In this episode, Peter Penzes, PhD, director of the Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, discusses a recent discovery of a schizophrenia biomarker and how this research could one day offer earlier diagnosis, more precise treatment, and better outcomes for patients.

The Erm rRNA methyltransferase superfamily represents the most prevalent determinant of MLS resistance in nosocomial Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. Previous studies have established that erm expression is primarily governed by upstream ribosome stalling peptide and the 5′ untranslated regions. Using the widespread S. aureus ermBL-ermB (ermB+) operon as a model system, we unexpectedly identified second-site mutations in purR that synergistically enhance MLS resistance in an ermB+ background. Loss of purR function derepresses nucleotide biosynthesis and ribosome production, thereby promoting bacterial growth under antibiotic stress. While numerous purR single-nucleotide polymorphisms across multiple species have been associated with antibiotic resistance, no study has directly linked these sequence polymorphisms to their regulatory function. Our results highlight the critical role of ribosome abundance and nucleotide metabolism in shaping antibiotic efficacy.

Most Neisseria gonorrhoeae clinical isolates are piliated but lose piliation during laboratory passage. However, most public genomic sequences are from non

Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered that targeting neuronal signaling controlling aberrant learning in the striatum may improve the efficacy of a first-line therapy for Parkinson’s…

YouTube video by Northwestern University Medical Alumni Association

Classification and regression are cornerstones of computational biology and science at large, from identifying cell types to stratifying patients by disease state. Current deep learning classifiers pr...

The de novo purine synthesis pathway is fundamental for nucleotide production, yet the role of mitochondrial metabolism in modulating this process rem…

Nengroo et al. show that succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) maintains purine synthesis. SDH inhibition elevates succinate, inducing SHMT2 succinylation that suppresses mitochondrial one-carbon flow and formate supply, thereby constraining purine assembly. Cancer cells compensate via purine salvage, and dual inhibition of SDH and salvage yields significant antiproliferative effects and suppresses tumor growth.

A Northwestern Medicine study has revealed a key mechanism underlying the development of motor neuron diseases, offering new insights into potential treatment options, according to a study published i...

Yogesh Goyal, PhD, assistant professor of Cell and Developmental Biology, has been named a 2025-2028 Edward Mallinckrodt, Jr. Foundation Grant Fellow, which recognizes early-stage biomedical investiga...

In a pair of studies, investigators from the lab of Huiping Liu, MD, PhD, have uncovered how specific cellular interactions in the bloodstream may be fueling the spread of breast cancer.

A team with Professor Krishna Shrinivas discovered how a landmark found in the nucleus of cells in many organ systems forms through a different mechanism than the well-established view, a revelation t...

Scientists have implemented a novel gene-editing approach that may be an effective treatment for alternating hemiplegia of childhood (AHC), a rare neurodevelopmental disorder in children, according…