2020/21 Events

“Chaperone-mediated mechanisms of cellular proteostasis” by Dr. Kevin A. Morano, Professor, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Abstract: A broad range of major diseases ranging from diabetes to neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer’s (AD), Parkinson’s (PD) and Huntington’s (HD) diseases have been linked to protein misfolding and aggregation. […] Read More

“H₂S Biogenesis by the Opportunistic Pathogen, Fusobacterium nucleatum” Dr. Kirsten Wolthers , Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia Abstract: Fusobacterium nucleatum is a Gram-negative oral anaerobic bacterium that has been known for a long time to play a role in the development of periodontal disease. However, numerous studies over the last ten years have established […] Read More

“Imaging single mRNA molecules to investigate the regulation of the stress response” Dr. Maria Vera Ugalde, Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry, McGill University Abstract: Eukaryotic cells survive to adverse conditions by adapting their gene expression programs. The rapid and specific production of the heat shock proteins (HSPs) prevents protein milfoding and functional damage. Read More

“Development of nanomaterials for mRNA therapeutics, genome editing, and cell therapy” Dr. Yizhou Dong, Division of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University Abstract: Messenger RNA (mRNA) has shown great promise for broad therapeutic applications. However, the efficient and safe delivery of mRNA remains a key challenge for the clinical use […] Read More

 “Unraveling translation dynamics and ribosome structural heterogeneity across scales and species” Dr. Khanh Dao Duc, Department of Mathematics, University of British Columbia. Abstract: The translation of mRNA into protein is a fundamental biological process, regulated by the flow of ribosomes and many biophysical mechanisms that can locally modulate its dynamics. In the first part […] Read More

“Biochemical Analysis of ABCA4 Mutations Responsible for Stargardt Disease”, by Fabian Garces, Doctoral Candidate, Molday Lab Virtual Exam, closed to examining committee only: Thursday, December, 10 at 10:00 am. Read More

“The evolution of xenobiotic pesticide-degrading enzymes in the metallo-β-lactamase superfamily” by Gloria Yang, Dr. Tokuriki Lab, University of British Columbia. Abstract: New protein functions often evolve through the recruitment and optimization of latent promiscuous activities. How do mutations alter the molecular architecture to change function? The overarching goal of my thesis is to provide answers to […] Read More

“Comparative epigenomics determines transcriptional regulatory codes in mammalian genomes,” by Jennifer Mitchell, Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto. Abstract: Non-coding transcriptional enhancers are critical for development, phenotype divergence during evolution and often mutated in disease contexts; however, even in well-studied cell types, the sequence code conferring enhancer activity remains unknown. Enhancers are […] Read More

“Differential roles for DNAJ isoforms in HTT-polyQ and mutant FUS aggregation modulation revealed by chaperone network screens”, by Reut Shalgi, Assistant Professor, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Israel Institute of Technology. Abstract: Protein aggregation is a hallmark of many neurodegenerative diseases. In order to cope with misfolding and aggregation, cells have evolved an elaborate network […] Read More

“New modalities for interfering with outer membrane biogenesis in Gram-negative bacteria”, by Steven Rutherford, Senior Scientist, Infectious Disease, Genentech. Abstract: Multi-drug resistant bacteria are a global health threat and new strategies are needed to combat them. However, the discovery of novel antibiotics to treat infections by Gram-negative bacteria has been thwarted by the outer membrane, […] Read More

“Making heads or tails of Mediator function, and how transcription start sites earn their STRIPEs”, Gabriel Zentner, Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington. Precise transcriptional regulation is critical for diverse aspects of biology ranging from cellular differentiation to metabolic homeostasis, and transcription is frequently deregulated in human disease. We use genome-wide approaches to […] Read More

“The interactive behaviour of white-collar workers in biological systems.” by Dr. Joerg Gsponer, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michael Smith Laboratories, UBC. Monday, October 19, 2020 at 2:30 pm. Join by Zoom. Hosted by Dr. Leonard Foster Read More