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SEMINAR: Student invited speaker, Carolyn Sevier, PhD (Cornell)

September 18 @ 11:00 am

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Transcript:

Hello! Welcome to the science seminar preview from the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at the University of NC at Chapel Hill. I’m Cari Koerner, a 2nd year graduate student in the Dept of Biochemistry and Biophysics and I’d like to tell you about a seminar worth attending. On Tuesday September 18th, Dr. Carolyn Sevier, from the Department of Molecular Medicine at Cornell University, will speak on “molecular mechanisms to maintain redox homeostasis” in the endoplasmic reticulum. Cells rely on the endoplasmic reticulum to efficiently fold proteins. Misfolding of endoplasmic reticulum generated polypeptides can contribute to various diseases including cystic fibrosis, alzheimer’s disease, and diabetes. An essential step in folding of many proteins is the formation of disulfide bonds between cysteine residues. However, formation of disulfide bonds catalyzed by the enzyme Ero1 also acts as a source of reactive oxygen species, which can be potentially detrimental to cells and protein folding. It is not well understood how cells are able to balance oxidative folding and the production of reactive oxygen species. The Sevier lab aims to understand this complex system and has uncovered redox pathways that help maintaining normal function in the endoplasmic reticulum during times of oxidative stress. The molecular chaperone BiP is involved in one of these pathways. Under high levels of reactive oxygen species, BiP becomes oxidized, decreasing its ATPase activity but increasing its avidity for misfolded proteins which may prevent protein aggregation. Recent work from the Sevier lab has focused on this mechanism and also the mechanism pertaining to how BiP is able to return to normal function post-oxidative stress. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of BiP and other redox pathways implicated with oxidative folding protein misfolding and its role in various diseases, including neurological disorders. Please join us for Dr. Carolyn Sevier’s seminar at 11am on Tuesday, September 18th to learn more about her latest findings.


SEMINAR: Xiao-Fan Wang (Duke University)

October 2 @ 11:00 am – 12:00 pm

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Transcript:

Hello, and welcome to the science seminar preview from the Department of Biochemistry and biophysics at UNC Chapel Hill. I’m Adam Luthman, a second year student in the department and I’d like to tell you about a fascinating upcoming seminar. On Tuesday, October 2nd, we will be visited by Dr. Xiao-Fan Wang from Duke University, an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Dr. Wang has built a successful career studying the molecular mechanisms of tumor progression and metastasis, focusing on two processes with direct connections to cancer: regulation of cellular senescence and tumor interaction with the immune system. His recent work has focused on defining the specific roles of growth factors EGF and TGF-beta in defining the senescent state. His group also recently published a report in the British Journal of Cancer demonstrating the ability of the protein chemerin to suppress cellular migration and invasion in hepatocellular carcinoma via the PTEN phosphatase signaling pathway, and went on to define chemerin as a prognostic marker and potential therapeutic target in this context.

By studying unique features of the tumor microenvironment, Dr. Wang hopes to develop novel therapeutics for targeted treatment of various cancers. Please join us for Dr. Xu’s seminar on October 2nd at 11 AM in (Pagano Conference Room at Lineberger) to hear more about this exciting research.


SEMINAR: Jian Xu, PhD (UT – Southwestern)

October 9 @ 11:00 am – 12:00 pm

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Transcript:

Hello, and welcome to the science seminar preview from the Department of Biochemistry and biophysics at UNC Chapel Hill. I’m Adam Luthman, a second year student in the department, and I’d like to tell you about a fascinating upcoming seminar. On Tuesday, October 9th, Dr. Jian Xu will be visiting from the Children’s Research Institute at the University of Texas – Southwestern.

The Xu lab studies blood cell development, known as hematopoiesis, and energy metabolism and how underlying processes which regulate hematopoiesis can cause cancers such as childhood leukemias. The lab is interested in the mechanisms of genetic and epigenetic regulation of normal blood cell development and metabolism, specifically the roles of transcriptional enhancers and chromatin modifiers such as Polycomb repressive complex, with emphasis on the roles these regulatory pathways may play in leukemogenesis. In a recent publication in Nature Cell Biology, his team described a novel connection between mTORC signaling and cellular metabolism and utilized inhibition of mTORC to specifically impair hematopoiesis along this metabolic signaling axis.

The work of Dr. Xu hopes to uncover what contribution these pathways make to driving an oncogenic phenotype and to search for ways to exploit these targets as potential cancer therapies. Their broad study of hematopoiesis also draws connections to other blood disorders including sickle cell anemia and B-thalassemia. Please join us for Dr. Xu’s seminar on October 9th at 11 AM in (1131 Bioinformatics / G202 MBRB) to hear more about this exciting research.


SEMINAR: Verline Justilien (Mayo Clinic’s Florida Campus)

October 23 @ 11:00 am – 12:00 pm

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Transcript:

Hello! Welcome to the science seminar preview from the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

I’m Nick Martinez, a graduate student in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and I’d like to tell you about a seminar you won’t want to miss! On Tuesday, October 23, Dr. Verline Justilien from the Mayo Clinic’s Florida Campus, will speak on “Cooperative Oncogenic Signaling of 3q26 Genes in Lung Cancer.”

Dr. Justilien’s work in cancer biology has primarily centered on identifying and characterizing genes that lead to lung cancer. Over the last few years, she has discovered several new oncogenes, with several of them located on a hub of chromosome 3. These genes include protein kinase C iota, SOX2, and Ect2. This has led her team to start initial clinical trials with auranofin, a PKCiota inhibitor that has been shown to stop lung adenocarcinoma tumor growth.

Dr. Justilien’s impressive work has helped us understand more about how lung cancer forms and how we can treat it.

Please join us for Dr. Justilien’s seminar at 11am in 1131 Bioinformatics to learn more about Dr. Justilien’s latest findings.


SEMINAR: Dr. Guang Hu (NIEHS campus)

November 6 @ 11:00 am – 12:00 pm

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Transcript:

Hey, everyone! Welcome to the science seminar preview from the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

My name is Keean Braceros, and I’m a 2nd year graduate student here in the Department. So I’d like to share with you an upcoming seminar that I think will surely spark or enhance your interest in stem cell biology!

On Tuesday, November 6th, we are honored to host Dr. Guang Hu from the NIEHS campus in Durham. Dr. Hu is the head of the Stem Cell Biology group in the Epigenetics and Stem Cell Biology Laboratory. His research generally focuses on understanding the nature and regulation of the pluripotent state in cells in culture and during early embryonic development.

As you may be familiar with the term, pluripotency is the state in which cells are capable of developing into any cell type of the adult body. This is significant and advantageous in both basic and translational research because we can use pluripotent cells as a tool to investigate the impact of environmental exposures, as well as their interactions with genetic factors, on human development and health.

Thus, Dr. Hu’s group works to illuminate the molecular basis of pluripotency in order to push forward the potential uses of pluripotent cells in the laboratory. In other words, he’s interested in questions like: what are the specific genes and the function of regulators in pluripotent cells? To address these types of questions, his team utilizes a combinatorial variety of functional genetics, genomics, cell biology, and developmental biology tools.

Just recently, his group contributed to a fascinating finding on a protein called Cnot3 that possesses a critical role in cardiac cell fate, enhancing cardiomyocyte proliferation at the late stage of cardiac differentiation from human embryonic stem cells. Specifically, Cnot3 promotes mRNA degradation of cell cycle inhibitors, or anti-proliferation regulators, thereby preventing both protein translation and function. In general, this finding highlights a new mode of regulation through mRNA degradation control in cardiomyocyte growth, thus potentiating a strategy to control cardiac cell fates in development and diseases.

This is just one of many captivating discoveries by Dr. Hu and his team in the stem cell field, so there is a lot to look forward to at Dr. Hu’s seminar! Please join us at 11 AM on November 6th to enter the world of stem cell biology!