Yale MCDB

RNA, Reimagined: The Nobel Discovery That Still Shapes Science Today Yale scientist Sidney Altman’s discovery of catalytic RNA earned a Nobel Prize and helped shape modern gene editing and RNA medicine.

Sidney Altman, professor of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, made one of the most groundbreaking discoveries in molecular science - RNA can function as an enzyme.

@yaleschoolofmed.bsky.social explores the impact of Altman's research on today's advancements

Yale genome engineers expand the reach and precision of human gene editing A new Yale study advances the ability of genome engineers to edit multiple DNA sites by threefold, and helps prevent unwanted mutations in the process.

Read more about Anabel's work, featured by Yale News

buff.ly/qFh6Un3

A fantastic way to support your peers is by showing up!

Anabel Schweitzer (Isaacs Lab) defends their thesis, "Engineering Human Genomes Through Multiplexed Precision Base Editing And Temporally Controlled Crispr Systems" today in HOPE 103 at 1PM 🔬 🧬

Glutamine metabolism tunes myeloid responses to drive resolution of inflammation during skin repair Xu et al. uncover how metabolites regulate cellular communication during inflammatory resolution and tissue repair in vivo. They find that glutamine metabolism alters chromatin accessibility and…

Major shoutout to Yiting Xu, Abigail Benvie, and Nicole Castano for their amazing research featured in Cell Reports! 🦠✨

This research shows that glutamine is key in calming down inflammation and helping us heal skin wounds by suppressing neutrophil‑recruitment genes. 🔬💥

UPCOMING SEMINAR! ✨️

Karen Oegma (UC San Diego) starts off the spring half of the MCDB Seminar Series!

Join us on March 4th in BASS 305 at 3:30 PM for this exciting talk!

MCDB Seminar Series Returns!
Check out this semester's upcoming speakers.
Wednesdays | 3:30pm | Bass 305 ✨️ 👨‍🔬 👩‍🔬 🔬

✨️ This Friday come hear about the current research in MCDB from our Graduate Students!
February 6 | 1 - 4:30pm | OC Marsh 🔬 🧬

✨ There are still slots open to present this spring this spring! ✨

BioBlitz is a fantastic way to practice presenting your research in a safe, encouraging environment.
🌱 🧪 🔬 🦠

🔗 Sign up link in bio

CANCELED!☕

❄️ Due to the winter storm, today's Coffee Hour has been canceled❄️

Stay warm and safe!

✨ Looking for new ways to get involved in the new year?✨

Check out our community events! From socializing 👫 to building presentation skills🗣️ , there's something for everyone!

Links in bio

#MCDBatYale #chalktalks

Imaging-based CRISPR genome screening allows effects of cell-regulating molecules & modifications to be revealed in live & fixed cells – applied here to frog embryo cilia

📹 Jingbo Sun et al @davidbreslowlab.bsky.social
@yale.edu in @cp-devcell.bsky.social

➡️ bpod.org.uk/archive/2026...

MCDB in the News!📰

The Mogessie (@binyammogessie.bsky.social) lab's 2025 paper published in Nov. 2025 is one of several studies highlight by The Washington Post in their article on recent research in female reproduction.

❄️ Happy Holidays!❄️

The MCDB Business Office will be closed from Wednesday, December 24, 2025-Thursday, January 1, 2026. Have a happy and safe break! 🎄 ❄️ ☃️

REMINDER:

The MCDB Business Office will be closed November 27-28 in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday.

A new tool for understanding chromosome abnormalities in the eggs of older women Yale researchers have created a new method for simulating “aging-like” chromosome errors in mouse eggs to better understand female reproductive lifespan.

Binyam Mogessie (@binyammogessie.bsky.social) and Jiyeon Leem (@jiyeonleem.bsky.social) from Yale MCDB reveal a new way to mimic egg aging in the lab, uncovering why chromosome errors rise with maternal age. 🧬✨

buff.ly/FMUoFhD

The bioengineer investigating stem cell self-organization New FAS faculty member Harry McNamara is combining developmental biology, neurobiology, and biophysics to answer basic science questions about how cells communicate.

MCDB Assistant Professor Harry McNamara is combining developmental biology, neurobiology, and biophysics to answer basic science questions about how cells communicate.

buff.ly/T6TwAuw

🌿 Calling All Plant Enthusiasts! 🌺

Join us at the Sussex Symposium this Friday for a day dedicated to plant biology! 🌳

🎙️ Don't miss the keynote by Dr. Ken Birnbaum!

🗓️ 9 AM - 5 PM 📍 Jones Auditorium, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station

We are still accepting applications!

Apply by November 1 for full consideration

🍭 TRICK OR TREAT!🎃

The MCDB Trick or Treat Trail is BACK!

Dress to impress: the best costume gets a prize! 👻 🎁

🗓️ October 31 | Starts at Noon
📍 KT 307 ➡️ YSB Floors 1-4

🎉 Introducing the New and Improved MCDB Website! 🚀

🆕 What’s New?

Sleek, easy-to-navigate design ✨
Highlighted groundbreaking research 🔬 with linked news articles and faculty profiles 👩🔬👨🔬

Explore the new MCDB website now and discover all the exciting updates! 📲💻

#YaleMCDB #Biology

mcdb.yale.edu

MCDB SEMINAR KICK-OFF! 🔬👩🏻🔬

This year's seminar series begins with Sarah E O'Connor from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology!

Oct. 2 | 3:30 PM | Bass 305

"How Nature Synthesizes Molecules"
Hosted by Stavroula Hatzios

Calling all biologists! 📢

Is your research at the cutting edge of synthetic biology, genomics or AI?

Apply to join our team of world-class scholars!🔬🦠

Tenure-track Assistant Professor
Anticipated Start Date: July 1, 2026

#hiring #genomics #biology
apply.interfolio.com/172428

Congrats to postdoc Zhe Zhou on her paper out today in @cp-cellhostmicrobe.bsky.social showing that gut bacteria cross-feed a common dietary antioxidant to produce energy under anaerobic conditions. Thanks to collaborators Angela Jiang and Xiaofang Jiang at NIH.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Yale’s Colton Center for Autoimmunity Announces 2025 Awardees Advancing Innovation in Autoimmune Disease Research | Yale Ventures The Colton Center for Autoimmunity at Yale University is proud to announce the recipients of its 2025 awards, recognizing outstanding, translationally focused research projects that aim to accelerate…

Congratulations to @craigmcrews.bsky.social on his award from Yale's Colton Center for Autoimmunity

Two For One: Researchers Find One Neuron Can Send Multiple Messages In fruit fly brains, one neuron can trigger two different types of behavior in response to an attractive odor.

New work ‪@currentbiology.bsky.social from the labs of James Jeanne ‪@yaleneuro.bsky.social‬ and Thierry Emonet @mcdb-yale.bsky.social‬ show that some fruit fly neurons 🧠 can be multifunctional: the same neuron can tell fruit flies to walk towards the smell of rotting fruit and speed up.

Congratulations to Ken Nelson and Paul Forscher on their retirements! Their collective impact on MCDB cannot be emphasized enough.

Welcome Freya Wencker, MCDB’s newest lecturer!

Freya has been hired as an Lecturer and will begin teaching in Fall 2025 and will oversee the FACS core facility.

She will teach Laboratory in Nucleic Acids I and II as well as co-teach the Advanced Molecular Biology Laboratory.

Congratulations to Ronit Kaufman on her promotion to Sr. Lecturer!

Ronit joined the MCDB faculty in 2018 and has been an integral part of the success of MCDB 1050 - Biology, the World, and US.

SEND US YOUR DESIGNS!

The MCDB Logo Contest ends on July 18, 2025 at 11:59 PM.

Send your designs to mcdb.communications@yale.edu

See full guidelines and submission instructions at mcdb.yale.edu

Congratulations to @davidbreslowlab.bsky.social on his recent promotion to Associate Professor on Term!

David joined the MCDB faculty in 2017 and has since made incredible discoveries in the study of the primary cilia in cell homeostasis and human disease.