Molecular and Cell Biology

From Atwater to UC Merced with a Big Head Start

July 20, 2026

New UC Merced student and the Bobcat Bound graphic

This is part of a series of profiles of new UC Merced Bobcats enrolled for the fall 2026 semester. Tayven Tipler won’t travel far from his hometown when he starts at UC Merced and he is already well along on his higher education journey. Tipler completed several courses at Merced...

Professor Maggie Sogin's research interests in the Molecular Cell Biology Department at UC Merced are understanding host-microbial interactions across marine ecosystems.

Sogin Receives Inaugural NSF Grant to Further Microbial Interactions Research

Professor Maggie Sogin is one of 20 faculty members nationwide to receive the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) inaugural Building Research Capacity of New Faculty in Biology (BRC-BIO) award...

A new four-student cohort will be formed each spring, and each cohort spends two years in the program.

New Bioinformatics Training Opportunity Opening for Undergraduates

Starting this fall, undergraduates interested in the biomedical sciences will have an opportunity to take part in a new and innovative training program that will give them strong foundations in...

Symposium to Open Doors on Education Research in the Valley

For the first time, UC Merced has partnered with local higher education institutions for a two-day symposium dedicated to education research findings from the Central Valley. The Central Valley...

Mucus Molecules can Thwart Fungal Infection, Researchers Discover

An international team of researchers, including Professor Clarissa Nobile from UC Merced, has discovered which component in mucus prevents a fungus most humans carry from turning destructive....

Professor Zoghbi, seated, and some of the students in her lab.

Lab Aims to Understand Transporter Protein that Protects Cells from Damage

Professor Maria-Elena Zoghbi and her lab are taking a closer look at a human transporter protein that acts as a cellular protector by relocating a molecule that has important antioxidant properties...

Finalists Compete for Grad Slam Champion Title April 8

UC Merced’s Graduate Division will host its annual Grad Slam competition on April 8, with graduate scholars presenting their research on topics ranging from the effects of cannabidiol (CBD...

Graduate Students’ Fellowships Promote Study of Valley Fever

Professor Katrina Hoyer ’s lab is helping UC Merced serve the San Joaquin Valley community through its studies of immune responses to Valley fever and other diseases. Graduate students...

New Program to Prepare Students for Academic, Career Success in STEM Fields

The new UC Merced Bobcat STEM Scholars Program, funded by a $1.4 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), will provide four years of scholarship support for up to 10 eligible...

B Cell Study Indicates Promising Direction for Anti-parasitic Vaccines

Creating vaccines to train the immune system against parasites is particularly challenging. They are also highly specialized masters of immune evasion. Some parasites can secrete proteins that...