cell signaling, cell & molecular biology

Methylation increases both the activity and instability of the signaling protein Notch.

Starvation suspends cellular activity in C. elegans larvae and extends their lifespan. 

Scientists identify an extracellular ATP receptor in plants.

Ancient receptors in seeds bind a small molecule in smoke that promotes germination.

Histone acetylation levels keep intracellular pH in check.

Vesicles released by melanoma cells stimulate pro-metastasis behaviors in bone marrow cells.

Principal Investigator, Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research. Associate Professor, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Age: 44

The tongue may be the epicenter of taste sensation, but taste receptors are scattered throughout the digestive and respiratory tracts.

Compounds we perceive as sweet or bitter in the mouth trigger similar receptors and signaling pathways elsewhere in the body, helping to regulate digestion, respiration, and other systems.