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Department Office Staff Visits George Eastman House

Thursday, December 12, 2024

The Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics office staff took a field trip to the George Eastman House on December 12th. They toured both the museum and the mansion and also were pleased to review the holiday decorations and the dozens of highly decorated ginger bread houses on display this time of year.

Shown are, from left to right, Bottom row: Marianne Acoraci, Susan Muscato-Smith; Second row: Elizabeth Raymonda, Katherine Alberti, Lindsay Vicars; Third row: Shelley Burns, Kelli Gates, Amy Roman; Top row, Stephanie Scoville, Jeffrey Hayes, and Clarissa Boraschi Maria.

Congratulations to our GEPA Awards Recipients for 2024

Wednesday, November 20, 2024

SMD’s Office for Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs held their annual GEPA Awards Ceremony on November 6, 2024. With University, SMD, and Medical Center leadership in attendance, faculty, staff, and trainees were recognized for their outstanding work in research and mentoring.

“Your research, whether foundational, clinical, or translational, is truly transformative,” said Dr. David Linehan, URMC CEO and SMD Dean. “It directly impacts the health and well-being of our community, and it’s helping to shape the future of medicine and science globally.”

Elizabeth Abshire - Outstanding Postdoctoral Researcher Award

Dmitri Ermolenko - Outstanding Graduate Course Director Award

The Department Has Enjoyed a Record Year for NIH Equipment Supplements

Monday, November 11, 2024

The Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics has enjoyed outstanding success this year in receiving NIH funding for major research equipment. Chairman Jeffrey Hayes notes that this has been a banner year for faculty obtaining administrative supplements to their grants in order to purchase big-ticket items. The impressive list of acquisitions includes the following items:

• Professor Dimitri Ermolenko - Excelsior single-mode 100MW laser;
• Professor Jeffrey Hayes - Horiba Fluoromax 4 Fluorimeter;
• Professor Clara Kielkopf - Ultrapure Water Purification System, Microcal PEAQ ITC and New Chemidoc MP System;
• Professor Lynne Maquat - Diagenode Bioruptor Plus System;
• Professor David Mathews - Dell PowerEdge R750X computer node, with four Nvidia A40     GPUs;
• Professor Joseph Wedekind - Sorvall Lynx6000 floor model centrifuge.

In total, members of the Department acquired over $350,000 of new equipment, which will contribute significantly to the advancement of the research programs of the Department.

Emily Robinson Will Attend the Biophysics Fellows Research Conference

Friday, November 8, 2024

Emily Robinson, a graduate student in the laboratory of Alan Grossfield, has been chosen to attend the Biophysics Fellows Research Conference at the National Institutes of Health in March. This Conference provides 25 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows with the opportunity to explore the research environment of the National Institutes of Health, and to exchange ideas with the NIH intramural community. A program of short talks, seminars, poster presentations and networking sessions provides a natural medium for fruitful interaction.

Department holds its first Annual Halloween Party

Friday, November 8, 2024

The department of Biochemistry and Biophysics held its first annual Halloween Party on Friday, October 25th, 2024. It was very well attended, with many participants arriving in costume.

See the photo album

Dr. Dmitri Ermolenko awarded Outstanding Graduate Course Director

Friday, November 8, 2024

Dmitri Ermolenko, a professor in Biochemistry and Biophysics, is the 2024 recipient of the Outstanding Graduate Course Director Award.

This award was established in 2013, and the recipient is selected based on his or her record of excellence, as determined by course/instructor survey evaluations and letters of recommendation from students enrolled in the course.

This award was presented at the 2024 GEPA Awards Philosophy Meeting held on Wednesday, November 6th in the Saunders Research Building Atrium.

Elizabeth Abshire, PhD, awarded the Outstanding Postdoctoral Researcher Award

Friday, November 8, 2024

Dr. Elizabeth Abshire was selected as the 2024 recipient of the Outstanding Postdoctoral Researcher Award.

This award was established in 2015 to recognize a postdoctoral appointee appointed in, funded by, or primarily housed in a research area in the School of Medicine and Dentistry for their outstanding research contributions. The selection was based on the originality, creativity, and significance of her research accomplishment.

This award was presented at the 2024 GEPA Awards Philosophy Meeting held on Wednesday November 6th at the Saunders Research Building Atrium

Mitchell O’Connell, PhD promoted to Associate Professor

Friday, November 8, 2024

We are very pleased to announce that Mitchell O’Connell, Ph.D. has been promoted to the rank of Associate Professor in the Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, as of the most recent meeting of the University of Rochester Board of Trustees.

The Department congratulates Mitch on this richly deserved promotion!

Scientists Developing Microchips with Brain and Lung Tissue to Study Viral Neuroinflammation

Wednesday, October 16, 2024

Researchers will use tissue-on-chip technology as a new way to explore the relationship between the lungs and brain. Scientists are developing advanced tools to understand and treat neurological symptoms such as brain fog associated with respiratory diseases like influenza. The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) within the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), awarded a three-year contract to researchers at the University of Rochester to develop a technology to model respiratory disease effects on the brain and test therapeutic drugs to prevent and treat symptoms. The base-year is funded at $2.4 million with two option years which, if fully funded, would total $7.1 million.

CannaMetrix Featured in Rochester Business Journal Story

Friday, October 11, 2024

Cannametrix, a Henrietta firm whose founder and CEO is Emeritus Professor Harold Smith, is featured in a recent story in the Rochester Business Journal. Cannametrix has developed quantitative methods for the determination of the potency of cannabis products, by measuring their effects on key cellular biomarkers. Cannametrix has passed the half-way mark in its current round of fundraising, and is also seeking strategic partners and federal funding.

The Albany Prize Awarded to Biochemist Lynne Maquat

Tuesday, October 8, 2024

One of the largest and most distinguished prizes in medicine in the United States, the 2024 Albany Medical Center Prize in Medicine and Biomedical Research was awarded to Lynne E. Maquat, PhD, director of the Center for RNA Biology at the University of Rochester. Maquat and co-winners Howard Y. Chang, MD, PhD, of Stanford University School of Medicine, and Adrian R. Krainer, PhD, of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, were honored for their research on RNA mechanisms that contribute to a wide range of diseases, including spinal muscular atrophy, cancers, and autoimmune disorders. Their collective body of work has laid the foundation for the development of treatments targeting conditions that can’t be corrected with conventional drugs.

The J. Lowell Orbison Endowed Chair and Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Maquat has spent her career deciphering the many roles that RNA plays in sickness and in health and is well known for her discovery of nonsense-mediated mRNA decay or NMD.

One of the major surveillance systems in the body, NMD protects against innate mistakes in gene expression by targeting and eliminating deleterious mRNAs that could lead to the production of incomplete and potentially toxic proteins that can cause disease. Thanks to more than 40 years of research by Maquat and others, scientists are beginning to put the mechanistic findings related to NMD to use to design new therapies.

“Lynne’s scientific career is nothing short of outstanding and her contributions have brought RNA biology to the leading edge of medicine,” said David C. Linehan, MD, CEO of the University of Rochester Medical Center and dean of the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. “This award acknowledges her exceptional ability to discover, innovate and push the limits of scientific understanding, and we’re extremely proud that her efforts are being acknowledged with this major honor."

The Albany Prize in Medicine and Biomedical Research has been awarded annually since 2001 to recognize extraordinary contributions to improving health while promoting novel biomedical research. Recipients are nominated by their peers and ten winners have gone on to win the Nobel Prize. Past awardees, including influential figures like former director of the National Institutes of Health Anthony Fauci, MD, and CRISPR pioneers Jennifer Doudna, PhD, and Emmanuelle Charpentier, PhD, have made major contributions to health and medicine that have had national and international impact.

“Lynne’s groundbreaking research on nonsense-mediated mRNA decay serves as the cornerstone of an ever-expanding field dedicated to mRNA monitoring and regulation—an area that is rapidly changing the way we think about and develop new therapies," said Steve Dewhurst, PhD, vice president for Research at the University of Rochester. “The success of the COVID-19 vaccines confirmed that mRNA-based technologies can be absolutely transformative, and Lynne’s work is indispensable for scientists and companies developing RNA based therapeutics.”

Maquat also holds appointments in Pediatrics and Oncology and is a member of the Wilmot Cancer Institute at the University of Rochester Medical Center. She is the founding director of the Graduate Women in Science program at the University of Rochester.

Biophysics Alumna Writes Book Depicting Personal Side of Genetic Disease

Friday, October 4, 2024

Professor Susan Weiss Liebman, Research Professor, Department of Pharmacology, University of Nevada, Reno, Distinguished University Professor Emerita, U. of Illinois at Chicago, and alumna of the Biophysics Department's genetics program at URMC, has authored a new book, “The Dressmaker's Mirror: Sudden Death, Genetics, and a Jewish Family's Secret.”

Following the sudden death of her 36-year-old pregnant niece, Liebman embarked on a search that led to the discovery of a previously unknown heart disease gene and mutation causing the condition in  Ashkenazi Jewish families. Blending family history with cutting-edge genetics, Liebman offers an urgent call to action for expanding the use of genetic testing. From the book: "As a mother, she prayed for the curse to spare her children. As a geneticist, she set out to find the killer… "

Siddhartha Mukherjee, best-selling author of “The Gene,” describes the book as "a riveting narrative, tracing the journey from tragedy to triumph over a hidden genetic death sentence... a compelling argument for the widespread embrace of genetic testing, illuminating its pivotal role in saving lives and enhancing health."

Liebman obtained her PhD with Fred Sherman, remaining close with him until his death. She continued to use yeast genetics in her now 50-year research and teaching career, highlighted by her work on yeast prions. Her book features her experiences as a graduate student and post-doctoral fellow at the University of Rochester and her stories bring Fred Sherman to life.&

The book is published by Rowman & Littlefield and will be available after November 19, 2024 wherever books are sold. If you purchase it at the publisher’s website (rowman.com) you can use the 30% off friends and family coupon RLFANDF30.

You can view a video trailer here, and more information about the book and endorsements (under praise) on the authors’ website.

Prof. Clara Kielkopf Awarded EvansMDS Discovery Research Grant

Tuesday, October 1, 2024

Congratulations to Professor Clara Kielkopf, who has been awarded an EvansMDS Discovery Research Grant. She will study redox control of PPM1D, a phosphatase which is an important target for drug discovery in cancer biology and myelodysplastic syndrome, a disease of bone marrow. Her work will be carried out in collaboration with Professor Sina Ghaemmaghami, of the Department of Biology, and Professor Peter Miller, of Harvard Medical School.

Lynne Maquat Receives 2024 Dr. Paul Janssen Award

Tuesday, September 24, 2024

Lynne E. Maquat, Ph.D., a mechanistic biochemist and director of the University of Rochester Center for RNA Biology, is the winner of 2024 Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research. Honored for her fundamental discoveries about RNA decay in the context of human diseases, she shares the award with Alexander Varshavsky, Ph.D., of the California Institute of Technology, who is honored for his research on regulated degradation of proteins.

Established by Johnson & Johnson in 2004, the award is a tribute to Dr. Paul Janssen, an accomplished and passionate researcher who helped save millions of lives through his contribution to the discovery and development of more than 80 medicines. Since its inception, the award has recognized 24 exceptional scientists, eight of whom have gone on to win the Nobel Prize.

Maquat discovered a cellular quality control mechanism known as nonsense-mediated mRNA decay or NMD. One of the major surveillance systems in the body, NMD protects against mistakes in gene expression by targeting and eliminating deleterious mRNAs that could lead to the production of incomplete and potentially toxic proteins. NMD plays a role in many disorders, including inherited diseases like cystic fibrosis and different types of cancer.

Maquat and Varshavsky were chosen by an independent selection committee of the world’s most renowned scientists.

CannaMetrix, Led by Harold Smith, Pioneers Quality Control Measures for Cannabis

Tuesday, August 13, 2024

Harold Smith, Emeritus Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics, is the Founder and CEO of CannaMetrix, a company pioneering the development of quality control tools for the cannabis industry. In recent work, in collaboration with Charles Owen Wolffsmith, a graduate of the Department, and Chief Scientific Officer of CannaMetrix, he has developed an array-based method for measuring the potency of cannabis blends from cellular responses, the results of which transcend individual cannabinoid tests and chemical composition analyses. Peer-reviewed results of this approach have been published in Cannabis Science and Technology (7, 26-33 [2024]), and the technology has been discussed in Health & Medicine (www.researchoutreach.org) and the Rochester Beacon (rochesterbeacon.com, July 31, 2024).

Congratulations to Madeline Jensen

Tuesday, August 13, 2024

Madeline Jensen, a graduate student in Eric Wagner’s laboratory, has published a first-author paper in Molecular Cell. The publication, which is focused on the mechanism and function of a chaperone of the integrator complex endonuclease, reports on work carried out in collaboration with colleagues in the Wagner lab, and in the laboratories of Chrisoph Pröschel at the University of Rochester and Liang Tong at Columbia University.

View the paper

Congratulations to Madeline on this achievement!

Faculty and students proudly represent UR at the Annual Meeting of the RNA Society in Edinburgh!

Tuesday, June 18, 2024

The University of Rochester’s Center for RNA Biology and the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics were well-represented at the Annual RNA Society Meeting held in Edinburg Scotland, this past June. In attendance (from left) were Yi-Tao Yu, Doug Anderson, Allisa Beam, Eric Phizicky, Beth Grayhack, Yi Pan, Abby Manning, Xavier Rambout, MaryClaire Haseley, Elizabeth Abshire, Lindsey Wainwright, Eric Wagner, Peng Yao, and Maddie Jensen. 

Dmitri Ermolenko, PhD promoted to Professor

Wednesday, June 12, 2024

We are very pleased to announce that Dmitri Ermolenko, Ph.D. has been promoted to the rank of Professor in the Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, as of the most recent meeting of the University of Rochester Board of Trustees.

Please join us in congratulating Dmitri on this richly deserved promotion!

Congratulations Dmitri!!!

Jamie Butler ’02M (PhD) on Exploring the Unconventional

Monday, June 3, 2024

Listen on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube Music.

Jamie Butler, a 2002 graduate of our Biophysics program, has built a dynamic career at the intersection of science and technology. As the Vice President of Marketing at Hamamatsu, a leading company in light and technology products, Jamie leverages his extensive background in microscopy and biophysics.

Originating from Connecticut and initially attending Hamilton College for his undergraduate studies, Jamie's career journey took off in San Francisco where he engaged with emerging biotechnology firms.

His graduate experience at the University of Rochester, marked by practical lab work and valuable rotations, played a pivotal role in his professional development. Jamie's career path includes significant transitions from bench work to roles in sales and marketing, underscoring the importance of interdisciplinary skills and adaptability.

He credits collaborative opportunities at U of R and mentorship for his career progression. Jamie now offers insights and advice to aspiring scientists, emphasizing the value of asking questions, exploring unconventional paths, and fostering a rewarding work environment.

Key Takeaways

Find Your Passions: Be proactive in your academic and personal experiences to discover what truly excites you. These experiences can help you identify your specific interests and guide your career path.

Expand Your Skillset: Building technical skills and gaining practical experience can enhance your employability and open up diverse career opportunities you may not have even considered.

Get Comfortable in Your Environment: The support of a community can greatly influence your educational experience and career. Cultivate and nurture an environment that can help you thrive.

Build a Niche: Don't be afraid to ask questions and seek out areas where you can develop expertise. Finding a niche that aligns with your skills and interests can be transferable and valuable in new and unexpected ways.

Top Quotes

[05:09] "The work I was doing was really neat. It was bench work that then translated all the way up to production-level bioprocessing. So everything from Q vats and to flasks to then small fermenters to 100,000 liter fermenters that are in production in Iowa."

[09:11] "Microscopy was the theme throughout my career. The technology was easily as fascinating to me as the science itself."

[41:58] Explore the unconventional because you might find something that you really love. If you’re thinking it’s time to move away from the bench, what are some things you love about the bench — things you can take with you.

Call for Abstracts! UR & UAlbany’s 2024 New York RNA Symposium in the Finger Lakes

Thursday, May 30, 2024

October 14-15, 2024
Hotel Canandaigua, a Tapestry by Hilton
205 Lakeshore Dr.
Canandaigua, NY 14424

Symposium Flyer

We are pleased to announce our upcoming 2024 New York Symposium in the Finger Lakes, co-organized and hosted by the University of Rochester Center for RNA Biology and The RNA Institute at the University at Albany. This year's meeting will be held at the Hotel Canandaigua on October 14-15th, 2024. The symposium will feature a rich exchange of information leveraging the innovative and interdisciplinary research ongoing within the regional RNA community (including primarily New England and mid-Atlantic states).

The symposium will feature keynote talks, invited faculty talks, and trainee presentations (including posters, 15-minute talks, and 1-min lightning talks selected from abstract submissions). This year’s event is trainee-focused, with a networking lunch, a trainee gathering the day before the formal meeting starts (to be held on Oct 13th), poster and talk awards, and opportunities for trainees to interact with senior scientists and industry partners.

Keynote Speakers:

• Eckhard Jankowsky, PhD, VP of RNA Science, Moderna
• Karla Neugebauer, PhD, Director, Yale Center for RNA Science & Medicine
• Sally Temple, PhD, Co-Founder and Scientific Director, Neural Stem Cell Institute
• Blanton Tolbert, PhD, (UR Alumnus) VP of Science Leadership and Culture, HHMI; Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania

Faculty Speakers:

• Mitchell O’Connell, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics; Member, Center for RNA Biology; University of Rochester Medical Center
• Kathleen McDonough, PhD, Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences, The RNA Institute, University at Albany

Early-bird registration, abstract submission, and hotel deadline: September 13th

• Registration costs include meals and attendance for both days.
• Trainees, plan to arrive Sun, Oct 13th in time for an early afternoon event (TBD).
• Abstracts should be submitted separately using this template; see Abstracts for more info
  • Abstract submission closes after September 13, 2024
• Hotel Accommodations must be booked separately from registration.
  • Click here for our event hotel booking links & rates.
  • UR trainees are encouraged to double-up at the 2-Queen room rate at the Hotel Canandaigua.

Visit our Symposium Page     Register Today

If you have any questions, please reach out to FingerLakesRNA@urmc.rochester.edu.

Undergraduate biochemistry student delivers student address at commencement 2024

Monday, May 20, 2024

GOOD ADVICE: Undergraduate speaker, Emily Bonanno, told fellow graduates to "live in the moment, seize the day, and appreciate the joys in life." (University of Rochester photo / Keith Walters)

The Biochemistry and Biophysics Department is proud to congratulate Emily Bonnano on being selected as the Undergraduate Class Speaker for the 2024 University Commencement Ceremony. Chosen by a committee of university administrators, this prestigious honor reflects Emily's outstanding achievements and significant contributions to our university community.

Emily graduates with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences: Biochemistry and is also the recipient of the 2024 Percy Dutton Award and the Ayman-Amin Salem Memorial Prize. We wish Emily and the entire Class of 2024 the best in their future endeavors. May they always strive to be "Ever Better." Meliora!

Rochester and Albany launch new Center of Excellence in RNA research

Friday, May 10, 2024

The joint venture between the University of Rochester and University at Albany will drive economic development through research and training.

The University of Rochester and University at Albany are partnering on a new Center of Excellence in RNA Research and Therapeutics focused on developing RNA-based therapies and training the next generation of New York’s biotechnology workforce.

Assemblymember Harry Bronson (D-Rochester) led the charge to secure funds in the 2024–25 New York State Enacted Budget to establish the new Center of Excellence, known as CERRT, which will initially receive $250,000.

Home to renowned scientists with decades of experience and millions of dollars in external funding for RNA-based research, the institutions will work together to promote economic growth through continued scientific discovery and partnership with industry.

Press Releases, Social Media Links, and Photos

13 WHAM - University of Rochester, UAlbany partner to form RNA-based research center
WROC - U of R to collaborate on new RNA-based research center with University of Albany
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Biochemistry graduate student Tiana Rohe receives special fellowship

Friday, April 26, 2024

Congratulations to Tiana Rohe, a Biochemistry graduate student, who received a special fellowship from the Department of Defense.

The NDSEG Fellowship was established for doctoral students who are US citizens, to investigate areas which are of interest to the Department of Defense. Tiana's work will be supported by the Office of Naval Research, and is concerned with the sustainable degradation of marine plastics using vegetative, sporulated and enzymatic 3D-bioprinted materials. In addition to her support from ONR, Tiana also received an Honorable Mention for this award from the NSF.

Mitch O’Connell: A Serendipitous Path to CRISPR

Monday, February 26, 2024

The Aussie native originally thought of becoming an astrophysicist. Now, he’s exploring the intricate universe of protein structures.