is a female Ph.D. candidate who has demonstrated excellent leadership qualities and outstanding potential to impact medicine through research during her career. The Vanderbilt Prize Scholar is mentored for one...