Corina Dunn

In materials with “flat-bands” where electrons have suppressed kinetic energy, effects of electron-electron interactions give rise to exotic quantum phases including superconductivity. While two-dimensional flat-band materials have been broadly studied in recent years, flat-bands are only just beginning to be realized in three dimensional networks. 3D flat-band materials are an interesting laboratory for the competition between superconductivity and magnetism and may even permit their coexistence. This project will focus on synthesizing and characterizing 3D flat-band materials to identify what exotic quantum phases can be discovered and to understand how electron […]

Katie Fitzgerald

The ribosome is conserved across biological organisms and is co-evolved with the genetic code to decode mRNA into proteins. Its macromolecular machinery is highly specific to the canonical set of twenty amino acids, leading to high fidelity yet low diversity of possible protein structure. Expanding the set of amino acids that can be successfully incorporated into proteins could lead to novel peptide structures and functions. The Cate Lab aims to rationally engineer the ribosome to incorporate non-proteinogenic monomers. Cryogenic Electron Microscopy (Cryo-EM) has revealed A2062 as a possible site of […]

Stella Frank

My research explores symbiotic relationships between trees and root-associated fungi, which provide up to 80% of plant nitrogen and phosphorus. These symbioses primarily fall into two categories: ectomycorrhizal fungi, which envelop root cells, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, which penetrate root cell walls. Despite their prevalence, comparative studies of the two systems are lacking. I will quantify nutrient sharing and assess gene expression in Populus trichocarpa (black cottonwood) associated with each type of mutualistic partner. By elucidating nutrient transfer mechanisms, I seek to pinpoint genes facilitating this exchange and illuminate functional […]

Dimple Amitha Garuadapuri

RNA molecules are known to play critical roles in various cellular processes, and understanding their structure provides a lot of insight into their function and the mechanisms they use. Recent advancement with AlphaFold and other protein prediction algorithms have proven the potential of utilizing machine learning techniques to computational predict structure. Solving the problem of protein structure is not only significantly enhancing our understanding, but also streamlining the drug delivery and therapeutic development process. Being able to computationally predict accurate RNA structures would similarly enhance our understanding of noncoding RNA […]

Morgan Apolonio

Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 (Synechocystis) is a fast-growing unicellular photosynthetic microorganism comprising a potential cell factory for the generation of bioactive compounds, therapeutic proteins, and biofuels. Fusion constructs of recombinant proteins with the CpcB β-subunit of the light-harvesting phycocyanin in Synechocystis has enabled the over-expression of proteins of interest up to 10-20% of the total cellular protein. I will use human interferon α-2 protein (IFN), a human immunoprotein that protects cells from infection, as a case study of over-expression and downstream signal processing of IFN. One problem in the biosynthesis […]

Rachel Arakawa

The four dengue virus serotypes (DENV1-4) and Zika virus (ZIKV) are among the most prevalent mosquito-borne flaviviruses worldwide. These viruses pose major public health challenges across various regions of the globe, with DENV infecting up to 390 million individuals yearly and resulting in an estimated 96 million cases worldwide. Clinical manifestations range from asymptomatic infections to dengue fever (DF) and severe outcomes such as dengue hemorrhagic fever/dengue shock syndrome (DHF/DSS), which can be fatal if untreated. Interestingly, we have found that a first ZIKV infection increases the risk of DHF/DSS […]

Sona Asatryan

Every 40 seconds, someone in the US experiences a stroke. Ischemic stroke triggers a stress response in the body, inducing hyperglycemia which exacerbates outcomes following stroke. One mechanism by which hyperglycemia worsens stroke symptoms is by fueling NADPH oxidase-2 (NOX2) activity, producing superoxide and increasing cellular damage through oxidative stress. Inhibiting NOX2 activity may serve as a potential treatment. While hyperglycemia after stroke is common, its treatment with insulin is not a viable option due to the risk of developing hypoglycemia. Therefore, a thorough investigation of hyperglycemia after stroke is […]

Rachel Bai

Rising temperatures due to climate change pose a serious threat to global crop production. Understanding the plant heat stress response is therefore critical to the fight against climate change. Heat stress is a major stressor of plants, disrupting nearly every part of normal plant function with effects ranging from reduced photosynthetic efficiency to premature cell death. Importin-βs, a family of nuclear transport receptors that shuttle cargo between the nucleus and cytoplasm, are essential in many plant cellular processes, including stress response, immunity, and development. While some Arabidopsis importin-βs are known […]

Annette Bennett

My research explores the connection between dopamine, a key neurotransmitter involved in learning and reward, and operant conditioning. Using zebra finches as a model organism, the study investigates how manipulating dopamine levels affects learning outcomes. By modulating neural activity, we examine whether changes in dopamine impact response times and accuracy in operant conditioning tasks. The findings could shed light on the neural mechanisms behind reward-based learning and contribute to advancements in cognitive and behavioral therapies. The results will provide valuable insights into the role of dopamine in learning and behavior, […]

Sohaib Butt

Studies have shown that human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) establishes lifelong infection in 50% of the human population. One reason for its success in infection of host cells is its ability to evade immune responses, which is what a large majority of herpesvirus genomes are devoted to: evading the immune response. An immune evasion tactic identified by our lab is ERAP protein downregulation, an aminopeptidase required for peptide trimming prior to loading on MHC-I. ERAP protein is essential for antigen processing and recognition of infected cells by cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), cells […]