Tags: biochemistry and molecular biology

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1970's graduate student revolutionized biochemical research

Biochemist and Franklin College alumnus Marion Bradford spent most of his career developing new ways to use a common item found in kitchens and nurseries around the world—cornstarch. He is also the author of one of the most cited research papers in history: He was part of a team recognized in 2003 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the American Chemical Society for creating an organic compound from corn sugar used in…

Photo of man standing in front of NMR machine
GlyGen will integrate glycoscience data to combat pathogens

Glycans, or complex sugars, cover the surfaces of our cells and play a key role in biological processes ranging from interacting with other cells to recognizing and fighting pathogens. A new informatics portal is helping to illuminate the world of glycoscience: UGA partnered with George Washington University to create GlyGen (glygen.org), a glycoscience informatics portal funded by a $10 million grant from the National…

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Research enlivens the role of so-called ‘dead’ enzymes

Bioinformatics doctoral candidate Annie Kwon, working with UGA professor Natarajan Kannan and a team of researchers, is first author on a recent paper revealing that a class of enzymes previously thought to be useless is prevalent across all domains of life in fact serves an important purpose in cell communications: The study, published in Science Signaling, evolved from Kwon’s research trip to the University of…

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Lemons receives Presidential Early Career Award

UGA associate professor Paula Lemons is among the 2019 recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, or PECASE, the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on scientists and engineers in the early stages of their research careers and who show exceptional promise for leadership in science and technology: Established in 1996, the PECASE acknowledges the contributions scientists and…

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Boward named a 2019 Emerging Leader by Georgia Bio

Benjamin Boward, a Ph.D. student in biochemistry and molecular biology in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, was among the UGA people and programs recognized by Georgia Bio, the association for Georgia’s life sciences industry, at its 2019 annual awards dinner Feb. 8 in Atlanta: Boward accepted an Emerging Leader of the Year Award, presented to young individuals who have made a significant impact on the life sciences…

photo of man with fermentation equipment
Creating coursework for cell manufacturing

Research teams at UGA and the University of Pennsylvania, along with four private firms, are taking part in an 18-month federally sponsored project led by the Georgia Institute of Technology that will develop a much-needed curriculum to train workers for the fledgling cell manufacturing industry: The curriculum development project is part of the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals, or NIIMBL, which the U.S…

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$2M NIH grant for mass spectrometer

The National Institutes of Health has awarded University of Georgia researchers $1.956 million for a high-resolution mass spectrometer that will enhance capabilities for scientists in many fields across campus: The award by the NIH High End Instrumentation program, which provides grants in the range of $600,000 to $2 million for a variety of expensive instrumentation, including MRI imagers, electron microscopes, DNA sequencers, and mass…

diagram of blood cells with chemical abbreviations
New study on heme synthesis for red blood cells

A plenary paper featuring students and faculty from the UGA department of biochemistry and molecular biology and the department of microbiology was recently published, highlighted, and given commentary in the journal Blood, the publication of the American Society for Hematology. The paper, which originated in the lab of professor emeritus Harry Dailey, addresses how erythroid cells acquire sufficient carbon for heme synthesis…

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Amazing student Trisha Dalapati

Franklin College double major Trisha Dalapati has immersed herself in UGA oppportunities, from volunteering to studying abroad to conducting laboratory research: During my freshman fall, a friend introduced me to the Lunchbox Garden project. LBG is an afterschool outreach program where UGA students visit a local elementary school twice a week. The group plans lessons on gardening and sustainable living, and volunteers provide the…

cell microscopy image, blue and red
The healing power of satellite cells

Extraordinary new research on stem cells in our muscles that affects people at every age: Muscle aches and pains, whether from stretching, strenuous exercise or just normal wear and tear, can put a crimp in your day, a limp in your step and be an actual pain in the neck. But no matter the severity, stem cells in the skeletal muscles called satellite cells play a key role in repairing the damage. Without a proper function of satellite cells, as…

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UGA junior Laurel Hiatt named 2018 Truman Scholar

Laurel Hiatt, a third-year Honors student from Dahlonega majoring in biochemistry and molecular biology and Spanish, was one of 59 undergraduates from across the nation to be named a 2018 Truman Scholar, a highly competitive graduate scholarship program for aspiring public service leaders in the U.S.: Truman Scholarship recipients receive $30,000 toward graduate school and have the opportunity to participate in professional…

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Adams receives 2018 DuPont award

Michael W.W. Adams, Distinguished Research Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, is co-recipient of the 2018 DuPont Industrial Biosciences Award in Applied and Environmental Microbiology from the American Society for Microbiology: He shares the award with Robert Kelly of North Carolina State University. They were recognized for their groundbreaking use and genetic manipulation of…

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Amazing student: Hailey Clark

Senior biochemistry and molecular biology major and North Oconee graduate Hailey Clark has taken her UGA experience in the direction of a future in health economics: I cannot understate the value of the various undergraduate research opportunities that I have participated in. I was a Roosevelt Scholar (now an Honors Policy Scholar) and was immersed in the world of public policy. My work throughout the semester resulted in a policy proposal…

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Marine sciences professor Mary Ann Moran named UGA Regents’ Professor

Internationally renowned researcher whose work has created a better understanding of marine ecosystems and the roles of the ocean microbiome, UGA professor Mary Ann Moran has been named Regents’ Professor: Moran is a Distinguished Research Professor in the marine sciences department, part of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, who has served on the University of Georgia faculty since 1993. Regents’ Professorships are bestowed by the…

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Researchers identify gene to improve plant yield, growth for biofuels

A research team led by professor of biochemistry and molecular biology Debra Mohnen has discovered that manipulation of the same gene in poplar trees and switchgrass produced plants that grow better and are more efficiently converted to biofuels: Due to the composition of plant cell walls, plant material is not efficiently broken down or deconstructed to the basic sugars that are converted to biofuels. In a paper published today…

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Amazing Student: Stephan George

Triple Franklin major Stephan George (B.S. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; B.S. Genetics; B.S. Biology) is committed to making a difference for people with disabilities: I am currently conducting a research project in the Wells laboratory at the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center. I am investigating the role that seven mutations in a gene called O-GlcNAc Transferase play in the development of intellectual disability. I also recently…


Re-programming immune cells with nanoparticles

Researchers from the department of chemistry, in the early online edition of ACS Nano, report progress on an innovative new use for nanoparticles: The human body operates under a constant state of martial law. Chief among the enforcers charged with maintaining order is the immune system, a complex network that seeks out and destroys the hordes of invading bacteria and viruses that threaten the organic society as it goes about its work. The…
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