The precise shapes of proteins at work inside our cells offer essential clues about the processes that drive health and disease. Structural biologists determine the forms of molecular machines, in atomic detail, to better understand how they function or what happens when they malfunction.
Contact: ericksn@umich.edu Since its launch in 2017, University of Michigan President Mark Schlissel’s Biosciences Initiative has established nine major research initiatives on campus and has taken other significant steps designed to propel U-M to the forefront of the life sciences. Key elements of the multiyear strategy include the hiring of 30 tenure-track faculty and a one-time investment of $150 million. To date, $133 million and all 30 tenure lines have been allocated. The ongoing efforts which were interrupted by the pandemic and the associated U-M hiring and spending freezes are detailed in a new progress report (PDF) from the Biosciences Initiative. “All of the elements are in place for U-M to fully achieve our potential during this era of unprecedented opportunities for discovery,” Schlissel states in the report’s introductory Message from the President. “We are emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic well-positioned to drive rapid a