Life Sciences

Renewable resource: sulfur is used, replenished to produce lipoic acid
Model of the crystal structure of the lipoyl synthase enzyme (LipA) from the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis revealing the destruction of one of its iron-sulfur clusters (orange and yellow balls) to use as a sulfur source for the production of lipoic acid. New research demonstrates that the iron-sulfur cluster that is destroyed during the production of lipoic acid is replaced by an iron-sulfur carrier protein, NfuA, so that LipA can continue to produce lipoic acid. Credit: Booker laboratory, Penn State
Stone Memorial Lecture set for October 23
Michael Laub
New statistical method for evaluating reproducibility in studies of genome organization
Schematic representation of the HiCRep method. HiCRep uses two steps to accurately assess the reproducibility of data from Hi-C experiments. Step 1: Data from Hi-C experiments (represented in triangle graphs) is first smoothed in order to allow researchers to see trends in the data more clearly. Step 2: The data is stratified based on distance to account for the overabundance of nearby interactions in Hi-C data. Credit: Li Laboratory, Penn State University
Gene associated with schizophrenia risk regulates neurodevelopment
The ZNF804A protein and ribosomal protein RPSA, co-localized in mouse nerve cells, were stained with fluorescent dyes and merged into a single image. Both are involved in the translation of proteins from RNA. A new study demonstrates the role of ZNF804A during proliferation and migration of neurons in the brain as well as its contribution to psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia.
Simpson and Priestley Lectures set for October 2 and 3, 2017
Balasubramanian poses for the camera.
Pollard Lecture Set for September 28
Richard Henderson
$4.92M gift to Penn State for new industrial biotechnology center
A rendering of the proposed Shared Fermentation Facility lab.
Bryant receives D.C. White Research and Mentoring Award from the American Society for Microbiology
Don Bryant
Out through the window: Crystal structure reveals details of nonstandard RNA transcription
Schematic of alternative pathways for transcription elongation complex formation. During canonical transcription (left) the growing strand of RNA extends toward the RNA exit channel of RNA polymerase. New, high-resolution crystal structure determined in this study shows that during reiterative transcription (right) the RNA extends toward the main channel of RNA polymerase. Credit: Murakami laboratory, Penn State
Graduate student Ericka Reed awarded Gilliam Fellowship by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Ericka Reed at the lab bench
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