Department Updates

Work of Graduate Student, Sachin Katti, Featured on Cover of Metallomics

October 15th, 2018

The work of Sachin Katti, a graduate student in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics (Igumenova lab), was recently featured on the cover of Metallomics (Metallomics. 2018 Sep 19;10(9):1211-1222. doi: 10.1039/c8mt00135a). In this manuscript, the authors report structural, thermodynamic, and kinetic characterization of Pb(II) interactions with the calcium-sensing domain of Synaptotagmin 1. Synaptotagmin 1 is… Read More →

2018 NACADA Outstanding Advising Global Award Winner

October 10th, 2018

The National Conference on Academic Advising (NACADA) is an association of professional advisors, counselors, faculty, administrators, and students working to enhance the educational development of students. The Outstanding Advising Awards annually recognize individuals who have demonstrated qualities associated with outstanding academic advising of students or outstanding academic advising administration. The conference was held in Phoenix,… Read More →

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Awards Ceremony

September 14th, 2018

On September 13, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences held their College Awards Ceremony. The ceremony consisted of the recognition of new, promoted, and tenured faculty, presentation of awards, 2018 special recognition, and recipients of National and University-level awards. In the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, we had one new faculty member and six… Read More →

NMR Facility Officially Relocated

September 12th, 2018

The relocation of the 600 superconducting magnet from the old to the new Biomolecular Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) facility has been completed. The magnet successfully reached the field of 14.1 Tesla and is currently in the stabilization phase. The Biomolecular NMR facility has been in the works for several years – and it is finally… Read More →

Best Poster Award in ICORS 2018

September 3rd, 2018

Congratulations to Charlie Farber, 2nd year PhD student in Dr. Dmitry Kurouski’s Lab, for winning the best poster award at ICORS 2018 Conference in Korea. ICORS is the International Conference on Raman Spectroscopy that is held every other year in Asia, Europe and America. This year, around 900 scientists came from all different parts of… Read More →

NIH Fellowship Winner

August 9th, 2018

Congratulations to Natalie Garza, who has recently been awarded the Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Fellowship from the NIH. These prestigious and highly competitive fellowships are given to very few students every year. The purpose of this fellowship is to support the health-related research of predoctoral students from population groups that have been shown to be… Read More →

Gohil Lab discovers a potential therapy for disorders of copper metabolism

August 6th, 2018

Exciting new research from the Gohil Lab shows that elesclomol, an investigational anti-cancer drug, can be repurposed for the treatment of copper metabolism disorders. This finding published in a recent issue of PNAS is of high biomedical significance as inherited mutations that prevent copper delivery to a critical mitochondrial enzyme result in fatal infantile disorders… Read More →

ASBMB National Award Winners

July 2nd, 2018

The department received some outstanding news this week! Dr. Dorothy Shippen, along with Dr. Vytas Bankaitis, will be receiving an ASBMB award in April 2019 in Orlando, FL. Dr. Shippen will receive the William C. Rose Award and Dr. Bankaitis will receive the Avanti Award in Lipids. For further details, please see the link below… Read More →

Bio/Bio Welcomes a new crew of REU students!

June 19th, 2018

Dr. Gary Kunkel and Dr. Mary Bryk are once again coordinating a summer research experience for undergraduates who come from all over the United States. We have been very fortunate to have a few of these students make a decision to further their education and apply to our graduate program. We truly hope they all… Read More →

Dean Patrick Stover talks about Folate Metabolism

May 24th, 2018

Ashley Holt Joins an Elite Group of Astronaut Scholars

May 21st, 2018

Ashley Holt is a Biomed Engineering Student who works in the Center for Phage Technology in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at Texas A&M University. She has been selected by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation to join an elite group of Astronaut Scholars for the 2018/2019 academic school year. As a part of this honor,… Read More →

Exciting News from Kurouski Lab

May 21st, 2018

We love to share the excitement of our faculty. Pictured in this photo is Charles Farber and Dr. Dmitry Kurouski and the excitement can only be heard directly by the words of Dr. Dmitry Kurouski who reports as follows: “I’m glad to share this exciting news with you: my group just showed that using a… Read More →

Xiuren Zhang’s Publishes in Nature

May 16th, 2018

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-018-0135-x https://today.agrilife.org/2018/05/16/agrilife-scientists-uncover-a-new-face-of-a-famous-protein-swi2-snf2-atpase/

Dr. Mary Bryk Recognized during the Annual UAC Banquet

May 10th, 2018

Dr. Mary Bryk won the 2018 Margaret Annette Peters Advising Award during the annual University Advisors Banquet that was held on Monday, May 7, 2018. This award recognizes faculty and administrators who embody the spirit of caring, compassionate and genuine concern for the welfare of individual students. She is pictured with Mr. Vince Hernandez who… Read More →

Rafael in the Spotlight, again!

May 10th, 2018

We are so super proud of Rafael Almanzar for being one of the twenty-five staff that were recognized during the President’s Meritorious Service Award ceremony that was held on April 23, 2018. This is a very prestigious award given by our university, sponsored by the Office of the President, and funded by the Association of… Read More →

Keya Mukherjee-Outstanding Student Indeed!

May 10th, 2018

Keya Mukherjee, one of our Biochemistry majors working in Dr. Frank Raushel’s lab, was recognized as an outstanding student at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Convocation through her participation in the Agricultural and Natural Resources Policy (ANRP) program. It’s through ANRP that she will be working with the Food and Agriculture Organization of… Read More →

What, Another Title for Dr. Young?

April 24th, 2018

That is right, he is still here, “young” enough to retire and do other things, but still loving his work here and enjoying his career at Texas A&M University. Dr. Ryland F. Young, III was just recognized as a Distinguished Professor at Texas A&M University. In 2016, he was named Regents Professor and in 2006… Read More →

2018 U.S. Senator Phil Gramm Doctoral Fellowship Awards

April 24th, 2018

We celebrate with Karl Gorzelnik who received a U.S. Senator Phil Gramm Doctoral Fellowship in April 2018. The Senator Phil Gramm fellowship was established to promote, encourage and reward outstanding teaching and research by doctoral students whose command of their respective disciplines exemplifies the meaning of scholar/mentor in the highest sense. Karl is currently a… Read More →

AgriLife Research team helping better understand causes of muscular dystrophy

April 7th, 2018

Writer: Blair Fannin, 979-845-2259, [email protected] Contact: Dr. Vlad Panin, 979-845-9274, [email protected] COLLEGE STATION – Using fruit flies, Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists may be one step closer to better understanding the pathological mechanisms of muscular dystrophy. The researchers say they hope their work could assist medical doctors in prescribing effective therapies in the future. According… Read More →

Rafael Almanzar….Who can keep up with this guy?

March 29th, 2018

On Feb. 22, 2018 Rafael was the recipient of the 2018 NACADA Region 7 Certificate of Merit for Excellence in Advising, Primary Role. On Feb. 28, 2018 Rafael received a TEXAAN Scholarship for 2018. On March 1, 2018 he learned, along with Rebecca Hapes and Gail Rowe, that their publication was accepted and published in… Read More →

Congressman Bill Flores Receives Education from Our Students

March 29th, 2018

Keya Mukherjee (Raushel Lab) is an officer with an organization called Aggies in Science, Technology and Engineering Policy (ASTEP). Through ASTEP they had invited Congressman Bill Flores to tour a few labs in the ILSB in order for him to get a sense of how federal tax dollars are being spent in science labs. Students… Read More →

Stellar Performance Adriana, Drake and Charles!

March 29th, 2018

  We had three of our graduate students from the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics placing first place during TAMU Student Research Week.  Adriana Carolina Hernandez Moralez from Dr. Ry Young’s lab, received 1st place with her research talk.  Also, Charles Farber from Dr. Dmitri Kurouski’s lab received 1st place with his Research Talk.  In… Read More →

Starting the Year off Right….

January 9th, 2018

It was a packed house to congratulate our 2018 Vice Chancellor’s Awards recipients at this years Texas A&M AgriLife Awards Ceremony. Dr. Chavela Carr was first up, as she was awarded this year’s Vice Chancellor Award in Teaching, then came, Mr. Jimmy Trinh, from Dr. Lanying Zeng’s lab, who was awarded the Graduate Student Research… Read More →

A Moment with the Staff

December 19th, 2017

(No pictures of this event were taken as far we know, so these will have to suffice!) At the December 18, 2017 Holiday Celebration the staff presented Dr. Gregory D. Reinhart with a plaque to recognize his 17 years of service as their boss, leader, friend, colleague and department head. Words cannot express how much… Read More →

Dr. Gohil Named 2017-2018 Montague-Center for Teaching Excellence Scholar

December 8th, 2017

The Office of the Dean of Faculties and the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) proudly announce this year’s Montague-CTE Scholar to Vishal Gohil, PhD. “I feel honored to receive the Montague-CTE Scholar Award. This award is very gratifying especially because I feel passionate about my teaching and it is good to know that my efforts… Read More →

Cocktails for Superbugs

November 27th, 2017

What exactly kind of cocktails does Dr. Ry Young make? Read and listen to learn more about this professors miraculous cure for Dr. Tom Patterson. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-11-27/enlisting-viruses-as-allies-to-fight-superbugs-quicktake-q-a https://jamanetwork.com/learning/audio-player/14860505?resultClick=24

They Funded Me…….

November 2nd, 2017

That is correct, “they”, (meaning plural). Alfredo Erazo-Oliveras, a recent graduate student of our department, just received funding from the National Institute of Health AND a Ford Fellowship. What an honor! For the full story, click on the link below: NIH, Ford Foundation Honor Texas A&M Postdoctoral Researcher With Grant And Fellowship

Oh My….. $1,000.46 + Pies + Costumes + Donations + Pumpkins = HEROES!

November 1st, 2017

October resulted in another busy but fun Fall Extravaganza for the departmental flower fund! Many thanks goes out to everyone who helped make it happen once again this year. We couldn’t do this without all of the support from everyone within the department and even outside of the department. We had VWR, Documation, Caremed, Napa… Read More →