Tag: Department of Biology

Connecting the dots between aging, Alzheimer’s, and ‘junk DNA’
Biologists Vera Gorbunova and Andrei Seluanov join colleagues at Brown and NYU in the quest to find potential targets of treatments and therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases.

Grant helps biologist study ‘complex interplay’ of nature and nurture on genes
Jennifer Brisson, an associate professor of biology, will further her study of phenotypic plasticity, which describes how an organism’s development is influenced by its environment, with a five-year, $2 million NIH grant.

Rochester students’ award-winning device instantly detects sepsis via sweat
Rochester undergraduates have developed a fast, noninvasive, affordable, and eco-friendly way to diagnose the life-threatening medical complication.

More evidence of an evolutionary ‘arms race’ between genes and selfish genetic elements
Christina Muirhead, a computational biologist and population geneticist in the lab of Daven Presgraves, further proves genes develop weapons to combat ‘parasites’ that litter the human genome.

Researchers develop novel 3D printing technique to engineer biofilms
University of Rochester biologist Anne S. Meyer and her colleagues are studying how engineered biofilms closely mimic natural ones. Their research may aid in developing drugs to fight the negative effects of these microorganisms that adhere to surfaces.

Meet the recipients of the 2021 Goergen Awards for teaching excellence
Rochester professors Will Bridges, Jason Middleton, and Elaine Sia will be formally recognized for their exceptional undergraduate teaching on October 28.

Elaine Sia: Teaching the ‘how’ as well as the ‘what’ in science
The biology professor has taught nearly 4,000 undergraduates since joining the University in 2000, including students in the 100-level Genetics, the first demanding course in that major.

Is ‘junk DNA’ a key to killing cancer cells?
Rochester biologists show how a selfish genetic element called retrotransposons that can cause tumors may also trigger the death of cancer cells.

Approach predicts novel ‘protein partners’ that could contribute to COVID-19 symptoms
Rochester biologists propose that disrupted interactions between the proteins that closely evolve with the ACE2 receptor may play a role in COVID-19 complications.

Three professors to receive Goergen Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching
Will Bridges, Jason Middleton, and Elaine Sia will be honored at an on-campus ceremony in October.