Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at UMass Amherst

Photo of Alice Cheung in the lab, using a pair of tweezers to analyze a plant

Alice Y. Chueng recognized as Spotlight Scholar

The UMass Amherst Spotlight Scholar program publicly acknowledges highly accomplished faculty and their professional achievements.

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Department News

All News
  • Photo of Dr. Amy Springer standing at the end of a lab bench talking to a group of students all wearing lab coats

    Intergrating authetic research into the classroom

    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.
  • Photo of Ludmila Tyler high-fiving a graduating senior in the dining commons

    Ludmila Tyler co-authors paper reflecting on first year of inclusive community workshops

    Ludmila is on the steering committee for ICABL, an Inclusive Community for the Assessment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Learning, which offers a series of workshops designed to help teachers develop best practices in measuring student learning. The paper identifies factors that contribute to an effective workshop series.
  • Headshot of Alice Cheung and Hen-Ming Wu standing outside wearing coats

    Cheung/Wu Lab discovers key to how plant cells work together in response to stress

    Their research, published in the journal Cell, identifies the interactions between four compounds (pectin, receptor proteins FERONIA and LLG1, and the signal RALF peptide) and how these interactions sustain plants through challenges like disease and climatic extremes.
  • Headshot of Alejando wearing a red plaid shirt and glasses in front of a white background

    Heuck Lab sabotages Type 3 secretion systems to prevent pathogens from infecting host cells

    Research from the Heuck lab provides a new tool for disrupting a key piece of machinery, called the Type 3 secretion system, that pathogens use to infect their host cells. Their findings, published in the journal ACS Infectious Diseases, provide a new avenue for combating antibiotic-resistant pathogens.
  • Image of a protein (red) that has been glycosolated with glycans (blue and green)

    Hebert Lab makes breakthrough in understanding protein folding

    New research, published in the journal Molecular Cell, uses an innovative technique called glycoproteomics to explore how the location and composition of carbohydrates attached to serpins ensure that they fold correctly. This discovery opens the door to future advancement in understanding and eventually treating hundreds of diseases that result from misfolded proteins.
  • Headshot of Amy Springer outside in front of a building, smiling

    Amy Springer named 2023-24 ADVANCE Faculty Fellow

    Amy is one of 49 faculty members from across campus who will partner with UMass ADVANCE to promote gender and racial equity for faculty at UMass Amherst. Faculty Fellows provide recommendations and feedback to the team about ADVANCE programming and liaise with their departments to promote the ADVANCE program.

Advising

Meet with a BMB Peer Advisor!

BMB Peer Advisors are upperclassmen majoring in Biochemistry who are able to answer and resolve general advising questions. Boula, Anish, CeCe, Nandini, and Tiffany are available to meet with undergraduates throughout the semester. Ask them about:

  • Degree requirements for BMB
  • Course prerequisites
  • Advanced Electives
  • How to get into a research lab
  • Choices for Gen Ed classes
  • Use of SPIRE

 

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Headshots of the BMB Peer Advisors: Boula, Anish, CeCe, Nandini, and Tiffany

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Award-winning teaching, research opportunities, and interdisciplinary programs in a diverse, inclusive community of excellence.