Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

School of Molecular & Cellular Biology at Illinois (U. of I.)

@mcbillinois.bsky.social

160 followers 120 following 44 posts

Official account for the School of Molecular & Cellular Biology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. We seek answers to fundamental questions about how organisms work and the many implications for life.

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

School of Molecular & Cellular Biology at Illinois (U. of I.) @mcbillinois.bsky.social · Nov 21

Your wonder will take you many places in life. We hope it leads you to the School of Molecular & Cellular Biology.

We're seeking answers to some of life’s most intricate and elusive questions, and people bold enough to ask them.

Imagine what questions we can answer together.

bit.ly/3V6niH0

What do you wonder?

YouTube video by School of Molecular & Cellular Biology

youtu.be

1 1

School of Molecular & Cellular Biology at Illinois (U. of I.) @mcbillinois.bsky.social · 9d

Applications are now open!

go.mcb.illinois.edu/mcb-ds

#MCB #biologymajor #DataScience #MolecularandCellularBiology #ILLINOIS

School of MCB launches new MCB + Data Science major | School of Molecular & Cellular Biology | Illinois

The School of Molecular & Cellular Biology is pleased to announce a new undergraduate program: the bachelor of science degree in

go.mcb.illinois.edu

School of Molecular & Cellular Biology at Illinois (U. of I.) @mcbillinois.bsky.social · 9d

As artificial intelligence, machine learning, high-throughput genomics, and other data-driven technologies revolutionize our world, the demand for scientists who can navigate biology and data science has risen.

We are excited to announce a new major: Molecular & Cellular Biology + Data Science.

School of Molecular & Cellular Biology at Illinois (U. of I.) @mcbillinois.bsky.social · 9d

How can you leverage data to identify, treat, and manage health and disease?

How are large biological datasets transforming research and industry?

How can scientists enable efficient and accurate management of massive amounts of technical and biological data?

School of Molecular & Cellular Biology at Illinois (U. of I.) @mcbillinois.bsky.social · Jul 21

Celebrating a few of our creative, hard-working undergraduate researchers who earned awards at the campus symposium earlier this year.

mcb.illinois.edu/news/2025-07...

Undergrad research shines at campus symposium | School of Molecular & Cellular Biology | Illinois

The School of Molecular & Cellular Biology is pleased to announce that several students won awards at the 2025 University of Illinois Undergraduate Research Symposium earlier this year.

mcb.illinois.edu

School of Molecular & Cellular Biology at Illinois (U. of I.) @mcbillinois.bsky.social · Jul 1

The new study from Dr. Rachel Smith-Bolton, associate professor of cell and developmental biology, and graduate student Anish Bose offers new insights into how this vital process comes to a successful close in the fruit fly, an animal model often used in biomedical research.

From left: Rachel Smith-Bolton and Anish Bose

School of Molecular & Cellular Biology at Illinois (U. of I.) @mcbillinois.bsky.social · Jul 1

How does regeneration come to a successful close when a tissue has healed?

New research from @rachelsmithbolton.bsky.social
explores this question in an article in Science Advances:

go.mcb.illinois.edu/sbJune2025

#drosophila #regeneration #ILLINOIS

Fruit fly study reveals a gene’s hidden ability to keep regrowth on the right track | School of Molecular & Cellular Biology | Illinois

Regeneration, the ability to heal damaged or lost tissues, is both everyday and a real life superpower.

go.mcb.illinois.edu

1 3 3

School of Molecular & Cellular Biology at Illinois (U. of I.) @mcbillinois.bsky.social · Jun 25

#Illinois researchers have successfully treated a common type of colorectal cancer tumor with a cholesterol inhibitor drug, demonstrating a promising treatment for the disease in animal experiments.

The study was published in Nature Chemical Biology:

go.mcb.illinois.edu/623
@nelsonlab.bsky.social

Colorectal cancer treated with cholesterol inhibitor in U. of I. study | School of Molecular & Cellular Biology | Illinois

University of Illinois researchers have successfully treated a common type of colorectal cancer tumor with a cholesterol inhibitor drug, demonstrating a promising treatment for the disease in animal experiments.

mcb.illinois.edu

2 3

School of Molecular & Cellular Biology at Illinois (U. of I.) @mcbillinois.bsky.social · May 7

The postdoctoral researcher, a member of Nien-Pei Tsai's lab, was recently awarded a fellowship from the FRAXA Research Foundation to support his research.

go.mcb.illinois.edu/acharya

#FragileX

Postdoc Anirudh Acharya awarded FRAXA fellowship to advance research on Fragile X Syndrome | School of Molecular & Cellular Biology | Illinois

Anirudh Acharya, a postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, has been awarded a two-year postdoctoral fellowship from the FRAXA Research Foundation to ...

go.mcb.illinois.edu

School of Molecular & Cellular Biology at Illinois (U. of I.) @mcbillinois.bsky.social · May 7

Dr. Anirudh Acharya is investigating how a key protein may influence brain plasticity and energy regulation in Fragile X syndrome, a leading inherited cause of intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder.

Man in white lab coat sits in front of microscope.

School of Molecular & Cellular Biology at Illinois (U. of I.) @mcbillinois.bsky.social · Apr 2

👏 A round of applause for Dr. Stephanie Ceman, professor of cell & developmental biology, chosen for a campus teaching award! 🏆 💙 🧡

#welldeserved

news.illinois.edu/awards-honor...

photo of woman in blue shirt placed on top of orange and blue confetti

School of Molecular & Cellular Biology at Illinois (U. of I.) @mcbillinois.bsky.social · Mar 18

Some notoriously difficult to treat infections may not be as resistant to antibiotics as has been thought, according to new research from #ILLINOIS using a microfluidic device that more closely duplicates the fluid flow found in the body than standard cultures.

go.mcb.illinois.edu/flow

Two scientists hold a microfluidic device while sitting in front of a microscope and computer, backlit by a green light.

2 4

School of Molecular & Cellular Biology at Illinois (U. of I.) @mcbillinois.bsky.social · Mar 12

Hernandez Garcia, a recent biochemistry PhD graduate and member of the Nair lab at Illinois, was part of the team of researchers who generated the first genome assembly of Yerba mate, a plant species and herbal tea native to South America. Their work was published in eLife. Congrats, all!

School of Molecular & Cellular Biology at Illinois (U. of I.) @mcbillinois.bsky.social · Mar 12

“Yerba mate is a very important plant to South America. To be able to say that we now have its genome is very powerful. It allows for in-depth research of how these valuable metabolites are produced,” said Dr. Andrea Hernandez Garcia.

go.mcb.illinois.edu/yerba

Genome map of yerba mate reveals insights into caffeine biosynthesis, paves way for new varieties | School of Molecular & Cellular Biology | Illinois

A recent biochemistry PhD graduate was part of the team of researchers to generate the first genome assembly of Yerba mate, a plant species and herbal tea native to South America.

go.mcb.illinois.edu

School of Molecular & Cellular Biology at Illinois (U. of I.) @mcbillinois.bsky.social · Mar 6

“A lot of young scientists feel like they have to choose one or the other—academia or industry—as if they’re completely separate worlds. But in reality, there’s a lot of crossover. The skills you develop in one can be incredibly valuable in the other,” Dr. Bae said.

School of Molecular & Cellular Biology at Illinois (U. of I.) @mcbillinois.bsky.social · Mar 6

Her background in industry and academia has provided her with a valuable perspective on different career paths in biomedical research.

School of Molecular & Cellular Biology at Illinois (U. of I.) @mcbillinois.bsky.social · Mar 6

Dr. Haneui Bae’s interest in neuroscience was ignited in high school while reading Eric Kandel’s, In Search of Memory. Today she is a postdoc at Illinois investigating the mechanisms and implications of liver dysfunctions in myotonic dystrophy.

go.mcb.illinois.edu/hbae

Fellowship recipient Dr. Haneui Bae explores liver dysfunctions in Myotonic Dystrophy | School of Molecular & Cellular Biology | Illinois

Shaped by a lifelong curiosity about the brain and a drive to make a tangible impact in medicine, Dr. Haneui Bae investigates the mechanisms and implications of liver dysfunctions in myotonic dystroph...

go.mcb.illinois.edu

1 1 1

School of Molecular & Cellular Biology at Illinois (U. of I.) @mcbillinois.bsky.social · Mar 5

Congratulations!

School of Molecular & Cellular Biology at Illinois (U. of I.) @mcbillinois.bsky.social · Mar 3

Current treatment options for metastatic breast cancer are limited, but targeting cholesterol metabolism is a promising option for new therapeutics.

go.mcb.illinois.edu/cholesterol

Cholesterol and cancer: Q&A with the Nelson Lab | School of Molecular & Cellular Biology | Illinois

Cholesterol is an essential lipid that plays a critical role in hormone production, digestion, and immune function.

go.mcb.illinois.edu

1 1

School of Molecular & Cellular Biology at Illinois (U. of I.) @mcbillinois.bsky.social · Feb 27

Pallob is a recipient of the Tom and Cynthia Cycyota Research Fellowship and was recently featured in department's newsletter.

Full Q&A about his journey to Illinois and his dreams for the future.

go.mcb.illinois.edu/pallob

Meet MCB: Pallob Barai, PhD student in cell & developmental biology | School of Molecular & Cellular Biology | Illinois

Pallob Barai, a Cell & Developmental Biology PhD student in

go.mcb.illinois.edu

School of Molecular & Cellular Biology at Illinois (U. of I.) @mcbillinois.bsky.social · Feb 27

Meet Pallob, a Cell & Dev. Biology PhD student who focuses on muscle regeneration and the role of a protein called threonyl-tRNA synthetase (TARS) in cancer. When not in the lab, you can find him running through the streets of Champaign-Urbana.

1 4

School of Molecular & Cellular Biology at Illinois (U. of I.) @mcbillinois.bsky.social · Feb 26

We are grateful to have so many inspiring, accomplished, and generous alumni. In a little over a month we will celebrate two of them: Michelle Barton and Keith Westcott. The biochemistry alumni have been selected for College of Liberal Arts & Sciences alumni awards!

las.illinois.edu/news/2025-02...

Block I and congratulations to our alumni award winners

1 1

School of Molecular & Cellular Biology at Illinois (U. of I.) @mcbillinois.bsky.social · Feb 19

New research from the Ceman Lab will enhance scientists’ understanding of brain development and provide insight into the ways fear memory can plague individuals with autism, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

go.mcb.illinois.edu/memory

School of Molecular & Cellular Biology at Illinois (U. of I.) @mcbillinois.bsky.social · Feb 19

He recently received a predoctoral fellowship from the American Heart Association that will support his research. Congrats, 'Fola!

More on his path to Illinois and research in the Kalsotra Lab:
go.mcb.illinois.edu/fola
@kalsotra-lab.bsky.social

American Heart Association awards ‘Fola Adesanya a predoctoral fellowship | School of Molecular & Cellular Biology | Illinois

Biochemistry PhD candidate ‘Fola Adesanya has been awarded a 2025 predoctoral fellowship from the American Heart Association to support his research into the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in the p...

go.mcb.illinois.edu

School of Molecular & Cellular Biology at Illinois (U. of I.) @mcbillinois.bsky.social · Feb 19

From his medical training in Nigeria to his current research on myonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1), ‘Fola Adesanya is working to better understand how diseases work at a molecular level and the development of new potential treatments.

1 1 3

School of Molecular & Cellular Biology at Illinois (U. of I.) @mcbillinois.bsky.social · Feb 18

"We still have a long way to go, but I believe that unlocking the immune system is going to revolutionize our ability to treat the disease."

Shout out to Erik Nelson and team @nelsonlab.bsky.social

#inspiring

Nelson Lab, UIUC @nelsonlab.bsky.social · Feb 18

A bit after-the-fact, but thanks to WAND -TV for highlighting our work!
www.wandtv.com/news/u-of-i-...

U of I professor studies new drug to treat cancer

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND)- Erik Nelson is a professor of Molecular and Integrative Physiology at the University of Illinois. Nelson is also the program leader of the Cancer Center of Illinois