Congratulations to Dr. Vasanthi Jayaraman for her recent publication in Nature.
Dr. Vasanthi Jayaraman collaborated with Dr. Edward Twomey at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine to visualize opening of the AMPA receptor in response to binding glutamate. Structures of the AMPA receptor were determined using cryo-EM by flash freezing the…
Welcome to Zhichao Xu our newest Assistant Professor
The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology is proud to welcome Dr. Zhichao Xu, our newest faculty member. Zhichao distinguished himself from hundreds of applicants for the tenure track Assistant Professor position. He comes to us from the Salk Institute…
Thank you Rod Kellems for your dedication and job well done!
Following 28 years as chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dr. Rod Kellems will step down from this position on March 1, 2025. He will remain on the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology faculty. A…
Conformational dynamics underlying IP3R1 channel gating
Structures of the tetrameric IP3R channel by single particle cryo-electron microscopy reveals conformational motions and ligand-binding underlying gating and regulation of the IP3R channel.
Cryo-EM helps to map mitochondrial function
Research led by the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology using cryo-electron microscopy has shed light on the importance of phospholipids in mitochondria function, paving further mechanistic understanding of these cell powerplants. Read More
The New SyncroPatch 384i
The Center for Membrane Biology has acquired the SyncroPatch 384i, a state-of-the-art, high-throughput, fully automated patch-clamp system with a multi-PI equipment grant from NIH. The instrument with robotic components independently and simultaneously monitors ion currents in up to 384 cells…
Jayaraman awarded $3.5 million grant
A five-year, nearly $3.5 million grant to study the mechanisms of brain receptors involved in neurological disorders such as learning disabilities has been awarded to Vasanthi Jayaraman, PhD, professor and John S. Dunn Chair in the Department of Biochemistry and…
Electron Cryogenic Microscopy at UTHealth Houston
As science dramatically evolves, so do the tools researchers use in discovery sciences. Microscopes are still the hardware of choice for deciphering tiny structures and, for the past two decades, cryogenic electron microscopy, or Cryo-EM, has been an important tool…
Five McGovern postdocs win President’s research awards
The Postdoctoral Association and the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs at UTHealth Houston have named five McGovern Medical School postdoctoral research fellows as the winners of the 2022 President’s Award for Excellence in Postdoctoral Research. Read more
Researchers discover novel light-gated potassium channel
A key approach to understanding the brain is to observe the behavioral effects of turning on specific populations of neurons. Read more