Department Of Cell And Developmental Biology

Understanding the specialized environment where stem cells reside is important for developing stem-cell based regenerative therapies. Read More

Vanderbilt researchers have discovered a role for microtubules — part of the cellular “skeleton” — in organizing the unique sidedness of the epithelial cells that line organs like the intestines. Read More

Ian Macara, PhD, Louise B. McGavock Professor and Chair of Cell and Developmental Biology and co-leader of the Signal Transduction and Chemical Biology Research Program at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC), has been named one of the Pink Tie Guys for the Susan G. Komen Central Tennessee organization. Read More

Microtubules are the “railroad tracks” essential for moving intracellular “freight” around in the cell. They’re also part of the spindle that pulls the two centrosomes apart during cell division. Read More

Vanderbilt investigators have developed an algorithm to classify cell types from experimental data, making it possible to understand how organs develop. Read More

Using super-resolution microscopy tools in the Nikon Center of Excellence, Vanderbilt investigators have determined the molecular architecture of the contractile ring machinery that functions during cell division — a process that is essential for life. Read More

Vanderbilt investigators have discovered a novel non-genetic cause of resistance to the targeted anti-cancer therapy cetuximab. Their findings, reported this week in Nature Medicine, suggest a strategy for overcoming this resistance. Read More

Internationally known epigeneticist C. David Allis, Ph.D., will deliver the first Flexner Discovery Lecture of the academic year at 4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 7, in room 208 Light Hall. Read More

Genetic mutations in PMP22 (peripheral myelin protein 22) cause a variety of peripheral neuropathies, underscoring the importance of the protein to a healthy peripheral nervous system. But the precise function of PMP22, a major component of the myelin sheath that surrounds and insulates peripheral nerve cell axons, has been unclear. Read More

The identification of a genetic culprit for hypoplastic left heart syndrome could lead to new treatments for the condition. Read More

In budding yeast, accumulation of a certain type of RNA in the nucleus increased life span, offering a new clue to longevity. Read More

James Spudich, Ph.D., renowned for his studies of proteins that function as molecular motors, will deliver the next Flexner Discovery Lecture on Thursday, April 6. Read More