Ann G. Matthysse, from the University of North Carolina’s Department of Biology, delves into an exploration of harmful and useful bacteria for elementary school students.
Most people have heard of bacteria but know very little about them. In general, bacteria are considered by many people to be dangerous or harmful organisms which should be killed. However, this is a misconception as most bacteria are either beneficial or neutral with respect to our lives and the planet on which we all live. READ MORE

UNC Department of Biology’s own Professor Mark Peifer has been featured in Molecular Biology of the Cell’s Voices section. The article, titled “Looking back on a life of unacknowledged privilege and a call to action,” discusses Peifer’s reflections on systemic racism. According to Peifer, “The past year helped further open my eyes and those of many of us to the underlying systemic racism of our nation and our scientific community. That stimulated a process of reflection for me about the role unperceived privilege has played in my life and career, and the responsibilities I feel I have as a result. I wanted to share this, in the hope it will encourage others to take the time for self-reflection.” Congratulations, Mark!

Read the article here.

The UNC College of Arts and Sciences featured Biology’s own Lillie Searles in an article called “A 30-year odyssey from fruit fly eye color to new insights into gene expression.” Congratulations, Professor Emeritus Searles!

Read the article here!

Dr. Amy Maddox‘s lab’s publication has been accepted to Molecular Biology of the cell, a peer-reviewed journal owned by the American Society for Cell Biology. The publication is from a former undergraduate student and current postdoc. Dr. Maddox tweeted, “Septins are required for anaphase chiral cortical rotation in the C. elegans zygote, and the formin CYK-1 is required not for rotation but for its direction.” Congratulations!

Congratulations to Dr. Bradley Dickerson, named 2021 Searle Scholar for his research topic, Mapping the neural circuits that control precision timing in behavior.

The Searle Scholars Program makes grants to selected universities and research centers to support the independent research of exceptional young faculty in the biomedical sciences and chemistry who have recently been appointed as assistant professors on a tenure-track appointment. The Program’s Scientific Director appoints an Advisory Board of eminent scientists who choose the Scholars based on rigorous standards aimed at finding the most creative talent interested in pursuing an academic research career. This year, 191 applications were considered from nominations by 137 universities and research institutions.

Congratulations to (newly Dr.) Elizabeth Moore, who just received an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology! She will be moving down the road to NC State, where she will be working on her postdoc project with Becky Irwin, Rob Dunn, and Caiti Heil.
Way to go, Elizabeth!

Congratulations to Sam White, who was awarded the 2020-2021 Tri-Beta Peer Mentor Award!

Congratulations to Tanner Fadero, who was awarded the 2020-2021 Biology Teaching Assistant Award! This award is presented by Tri-Beta. Tanner is a graduate student in Paul Maddox’s Lab.

Congratulations to Dr. Laura Ott, who was awarded the 2020-2021 Biology Faculty Teaching Award for excellence in the teaching of Biology! This award is presented by Tri-Beta. Dr. Ott is a Biology Teaching Professor.

Drs. Kerry S. Bloom, Joe Kieber, and Ted Salmon have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences. Congratulations, all!

From the website: “The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a private, non-profit society of distinguished scholars. Established by an Act of Congress, signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, the NAS is charged with providing independent, objective advice to the nation on matters related to science and technology. Scientists are elected by their peers to membership in the NAS for outstanding contributions to research. The NAS is committed to furthering science in America, and its members are active contributors to the international scientific community. Approximately 500 current and deceased members of the NAS have won Nobel Prizes, and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, founded in 1914, is today one of the premier international journals publishing the results of original research.”