Tracing the source of sighs: Researchers find new neurological circuit that controls ‘emotional sighs’ in mice
New research reveals that one group of neurons controls various types of sighing, but they receive their instructions from different areas of the brain depending on the reason for the sigh.
Researchers identify a new approach to turning on the heat in energy-burning fat cells
Researchers have discovered a new signaling pathway that prompts one type of fat cells to convert fat into heat.
Research Highlight: New study reveals how some fungi initiate a crucial chemical reaction in nature’s lab
An international team of researchers has decoded the complex process that fungi use to build an important class of bioactive compounds.
When untethered, this signaling protein intensifies inflammation in obese mice, new study reveals
Researchers have discovered how a protein that is overproduced by fat cells in an obese state may be contributing to the demise of two immune cell types — and driving further metabolic disorders in the process
U-M researchers advance antibody test development to aid in the international fight against COVID-19
U-M scientists are advancing a new antibody test to identify people who have been infected with the novel coronavirus that causes the COVID-19 disease.
Balancing Autonomy and Community to Cultivate Tomorrow’s Scientific Leaders
In the Michigan Life Sciences Fellows program, May-Walt Fellow Brittany Morgan, Ph.D., has found a balance of independence and community that will serve her well as she prepares for her independent scientific career. Learn how this 'super postdoc' program is helping fellows get a step ahead in their early careers and developing the next generation of scientific leaders.
Discovery of protein’s configuration could lead to more effective anti-obesity treatments
An international team of researchers has unveiled the precise shape of a key player in human metabolism, which could open the door to better treatments for obesity and other metabolic disorders.
Automated ‘pipeline’ improves access to advanced microscopy data
A new data-processing approach offers a simpler, faster path to data generated by cryo-electron microscopy instruments, removing a barrier to wider adoption of this powerful technique.
New partnership with international pharmaceutical company provides up to $10 million for drug development research at the University of Michigan
The University of Michigan and Sun Pharma Advanced Research Company (SPARC) have launched a partnership to accelerate the development of potential new medicines for a wide range of diseases.
Peter Toogood to direct Michigan Drug Discovery
The new director of Michigan Drug Discovery has big plans for how the initiative can continue to impact the university and the regional economy.
New research explains how HIV avoids getting ZAPped
A new study reveals how an antiviral protein in our cells latches onto foreign invaders, and how some viruses — including HIV — evade capture.
Philanthropy fuels early-stage drug-discovery research for addressing obesity
Research investigator Isin Cakir, Ph.D., has been awarded the the 2019 Klatskin-Sutker Discovery Fund award to develop a suite of new molecules targeting obesity.
Study unveils the intricate way two proteins interact to promote cell movement and metastasis
Researchers have shed light on the molecular details of a protein-protein interaction that drives cell movement and cancer metastasis
LSI Cubed helps trainees turn high-risk ideas into high-impact findings
The LSI Cubed funding program is spurring innovative, trainee-led research projects, and already resulting in high-impact scientific findings.
Researchers resolve how fungi produce compounds with potential pharmaceutical applications
Researchers have solved a nearly 50-year-old mystery of how fungi produce a large class of bioactive compounds, revealing a chemical reaction reaction that is nearly unprecedented in nature
This protein is how creatures sense cold, researchers discover — and it’s found in organisms ranging from tiny worms to humans
Researchers have identified the first known cold-sensing protein to respond to extreme cold.
One cell at a time, researchers create a blueprint of liver cells in health and disease
Researchers have created a high-resolution picture of the cells at work inside a key hub of metabolism — the liver — and how individual cell types are reprogrammed in disease.
Life Sciences Symposium explores the power of protein engineering
The 2019 symposium will bring pioneers in the field of protein engineering to the University of Michigan to discuss the new technologies and applications that are advancing the field across scientific disciplines.
Randy Schekman is excited about the future of basic science (and thinks you should be, too)
Nobel laureate Randy Schekman sat down with LSI faculty member and fellow cell biologist Yukiko Yamashita to discuss his approach to shaping a scientific career, the changing landscape of basic research, his thoughts on broadening the reach of academic publishing and his advice for aspiring scientists
Seeking bacterial survival mechanisms in the ‘MicroAmazon’
LSI researchers are traveling more than 3,500 miles from Michigan to the Mayantuyacu Community in Peru in search of the organisms that can survive in a river so hot, it boils.
Inaugural Biosciences Initiative faculty hire
The University of Michigan Biosciences Initiative is proud to announce the onboarding of Roland Kersten, Ph.D., as its first expert faculty hire.
Second cohort of Michigan Life Sciences Fellows expands the program’s reach and impact
Meet the newest MLSF fellows, who are investigating important questions related to multiple sclerosis, triple-negative breast cancer, and how complex living architectures form.
New SciComm Speaker Series bolsters university efforts to engage public in scientific inquiry
The Life Sciences Institute is launching an annual series of public talks highlighting the importance of disseminating scientific findings beyond the walls of the academy.
Innovating on all fronts
Alison Narayan, Ph.D., is one of only two researchers nationwide to be named both a 2019 Sloan Research Fellow and a 2019 Cottrell Scholar Award recipient. Taken together, these two awards illustrate Narayan’s passion for advancing bold, new approaches to chemistry within her lab and within in undergraduate classrooms where she can help shape the next generation of innovative chemists.