Two Yale student scientists named Goldwater Scholars Two Yale juniors have received the prestigious Goldwater scholarship, which supports students interested in research careers in the fields of natural sciences, engineering, and mathematics.

Usmaan Siddiqi, MCDB junior, has been named a Goldwater Scholar! This award is given to 454 of the nation's top scholars to pursue research careers in the fields of natural sciences, engineering, and mathematics.

Congratulations, Usmaan!

Four faculty members receive Poorvu awards for innovative teaching Yale College Dean Pericles Lewis recognized four recipients of the college’s annual teaching prizes during a campus reception.

Congratulations to Siggy Nachtergaele for receiving the Poorvu Family Fund for Academic Innovation Award!

Friendly reminder! The Business Office is closed today in observance of the Good Friday holiday.

Congratulations to our Bake-Off winners!!

🥇Benoit Mermaz - Tiramisu Cookies
🥈Lam Vo - Carrot Cake
🥉Taylor Peterson - Banana Pudding

Thank you to everyone who participated!

Want to plan more events like this? Join the MCDB Community Committee!
Next meeting: Tomorrow | 4PM | YSB C143

Nawaphat Malaiwong (O'Donnell Lab) is our next presenter at BioBlitz!
Tomorrow, 9 AM | YSB 352

Want to be the next speaker? There is ONE OPEN SPOT for April 7. Sign up at the link below!

buff.ly/eVUtaBw

Next up in our Seminar Series: Geraldine Seydoux, Ph.D. from John Hopkins School of Medicine!

Dr. Seydoux’s research focuses on the development of the germline. 🦠

Wednesday, March 25 | 3:30 PM | BASS 305

Want to learn about on-going research from future leaders of biological research? The MCDB Graduate Research in Progress (RIP) forum is a fantastic place to start!

The final RIP of the semester is on March 27, 2026 in OC Marsh Lecture Hall. Students will be presenting from 1PM-5PM.

RNA, Reimagined: The Nobel Discovery That Still Shapes Science Today Yale scientist Sidney Altman’s discovery of catalytic RNA earned a Nobel Prize and helped shape modern gene editing and RNA medicine.

Sidney Altman, professor of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, made one of the most groundbreaking discoveries in molecular science - RNA can function as an enzyme.

@yaleschoolofmed.bsky.social explores the impact of Altman's research on today's advancements

Yale genome engineers expand the reach and precision of human gene editing A new Yale study advances the ability of genome engineers to edit multiple DNA sites by threefold, and helps prevent unwanted mutations in the process.

Read more about Anabel's work, featured by Yale News

buff.ly/qFh6Un3

A fantastic way to support your peers is by showing up!

Anabel Schweitzer (Isaacs Lab) defends their thesis, "Engineering Human Genomes Through Multiplexed Precision Base Editing And Temporally Controlled Crispr Systems" today in HOPE 103 at 1PM 🔬 🧬

Glutamine metabolism tunes myeloid responses to drive resolution of inflammation during skin repair Xu et al. uncover how metabolites regulate cellular communication during inflammatory resolution and tissue repair in vivo. They find that glutamine metabolism alters chromatin accessibility and…

Major shoutout to Yiting Xu, Abigail Benvie, and Nicole Castano for their amazing research featured in Cell Reports! 🦠✨

This research shows that glutamine is key in calming down inflammation and helping us heal skin wounds by suppressing neutrophil‑recruitment genes. 🔬💥

UPCOMING SEMINAR! ✨️

Karen Oegma (UC San Diego) starts off the spring half of the MCDB Seminar Series!

Join us on March 4th in BASS 305 at 3:30 PM for this exciting talk!

MCDB Seminar Series Returns!
Check out this semester's upcoming speakers.
Wednesdays | 3:30pm | Bass 305 ✨️ 👨‍🔬 👩‍🔬 🔬

✨️ This Friday come hear about the current research in MCDB from our Graduate Students!
February 6 | 1 - 4:30pm | OC Marsh 🔬 🧬

✨ There are still slots open to present this spring this spring! ✨

BioBlitz is a fantastic way to practice presenting your research in a safe, encouraging environment.
🌱 🧪 🔬 🦠

🔗 Sign up link in bio

CANCELED!☕

❄️ Due to the winter storm, today's Coffee Hour has been canceled❄️

Stay warm and safe!

✨ Looking for new ways to get involved in the new year?✨

Check out our community events! From socializing 👫 to building presentation skills🗣️ , there's something for everyone!

Links in bio

#MCDBatYale #chalktalks

Imaging-based CRISPR genome screening allows effects of cell-regulating molecules & modifications to be revealed in live & fixed cells – applied here to frog embryo cilia

📹 Jingbo Sun et al @davidbreslowlab.bsky.social
@yale.edu in @cp-devcell.bsky.social

➡️ bpod.org.uk/archive/2026...

MCDB in the News!📰

The Mogessie (@binyammogessie.bsky.social) lab's 2025 paper published in Nov. 2025 is one of several studies highlight by The Washington Post in their article on recent research in female reproduction.

❄️ Happy Holidays!❄️

The MCDB Business Office will be closed from Wednesday, December 24, 2025-Thursday, January 1, 2026. Have a happy and safe break! 🎄 ❄️ ☃️

REMINDER:

The MCDB Business Office will be closed November 27-28 in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday.

A new tool for understanding chromosome abnormalities in the eggs of older women Yale researchers have created a new method for simulating “aging-like” chromosome errors in mouse eggs to better understand female reproductive lifespan.

Binyam Mogessie (@binyammogessie.bsky.social) and Jiyeon Leem (@jiyeonleem.bsky.social) from Yale MCDB reveal a new way to mimic egg aging in the lab, uncovering why chromosome errors rise with maternal age. 🧬✨

buff.ly/FMUoFhD

The bioengineer investigating stem cell self-organization New FAS faculty member Harry McNamara is combining developmental biology, neurobiology, and biophysics to answer basic science questions about how cells communicate.

MCDB Assistant Professor Harry McNamara is combining developmental biology, neurobiology, and biophysics to answer basic science questions about how cells communicate.

buff.ly/T6TwAuw

🌿 Calling All Plant Enthusiasts! 🌺

Join us at the Sussex Symposium this Friday for a day dedicated to plant biology! 🌳

🎙️ Don't miss the keynote by Dr. Ken Birnbaum!

🗓️ 9 AM - 5 PM 📍 Jones Auditorium, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station

We are still accepting applications!

Apply by November 1 for full consideration

🍭 TRICK OR TREAT!🎃

The MCDB Trick or Treat Trail is BACK!

Dress to impress: the best costume gets a prize! 👻 🎁

🗓️ October 31 | Starts at Noon
📍 KT 307 ➡️ YSB Floors 1-4

🎉 Introducing the New and Improved MCDB Website! 🚀

🆕 What’s New?

Sleek, easy-to-navigate design ✨
Highlighted groundbreaking research 🔬 with linked news articles and faculty profiles 👩🔬👨🔬

Explore the new MCDB website now and discover all the exciting updates! 📲💻

#YaleMCDB #Biology

mcdb.yale.edu

MCDB SEMINAR KICK-OFF! 🔬👩🏻🔬

This year's seminar series begins with Sarah E O'Connor from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology!

Oct. 2 | 3:30 PM | Bass 305

"How Nature Synthesizes Molecules"
Hosted by Stavroula Hatzios

Calling all biologists! 📢

Is your research at the cutting edge of synthetic biology, genomics or AI?

Apply to join our team of world-class scholars!🔬🦠

Tenure-track Assistant Professor
Anticipated Start Date: July 1, 2026

#hiring #genomics #biology
apply.interfolio.com/172428

Congrats to postdoc Zhe Zhou on her paper out today in @cp-cellhostmicrobe.bsky.social showing that gut bacteria cross-feed a common dietary antioxidant to produce energy under anaerobic conditions. Thanks to collaborators Angela Jiang and Xiaofang Jiang at NIH.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...