June 29, 2021
Synthetic biology circuit from Chang lab may lead to IBD treatment
A new probiotic yeast, engineered at the University of Toronto and extensively tested at Bringham & Women’s Hospital (BWH) was designed using synthetic biology to sense and respond to inflammation, and has been shown to reduce IBD in mice. Inflammation can be a healthy response to infection…
June 25, 2021
Developing Excellent Science Brings Dr Ritu Sarpal a Faculty Appointment
Developmental Biologist Dr Ritu Sarpal’s dedication to teaching and training has earned her a position as Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream in Cell & Systems Biology, starting July 1, 2021. Her experience in designing lab courses and mentoring students will be a valuable addition to our…
June 24, 2021
Happy Retirement to Janet and Peggy!
Two of our most experienced colleagues have put up their feet for retirement in 2021. Janet Mannone and Peggy Salmon worked to support thousands of students at U of T for over 35 years each. As Undergraduate Coordinator and Course Administrator respectively, they provided valuable guidance and…
June 15, 2021
Prof Christina Guzzo guides trainees by following model traits of multiple mentors
Prof Christina Guzzo studies HIV infection in her lab at UTSC and shared with us how she mentors CSB grad students and undergraduates based on the best traits of those who trained her. Guzzo excelled at sports as a youth and was curious about the way bodies worked and how they stayed healthy, so…
May 20, 2021
Tiptoeing around in the frog embryo
Dr Martina Nagel recently found the answer to a puzzle that she has been pursuing for 30 years in the laboratory of Prof Rudolf Winklbauer. She determined how the sheets of tissue that become the adult frog can migrate past each other while staying mostly separate as the embryo grows and develops…
April 30, 2021
Cannabis’ Hermaphrodite Conundrum
Guest post by Hayley McKay The commercial cannabis industry is facing a looming problem: it doesn’t have the ability to cultivate cannabis efficiently. Sure, growers have tried to co-opt basement grow-op techniques for large scale production, but fundamental plant science is still missing. Not…
April 21, 2021
Transcriptional enhancers don’t require ‘master regulators’
A common assumption in studying gene transcription is that there are 'master regulators' that are required for gene regulation. Gurdeep Singh from Professor Jennifer Mitchell’s laboratory challenges this view in the latest Genome Research by showing that gene transcription can be precisely…
April 12, 2021
Exceptional Science at the CSB Undergraduate Research Fair
On April 9th, students in CSB497, CSB498 and CSB499 presented the results of their year-long research programs in a virtual talk. Presenters were divided into three breakout rooms for their presentations. Our graduate student volunteers did an excellent job chairing and running the concurrent…
March 8, 2021
Colleagues and friends support Julia Gauberg to academic excellence
My scientific journey began at York University, when I joined Dr. Scott Kelly’s lab as an undergraduate student and immediately became hooked on research. I love untangling the complexity of animal cells, collaborating with other scientists, and contributing to the scientific community with my…
March 7, 2021
Lifelong learner Monica Mc Sheim on mastering complex organizations
Monica Mc Sheim is fascinated by the interaction of social structures and individual roles in society, and by adaptations that have challenged traditional structures. She pursued this passion studying Sociology at Wilfrid Laurier University, with minors in Anthropology and Women’s Studies. Her jobs…