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A Magazine | The School of Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | Issue 9, 2015

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UMBRELLA OPPORTUNITIES: GRADUATE PROGRAM GIVES STUDENTS CHANCE TO EXPLORE

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR TABLE OF CONTENTS

4 Umbrella Opportunities Graduate Program Gives Students Chance to Explore It was a beautiful fall in Champaign Illinois, reminiscent of what was typical before 6 Heart and Splicy Development the last couple of years of early snow. Matching the sunny weather is the warm glow The Kalsotra Lab reflected by the accomplishments of our faculty, staff, students and alumni that we 7 Targeting Cancer with T Cells are pleased to share with you in this edition of our annual magazine. David Kranz, PhD ’82, Microbiology 8 First in Class In October we celebrated the success of three alumni who were recognized by the Guy Padbury, MS ’85, PhD ’88, Biochemistry College of Liberal Arts and Sciences during their homecoming celebration. Tom 9 Gene taranis Key to Regeneration of Fruit Fly Epithelial Tissues Cycyota (B.S. ’80 Biology) received the LAS Humanitarian Award for his Smith-Bolton Lab outstanding service as President and CEO of AlloSource. His work to improve the lives of many through the use of donated human tissue is legendary. At the same 10 An Interview with Ann Carpenter PhD ’03, Cell and Developmental Biology event, an LAS Alumni Achievement Award was bestowed upon David Kranz (M.S. ’80, Ph.D ’82 Microbiology), Phillip A. Sharp Professor in the Department 11 CDB Tunji Toogun Memorial Graduate Fellowship Fund of Biochemistry on the Urbana campus, for his entrepreneurial spirit exemplified 12 Sacred Gifts Tom Cycyota, BS ’80, Biology Dr. Stephen G. Sligar by the successful move of two start-up companies to commercialization by the pharmaceutical industry. Guy Padbury (MS ’85, Ph.D. ’88 Biochemistry), Senior 13 Pleurobranchaea, a simple creature leading to complex discoveries Vice President of Merck, also received the LAS Alumni Achievement Award for The Lab of Rhanor Gillette, Professor Emeritus his leadership in several major corporate efforts to bring new therapeutics to the 13 MIP Welcomes Dr. Phyllis Wise to Faculty marketplace. 14 Drs. Benita S. Katzenellenbogen and John A. Katzenellenbogen have been awarded the Fred Conrad Koch Lifetime Achievement Award by the Endocrine Society. As a Professor in MCB, I am often asked what I consider the most rewarding 15 MIP Professor Emeritus: Arthur DeVries aspect of my chosen profession. My response certainly credits the thrill of 16 Science and Outreach in Dr. Lori Raetzman’s Lab scientific discovery and the joy of teaching. But the most important is observing the success of our students as they progress through their careers. I had the 17 The Microbial Man pleasure of serving as Guy Padbury’s Ph.D. advisor nearly three decades ago! The For 62 Years, Ralph Wolfe Has Explored the Microbial Universe graduate students in our four MCB departments continue to impress, across a 18 Nutritional Immunity: Using Hunger to Fight Infection wide range of career paths. In this edition of the MCB magazine you will learn Kehl-Fie Lab further details of these accomplishments. 19 Striking Gold U of I Alum Uses Humble Yeast in Battle Against Parkinson’s and Other Diseases A final word must be mentioned regarding the financial situation facing the State 20 Helicobacter pylori Gastric Infection Impairs Cognitive Performance in Rats of Illinois, as most are aware from the news. The budget impasse, reflected in a The Blanke Lab partisan chasm between the legislature and Governor’s office has left the 21 Microbiology Welcomes Dr. Christopher Brooke to the Faculty University without a budget until spring. This has created trepidation among 22 Milestones in Excellence faculty, staff and alumni. The School of Molecular and Cellular Biology remains 24 Mentors of Success one of the crown jewels of the University. We have one of the largest majors on A Growing Alumni Mentoring Program in MCB is Helping Students Map Their Careers campus and garner external research funds, which on a per-faculty basis, is one of 26 List of Recent Graduates the highest across the entire University.

That said, the future success of state public institutions in the dual mission of MC B is published by the School of Molecular and Cellular Biology education and research is challenged. We are increasingly dependent on external MCB Director Development MCB Communications Office sources of revenue to support the infrastructure and the recruitment and retention Stephen G. Sligar Angela Lucas 393 Morrill Hall, MC-119 of the best faculty and staff. We sincerely thank our alumni and friends for their 505 South Goodwin Avenue Managing Editor Joan Tousey continued support and guidance in these endeavors. Urbana, IL 61801 Steph Adams Sean D. Williams I wish you all a happy new year! Additional Editing Photography phone | 217.265.6594 Steph Adams fax | 217.265.6595 Judith Lateer L. Brian Stauffer [email protected] Graphic Design Joseph Storch Pat Mayer www.mcb.illinois.edu Steve Sligar Kurt Bielema Director

Produced by the MCB Communications Oﬃce for the School of Molecular and Cellular Biology. The University of Illinois is an equal opportunity, aﬃrmative action institution.

Printed on recycled paper with soy-based ink. 12.038 2 MCB Umbrella Opportunities: Graduate Program Gives Students Chance to Explore

By Brian Wallheimer

When looking for a graduate school program, microbiology, did undergraduate research in student,” Edwards says. “Having a small lab listening to your students is so valuable.” it would have been easy for Pooja Agashe to physiology. He thought he might end up in Cell environment allows a lot of one-on-one with the Joanna Shisler, an associate professor of narrow her focus and zero in on microbiology. and Developmental Biology or Molecular and professor to talk about science. That was really microbiology, says better student-lab matches That would be continuing along a path she Integrative Physiology. He decided to explore positive for me. Your mentor and your PI are also improve the likelihood students will be started with a bachelor’s degree in the field and the school and was intrigued by a microbiology going to be a huge factor in your success.” enthusiastic about their work. led to four years working in industry after rotation. He was hooked. “Whenever you have people who work for graduation. “Some people come in and are really INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS you who are excited and motivated, you’re going Agashe chose Illinois’ School of Molecular focused to do one thing,” Hess says. “I came in Like many international students, Amrute to get a better environment and better and Cellular Biology knowing she might with a different attitude. I followed what Bhate was nervous about coming to a graduate experience,” Shisler says. continue down the microbiology path, but program in a country on which she had never Chen has students who come from different knowing the structure of the graduate program set foot. She did not have the opportunity to science backgrounds and approach questions could lead her down another road altogether. meet with prospective advisors in person or tour much differently than she is used to. That would “It’s very easy to get pigeonholed in science. their labs to get a feel for the environment that not be likely without the school’s umbrella You work so narrowly on one piece of research,” she would be working in prior to coming to the approach. says Agashe, a first-year student in the fall of U.S. “They push me. They definitely make my 2015. “Because I spent time in industry, I did “American students choose a university. They research program better,” Chen says. have some ideas about what I wanted to do, but get to come to campus for an interview. They I realized there is so much research going on in “Some people come in get to tour the campus and meet the faculty STRONGER SCHOOL the university.” members,” says Bhate, who is from Mumbai, The school used the direct-admit approach, “When you’re that young, you Agashe is one of the hundreds of students and are really focused to India. “I didn’t have that opportunity.” in which the four departments separately don’t understand how big the who have enrolled in the school since its But under the umbrella structure, Bhate was admitted students into their programs, before transition to an umbrella approach to admitting do one thing. I came in able to set many of those concerns aside. transitioning to the umbrella structure around world is or the diversity of graduate students, which allows new students to with a different attitude. “These rotations really help us because while 10 years ago. Chen says that approach worked explore laboratories in each of the school’s we can look up lab pages on the Internet, we well before the school was organized and there choices you have. I really departments. Students do three rotations of five I followed what interested can’t get a feel for them,” says Bhate, who is in were fewer students, but now the program has enjoyed the opportunity to try weeks each to get a feel for the type of research Biochemistry. “You get in touch with all the expanded and has multiple students in more happening in the lab and how they might fit in me during the rotations.” students who have been in the program, and than 80 laboratories. out each department under the that lab’s environment. At the end of the fall they can help and guide you. Your social network “We realized we weren’t that competitive. The MCB umbrella.” semester, students request labs and departments interested me during the rotations.” definitely widens.” really strong research programs in biology were based on their experiences. Besides the research focus of the lab, students Lori Raetzman, associate professor of all umbrella programs, and we weren’t “This approach makes sense because the also need to be the right fit for the lab’s molecular and integrative physiology, says that competing,” Chen says. “It wasn’t something we traditional interdisciplinary boundaries have environment. Spending five weeks amongst the can significantly decrease the possibility an could ignore.” long since blurred. Most of us cross these other students and seeing how the principal international student will have a bad experience While the direct-admit process lets students boundaries constantly,” says Jim Imlay, professor investigator operates can be invaluable. in graduate school. start their research sooner, having a rotation of microbiology and associate director of the “The chemistry between you and your future “Instead of coming to a country and pinning semester allows students to take several school- MCB graduate program. “It would be artificial advisor is so important,” says Jie Chen, head of their futures on the relationships in one lab, they wide classes, form relationships with each other and constraining for incoming students to have the Department of Cell and Developmental have the opportunity to meet a lot of different that would not have happened in another access to only a subset of MCB labs. And it Biology. “The opportunity to look at where people and have different experiences,” system, and understand their choices before would be a poor idea to make them choose a personalities will match is helpful. Every lab has Raetzman says. making a commitment. focus before they have had a good look at all the other students and other post-docs. They have “The education you get working in those possibilities.” to fit into that lab.” HELPING FACULTY rotations outweighs the benefits [of starting Based on her undergraduate work, Whitney While ensuring a good student experience is research sooner],” Raetzman says. “You’re THE RIGHT FIT Edwards, a third-year student, expected to land key, the other side of the coin is making sure meeting new people, learning new things. It Imlay likes to do an informal survey every in Biochemistry. She enjoyed her time in her faculty are getting students that will help them makes you a more well-rounded person.” year once students are assigned to their labs. He two biochemistry lab rotations but didn’t feel meet their research goals. And that’s important, says Hess, because even wants to know how many students find like either of the labs was the right fit. Instead, Raetzman says students who come into a lab at 23 years old it’s difficult to say with absolute themselves in the lab that would have been their she felt at home in Molecular and Integrative from a different background have different certainty what you want to do for the rest of top choice before they began the rotations. Physiology, mostly because she believed the lab approaches and ask questions that otherwise your life. “The answer is only about 25 percent,” Imlay she chose, which is small and close-knit, would might not be raised. “When you’re that young, you don’t says. “I see that as a marker that what we’re help her reach her goals. “They definitely challenge me to look at understand how big the world is or the diversity doing makes sense.” “I wanted a PI who was more of a mentor things in different ways,” Raetzman says. “We all of choices you have,” Hess says. “I really enjoyed Nick Hess, a fourth-year student studying and would take the time to develop me as a have our processes. Getting your eyes opened the opportunity to try out each department under the MCB umbrella.” 4 MCB SCHOOL OF MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOLOGY 5 Heart and Splicy Development Targeting Cancer with T Cells The Kalsotra Lab David Kranz, PhD ’82, Microbiology By Kevin Yum By Doug Peterson

The role of RNA was once thought to be only in protein synthesis. However, the When David Kranz was growing up in the “Herman Eisen’s influence was not just paradigm shifted when the 1989 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was award to a group of Chicago suburbs, his parents would pack their scientific,” Kranz says. “He also taught me to scientists who discovered the catalytic properties of RNA. Since this groundbreaking six children into the station wagon and head up view science as a noble pursuit. He didn’t believe discovery, many researchers have investigated both the structural and physiological to Wisconsin. There, he and his identical twin in hyping research—just let the science talk for relevance of RNA-dependent processes in biology. Despite continuing efforts by scientists brother tracked down snakes and turtles, and you.” to uncover diverse functions of this essential macromolecule, processing and modification went swimming and fishing. After finishing his postdoctoral work at MIT, of RNA and its impact on higher organisms remain elusive and under-investigated. These trips fostered a love for biology. Kranz Kranz returned to Illinois as a professor. His first Dr. Auinash Kalsotra, an assistant professor of Biochemistry still travels to Wisconsin to go fishing, but his 10 years of research focused on studying and Medical Biochemistry, is one of the scientists on campus who love of biology also led to a career that has precisely how T cell receptors worked. studies the effects of RNA processing in mammals. He received a involved fishing expeditions of a different sort— “T cells are absolutely critical in your PhD from the University of Texas Health Science Center. He microscopic fishing expeditions. He co-created a immune system’s defense against viruses, completed his postdoctoral training at Baylor College of Medicine technology that makes it possible to fish through bacteria, and cancer cells—almost any infectious at Houston, where he was awarded a four-year, nationally millions of mutant molecules in the hopes of agent,” he says. “AIDS is the perfect example of competitive Scientist Development Grant from the American finding one that can combat disease, and he has what happens when you don’t have T cells.”

Heart Association. This funding supported his cardiovascular found ways to mobilize the body’s immune T cells have many types of receptors— n

research on Myotonic Dystrophy type 1 (DM1), an RNA- system to battle cancer. molecules that bind to or “recognize,” various l

mediated neuromuscular disorder that affects 1 in 8,000 Kranz, a Phillip A. Sharp professor of foreign agents in the body. When a T cell M

individuals worldwide. biochemistry at the University of Illinois, focuses recognizes an invader, the immune system takes o

“This was the period when I became fascinated by RNA because it was clear that on therapies that make use of the body’s T cell over and the few T cells that bind to the foreign b

DM1 is caused by a mutation in the non-coding region of the gene,” Kalsotra said. “What receptors—a critical player in the immune agent will rapidly expand to millions, taking care o

h it means is that the mutation only affects RNA but not the protein that is encoded by the system’s response to foreign invaders. His lab of the infection. This process creates “memory T P gene. This was a new way of thinking about human disease as most other studies focused was the first to engineer T cell receptors with a cells,” which remember the foreign agent and on proteins. This was an exciting period for RNA research. The advent of next-generation therapeutic potential, and two highly successful respond even faster the next time an infection company. Kranz and Wittrup continued as sequencing methods made it possible for many laboratories, including ours, to take a close start-up companies resulted from this and other occurs. consultants. peek at the whole transcriptome for the first time. The results were unexpected and work. Kranz has brought in over $20 million in In the 1990s, Kranz says the technology was revealed the diversity, complexity and importance of RNA processing in many aspects of For his strong record as both a researcher and grants to support his research. He is also a keen used more for engineering antibodies to combat human health and disease.” an entrepreneur, Kranz is one of the 2015 LAS collaborator, teaming up with former U of I disease because more work was being done In November of 2012, Kalsotra became a faculty member at the University of Illinois Alumni Achievement Award winners. professor of chemical engineering, Dane worldwide on antibodies than on T cell receptors. at Urbana-Champaign and started his independent research group. “UIUC was a great After being paired with his identical twin Wittrup, who did research on antibodies, In the 2000s, research on T cell receptors as place to begin my academic career not only because of its excellence in research but also of throughout grade school and high school, Kranz another key part of the immune system. Kranz therapeutic drugs began to catch up. The child reflection of the aging man symbolizes its unparalleled collaborative environment. I believe that all cutting edge areas in biomedical and his brother Robert decided it would be and Wittrup worked together on a yeast display Kranz founded his second company, the pathology of myotonic dystrophy type 1, research are being investigated at our school or university,” he said. healthy to attend different universities. Robert system which made it possible to display an ImmuVen, built on his research showing T cell where CUG repeats containing RNA forms Kalsotra’s research group specializes in studying post-transcriptional regulatory went to Northern Illinois University, while entire “library” of antibody and T cell receptor receptors could be engineered to target specific ribonuclear foci resulting in adult-to-embryonic mechanisms of RNA splicing and polyadenylation in heart and liver tissue. They utilize a David went to Illinois State, where he received mutants contained in a test tube. cancer cells. remodeling of the transcriptome. In the combination of biochemical, genetics, molecular, and computational techniques to study bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biology. This display allowed scientists to run mutants “The goal is to use the receptors as a drug that background, Peter Pan is shown leading children the function and regulation of such RNA-networks in tissue development and maturation. However, the twins were together again when through a high-speed cell sorter, which fished would recruit all of the T cells in the body to fight to Never Land, which implies that the man at the against the cancer,” he says. This technology is lake retains his child-like characteristics despite His laboratory has recently discovered a set of previously unknown RNA-binding David received his PhD from Illinois in through the antibodies and T cell receptors his aging appearance. The fish in the lake are proteins (RBPs) that seem to drive many of the pathological changes seen in the heart microbiology in 1982, and Robert got a PhD at looking for one that could be used as a possible still a few years away from clinical use. HeLa cells that were probed for CUG repeat RNA under stress. He believes these RBPs are master regulators, which modify and guide various the U of I in biochemistry. (Today, his twin drug candidate. A high-speed cell sorter can go A multinational pharmaceutical company (red), and co-stained with DAPI (blue) and RNA molecules to perform specific functions in a cell including production of right brother is a biology professor at Washington through a million cells in 100 seconds, searching purchased ImmuVen in December of 2014; MBNL1 protein (green) proteins at the right time and location. Altered activity of these RBPs in disease changes University in St. Louis.) for the needle in a haystack that will combat a however, the details have yet to be officially Illustration: Maddie Rose Maranto, University of this dynamic and thus “wreaks havoc on the cell,” Kalsotra said. Kranz was drawn to the U of I for his PhD in specific disease. released. Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Class of 2016, Josef Lakonishok, CEO and founding partner College of Fine + Applied Arts, Graphic Design. “The current focus of my group is to determine the underlying mechanisms affecting order to work with immunologist Ed Voss. After In 1998, Wittrup and Kranz founded functions of these RBPs so therapeutic approaches to correct them can be developed in the graduating from Illinois, he did postdoctoral BioDisplay Technologies, a start-up company of LSV Asset Management, says, “Dave was able future.” The National Institutes of Health, March of Dimes, and Roy J. Carver Trust work at MIT, which in the ‘80s was known as that featured this technology. It immediately to navigate ImmuVen through the trials and support the current projects in his laboratory. “the mecca for molecular biology,” he says. drew interest from biotech companies. difficulties that typically plague a biotech startup, Outside work, Kalsotra spends his time with family and likes to attend the kids’ At MIT, Kranz trained under Susumu “It’s a rare thing to start a company and get while maintaining a highly productive academic sporting events. “I am fortunate to have my spouse (Dr. Sayee Anakk, a faculty member in Tonegawa, a 1987 Nobel Prize winner for his other companies interested in it in a matter of research portfolio on top of his teaching the department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology at UIUC) and my two sons who work in immunology. His most influential months,” Kranz says. That is precisely what responsibilities.” understand the value of science. Having a supportive family makes everything easier both mentor was another world famous happened with BioDisplay Technologies. Several As Lakonishok puts it, this is “no small feat.” at home and at work,” says Kalsotra. immunologist, Herman Eisen. years later Abbott Laboratories acquired the

6 MCB SCHOOL OF MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOLOGY 7 n

C c First in Class

y Guy Padbury, MS ’85, PhD ’88, Biochemistry

t o By Doug Peterson

Guy Padbury’s work for the Upjohn pharmaceutical company hit in-class means it uses a unique new mechanism to treat a medical closer to home than he ever expected when his father was diagnosed with problem.) Type 2 diabetes. “For it to be a first-in-class antibiotic is pretty exciting stuff to be Padbury’s team with Upjohn did metabolism research on a molecule associated with,” he says. licensed to Eli Lily that went on to become the drug, Actof. This was the Because the success rate of new drugs is so low, he says, “You can go drug that, along with changes in diet and exercise, helped to control his an entire career and never be associated with a molecule that ends up father’s diabetes. Ironically, Padbury’s sister worked on marketing the drug becoming valuable medicine for patients. But that’s one I was able to see for Eli Lily, so their father’s treatment became a family affair. go from discovery to registration to use in medical practice.” Padbury says this experience changed how he viewed what he did for a Padbury and his family moved from Kalamazoo to St. Louis in 2003, living. He saw how the drugs he worked on “were actually touching when the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer acquired Pharmacia (which was people first hand. And that perspective really Upjohn’s new name after earlier mergers). With enriches your motivation.” Pfizer, he eventually became senior vice Over his career, Padbury played a leading role “You’re making something president of worldwide pharmacokinetics, in getting a host of therapeutic drugs to market— that is actually going to dynamics, and metabolism. drugs that treat everything from bacterial During this period, he also became more Gene taranis Key to Regeneration infections, HIV, and heart disease to Parkinson’s, improve a person’s life and, responsible for “people development.” osteoporosis, and, in his father’s case, diabetes. “My responsibilities continued to be seeing of Fruit Fly Epithelial Tissues For this work, Padbury is a recipient of the 2015 in some cases, prolong their projects move through the pipeline, but I was LAS Alumni Achievement Award. lives. That starts to ground also much more responsible for seeing young Padbury was born in London, the son of scientists develop and be successful,” he says. Smith-Bolton Lab working class parents. His family then moved to you and bring you energy to Padbury’s ability to package a new drug for By Kevin Yum New Zealand before they came to Indianapolis come into work every day. ” regulatory approval at the FDA significantly when Padbury was in the second grade. In high increased the success rate of drugs. In the early The fruit fly, also known as Drosophila , is a Smith-Bolton, with lead author PhD student school, he turned to the sciences, thanks to the 1990s, for every 10 molecules that went into useful organism for studying many biological Keaton Schuster, recently published their influence of his first chemistry teacher, and he majored in chemistry at clinical testing, four or five of them failed because of drug metabolism processes, most notably in genetics and findings in the journal Developmental Cell, one Butler University. issues. But within a decade, his company was able to improve the success development biology. Scientists at the University of the most highly cited journals in the field of “I was the first of my family to graduate with the equivalent of a high rate so only one out of 20 failed for metabolism issues. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have identified cell and developmental biology. school degree, let alone go to a university, so I am the classic American Always seeking a new challenge, Padbury decided to move into the a gene that regulates cell fate changes during the “While tara is dispensable in the wing during Dream come true,” he says. biotechnology industry in 2009, becoming the vice president of wound response using this simple but versatile normal development, it is responsible for After receiving his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Butler in 1981, pharmacokinetics and drug metabolism for the biotech company Amgen organism capable of regeneration. controlling the deleterious side effects of the Padbury spent three years at Dow Pharmaceuticals before his boss, a in California. “Drosophila imaginal discs are an excellent signaling that drives wound healing and former Marine sergeant, strongly encouraged him to go back to school for “I like to feel a little intimidated,” he says. “I like to put myself where model tissue for studying regeneration due to regeneration. We demonstrated that without an advanced degree. This brought him to the University of Illinois, where I’m forced to learn, and I like to be around young scientists that know so their remarkable regenerative capacity and sufficient Taranis protein, regenerating tissue he received his master’s in 1985 and PhD in 1988, both in biochemistry. much it scares you. It’s an invigorating environment.” simple epithelial structure. While significant fails to repattern with proper cell identities.” Padbury’s specialty became pharmacokinetics, or drug metabolism. Most recently, he says he thought it was time to make another change discoveries have been made identifying early It was often thought that regeneration closely While pharmacology understands how a drug affects human biology, and “scare myself a little bit more,” so he joined Merck & Company this development genes, how cells recognize and resembled development, therefore previous pharmacokinetics is the reverse—understanding how human biology past July as senior vice president of preclinical development. His adapt to damage, and maintain appropriate cell research focused on identifying developmental Top: Assistant Professor of Cell and affects the drugs once they are administered. responsibilities have expanded beyond drug metabolism, and he is in fates during regeneration still remains elusive,” genes that regulate regeneration in metazoans. Developmental Biology Dr. Rachel Smith- How long it takes the drug to move through your gastrointestinal tract charge of the pharmaceutical sciences formulation development group, as said Rachel Smith-Bolton, an assistant professor However, Smith-Bolton’s group findings left the Bolton and PhD student Keaton Schuster and into circulation, and then how long it lasts in circulation, dictates how well as the groups responsible for preclinical safety assessments. in Cell and Developmental Biology. door open for studying genes unique to Bottom: Aberrant ceDll rfoasteo pchialanges during often you need to take it, he says. Pharmacokinetics also affects how you Padbury says, like many researchers, he began his career with a pure “Using the power of genetics, we can ablate regeneration, which adds complexity to regeneration of thDer osophila wing take a drug, such as determining whether it must be taken with food. passion for science, but as he saw the impact of these drugs, he became the wing primordium and screen for mutations understanding the mechanisms of regeneration. imaginal disc (or wing Padbury started doing metabolism research for the Upjohn Company more driven by the effect they had on people’s lives. that impair wound healing and regeneration in “Our next goal is to identify additional genes primordium) in Kalamazoo, Michigan, in 1987, working his way up the ranks to “You still have your passion for science, but the mission of the industry Drosophila ,” she said. “We discovered that that are responsible for ensuring proper Credit: Keaton Schuster director of drug metabolism research for North America by 1998, and really starts to captivate you,” he points out. “You’re making something mutations in the gene taranis caused posterior- patterning and cell fate during regeneration. It is regeneration for medical purposes. We hope our then senior director for global drug metabolism research by 2000. that is actually going to improve a person’s life and, in some cases, prolong to-anterior cell-fate transformations in becoming increasingly clear that unwanted side identification of these protective factors will aid Zyvox was a good example of the kinds of drugs they developed at their lives. That starts to ground you and bring you energy to come into regenerated wings while having no effect on effects of regeneration can occur, which should the induction of regeneration in more complex Upjohn—and one of the most significant. Zyvox was a first-in-class work every day.” undamaged tissue.” be taken into account when engineering organisms including humans.” drug—the first antibiotic to be classed that way in several decades. (First- As he puts it, “That’s been my lightning rod.”

8 MCB SCHOOL OF MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOLOGY 9 CDB Tunji Toogun Memorial Graduate An Interview with Ann Carpenter Fellowship Fund

PhD ’03, Cell and Developmental Biology Cell images from Ann Carpenter’s time at UIUC (formerly Ann Carpenter Nye) The Department of Cell and Developmental Biology is pleased to announce the first 1. Who or what at the University of Illinois 3. What part of your work fuels your I could have gone to an Ivy League school for there’s a tremendous variety in how to recipients of the Tunji Toogun Award: Nimish has had the most impact on you? passion? my PhD but was “stuck” in Illinois for family approach a scientific question, and you get to Khanna, now a postdoctoral fellow in the My advisor, Andy Belmont, certainly had the I love quantifying images and I’m fascinated by reasons. When I arrived in Boston for my see individuals attack things differently. Department of Biological Sciences, UCSD; and most influence on my development as a scientist. the fact that beautiful images of cells can be postdoc, after finishing my PhD at UIUC, the A mantra my classmate taught me was, Frank Echtenkamp, now a postdoctoral fellow His lab is very open to technology development converted into quantitative, statistically solid contrast was stark: most graduate students “Don’t compare other people’s outsides to your at Technishche Universität München, Germany. in pursuit of biological questions. I am usually numerical data. I am also passionate about training at Harvard and MIT rarely saw the insides.” He would remind me that I am Both graduated with PhDs in 2015. more interested in figuring out how to answer a making a difference in the world, whether it’s professor running the lab. They certainly did not intimidating, too. When that still wasn’t cutting This award was created in memory of a PhD particular biological question than in learning through my group’s open-source software, learn much directly from them but instead through the insecurity, I would go through my student who tragically passed away in 2007. He the actual answer! I also picked up a lot of his working on drug discovery projects, postdocs taught graduate students and graduate folder of every award I’d ever won and that was an energetic and dedicated graduate scientific style: a careful and serious approach – volunteering, or raising my children. As a students taught undergraduates. Postdocs were would usually cheer me up! I have almost student, and this award will recognize students impeccably conscientious – concerned with stereotypical Midwestern girl, I am hardwired to on their own, to sink or swim! I became aware of completely outgrown my imposter syndrome who reflect the spirit of Tunji Toogun. getting things right rather than gunning for be helpful, and that is where my passions align. how lucky I was to have been trained in Andy by now; building up a history of success helped Tunji Toogun, a Cell and Developmental flashy results. Belmont’s lab at UIUC. My PI actually taught a lot. It also helped to have role models in Biology Ph.D. student at the University of 4. What current research topic(s) are you me how to do science, hands-on. From setting science at UIUC: as an undergraduate, being Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, died August 3, 2. How did you balance your personal time and your group currently focusing on? up the microscope appropriately to formulating caught not knowing something is embarrassing, 2007 at the age of 26 after falling into Lake Shelbyville and drowning. Within his career, with the graduate school? My laboratory here at the Broad Institute of scientific questions I am very grateful to have but I saw mature scientists readily admitting Tunji was best known for his hard work and boundless enthusiasm for research and I had an unusual routine for a graduate student: Harvard and MIT is dedicated to extracting rich actually been trained by a successful senior what is outside their sphere of knowledge; I learning. I worked diligently and intensely weekdays from information from biological images. To do this, scientist. This was true even for PIs in the labs think becoming comfortable with this is crucial Born in Nigeria on October 15, 1981, Toogun studied at the University of Illinois at 8 to 5 and was largely off-duty outside of that. I we advance and support our open-source where I rotated my first year, including Benita for interdisciplinary work especially because Urbana-Champaign receiving his B.S. in 2001 and a posthumous Ph.D. in 2007. Tunji first volunteered through my church and through my software, CellProfiler, which is used by Katzenellenbogen, Chris Doe, and Stan Maloy. you’re constantly nudging yourself outside your arrived to UIUC as an incoming freshman in 1997 at the age of sixteen to begin a long and neighborhood group, not to mention fixing up thousands of biologists worldwide. We work At a place like UIUC, you get more attention comfort zone. fruitful academic career. He left an immediate impact on those around him with his strong my own house and actual hobbies. There were closely with collaborators in the Boston area and and training from your principal investigators. My first impression of Andy Belmont was Nigerian accent and his always friendly and persistent demeanor. certainly many times when I had to go the extra around the world doing high-throughput that he was so knowledgeable and insistent on Friends and teachers of Tunji characterized him as a bright, kind, and enthusiastic mile to monitor equipment, read papers, or push imaging projects, helping to devise image 6. Tell us about your current position in logical and well-supported data, that he would individual who was also a great friend. through difficult experiments, but I tried to stick processing pipelines that enable them to quickly your institute. be a tough advisor— thought he was the A year after Tunji’s death, a fund was established in his memory, with contributions from to a limited work schedule. That is how I am identify samples that will be most interesting to As the Director of the Imaging Platform at the toughest advisor in the department. I decided I Tunji’s friends, classmates, and faculty. The Department of Cell and Developmental most productive: working really intensely but for follow up on, whether it’s for drug discovery or Broad, I lead a group of approximately eight wanted to train in his lab because I figured if I Biology has decided to use this fund to recognize and support outstanding graduate a constrained period. Studies confirm that most identifying novel genetic regulators of a computer scientists, software engineers, and survived, my research project (and I) would be students in our program in the form of awards and fellowships. The CDB Tunji Toogun peoples’ productivity drops off steeply above 50 biological process. Outside of this, my pet computational biologists. My lab is similar to able to withstand any amount of external Memorial Graduate Fellowship Fund hours/week. Some students seemed to be always project is high-risk/high-reward: we are faculty labs at Harvard and MIT except that scrutiny. It was a great choice – the training I will be offered annually to a CDB graduate student at any stage of the graduate program in the lab but I think it is too difficult to stay attempting to use images as a very unbiased the Broad has an unusual structure where received at UIUC was rigorous and I was well for his or her outstanding research accomplishments. focused. I figured, if it takes working 80 source of data about cell state in response to Platform Directors are focused on technology prepared for my time at MIT and Harvard. hours/week to succeed in science then I should perturbation. After more than five years of development in collaboration with biology labs. To donate towards the CDB Tunji Toogun Memorial Graduate Fellowship Fund pick something else. energy invested into that, it is starting to bear As such, I am 100% focused on research; I have 8. Do you believe your education and/or please visit: https://mcb.illinois.edu/giving/ A side benefit of having established this fruit and will likely have a major impact on how no teaching responsibilities. training at UIUC has adequately prepared pattern early on in my career is that it was not a chemical compounds are prioritized for drug you for a successful career in your field? crisis when I had a family. In a single five-year testing and how disease-associated alleles are 7. What was your first impression as a new Certainly. In addition to the scientific training, period, I became a stepmother to three children pursued, to name a few applications. Thank graduate student in CDB? the seminars and courses in the soft skills were and gave birth to two more. Of course, now I goodness for startup funds; the traditional NIH During the first week of graduate school I helpful; heading a successful laboratory in “work” around the clock, but at least half the system would never have funded that work (we remember being really intimidated by my academia requires far more than just scientific time it’s for my family! If I had been relying on tried!). classmates. My impression was that everyone skills and talent. For example, I took a extreme work hours, this would have been a very was smarter and had more experience than me. one semester “Certificate in Business difficult transition. 5. What was unique about the University of In the end, each person has a mixture of Administration for Life Scientists” that gave me Illinois and the department of Cell and personal characteristics and experiences that many useful management-related skills. Developmental Biology? influences their path; what I love about science is

10 MCB SCHOOL OF MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOLOGY 11 n

l Sacred Gifts

M Tom Cycyota, BS ’80, Biology

y By Doug Peterson

A teenage girl named Kacey survived the imagine how he impacted my life, and this family forms. For example, they provide large horrific shooting at Columbine High School in has become close personal friends. They lost a segmental bones for people who have bone 1999, when 12 students and one teacher were child in a split second, and it changed their life, cancer or have suffered trauma, as well as skin massacred. However, a single shotgun blast had and it changed everybody’s life around them.” for burns or chronic wounds. badly damaged her right hand, arm, and Cycyota was first inspired to enter the medical AlloSource tissue can also help those with torn shoulder. In cases such as hers, most victims lose field when an influential physiology teacher at ligaments or tendons, as well as patients (such as their arm to amputation, but because of donated Proviso West High School in the Chicago area injured soldiers) undergoing repair of spine human tissue from AlloSource in Centennial, took the class to Northwestern University to hear conditions or traumatic injuries. One of the Colorado, this woman—now 35-years-old—tells a talk by famed heart surgeon, Michael DeBakey. company’s most innovative products is MIP Welcomes people she has two arms to hug her four Inspired to become a doctor, Cycyota came to AlloStem® Cellular Bone Allograft, in which Pleurobranchaea californica: Every time it encounters another animal, the blind children. the University of Illinois in 1976, but two they combine donated stem cells from the donor sea slugmust decide whether to risk trying to eat it; credit Tracy Clark Dr. Phyllis Wise to “That’s the power of what AlloSource is all introductory biology classes “clobbered me,” as with bone from the same donor to provide a about,” says Thomas Cycyota, president and he puts it. Although he was a straight-A student bone substitute that helps in hard-to-heal the Faculty CEO of the Colorado company. AlloSource is in high school, the two C’s he received in biology orthopedic cases. one of the largest tissue banks in the country, drove him to also focus on business, while still The company even provides a layer of tissue, Pleurobranchaea: a simple creature Dr. Phyllis Wise, eminent neuroscientist preserving human tissue from generous donors getting a science-based education. His bachelor’s from placentas donated by voluntary C-sections, and endocrinologist who served as the and using it to create approximately 250,000 degree in 1980 was in biology. for surgeons to use as a biologic barrier following leading to complex discoveries: chancellor of the University of Illinois at transplantable allografts each year. (An allograft “Even though I didn’t become a doctor, I have surgery. Wrapping nerves in amnion tissue can The Lab of Rhanor Gillette, Professor Emeritus Urbana–Champaign from 2011-2015, has is a human-to-human transplant.) still been able to help people through the reduce phantom nerve pain when a leg is joined the faculty of the Department of MIP. For his work in tissue donation and altruistic things I wanted to do, and that’s worked amputated, and it can also prevent the swelling, By Megan Patton Her research interests include endocrine and transplantation, Cycyota is the 2015 recipient of out wonderfully for me,” Cycyota says. scarring, and pain that can occur when a tumor neurochemical mechanisms regulating neural the LAS Alumni Humanitarian Award. Serving at AlloSource also brought him full is removed. plasticity during aging, and neuroprotective “Everybody understands organ donation circle to the day he heard Dr. DeBakey talk Cycyota is awed by the technology developed To most, sea slugs might invoke thoughts of primitiveness, but to Rhanor actions of estrogen after injury and during because a heart or kidney saves somebody’s life,” about heart transplants because he was now in from donated human tissue, but what inspires Gillette, Emeritus Professor in the Department of Molecular and Integrative aging. Cycyota says. “But with tissue donation, a donor charge of a company that specialized in tissue him most are the stories of people like Kevin, a Physiology, the predatory Pleurobranchaea californica serves as an optimal model She has received two MERIT (Method to who has passed away can affect hundreds of transplants. mechanic who was burned over 80 percent of his of learning and decision-making. Extend Research in Time) awards from the people, making it possible for those without It was a winding road to get there. After body when his truck exploded. Donated skin “They seem a simple animal,” remarked Gillette, “but their nervous system National Institutes of Health, from 1986 to cartilage in their knees to be active again or those graduating from Illinois, he sold medical devices saved his life. Then there was a young adult reflects the ancient structure and function of the common ancestor of the 1996 and again from 2001 to 2010. Dr. Wise is who have been severely burned to heal. for the Kendall Company from 1981 to 1991, named Manuel who was burned in a high vertebrates and insects.” a member of the Institute of Medicine of the “We deal with a sacred gift because the donor picking up his MBA from Loyola University voltage accident in South Carolina. He lost all The abilities to learn and make decisions in foraging are based on their National Academy of Sciences, and the is somebody’s loved one,” Cycyota adds. along the way. He then transitioned to wound four limbs, but donated tissue and bone made it learning and motivational state. Their decisions are not based simply on sensory American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In “Donors all have a story, and they are all being care management at New Dimensions in possible for surgeons to create a partial limb at information per se, but essentially on how information makes them feel, much 2004, she received the Roy O. Greep Award mourned by a family while the surgeons do the Medicine, an Ohio company, before going to his shoulder. In turn, this made it possible for like ourselves. for outstanding contributions to research in amazing things they do.” Johnson & Johnson in 1996 and becoming the him to use crutches, move with prosthetic legs, As a graduate student Gillette switched from working with mammals to sea endocrinology and the Women in Another one of the stories that touched worldwide director for wound management. and do something as simple as scratch his nose. slugs because of the extremely high data rates possible in working with their Endocrinology Mentor Award in 2003. everyone at AlloSource was that of Cameron, a He was hired as President and CEO of Patients like Manuel say although the tissue accessible nervous systems. In a recently published review, Gillette and his In her role as an educator, she will engage as 22-year-old who had just graduated from AlloSource in 2000, when the company had donation didn’t necessarily save their lives, “it still former PhD student Jeff Brown showed how the neuronal circuitry mediating an instructor in the MCB Honors Discussion Eastern Illinois University when he was killed in fewer than 200 employees. Today, AlloSource saved their life,” Cycyota says. “People who get the approach/avoidance decisions of foraging paralleled in point-for-point course and the Discovery course in Human a bus accident. He was an organ and tissue employs more than 500 people in Colorado and donated tissue believe it is a life-changing event.” fashion the structure and functions of the mammalian brain, but without the Reproduction. donor, and his tissue helped countless people. throughout the country, and has grown into one “That’s why I use words like ‘sacred’ and more derived complexity acquired in mammalian evolution. “I had the honor of meeting and getting to of the largest and most respected organizations ‘miracle,’” he adds. “The tissue we transplant The analogies may well reflect the deep common origins of motivational and know Cameron’s mom and dad,” Cycyota says. of its kind. becomes the recipient’s own tissue, so the body action selection mechanisms of the simpler and more complex beings. For “Because Cameron was the same age as our AlloSource’s products offer life-saving and can heal itself. And that’s a miracle in its own Gillette and his team of researchers, understanding Pleurobranchaea circuitry is oldest son at the time of his death, you can life-enhancing healing possibilities in many right.” just the first step in elucidating the complex landscape of neural evolution.

12 MCB SCHOO L OF MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOLOGY 13 Drs. Benita S. Katzenellenbogen and John A. Katzenellenbogen have been awarded the Fred Arthur L. DeVries Conrad Koch Lifetime Achievement Award by the The Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology would like to Endocrine Society. recognize the career achievements of Dr. Arthur “bridge” between Colleges on this campus,” various analytical and biomedical applications. (Art) DeVries. Dr. DeVries said Dr. Stephen Sligar, director of the School He synthesized and characterized many pioneered unique and of Molecular and Cellular Biology. “As a estrogens with novel structures and biological exciting research in the antifreeze mechanisms member of the College of Medicine on the activities, including the most selective agonists that operate in Antarctic fishes. He discovered Urbana-Champaign campus, Benita and antagonists for ER and ER , and the antifreeze glycoproteins, which impart the exemplified the value of a model where the selective regulators of thαe non-genβomic actions antifreeze properties to the fish blood. During most productive tenured research faculty are of ER. John’s laboratory has also been a world his long career as a comparative physiologist and engaged in the education of medical, graduate leader in the development of agents for his numerous field trips to Antarctica, Dr. and undergraduate students. Without the imaging steroid receptors in endocrine- DeVries studied the physiology, biochemistry College of Medicine, we on this campus would responsive cancers by positron emission and molecular biology of these antifreeze not have benefited from having both John and tomography (PET), including [18F]FES and glycoproteins, which brought international fame Benita as colleagues. The Katzenellenbogens [18F]FDHT, for breast and prostate cancer. and recognition to his research program at the represent the importance of this connection in Both have been role models in service to their university and established him as a world leader understanding the fundamental mechanisms of professions, and in training over 250 graduate in this field of biology. biological function. It is wonderful that they students and postdoctoral and MD fellows. Dr. DeVries is a Professor Emeritus in the have been recognized for their long-term On the home front, the Katzenellenbogens are Department of Molecular and Integrative contributions to the University of Illinois.” the parents of two daughters and they have Physiology and Animal Biology. He received his “Drs. Benita and John Katzenellenbogen four grandchildren. PhD from Stanford (1968), and during this embody the uniqueness of the University of “John and Benita Katzenellenbogen are period, he discovered antifreeze glycoproteins Illinois. As scientists of the highest caliber, they research pioneers who have made important (AFGPs) in Antarctic notothenioid fishes. have been instrumental in training our talented contributions to chemical and medical Dr. DeVries then spent next three years at Medical Scholars at College of Medicine at sciences, especially in the area of steroid U California, Davis continuing to characterize Urbana-Champaign,” said Dean Michele hormones, as this most recent award attests,” the structure of AFGPs as a NIH postdoctoral Mariscalco. “Benita Katzenellenbogen, as one said Dr. Gregory Girolami, head of the fellow and later as an Assistant Research of our first faculty, has been a highly successful Department of Chemistry. “They have Biochemist before starting his own laboratory in 1971 at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Credit L. Brian Stauffer and valued educator. Training medical students illuminated the fundamental molecular aspects who will impact the care of patients for of estrogen action and have developed In 1976, he joined UIUC as an assistant generations to come is a unique opportunity, innovative techniques for the imaging of breast professor in the Department of Physiology and The Society’s highest honor, this annual award Their enormous contributions to the field of and both Drs. Katzenellenbogen have and prostate cancers. In addition, they are Biophysics and became a full professor in 1985. endocrinology—spanning more than four embraced this mission.” wonderful colleagues who, through their He has remained in the department ever since. recognizes lifetime achievements and exceptional decades—have greatly advanced our In addition to their highly productive teaching and their leadership, have contributed He is currently a leader in the field of Antarctic and Arctic fish biology and has won numerous contributions to the field of endocrinology. Dr. Benita understanding of the broad actions of steroid collaborations joining biology and chemistry, in many less visible but equally important ways hormones and their receptors in diverse target they have each led extremely distinguished, to the University of Illinois. We are incredibly awards, including the Italian National Antarctic Katzenellenbogen is currently the Swanlund Chaired tissues in health and disease. Their pioneering independent scientific careers. Dr. Benita fortunate to have both John and Benita as Programme and the Accademia Nazionale dei work on estrogens and estrogen receptors has Katzenellenbogen’s work has elucidated members of our faculty, and it is gratifying to Linceie Premio Internazionale 'Felice Ippolito' Professor of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, and defined the multifaceted modes by which these fundamental aspects of structure-function see that they have been recognized in this international prize. He has over 160 publications Dr. John Katzenellenbogen is the Swanlund Chaired receptors are regulated and act in distinctive and relationships and mechanisms of action of way.” including seven Science and six Nature papers, biomedically significant ways. These seminal ER and ER , and demonstrated the The Endocrine Society’s Koch Lifetime and is best known not only for his studies in fish Professor of Chemistry. This is the first time the award contributions have also highlighted novel remαarkably brβoad spectrum of estrogen actions Achievement Award honors practicing AFGPs but also his contributions to knowledge approaches for the diagnosis and treatment of on gene expression and cell signaling networks. physicians and academics worldwide who have of the biology of Antarctic fishes. has honored two scientists who collaborate both at hormone-responsive cancers and beneficial Her extensive research has provided the greatly advanced the field of endocrinology In 2011, Dr. DeVries was the first recipient of work and at home as a married couple. modes of tissue-selective estrogen action for framework for our current understanding of and contributed to the diagnosis, treatment, the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 1st managing various disorders including the basis for the actions of selective estrogen and understanding of diseases involving the International Ice-Binding Protein Conference endometriosis and multiple sclerosis. receptor modulators (SERMs) such as human endocrine system. The award includes held in Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, "John and Benita Katzenellenbogen represent tamoxifen and raloxifene, and for the a $25,000 honorarium and further recognition Canada. the best that is Illinois. As outstanding development of anti-hormonal therapies used at the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in contributors to the research an educational in breast cancer treatment and prevention. Boston in April 2016. mission of the institution, they are some of our Dr. John Katzenellenbogen has studied most valued faculty. Importantly, they represent a important aspects of diverse estrogen ligands in

14 MCB SCHOOL OF MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOLOGY 15 Science and Outreach in Dr. Lori The Microbial Man For 62 Years, Ralph Wolfe Has Explored the Microbial Universe Raetzman’s Lab, Molecular and By Doug Peterson Integrative Physiology Ralph Wolfe was on his way to Philadelphia to help celebrate his father- grow, they have to a have a reduction potential of minus 330 millivolts, in-law’s 90th birthday in 1977, when the graduate students in his laboratory which is quite negative.” By Megan Patton at the University of Illinois started receiving angry phone calls. These qualities made it extremely difficult to isolate methanogens, which A press release sponsored by NASA and the National Science was why few people in the 1960s studied them. As he puts it, “At that time Foundation had announced Wolfe’s Illinois colleague, Carl Woese, had you had to stand on your head and wiggle your hands and your ears in discovered a third form of life, and mentioned Wolfe’s involvement. order to get these conditions.” Newspapers ran wild with the news release, making all sorts of pseudo- Throughout the ‘60s, Wolfe found ways to mass culture methanogenic scientific sensational claims and outraging the scientific community, Wolfe organisms, and his lab became the world leader on the metabolism of these says. He did not see the release until it had generated headlines around the microbes. His lab also began finding clues that methanogens were different world. from anything else in the world. In the early 1970s, his lab discovered a new “People thought we were out of our minds,” Wolfe says. In fact, one coenzyme unique to these creatures—a major discovery. Nobel Prize winner called him up and advised him to disassociate himself “This coenzyme was something entirely new,” he says. “Then we found from Woese’s research or risk destroying his career. another one and another one and another one.” With as much passion as like Raetzman, Edwards Wolfe says that despite the PR problems caused by the news release, he In all, his lab discovered six new coenzymes behind the metabolism of she exudes for her work, it is entered her under- defended the data from Woese’s studies, which showed that methanoarchaea methanogens. Meanwhile, Carl Woese, in a lab down the hall, had been hard to believe that Lori graduate career with no organisms were completely separate from bacteria. This discovery led Woese working out a technique for analyzing the 16S ribosomal RNA of different Raetzman, an associate intention of pursuing to propose that archaea formed an entirely new branch on the tree of life—a microbial species. Woese had already compared the 16S rRNA in about 60 professor in Molecular and science. third kingdom in addition to eukaryotes (which include animals and plants) microbes, when he proposed that Wolfe collaborate on an experiment to use Integrative Physiology, was “I went into and bacteria. methanogens in his assay. Woese ran the rRNA assays on Wolfe’s not attuned to science since undergrad as a theatre Woese’s theory did not prune the traditional tree of life recognized by methanogens, and was shocked to discover these organisms were the beginning. major, actually. I took a scientists; it yanked the old tree out by the roots and planted a new one. completely different from any other bacteria. “My dad worked in a basic science course and The outrage over the sensational headlines in 1977 may have delayed “He told me methanogens weren’t bacteria, and I said of course they’re factory and my mom was a absolutely fell in love acceptance of Woese’s ideas by 10 years, Wolfe says. However, acceptance bacteria,” Wolfe recalls. “They looked like bacteria under the microscope.” stay-at-home mom, so I definitely didn’t have environmental factors, allowing their response with it, and things kind of just progressed from did come, and Woese went on to receive a host of awards for his discovery, Woese ran his tests on all seven methanogens known at the time and the science in the genes,” she said. It was not until to be further studied. With a variety of there,” she said. Edwards also takes her passion including the coveted Crafoord Prize from the Royal Swedish Academy of same result came in. Based on the ribosomal RNA tests, these organisms she took a summer research opportunity at the techniques, as well as collaborations across for science outside of the lab, where she is Sciences. clearly belonged in the same group, but they were not bacteria. Mayo Clinic that Raetzman uncovered her love campus, Raetzman and her students are involved in promoting the presence of It all started with research happening in Wolfe’s Burrill Hall laboratory, Wolfe and Woese co-authored an article that appeared in the proceedings for developmental neurobiology. making great strides towards understanding underrepresented minorities in the sciences. where a simple technique for cultivating methanogens was laboriously of the National Academy of Sciences, and as the years passed Woese’s She pursued developmental neuroscience the signals that underlie this fate choice. One organization to which she dedicates a developed over a period of 10 years. Although Wolfe was not directly theory was vindicated. Additional evidence had poured in demonstrating throughout her graduate training, after which “Working for Lori has been more than I great deal of time, STEMfem, seeks to form an involved in Woese’s work, his laboratory collaborated in the experiment that that methanogens were just part of a larger archaea kingdom. she accepted a postdoctoral fellowship in the could have ever asked for from a graduate alliance between women in the sciences. triggered the landmark discovery. As for Wolfe, he remained in the world of methanogens, working out the lab of Dr. Sally Camper at the University of school PI. Having experienced a number of Raetzman’s position as an associate For Wolfe, growing up in a small town of 1,500 in the Shenandoah Valley pathway for how they reduce carbon dioxide to methane. Over 20 years, his Michigan. It was here that she began studies on different laboratory atmospheres in the past, it professor also extends far beyond the lab, and of Virginia, and he says he had no idea what he wanted to do in life. lab figured out the enzymes and coenzymes involved, for which he credits [the developmental origins of] the pituitary is abundantly clear to me why both Lori and plays a significant role in contributing to the However, as a youth, being a researcher in microbiology was not something his sensational team of graduate students. gland, which led her to Illinois in 2005. everyone she has trained to date has been so positive atmosphere at Illinois. As a member of he saw coming. Wolfe retired in 1991, but kept his lab open for another 15 years. He still In line with her previous work, Raetzman’s successful,” said Matt Biehl, an MD/PhD the Endocrine Society, she has been able to “In college, I found that I could get better grades with the least effort in comes into the office every day to read literature and follow his lab currently focuses on understanding early student in the Raetzman Lab. “Her passion for collaborate with “a remarkable group of biology courses, so I figured maybe I should concentrate on it,” he says with microbiology hobbies, such as studying magnetotactic bacteria. On the top development of the pituitary gland and how training has been especially beneficial, physicians and scientists” in order to provide a sly smile. shelf in his office sits a large funnel, which he once used with students to environmental signals [cues] are integrated into considering my background is somewhat training and outreach to the next generation of Wolfe majored in biology at Bridgewater College, where his father taught demonstrate how methane, trapped underwater in sediment, could become this process. She boils this down to a fate similar to hers. Having no family or friends scientists. philosophy and religion. He received his master’s in 1949 and his PhD in “combustible air.” choice. with a background as either a PhD or MD (or “That really has solidified my love of 1953 in bacteriology, both at the University of Pennsylvania. He decided to He recalls how his students would wade out into Urbana’s Crystal Lake, “You have one stem cell that has to make any college experience, for that matter), her endocrinology and dedication to the field,” she get an advanced degree because his original goal was to teach at a small stir up the sediment, and collect the gas in an inverted plastic funnel. As one five different hormone-producing cells, and we guidance has been beneficial not only in my said. The goal of promoting and supporting college. He says that is when his professors “scientifically seduced him.” student pulled out the stopper at the end of the funnel, another student know a couple of the first steps that happen for science, but also in ensuring I am following a women in the sciences is also important to “They kept telling me that a PhD is a research degree,” so he became a would hold a match near the opening. The result would be a massive fireball each of those cells. But we don’t know what career path that benefits me the most. Now Raetzman. Since her days as a PhD student in reluctant researcher—at least in the beginning. He soon embraced the work of ignited methane. This experiment originated in the 1600s when the makes an undifferentiated cell that could be entering my fourth year of graduate school, I Ruth Siegel’s lab, she has sought out female and came to the University of Illinois as an instructor 1953. Italian scientist Alessandro Volta (for whom the volt is named) first anything, go this way versus that way.” can’t even begin to quantify how much Lori role models who embody strength and Wolfe had a passion for studying microbial diversity, but he did not move conducted it. Cutting-edge technology has allowed lab has helped me grow as both a graduate and persistence in an environment still dominated into his life’s work on methanogens until 1961. While on sabbatical in On one wall of Wolfe’s office is the replica of a pistola , the device Volta members to isolate these stem cells, the first medical student.” by males. Now, as someone who epitomizes a England, he conducted research on methanogenic bacteria, which produce used to fire off a mixture of swamp gas and air. Just below it is one of step towards characterizing them in more Whitney Edwards, a second-year PhD successful female in the field, she serves as a vast quantities of methane and are found in anoxic environments such as Wolfe’s favorite sayings from the poet Robert Service: “It isn’t the gold that detail. Isolated stem cells can be directly student in the lab, describes with excitement role model to students across campus. sediment, the rumen of cows, the cecum of horses, and the alimentary canal I’m wanting so much as just finding the gold.” subjected to different hormonal or the atmosphere in their field right now. Much of all animals, including humans. “That’s what drives me,” Wolfe says, after looking back on his 62-year “Most people think of anoxic conditions as being the absence of career. “It’s not about the gold. It’s all about making the discovery.” oxygen,” Wolfe says, “but that’s not enough for these creatures. For them to 16 MCB SCHOOL OF MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOLOGY 17 Nutritional Immunity: Striking Gold U of I Alum Uses Humble Yeast in Battle

Using Hunger to Fight Infection y Against Parkinson’s and Other Diseases h p a r g

By Doug Peterson o Kehl-Fie Lab, Microbiology t o h P

By Kevin Yum l i h c r u h C

The power of yeast has brought us beer and responsible for most cancers, as mutated r e h

bread for hundreds of years. Now these simple proteins cause cells to grow when they shouldn’t p o t

cells are bringing us fresh insights and possible be growing.” s i r

treatments for neurodegenerative diseases such Lindquist began her career studying gene h C

as Parkinson’s and Huntington’s. regulation and doing basic science on protein t i d

“I love dogs, but I think yeast is man’s best folding, but for the past 12 years she has e r c friend,” says Susan Lindquist, a University of focused on using this knowledge to tackle o

“A major challenge to studying t Illinois microbiology alum and professor of disease. In much of the work, her lab is doing o h how bacteria respond to nutritional biology at MIT. She should know, for Lindquist their initial research using yeast cells. Dr. Susan Lindquist will speak at the 2016 P uses yeast cells as “living test tubes” as her When Lindquist first suggested using yeast MCB commencement ceremony. immunity is mimicking the laboratory uncovers promising new compounds cells to study neurodegenerative diseases, many evolution of new traits in organisms. For starvation that bacteria experience to treat diseases. people thought she was crazy, and she instance, she is studying how proteins called With lifespans extending, people have understands why. These diseases are prions can set off a chain reaction in cells that during infection in culture.” become more susceptible to the neurodegen- “profoundly complicated,” she says, so it lead to complex new traits in an organism. erative diseases of old age, such as Parkinson’s seemed far-fetched that they could study them Lindquist has won multiple of honors for her and Alzheimer’s, Lindquist says. She cites in simple yeast cells. work, and has been elected to the American figures showing while deaths from stroke went Yeast cells, like all organisms, share the same Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National down 20 percent and deaths from heart disease protein-folding problems as human cells, but Academy of Sciences, and the Institute of were cut by 13 percent from 2000 to 2008, the they are cheap, easy to use, and provide fast Medicine. However, she credits Illinois with first neurodegenerative disease Alzheimer’s went up results. Lindquist’s team took certain proteins putting her on this track of discovery. by 66 percent. linked to neurodegenerative diseases and “My experience at the University of Illinois Behind all neurodegenerative diseases are inserted them into yeast cells. For instance, had a profound effect on my career,” she says. According to a recent Centers for Disease assistant professor of microbiology, is actively determine how bacteria respond to metal mistakes made in the body’s protein-folding when they put high levels of alpha synuclein (a- When she began her undergraduate work at Control and Prevention (CDC) report, more studying the impact of host-imposed metal starvation. process—a subject that Lindquist has studied syn), a protein linked to Parkinson’s, in yeast U of I, she was planning on going to medical than 2 million people become infected with starvation on pathogens, in particular S. aureus. “A major challenge to studying how bacteria for most of her career beginning with her first cells, the cells became sick in ways that school. After working for a summer in the drug-resistant bacteria each year in the United “Transition metals play a large role in many respond to nutritional immunity is mimicking professorship at the University of Chicago in the mimicked what happened in human brain cells. laboratory of Jan Drake, professor of States alone. First-line treatments are no longer living organisms, as they are essential for crucial the starvation that bacteria experience during 1970s. They screened over 500,000 compounds in microbiology, her eyes were opened to the joys effective against these “superbugs” and their biological processes. In fact, an estimated 30 infection in culture. The ability to impose metal To explain protein folding, Lindquist yeast and found about 100 looked promising for of biological exploration. emergence is a global concern due to the limited percent of all proteins require a metal co-factor starvation in culture using calprotectin allows us compares the process to creating a musical reversing the effects of a-syn. In particular, they “Being able to find something that no one therapeutic options for dealing with them. One and loss of the ability to impose metal starvation to harness the power of molecular genetics to instrument, such as a saxophone, from a sheet did detailed work on one of those compounds, ever knew before…that was extraordinarily pathogen of particular concern is methicillin- results in higher susceptibility to infection,” elucidate the factors that enable S. aureus and of metal. NAB. After seeing its impact on yeast cells, they exciting to me,” she says. She went on to receive resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Kehl-Fie said. other pathogens to overcome nutritional “When you fold up the sheet of metal to confirmed that NAB also reversed the negative her B.S. in microbiology from Illinois in 1971 Previously MRSA infections were largely “We know that hosts, us, starve bacteria for immunity. Then using wild type mice and mice make a very complex musical instrument and effects when it was tested on human neurons and her Ph.D. from Harvard in 1976. confined to hospitals; however, in recent years an essential nutrients including transition metals. which have defects in metal sequestration, we you do it right, it plays beautiful music,” she created from stem cells taken from the skin of As she continues to pursue new discoveries at increasing number of these infections are Despite this, S. aureus still kills tens of thousands can evaluate if the bacterial factors identified in says. “But when you get the folding wrong, the patients with Parkinson’s. MIT, Lindquist compares the screening process beginning in the community at large. This of people every year in the United States alone. culture contribute to infection and resisting instrument is not going to play good music and The Lindquist Lab is also looking at proteins for therapeutic compounds to panning for gold. dissemination has led the CDC to state S. aureus To cause disease, S. aureus must adapt to this nutritional immunity.” might even ruin the entire orchestra.” and cancer. They are studying heat shock “When you’re panning, you have to go and other antibiotic resistant pathogens pose a nutrient limitation. Our thinking is that if we can “Coming to the lab is not work for me. I love Like that nondescript sheet of metal used to proteins, which help cells cope under all kinds of through a lot of sand and gravel before you find serious threat to human health and call for the understand the adaptations that allow S. aureus science and it is my passion. One of the make an instrument, proteins start out as long, stresses such as heat, lack of oxygen, too much some gold,” she says. “But even when you find development of new therapeutic options. to survive in this extremely hostile environment, fortunate things about doing research is that you linear strings of amino acids; they have to be oxygen, or too little water. The problem is cancer gold, that doesn’t mean much until you can find During infection, bacteria must obtain all of we can then identify new targets for therapeutic get to interact with people who are very folded exactly right for them to do their specific cells can use this heat shock survival mechanism the gold again and again in the same stream. their nutrients from the host. In response to development.” passionate about what they are doing. This job in the body. There are 15,000 to 20,000 “to survive and grow in us and kill us.” Then you will know you might have hit a vein of these invaders, our body takes advantage of this A critical component of nutritional immunity includes faculty, graduate students, and different types of proteins, which are the As Lindquist explains, “If we can find an gold or the mother-lode.” Achilles’ heel and sequesters many essential is the manganese and zinc binding protein undergraduate students at the University of workhorses of the body. If one little thing goes agent that can stop cancer cells from using the When it comes to their screening process, she nutrients upon infection, a process known as calprotectin. Dr. Kehl-Fie’s group utilizes the Illinois.” wrong with a protein’s complex folding process, heat shock survival response, we might be able says, “We don’t know for sure yet, but we think nutritional immunity. Dr. Thomas Kehl-Fie, an ability of calprotectin to bind metals to the result can be disease, such as cystic fibrosis. to use it to fight cancer.” we have started to strike gold.” “Misfolded proteins can also go off as A third area of research in the Lindquist Lab renegades and run amok,” she says. “They are has been the impact of protein folding on the

18 MCB SCHOOL OF MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOLOGY 19 The human gastrointestinal tract is composed of trillions of of Helicobacter pylori, bacteria that colonize the stomach of half of Helicobacter pylori microorganisms whose collective genome (microbiome) contains the world’s human population, it alters the local gastric environment more than a hundred times as many genes as are present in the host. in ways that can allow a suitable niche to colonize, and in the Gastric Infection Studies have identified some of these microorganisms play an process, potentially cause the development of gastric ulcers and important role in metabolism and production of essential vitamins. It stomach cancer. Since most microorganisms cannot survive in this was no surprise when recent studies revealed gut microbiome, harsh gastric environment, H. pylori faces little competition for Microbiology Welcomes Impairs Cognitive depending on various environmental cues, can control which genes resources. are turned on and off, thus regulating gene expression in the Recently, Dr. Steven Blanke’s research group in the Department Dr. Christopher Brooke to Performance in Rats digestive system. Additionally, our microbiome is unique and can be of Microbiology discovered something surprising. altered based on diet, lifestyle, and exposure to toxins and “After infecting rats with H. pylori , Michael Reno, the senior the Faculty From the Blanke Lab, antibiotics. Ph.D. student who has been spearheading our studies, discovered Since our body provides little space for these microorganisms to that infection can cause inflammation in more than just the stomach The Department of Microbiology welcomed Dr. Christopher Microbiology grow, all species of microorganisms must be properly balanced to where the bacteria are growing. We knew that H. pylori causes gastric Brooke as an assistant professor in September of 2015. Dr. Brooke maintain homeostasis. Potentially innocuous microbes may become inflammation but it was not previously known that H. pylori received his Ph.D. in Microbiology & Immunology from the dangerous when they outnumber the beneficial microbes. In the case infection could induce a chronic systemic inflammatory response. University of North Carolina in 2010, and completed a postdoctoral By Kevin Yum But what really surprised us was finding that chronic infection fellowship at the National Institutes of Health in 2015. He is extremely induced inflammation within the brain of animals,” said Dr. Blanke. excited to join the Microbiology Department within MCB, and looks To further investigate this finding, Dr. Blanke, in collaboration forward to establishing collaborations across the wider UIUC scientific with Dr. Joshua Gulley’s group in the Department of Psychology, community. At Illinois, his group uses influenza virus as a model to has actively started evaluating the cognitive performance in the better understand the mechanisms that govern viral evolution and infected rats. “We have been examining the influence of H. pylori transmission. infection on memory and spatial learning in animals chronically Influenza virus continues to pose a global public health threat infected for 6 months as well as animals actively infected but cured because it is remarkably adept at evolving to escape the immunity by antibiotic therapy.” generated by vaccination or previous infection. Further, the potential “The preliminary data gathered by the Gulley lab has been for zoonotic influenza viruses to evolve to transmit between humans interesting. Even after being cured of H. pylori infection, animals resulting in another pandemic remains a serious concern. showed a reduction in their natural exploratory behavior. Rodents The Brooke lab combines approaches drawn from molecular are naturally very inquisitive of their environment, but H. pylori virology, evolutionary biology, viral genomics, and immunology to infection, even after curing, appears to reduce that inquisitiveness. better understand how influenza viruses evolve and how they cause Additionally, those same animals needed additional time to learn disease. A particular focus of the group is on determining how the novel cognitive tasks in comparison to animals that were never segmented structure of the influenza virus genome promotes viral infected. To us, this indicates that the influence of H. pylori induced evolution and immune escape. Brooke and colleagues recently inflammation on the brain can persist even after the infection has demonstrated that the vast majority of influenza virus particles lack a been cured.” complete functional set of viral genes, and thus must work together to Pictured here: MD/PhD student Michael Reno and Dr. Steven “Our next goal is to better understand the mechanism by which generate a productive infection. Upending previous dogma, they Blanke H. pylori infection, which remains specifically localized to the found that viruses that packaged fewer genome segments were actually Helicobacter pylori: stomach, is able to induce systemic and brain inflammation. To do one of the very few organisms capable of better able to replicate and transmit between hosts. These findings this, we will be looking at how chronic H. pylori infection influences actively colonizing the human stomach induces a robust have necessitated a paradigm shift in how we view viral populations, inflammatory response which is able to influence health in the populations of immune cells within the infected host. Specific and have opened up several new areas of study that the lab is currently tissues beyond the stomach, potentially influencing cognitive populations of T cells within the immune system play key roles in pursuing. health. regulating the inflammatory process, both in upregulating and Brooke hopes that their work will open the door to designing new downregulating, and we are interested in the influence H. pylori “escape-proof” vaccines and therapeutics, as well as improve our infection may be having on those populations.” ability to predict and prepare for future pandemics.

20 MCB SCHOOL OF MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOLOGY 21 “This is truly a wonderful, magical place because of the people here. We’re recognizing some people here whose names are everywhere in microbiology. You can’t miss those names because of their impact. But the culture of microbiology here is that everyone works together and moves forward.”

Milestones in Excellence Illinois Department of Microbiology Receives Rare Honor in Recognition of its Contributions to Microbiology

By Dave Evense, College of LAS Ofﬁce of Communications and Marketing

One particularly telling moment at the ceremony highlighting the It added that the university has been “home to many outstanding world-class research and education,” said Feng-Sheng Hu, associate naming of U of I as one of the “Milestones in Microbiology” sites microbiologists who have made seminal discoveries that significantly dean for life and physical sciences at the College of Liberal Arts and (From left) Stephen Sligar, director of the School of Molecular and actually occurred after the proceedings were over, as those who increased biological understanding and advanced the field of Sciences and Ralph E. Grim Professor of Plant Biology and Geology. Cellular Biology, Swanlund Endowed Chair, and professor of participated in the event were having their picture taken around a plaque microbiology.” “We all know that Carl Woese rewrote biology textbooks with his biochemistry, chemistry, biophysics and computational biology; Michele Mariscalco, regional dean of the College of Medicine; from the American Society for Microbiology. As of 2015, Illinois is home to six past presidents of the society. discovery of a third domain of life. In addition to Carl, a number of Peter Schiffer, vice chancellor for research and professor of On the plaque were the images of eight “giants” whose work at Illinois Those past Illinois professors highlighted by the society at the other luminaries have made profound contributions to the field of physics; John Cronan, head of the Department of Microbiology during the past nearly 150 years played a major role in bringing the Milestones event include Burrill (1839-1916), who founded the science microbiology while serving on our faculty.” and professor of biochemistry; Gene Robinson, director of the department the status it enjoys today. Thomas Burrill, Carl Woese, of bacterial plant pathology; Salyers (1942-2013), who pioneered Stanley Maloy, past president of American Society for Microbiology Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, Swanlund Chair, and Abigail Salyers, and Nobel laureate Salvador Luria were among them— studies of Bacteroides, a major intestinal bacterium responsible for and a former professor with the Department of Microbiology from professor of entomology; William W. Metcalf, G. Williams Arend and all of them were deceased except for Ralph Wolfe, 94, who was breaking down fibrous materials, and whose research enhanced our 1984-2002, said that the 18 years he spent at Illinois changed his life. Professor in Molecular and Cellular Biology and professor of making a beeline for the exit. understanding of antibiotic resistance among gut bacteria. “This is truly a wonderful, magical place because of the people here,” microbiology; Edward Feser, interim provost and vice chancellor “Ralph!” Someone called. “Come here for a picture!” Woese (1928-2012) was honored for discovering the archaea, also he said. He added, “We’re recognizing some people here whose names for academic affairs and dean of the College of Fine and Applied He stopped for a moment and surveyed the group. “The photo looks referred to as the third domain of life distinct from bacteria and eukarya; are everywhere in microbiology. You can’t miss those names because of Arts; Feng-Sheng Hu, associate dean for life and physical perfect already,” Wolfe said, and continued on his way. Typically shy of Sol Spiegelman (1914-1983) initiated the study of RNA and the their impact. But the culture of microbiology here is that everyone works sciences at the College of LAS and Ralph E. Grim Professor of Plant Biology and Geology; Robert L. Switzer, professor emeritus the spotlight, it was Wolfe’s way of saying he was just one of many who mechanisms of viral replication; Luria (1912-1991) pioneered the study together and moves forward.” of biochemistry and honorary microbiologist; and Brenda Wilson, made the department what it is. of bacterial virus-mediated transfer of DNA; Irwin “Gunny” Gunsalus Intercepted after the ceremony before he reached the exit, Wolfe professor of microbiology, after the ceremony honoring the Indeed, a prevailing message at the ceremony was that this honor— (1912-2008) was recognized for his seminal studies in microbial added one other group to the list of those who should be recognized: University of Illinois as a “Milestones in Microbiology” site. (Photo which has been awarded to just 10 universities before Illinois—is the biochemistry. students. by Joseph Storch) result of years of collaborative work by faculty, students, and Marvin P. Bryant (1925-2000) made fundamental contributions to “Departments of science really ride on the backs of graduate administrators in the Department of Microbiology. rumen bacteriology and fermentation processes; Wolfe (1921)developed students,” Wolfe said. “They do the work.” “This department has had an incredible generosity of spirit for its the first archaeal cell-free extract system for methane production, and He was asked what he was most proud of in his 60-plus years with the entire time,” said John Cronan, who has served as head of the also played a lead role in establishing the Woods Hole Microbial Ecology department, as a professor or professor emeritus. Department of Microbiology for 18 years, in his comments at the event. Course. “I think just seeing the department grow and maintain its stature over “One of my main jobs has been to not screw it up. Having done this for A crowd of more than 150 people attended the event and heard the years has been the most important thing,” Wolfe said. “Many 18 years you might think I’m a competent administrator, but that’s not several speakers, including college and university administrators, Robert departments go through cycles. They have a cycle of excellence and then true—I just have a great department. My colleagues are colleagues in the Switzer, professor emeritus of biochemistry, William Metcalf, G. William they decay. So far, we’ve been able to maintain our excellence.” best sense of the word.” Arends Professor in Molecular and Cellular Biology and professor of The American Society for Microbiology, the largest and oldest life microbiology, Gene Robinson, director of the Carl R. Woese Institute for science society in the world, named Illinois one of the Milestones for its Genomic Biology, and others. “rich history of major microbiological achievements,” it said in a release. “Our Department of Microbiology has a decades-long record of

22 MCB SCHOOL OF MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOLOGY 23 Mentors of Success A Growing Alumni Mentoring Program in MCB is Helping Students Map Their Careers

By Dave Evensen, College of LAS Ofﬁce of Communications and Marketing

A college education opens many doors— sometimes it seems too many. Joining the program was one of the most important career decisions As Leah Schmelkin (BS, ’13, molecular and cellular biology; psychology) Schmelkin made. During mentoring, she shadowed Berkowitz several and College of LAS Office of Advancement, he began growing the might have attested to early in her undergraduate studies at Illinois, she times as he worked with patients at Community Hospital. When she was program by sending emails to other Illinois alumni in the health care didn’t know what she wanted to do. Then she received notice from the not at the hospital, she corresponded often with Berkowitz as he offered field to enlist their help. Gradually over the next six years, about 50 School of Molecular and Cellular Biology about a new opportunity to job- her career and academic advice. alumni joined the cause. shadow a doctor and alumnus named Richard Berkowitz (BS, ’79, biology; Berkowitz eventually wrote her a recommendation letter that helped “We’d like to do a better job adding mentors, because we’re looking MD, ‘83) as he made his rounds as an anesthesiologist at Community her get into Mayo. Most importantly, Schmelkin added, the program at about 1,100 MCB majors, and it would be nice for the ones who Hospital in Munster, Ind. helped her decide that she wanted to go to medical school. She came to do want mentors or guidance to have somebody they can talk to,” Schmelkin applied, was accepted, and now, as a medical student at Mayo that conclusion while trailing Berkowitz about his job. Berkowitz said. Medical School in Rochester, Minn., she has the distinction of being one of “His job is very technical, but when he interacts with people he is able “The time commitment itself is really not that great,” he added. “If the first students to go through the MCB’s Pathways to Health Careers to connect with them on a very human level, and that’s not about science. I were an alumnus, I would think it’s very attractive. It’s a way for me Mentorship Program. Within a few short years the program has grown That’s about comforting them in a time when they’re scared before to shape the career of a student and at the same time get re-engaged from one founding mentor—Berkowitz— surgery,” Schmelkin said. “And in the university.” to dozens of them. They include doctors, “The networking piece and the job when I saw that really delicate To benefit students who do not necessarily want to become doctors pharmacists, dentists, and other Illinois balance between the science and the the program has evolved over its lifespan to include mentors from alumni in the health care industry who are shadowing experience was really so human side of things, I was really different aspects of health care. Nicole Raucci (BS, ’12, MCB) who willing to lend their time and knowledge excited to do that myself one day.” applied for the Pathways program as a senior, intended to go to to help undergraduate MCB students important for me. Without having the Stories such as Schmelkin’s have medical school. map their future. background and those experiences, made the Pathways program one of After shadowing Berkowitz, however, she started considering an Tina Knox, who coordinates the most well regarded at Illinois. alternate path. Berkowitz put her in touch with a nurse practitioner undergraduate instruction and advising I don’t know if I would’ve necessarily The Illinois Academic Advising and physician’s assistant at the hospital where he worked and this past for MCB, said last year the program Committee recognized it as an August she began her first job as a registered nurse at Northwestern matched 33 MCB students with alumni been so quick to jump on this pathway.” Outstanding Established Program Memorial Hospital in Chicago. Her science background has helped mentors; some 41 students were matched and Knox was invited to present it her as she works the general medicine unit and has plans to earn a the year before. There was a dip in at the National Academic Advising doctoral degree as a nurse practitioner. applications this year, which Knox attributed to timing (the application Association’s annual conference in October 2014. “The networking piece and the job shadowing experience was deadline came during an exam period), but said feedback on the program It started when Berkowitz decided he wanted to create a way to help really so important for me,” Raucci said. “Without having the has been “wonderful.” students find their direction during their undergrad years. He knew what background and those experiences, I don’t know if I would’ve Any MCB undergraduate student who seeks this rare opportunity must it felt like being on your own in college. He was the first in his family to go necessarily been so quick to jump on this pathway.” submit an essay to apply. Berkowitz goes through the applications and, with to college for a significant amount of time, and he felt that he had nobody Knox’s help, matches students with mentors in their field of interest. to ask for advice about academics or setting a career path. Response has been strong, according to Knox, with alumni mentors “I really didn’t have anyone to query to get that information,” agreeing to bring the student to work for job shadowing. When they are not Berkowitz recalled. “It worked out for me, but if we can make it easier for IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING AS A MENTOR, together, mentors are encouraged to keep in touch by phone or email to these students and teach them what’s expected of them while they’re please contact Tina Knox, [email protected]. provide the student with career advice. vetting the process out, it goes such a long way.” FOR DONATIONS OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO THIS PROGRAM , “They’re matched for a year,” Knox said. “But most of the mentors have The first year Berkowitz, the only mentor in the program, mentored please contact Sean Williams, [email protected]. agreed to see the student through graduation if the student chooses.” three students, including Schmelkin. With help from the School of MCB

24 MCB SCHOOL OF MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOLOGY 25 MCB GRADUATES SUPPORT THE MCB FAMILY

Doctor of Philosophy Master of Science

Biochemistry Biophysics and Microbiology Biochemistry Zhanar Abil Computational Biology Divya Balasubramanian, Summer 2014 Samantha Phinney Young Ahn Mark Arcario, Fall 2014 David Barnhart, Summer 2014 Erin Wildeman Neal Andruska Jeffrey Brown, Fall 2014 Vandana Chakravartty, Fall 2014 Adrienne Barry, Fall 2014 Mohamed Ghoneim Amandeep Gargi Biology Emilia Calvaresi, Fall 2014 Francisco Guerra, Fall 2014 Fatemah Hermes, Fall 2014 Joseph Brodsky Bijoy Desai, Fall 2014 Jikun Li, Summer 2014 Alexander Smith, Fall 2014 Colin Stoy, Summer 2014 Salehe Ghasempur, Fall 2014 Thuy Ngo, Fall 2014 Xiaomin Yu, Summer 2014 Damien Tobin Fiona Groninger-Poe, Summer 2014 Leonardo Sepulveda Duran, Summer Irisbel Guzman Sanchez 2014 Molecular and Biophysics and Abhinav Luthra Alexander Taguchi, Summer 2014 Integrative Physiology Computational Biology Kim Nguyen, Summer 2014 Pengfei Yu, Fall 2014 Alicia Dietrich, Summer 2014 Huseyin Tas, Fall 2014 Preeti Sharma Ting Fu, Summer 2014 Sheena Smith, Fall 2014 Cell and Developmental Kieran Normoyle Seyed Torabi, Fall 2014 Biology Harry Rosenberg Pei Wang Chase Bolt Vesna Tosic Daniel Wichelecki, Fall 2014 Frank Echtenkamp, Fall 2014 Nidhi Khanna, Fall 2014 Nimish Khanna, Fall 2014 Biochemistry alumni and faculty are engaged Microbiology lies at the heart of the biological Lisa Moore Stephanie Tsang Mui Chang, Fall 2014 in interdisciplinary research in medicine, sciences. The recent awareness that host- Min Zeng community health, the environment, social associated microbes, the “microbiome,” play policy, and industry. We are committed to vital roles in modulating human health maintaining an exceptional record via underscores the relevance of microbiology. Undergraduate Degrees—Bachelor of Sciences groundbreaking discoveries and superb training Moreover, microbiology is also key to of scholars in our classrooms and laboratories. understanding climate change, green chemistry, geology, animal health, and Biochemistry, Biochemistry, Joshua Chang Muhammad Hossain Kamil Matejewski Rachel Rendak The main academic mission of the Specialized Curriculum, Specialized Curriculum Bob Chen Janet Hsueh Margret Matias, Fall 2014 Kyle Ridlen agriculture. Syed Arslan Emily Cheng Norman Huang Jessica Matthiesen William Riedl School of Molecular and Cellular Biology Highest Distinction Michael Cherwin Jin Huh Kayla McCawley, Fall 2014 Alex Romine Matthew Kleinjan Shannon Bogue Jiachang Hao, Summer 2015 Rishabh Choudhari Margaret Hung Rachelle McClean Lauren Ruvola Kathryn McEvoy Naima Choudhury Emily Itoku Jennifer McDonald Badeia Saed Yunhong Wang Jisoo Kim is the management and advancement of Seong Wook Lee Caitlin Christian Nicole Jackowski Michelle Mendez Phillip Salmen Bingyan Wu Michael Clarke Neha Jain Kristen Michon Emily Samuel Kevin Yum Daniel Lim the undergraduate major. Each year we Neil Miran Erin Claussen Surbhi Jain Ahamed Milhan Teerarit Saubhayana Andrew Plecki Margaret Cooper Jessica Jankiewicz Derek Minor Darsh Shah Molecular and Cellular Juan Coronel Hyunsoo Jin Sergio Miranda, Summer 2015 Corey Shayman Biology Honors Konstantin Tachlukov graduate nearly 500 majors with the Jacob Tilsley David Cui Dian Joseph Mirihagalle Mirihagalle Vivian Shen Concentration, Highest Fei Wang John Culhane Balaji Jothishankar Supipi Mirihagalle Tuo Shi Distinction Stephanie Curtis Justyna Kaczmarzyk, Fall 2014 Kathryn Mirza Alvin Singh Bachelor of Science degree in Molecular Michaela Eickhoff Diana Czarny, Summer 2015 George Kalapurakal Sandra Miskiewicz Ramneek Singh Molecular and Cellular Michael Czeschin Roche Kapoor Ashley Mohan Christopher Smreczak Dhruv Joshi Biology Honors Department of Cell and Developmental Molecular and Integrative Physiology Clara Stelman, Fall 2014 Alan David Sarah Kempel Taylor Molln, Fall 2014 Magdalena Sobieraj and Cellular Biology. We’re one of the Susan Zelasko Concentration Augustus Demanes Bret Kersting Sarah Monick, Fall 2014 Karol Sokolowski Biology faculty, students, postdoctoral fellows, researchers explore topics ranging from Megan Barnes Danielle Di Lorio, Summer 2015 Bobak Khalili, Summer 2015 Brittany Mote Sophia Son largest majors at the University, and Molecular and Cellular Mara Dubnow Janine Doctor Mariha Khan Harold Mugno Noor Soufan and staff research interactions among molecular function to whole animal integration Natascia Flasch, Fall 2014 Biology, Highest Amanda Donald Kayla Killion Mindi Mui Krisos Spyratos Sarah Innocenti William Donohue Daniel Kim Bethany Murphy Christine Stella have an established, outstanding molecules, macromolecules, and to understand how thousands of encoded Distinction Paul Kozak Sean Duminie Do Yeon Kim Sidra Murtaza Joel Stickling Jason Dienhart, Fall 2014 Jun Soo Park Kirstin Dunbar Grace Kim, Fall 2014 Tarek Nabulsi Cody Stieglitz macromolecular machines giving rise to living proteins serve to bring about the highly Abby Esker Robin Rice Hoanghuy Duong Jae Seong Kim Nicole Nelson Taylore Stinnett track record of preparing students for cells. Our mission includes applying basic cell coordinated behavior of cells and tissues Christopher Felicelli Cara Schornak Monika Dzierzanowski John Kim Nina Nguyen, Fall 2014 Tiffany Sum Muhammad Ilyas Natalia Sopiarz Osadebamwen Ede-Imafidon Nicholas Kim Brandon Nidea Rachel Swanson professional and academic careers. In and molecular biological research to the underlying physiological functions, and how Hollis Johanson Morgan Zenner Quincy Elery Susie Kim Tanner Norris Robert Swanson, Fall 2014 Amogh Kambalyal Kimberly Elkayam Thomas King, Summer 2015 Chinedu Nwoko Tariq Tajjioui understanding and treatment of human their dysfunction may lead to diseases such as Sherwin Kelekar Molecular and Cellular Mahmoud Elrakhawy Cassandra Kipping Monica O’Connor Konrad Taube addition, the school works closely with disease as well as new biotechnology cancer, diabetes, obesity, neurological Jiwon Kim Biology John Elue Suzanne Kirk Natalia Okon Sarah Tayazime Rebekah Landsman Amr Abdou Forrest Ericksen Connor Klein Theodore Olanrewaju Alexis Thorstenson Sizhe Wang applications. disorders, and infertility. 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With over Biochemistry, Lina Al-Chaar Michaela Fisch Daniel Kuk Beverly Onyekwuluje Trang Tran Specialized Curriculum, Kelly Alleavitch Kelsey Fisher Ray Kuo Crystal Ortiz Angelica Ukaigwe High Distinction Lucas Altenbaumer Jacob Fleener Khee-Man Kwon Devron Ozgen Ray Urban 15,000 alumni, we’re proud of our Kevin Gill Michael Andrasco Megan Franck Richard Ladner Michael Padish Matthew Van Der Bosch Yanshu Guo Ashley Andronowitz Diego Frias Jacqueline Lam, Fall 2014 Rahul Panchal Mackenzie Varco Give online: mcb.illinois.edu/giving Eun Bee Kim Shaun Armstrong Zachary Gaertner Michael LaPelusa Brent Panozzo Brendan Vastlik graduate family and want to keep in Sarah Asaturian Carolyn Galbato Brandon Larson Eric Park, Summer 2015 Mallorie Vest Molecular and Cellular Robert Baginski Meghan Gallagher Colin Lee Jun Yeon Park, Summer2015 Elizabeth Vlahos close contact. 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You can also contact Assistant Director Nicole Borkowski Xinyi Guo Sean Lucas Gerard Pineda Mariah Wu Biochemistry, Jacqueline Brinkman Shreya Gupta Christine Luu Alexander Piavnik Ruiting Xia Specialized Curriculum, Mansoor Burhani, Fall 2014 Samantha Hall Daniel Lynch Marlena Polecka Kevin Yang of Development Sean Williams at [email protected], Distinction Elizabeth Burke, Summer 2015 Raia Hamad, Summer 2015 Rachael Lynn Andrew Posen Amanda Youssef Meredith Kisting Joseph Burke Amy Hanley Samantha Maasarani Clayton Powers Nina Youssefnia (217) 300-4462, to discuss making a donation. Every gift Michael Burris Thomas Hanley Kelsey Maczko Bradley Powszok Chenzhao Yu Cathleen Cahill Kierstyn Hansen Amina Madhwala Xinyue Qi Karolina Zapal Molecular and Cellular Micquel Hart Elman Madrio Francis Ramirez Biology, Distinction Kendall Campbell helps maintain the excellence of MCB. 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26 MCB SCHOOL OF MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOLOGY 27