Image: Our faculty continue to remain at the forefront of research excellence. There is no shortage of invaluable work being done in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and our faculty exemplify The Franklin Spark in their research: ambition, creativity, innovation, curiosity, and leaders of tomorrow. Earlier this year, Nathan Lewis published an article in Nature Metabolism January 2025, and the study was also featured in Denmark’s Science News. “In our study, we were able to knock out an essential gene (i.e., a gene that cells cannot live without) by also deleting four additional genes at the same time, basically removing a whole circuit. Now, what is particularly important about it is that it eliminated problematic metabolism that has hampered biomanufacturing for decades. Interestingly, it’s also a circuit that is important in cancer metabolism,” said Lewis. Other noteworthy highlights include David Garfinkel and Adam Hannon-Hatfield (PhD Biochemistry & Molecular Biology ‘24) publishing an article in the Molecular Biology and Evolution journal, as well as Erin Dolan received the Mary Pat Wenderoth Lectureship Award for significant research contributions to the field of biology education research, and an award from the SEC Faculty Travel Program to present research at Texas A&M University for the 2025-26 year. Additionally, Camilo Perez, David Garfinkel, and Adam Barb have received grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Congratulations to our outstanding faculty for their continued successes!
