molecular physiology and biophysics
Study details regulation of a multi-drug transporter
May. 30, 2019—Vanderbilt University researchers have discovered how a protein pump distinguishes between chemicals that it will expel from a cell and inhibitors that block its action. The new findings could guide the development of more efficient inhibitors to prevent cancer cell resistance to chemotherapy.
Shaping reward circuits
May. 18, 2018—Using techniques to control and monitor the activities of individual neurons, Vanderbilt investigators are probing the brain’s reward circuitry.
Toxin floats on lipid rafts
Apr. 23, 2018—The bacterium H. pylori is a leading cause of stomach cancer, and Vanderbilt researchers are studying how one of its toxins gets into cells.
Nobel laureate Kobilka’s talk explores receptor activation
Apr. 12, 2018—Brian Kobilka, MD, who received the 2012 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his studies of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), shared his team’s progress in understanding receptor activation — and how that might guide drug development — at last week’s Flexner Discovery Lecture.
Nobel laureate Kobilka set to deliver Flexner Discovery Lecture on April 5
Mar. 29, 2018—Brian Kobilka, MD, who shared the 2012 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his studies of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), will deliver the next Flexner Discovery Lecture on April 5.
Voluntary exercise and energy balance
Mar. 23, 2018—Non-exercise physical activity has a measurable energy expenditure, which goes down when animals engage in voluntary exercise, Vanderbilt researchers have discovered.
Linda Sealy receives 2018 AAAS Mentor Award for Lifetime Achievement
Feb. 15, 2018—Professor Linda Sealy has won the AAAS Mentor Award for Lifetime Achievement for her continued efforts to increase the number of underrepresented minorities in STEM Ph.D. programs.
Noted neuroscientist Gouaux set for Discovery Lecture
Feb. 15, 2018—Eric Gouaux, PhD, whose work has helped reveal the molecular mechanisms by which nerve cells communicate, will deliver the next Flexner Discovery Lecture Thursday, Feb. 22.
Study helps map signaling system in brain linked to ASD
Feb. 8, 2018—Researchers at Vanderbilt University have worked out part of the “wiring diagram” of a signaling system in the brain that has been linked to autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
A cataract-heart connection
Jan. 25, 2018—Studies of alpha-B crystallin in zebrafish could ultimately lead to improved treatment for cataracts and heart disease.
Study may point to new ways to reverse insulin resistance
Jan. 25, 2018—Researchers at Vanderbilt University have discovered how insulin crosses the capillary endothelium to exit blood vessels and stimulate skeletal muscle cells — a major finding that may lead to new ways to reverse insulin resistance, a hallmark of type 2 diabetes.
Forming memories through CaMKII
Dec. 19, 2017—Vanderbilt researchers have identified an interaction between two proteins that play a role in learning and memory.