Recent News

Scientists have identified a new role for a protein complex at the center of a human genetic disorder called Bardet-Biedl syndrome.

"Voices of the LSI" is a quarterly column on the LSI’s work to cultivate a diverse, equitable and inclusive climate. This quarter, LSI Professor Bing Ye, Ph.D., considers scientific leaders' role in societal change and describes how trainees in his lab have helped expand his education and actions to advance diversity, equity and inclusion.

Researchers have developed an efficient, greener strategy for constructing a common building block of many indispensable medicines and materials, using tools found in nature and sharpened in yeast.

An obscure enzyme that normally operates deep within cells is also playing an unexpected role close to the cell surface—and is even required for cell migration—according to new research from the Life Sciences Institute.

A new study led by the LSI demonstrates that blocking the activity of an enzyme inside fat cells can decrease obesity and related health disorders in mice.

A team of scientists has identified a key player that drives both embryonic and neuronal stem cell fate, and demonstrated that this process must be precisely regulated to establish the developmental program in both embryo and neuronal tissues.

"Voices of the LSI" is a quarterly column on the LSI’s work to cultivate a diverse, equitable and inclusive climate. In this column, Stephen Joy, Ph.D., reflects on his recent journey to share — and learn more about — his Japanese American family history and the challenges they faced during and after World War II.

A new study has uncovered unexpected details about a key regulator kinesins, the molecular 'delivery trucks' that are essential for maintaining a healthy cellular supply chain.

Scientists have identified how a protein in the brain uses information about the body’s energy balance to regulate growth rate and the onset of puberty in children.

University of Michigan faculty member Alison Narayan has received the American Chemical Society’s Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award for excellence in organic chemistry.

A common model species can sense sound waves without ears, providing a new tool for studying auditory sensation.

Two new research projects are moving forward at the U-M Life Sciences Institute, with support from philanthropic funds established specifically to high-risk, high-reward research.

A quarterly column on the LSI’s work to cultivate a diverse, equitable and inclusive climate

Researchers have demonstrated that a natural compound produced by lichens can block the activity of a protein that is central to the gene-activation process. The research, conducted in human-derived breast cancer cells, points to this protein as potential therapeutic target.

Scientists have identified a protein called the melanocortin 3 receptor as a potential drug target for treating obesity and eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa.

A new study from the University of Michigan offers insights into how neural circuitry in the brain operates and responds to feeding and hunger in real-time.

The building that houses the LSI will be named Mary Sue Coleman Hall. This naming recognizes her enduring commitment to the sciences and her role in spearheading the Life Sciences Institute, as well as her highly successful tenure as president of U-M.

As we marked our first “Panniversary,” LSI professor and research associate dean Bing Ye reflected on how the institute has navigated a year of reduced research efforts, and the potential long-term impacts — both good and bad — on the scientific enterprise.

Researchers in the lab of Wenjing Wang, Ph.D., have designed a new chemical tool that can detect the presence of opioids at a cellular level.

A team of researchers has discovered an antibody that blocks the dengue virus’s ability to cause disease in mice. The findings open the potential for developing effective treatments and designing a vaccine for dengue and similar diseases.

Researchers are advancing a novel approach to developing antivirals against SARS-CoV-2, with support from the LSI’s Klatskin-Sutker Discovery Fund

New research is challenging a long-held understanding of how two types of cellular proteins cooperate to activate genes. The findings improve the possibility of targeting these interactions with small-molecule drugs.

U-M program connects future scientists to the lab, the university and their goals

Shyamal Mosalaganti’s new research program at U-M will take advantage of the LSI’s cutting-edge cryo-ET resources to investigate how multi-protein cellular complexes perform their functions within the context of the cell environment — and how these functions contribute to health and disease.