September 11, 2026
Summer at the lab bench yields stunning breakthroughs and earns prizes
We were excited to see this year's crop of summer students present the fruits of their research at the 2026 Summer undergraduate poster session. Students summarized a summer of intensive experiments in their posters and answered probing questions from attendees at the session. It was an impressive…
September 8, 2026
Nyman Scholarship earned by paying it forward in research and student life
Gretl Baghdadi has earned the 2026 Dr Leslie Paul Nyman Scholarship for her commitment to plant biology, her academic excellence and her support of fellow students. Baghdadi says one of the most rewarding parts of her undergraduate experience has been sharing opportunities, advice, and research…
August 21, 2026
CSB researchers identify nerve cells that trigger sleep and help balance waking and sleeping states
Researchers from the University of Toronto have identified a "switch" in the brains of mice that, when activated, induces sleep and acts in balance with other neurons that trigger wakefulness. The discovery resolves a fundamental question in sleep neurobiology by providing new insight into the…
August 12, 2026
Nelson Award for outstanding research impact to Prof Heather McFarlane
Congratulation to Professor Heather McFarlane, who has earned the C.D. Nelson Award from the Canadian Society of Plant Biologists (CSPB) for "an outstanding publication record, substantial research funding, and successful training of highly qualified personnel." This award is presented to early…
August 10, 2026
Pulling a ring on it: Camsap2 protein leads to tension in zebrafish embryos by coordinating distinct pathways
A surprising insight into the impressive architecture of developing embryos is revealed in a new paper in Development by researchers in CSB.
Building an embryo
June 22, 2026
Composite biomaterial conveys tension across the wrinkled Drosophila embryo surface
Rowan Naidoo has uncovered the mechanism that allows plasma membrane architecture and the actomyosin cytoskeleton to work together to generate tension during early Drosophila fruit fly development. He has published this part of his PhD work in the Harris lab in Journal of Cell Biology as…
June 18, 2026
Unexpected neural pathway to seeing in a busy world
A new discovery from Milena Russo in the Liu Lab at UTM upends thinking about the way the brain perceives objects against a moving background. Have you ever missed a road sign while driving because your attention was drawn to the motion of traffic around you? This could be because of neural…
June 8, 2026
Drought response requires fine-tuning of RNA processing revealed by new research from the Provart lab
Subtle alterations in RNA splicing fine-tune how genes regulate drought tolerance in plants according to new research from Hasna Khan in the Provart lab. This exposes a new way to understand drought response that complements the usual focus on gene expression levels. These findings are published in…
June 1, 2026
CSB teaching assistants recognized for guiding their students to excellence
The CSB TA Teaching Excellence Award recognizes the significant role of teaching assistants in the Department of Cell and Systems Biology and their key contributions to the learning experience of students. Selection is based on demonstrated excellence in teaching through innovation, enthusiasm,…
May 21, 2026
CSB shares research insights across life sciences at Science Rendezvous 2026
The diversity of life sciences research in Cell & Systems Biology was shared with the public through hands-on demonstrations at the Science Rendezvous science festival on a sunny Saturday, May 9th. Visitors explored neuroscience, developmental biology, plant biology, genomics, and cell biology…