APPLICATION DEADLINES: Ph.D. - December 1, 2026 | MS - February 15, 2027

Department of Molecular and Cell Biology

News

  • 2026 MCB Research Exchange
    MCB held a successful Departmental Research Exchange on Thursday, 8/27. This event was created to welcome new graduate students, highlight faculty research, celebrate named scholarship donors, and congratulate our summer fellowship recipients. It was a great way to kick off the new academic year!
    Posted on August 31, 2026
  • Jamieson Wins Best Poster Award
    MCB's Heather Jamieson, Goldhamer Lab, won Best Poster Award at the International Conference: Muscle Stem Cells and Regeneration held 7/19-24. 2026 in Victoria, BC, Canada. Congratulations Heather!
    Posted on July 28, 2026
  • Learn more about the Molecular Modeling Collaborative
    The Molecular Modeling Collaborative Group (MMCG) at the University of Connecticut brings together faculty and researchers who use computational approaches to understand and predict molecular behavior across chemistry, biology, and materials science. The group has launched its website to share more details about MMCG's mission, available resources and more. Visit the MMCG website to learn […]
    Posted on May 12, 2026
  • MCB Major Nora Lippai ’26 Earns Recognition as a University Scholar for her Research
    Nora Lippai recently presented her research at the Frontiers in Undergraduate Research exhibition. It was the latest step in work she has found compelling since the start of her academic career at UConn: tackling unanswered questions in biological research and exploring the molecular and cellular underpinnings of health and disease. Full article in UConn Today
    Posted on May 6, 2026
  • Twelve MCB Undergrads Receive UConn Summer SURF Awards
    The 2026 Summer Undergraduate Research Fund (SURF) Awards have been announced. Out of the 39 total awardees, MCB is pleased to share that twelve of the students are Molecular and Cell Biology Majors. MCB recipients are: Caroline Burkhardt ’28 (Anthropology & Molecular and Cell Biology, CLAS), Project Title: Chronic Illness Experiences on the Hopi Reservation, Faculty Mentor: […]
    Posted on April 27, 2026

News Archive

Degree in 3 Page Learn More Link

  • Sep
    1
    CANCELED: MCB Seminar Series: Kristin Parent
    Biology/Physics Building
    3:30 PM

    Kristin Parent

    Michigan State University
    Host: Carol Teschke

    Deciphering virus entry mechanisms: from bacteriophages to giant viruses
    I will present biochemistry, genetics and structural data underlying mechanisms of viral host recognition and entry for bacteriophages and giant viruses

  • Sep
    2
    Related Proposal: Akshada Shankar Ganesh
    ESB
    1:00 PM
  • Sep
    8
    MCB Seminar Series: Kevin Boyd
    Biology/Physics Building
    3:30 PM

    Kevin Boyd
    NVIDIA
    Host: Eric may

    Multi-Scale Computational Drug Discovery on GPUs: from Cheminformatics to Protein Structures
     We accelerate this process at multiple steps: reimplementing traditional tools on GPUs for orders-of-magnitude speedups,researching novel machine-learning approaches to optimize candidate selection, enable new chemical space, protein space exploration.

  • Sep
    11
    MCB Faculty Meeting
    Torrey Life Sciences Building
    1:30 PM
  • Sep
    15
    MCB Seminar Series: Jamie Micciulla
    Biology/Physics Building
    3:30 PM

    Jamie Micciulla

    CIRIS/University of Colorado
    Host: Dan Gage

    Swabbing the Space Station: What Astronaut‑Collected Samples Reveal About Microbial Survival in Space
    This talk explores metagenomic analyses of astronaut‑collected swab samples from the exterior of the International Space Station, revealing which microbial taxa persist in the harsh conditions of low Earth orbit. These findings help inform planetary protection, contamination monitoring, and our broader understanding of microbial survival in space.
PhD Program Graphic

Link to Skype A Scientist

Recent Publications

May Lab:
Enhancing the Membrane Destabilization Capacity of DNA–Surfactant Conjugates for Improved Cytosolic Delivery of Nucleic Acids
ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces

Klassen/Alexandrescu Labs:
Ant abaecin-2 is a context-dependent copper-binding effector that can be either inhibitory or protective.
RSC Chem Bio

May Lab:
Structure-based simulations of the full Flock House virus capsid reveal pathways and energetics of infection-critical peptide externalization
Biophysical Journal

Alexandrescu Lab:
High-pH NMR to identify macromolecular hydrogen-bonds and foldons
J. Am. Chem. Soc.

Nyholm Lab:
A mother’s gift: Provisioning of plastid-derived structures into eggs promotes invertebrate development and dispersal
PLoS Bio

Campellone Lab:
Autophagosome turnover requires Arp2/3 complex-mediated maintenance of lysosomal integrity
MBoC

Nyholm Lab:
Rapid mid-Cretaceous diversification of squid and cuttlefish preceded radiation into coastal niches
Nat Ecol Evol

Alexandrescu Lab:
Solution structure of the novel CH-domain zinc finger from the puberty regulator makorin-3
BBRC

Goldhamer Lab:
The role of muscle fascia in heterotopic ossification and maintenance of skeletal muscle integrity in fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva
Bone

Representative Publications