Congratulations to the Daniel McKay Lab (Biology, Genetics, Integrative Program for Biological and Genome Sciences) for their manuscript “Hormone-dependent control of developmental timing through regulation of chromatin accessibility,” recently published in the journal Genes & Development. The work described in the paper provides new insight into how information regulating gene expression is accessed by transcription factors to drive developing tissues forward in time. GMB graduate students Chris Uyehara, Spencer Nystrom, and Matt Niederhuber were all authors on the paper. Make sure to also check out the UNC Press Release!

Jiyue Huang, a postdoctoral associate in Gregory Copenhaver’s lab, has published a collaborative PLOS Genetics paper with colleagues at Fudan University in Shanghai, China. The article provides evidence that the three proteins RAD51, RAD51C and XRCC3 interact to facilitate meiotic recombination in plants.

Paul Maddox is among the seventeen innovative scientists who are recipients of the 2017 Whitman Center Research Awards at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL). Paul will continue to develop his amazing new LITE Sheet Imaging, a high numerical aperture low photobleaching fluroescence image technology.

Congratulations to Gregory Copenhaver, Talia Hatkevich (Jeff Sekelsky’s lab), Nick Levis (David Pfennig’s lab) and Jeff Sekelsky who were inducted into The Frank Porter Graham Graduate and Professional Student Honor Society on April 19, 2017. “The Society recognizes outstanding service to the University and community by graduate and professional students enrolled at UNC Chapel Hill as well as faculty, staff, and friends who have made outstanding contributions to the development of graduate and professional education at the University.”

Stephen Brantley Award – JEET PATEL

The Brantley Award is given to a senior biology major for excellence in research in molecular, cell, and developmental Biology.

Robert Coker Award – ANITA SIMHA

The Coker Award is given to a senior biology major for excellence in research in organismal biology and ecology.

John Couch Award – JULIA SHEN

The Couch Award is given to a senior biology major with interests in plant biology who has demonstrated the highest ideals of scholarship and research.

Lawrence Gilbert Award – JEET PATEL and WILLSON ZHANG

The Gilbert Award is given to two senior biology majors for excellence in serving as a supplemental instructor, peer mentor, or tutor in a Biology class.

Irvin Hagadorn Award – ANNE FENG

The Hagadorn Award is given to the top junior biology major based on academic and research excellence (this award was presented by Chancellor Carol Folt at the Spring 2017 Chancellor’s Awards Ceremony).

Frances LeClair Award – LEAH JOHNSON

The LeClair Award is given to a senior biology major for academic excellence in biology with an emphasis in plant sciences.

Congratulations to these Biology Honors students who received the indicated designations this spring upon completion of their Honors Thesis projects:

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HIGHEST HONORS IN BIOLOGY:

KATHRYN CITRIN, BENJAMIN LOWE, TARA MCKINNON, NADIA MISHAL, LUCAS NIELSEN, MELODIE NOEL, JEET PATEL, ANITA SIMHA, and DANIELLE SPITZER.

HONORS IN BIOLOGY:

SAHAR ALIMOHAMADI, BRITTNEY ALLYN, NICOLE CHANG, AKSITAY DAJI, SNIGDHA DAS, AUDRA GOLDSTEIN, JOSHUA HANOVER, WILLIAM HARRIS, TRACIE HAYES, JENNIFER JENSEN, LEAH JOHNSON, SAMUEL KERR, CAELLAIGH KIMPSTON, JACQUELINE POSTON, JULIA SHEN, AUSTIN SUN, SMRITHI VALSARAJ,LILIYA VELIKO, JOSEPH WALL, CAMERON WORDEN, and TINA XIANG.

The Ty Hedrick Lab paper “Three-dimensional trajectories and network analyses of group behavior within chimney swift flocks during approaches to the roost,” written by Dennis J. Evangelista, Dylan D. Ray, Sathish K. Raja and Tyson L. Hedrick was published in the Proceedings of Royal Society B. The work was also featured in Science News.