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Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

David Ardell David Ardell
Associate Professor, Molecular & Cell Biology

Computational biology of gene expression systems, including:

  • Structure, function, evolution and coevolution with genomes
  • Functional and evolutionary bioinformatics of RNA and proteins
  • Evolutionary and comparative genomics
 

 

dardell@ucmerced.edu
(209) 228-2953
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Patricia LiWang Patricia LiWang
Professor, Molecular & Cell Biology
  • Biochemistry and biophysics
  • Structural biology of chemokines
  • Applications to HIV and inflammatory diseases
pliwang@ucmerced.edu
(209) 228-4568
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Gabrielle Loots Gabriela Loots
Associate Adjunct Professor, Molecular & Cell Biology
  • Developmental and comparative genomics
  • Transcriptional regulation
  • Transgenic technologies
  • Skeletal and limb development
  • Bone and cartilage tissue engineering
  • Genetics of bone disease — Sclerosteosis and Van Buchem Disease

 

gloots@ucmerced.edu
(925) 423-0923
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Nestor Oviedo Nestor Oviedo
Professor, Molecular & Cell Biology
  • Tissue regeneration
  • Stem cells
  • Cancer
  • Planarian biology
noviedo2@ucmerced.edu
(209) 228-4541
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Axel Visel Axel Visel
Adjunct Professor, Molecular & Cell Biology
avisel@ucmerced.edu
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Zhong Wang Zhong Wang
Adjunct Professor, Molecular & Cell Biology
zwang37@ucmerced.edu
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Maria-Elena Zoghbi Maria-Elena Zoghbi
Assistant Professor, Molecular & Cell Biology
mzoghbi@ucmerced.edu
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Chris Amemiya Chris Amemiya
Professor, Molecular & Cell Biology
camemiya@ucmerced.edu
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Xuecai Ge Xuecai Ge
Associate Professor, Molecular & Cell Biology

We study mechanisms of cell signaling in the developing brain, focusing on primary cilium, the antenna-like organelle that integrate signaling pathways in the cell. Our research aims to shed light on how signaling errors lead to brain developmental disorders.

Publications:

Ge X*, Yang H, Bednarek MA, Galon-Tilleman H, Chen P, Chen M, Lichtman JS, Wang Y, Dalmas O, Yin Y, Tian H, Jermutus L, Grimsby J, Rondinone, CM, Konkar A, Kaplan, DD. (2018) LEAP2 is an endogenous Antagonist of the Ghrelin Receptor. Cell Metabolism. 27(2): 461-469. doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2017.10.01 *Author of correspondence.

Ge X, Milenkovic L, Suyama K, Hartl T, Winan A, Meyer T, Scott MP. (2015) Integration of Neuropilin with Hedgehog signal transduction through control of Phosphodiesterase 4 and protein kinase A. eLife. 4:e07068. DOI: 10.7554/eLife.07068.

Ge X, Frank CL, Calderon de Anda F, Tsai LH. (2010) Hook3 and PCM1 regulate neurogenesis by controlling the centrosome dynamics and interkinetic nuclear migration. Neuron 65:191-203

xge2@ucmerced.edu
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Ramen Saha Ramen Saha
Associate Professor, Molecular & Cell Biology

Epigenetic mechanisms of neuronal gene transcription and their role in mental health.

rsaha3@ucmerced.edu
(209) 228-2425
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Clarissa Nobile Clarissa Nobile
Professor, Molecular & Cell Biology

Professor Nobile's research is directed toward understanding the molecular and mechanistic basis of microbial communities. Her lab is interested in investigating how transcriptional networks underlie the regulation of gene expression during biofilm development. Much of this work is carried out in the species Candida albicans, the most prevalent fungal pathogen of humans. The lab is also beginning to study interspecies interactions between different fungal and bacterial species. Questions that the lab is currently pursuing include: How are microbial communities regulated? How are microbial communities built? How are their unique and specialized properties maintained? How have microbial communities evolved?

cnobile@ucmerced.edu
(209) 228-2427
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Michael D. Cleary Michael D. Cleary
Professor, Molecular & Cell Biology

Professor Cleary is interested in how complex tissues develop from relatively small populations of stem cells. Nervous system development in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, provides an excellent model system for studying this process. His lab focuses on how Drosophila neural stem cells, called neuroblasts, which produce the diversity of cell types found in the nervous system. His primary aim is to understand:

  • How cell fate decisions are temporally regulated, so that distinct cell types are made at specific times during development
  • How mitotic activity is regulated, so that neuroblasts stop and start dividing at the proper time
  • How cell fate information is passed from a neuroblast to its progeny and the role of chromatin remodeling factors and other transcription factors in this process

His research team uses the many powerful molecular and genetic techniques available for Drosophila research to address these questions, with the ultimate goal of identifying mechanisms that are conserved in human stem cells.

mcleary4@ucmerced.edu
(209) 228-4554
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