The UMass Amherst BMB program is accredited by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB), which gives our majors the opportunity to have their degree certified to demonstrate their disciplinary proficiency against a national standard.
Their research, published in Nature Microbiology, opens the door to treatments and strategies that can slow, if not control, the as-of-yet unchecked spread of the fungal pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense (Foc) tropical race 4 (TR4).
Their findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, explain how the selenoprotein Sep15 works with the enzyme UGGT to identify and tag misfolded proteins so they can be destroyed before causing disease.
Bob Zimmermann, one of BMB's original faculty, passed away on May 9th, 2024 at the age of 86. He will be remembered by his departmental colleagues as a good friend, a model professor, and a fair colleague who was willing to step up for just causes.
The Rising Researcher program recognizes undergraduates at UMass Amherst who excel in research, challenge their intellect, and exercise exceptional creativity. Owen's research in the Gierasch Lab aims to improve our understanding of the folding of secreted proteins during their passage through the endoplasmic reticulum in human cells.
The Goldwater Scholarship supports students who have a passion for research, potential to contribute to their disciplines, and who plan to pursue a graduate degree. June plans to earn a doctoral degree in virology and become a physician-scientist with specialization in translational sciences and the study of rare and lesser-known diseases, especially genetic disorders.
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellowship is among the most prestigious honors bestowed by the scientific community. Jennifer was elected “for distinguished contributions to the field of education, specifically for her role in institutional transformation of teaching practices towards inclusion and equity”.
A recent manuscript, published in the journal Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education, describes how BMB undergraduates engage with authentic research as part of their major requirements. Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) allow students to conduct real-world research in the classroom, such as combating the highly destructive plant pathogen Fusarium oxysporum.
