A decade ago, Raquel Espin Palazon discovered that inflammatory signaling pathways must switch on for embryos to produce blood stem cells. The latest work from her lab shows the potential value of keeping those same signals switched off after their initial activation.

The new research from a team led by Espin Palazon and Clyde Campbell, assistant professors of genetics, development and cell biology at Iowa State University, will benefit efforts to develop lab-grown, patient-derived blood stem cells. The promising but work-in-progress advancement in regenerative medicine could eliminate the need for bone marrow transplants to treat blood disorders such as leukemia, lymphoma and anemia with stem cell injections.

Thanks in part to funding from the Sui-Tong Chang Fung Fund, Dale W. Young and W.E. Loomis, and Genetics, Development and Cell Biology (GDCB) travel awards, graduate students in the Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology presented their research as far away as Hawaii and Canada and attended scientific conferences in the 2023-24 academic year. 

Students receiving travel awards in the 2023-24 year include Abesh Bera, Jodi Callwood, Anurag Das, Peiduo Liu, Vaishali Todi, Chelsea Cheng, Jacinta Correia, Ankur Kumar, Anh Pham, James Preston, Sabrena Rutledge, Haris Variz and Brian Zebosi.

Sui-Tong Chan Fung Fund Travel Award 

Kyaw (Joe) Aung, assistant professor of genetics, development, and cell biology, is one of 13 Iowa State University researchers selected to receive Faculty Early Career Development Program awards from the National Science Foundation. Aung will receive $830,000 for a project ("Determine the function of plasmodesmata as redox signaling hubs," to focus on investigating plasmodesmata as a model to understand the regulation of cell-to-cell communication in multicellular organisms. The broader impacts of the project include potentially improving crop production. The educational component of the project will include integrating findings into undergraduate-level coursework and collaborating with the Iowa State Science Bound program.

The Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology Graduate Student and Postdoc Organization (GSPO) plays an instrumental role in organizing several important departmental activities such as the monthly breakfast, graduate student/postdoc/staff seminar series, inviting/hosting seminar speakers, picnics, and outreach. This year six representatives have been selected for the GDCB GSPO. 

President (Ankur Kumar) — Presides at all meetings of the organization, calls special meetings of the organization, schedules all activities of the organization, and obtains appropriate facilities for organization activities.

Around 80 Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology faculty, students, postdocs, staff and guests attended the 2024 GDCB Research Day at Reiman Gardens on May 8 to learn about research from colleagues in and outside of the department.

Speakers included GDCB Associate Professor Marna Yandeau-Nelson, Fang Liu (postdoc in the McGrail lab), GDCB Assistant Professor Michelle Guo, Karl Kerns (assistant professor in animal science), Justin Walley (associate professor in plant pathology, entomology and microbiology), GDCB Assistant Professor Raquel Espin Palazon, GDCB Adjunct Assistant Professor Ping Kang, and Distinguished Professor Diane Bassham. 

Several graduate students affiliated with the Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology received Research Excellence (REX) and Teaching Excellence (TEX) awards in the 2023-24 academic year.

Spring 2024 TEX recipients include: 

Around 100 faculty, staff, postdocs and students affiliated with the Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology (GDCB) gathered together to celebrate the achievements of their colleagues over the past year at the 2024 GDCB Honors and Awards Recognition Luncheon on May 2. Among those recognized include several graduate students. Photos are by Abhas Bhatt.

Around 100 faculty, staff and students affiliated with the Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology (GDCB) gathered together to celebrate the achievements of their colleagues over the past year at the 2024 GDCB Honors and Awards Recognition Luncheon on May 2. The department celebrated the achievements of several undergraduate students. Check out all of those honored in the 2024 GDCB Honors and Awards Recognition Luncheon program. Photos by Abhas Bhatt.

Around 100 faculty, staff, students, and other invited guests of the Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology gathered together to celebrate the achievements of their colleagues over the past year at the 2024 GDCB Honors and Awards Recognition Luncheon on May 2. Photos are by Abhas Bhatt.

First row

(Top photo) Faculty, staff, postdocs and students received departmental awards at the luncheon. From left are Aron Nakama, teaching staff; Fang Liu, postdoc; Ankur Kumar, graduate student; Jinoh Kim, postdoc; Ping Kang, adjunct faculty; Inga Baldus, undergraduate; and Panchali Chakraborty, graduate student. Carla Harris, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences staff, also received an award.

A research team led by Genetics, Development and Cell Biology Assistant Professor Dior Kelley and Craig Cowling, a doctoral student in the Kelley lab, has identified that a widely found gene in plants is a key transporter of a hormone that influences the size of corn. The discovery offers plant breeders a new tool to develop desirable dwarf varieties that could enhance the crop’s resilience and profitability. The findings were published in the May 28 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The publication’s cover features an illustration by Kelley’s mother and Cowling.

Read the article by Whitney Baxter, "Scientists identify gene that could lead to resilient 'pixie' corn," on the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences website. 

Joe Aung, genetics, development and cell biology assistant professor, is the recipient of an $830,000 amended grant, bringing the total funded by the National Science Foundation to $1.2 million for his research in determining the function of plasmodesmata as redox signaling hubs.

The award is part of the NSF Faculty Early Career Development Program.

Several undergraduate biology and genetics students mentored by Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology faculty are among 26 College of Liberal Arts and Sciences students completing undergraduate work this spring as recipients of the LAS Dean's High Impact Award for Undergraduate Research.

GDCB faculty mentoring the LAS recipients include Morrill Professor Don Sakaguchi, GDCB Associate Professor Mohan Gupta, GDCB Professor Jeff Essner, and GDCB Adjunct Assistant Professor Ping Kang. Students Sakaguchi mentors include Liya Mooradian, genetics; Eric Kremer, biology; Michael Kumar, biology; and Bridget McGovern, biology. Students Gupta mentors include Truong, biology; and Seo Young Kim, biology. Kang mentors Elizabeth Larkin, genetics. Essner mentors Amanda Zumbrock, genetics. 

Raquel Espin Palazon, assistant professor in genetics, development and cell biology, is the recipient of the faculty 2024 Early Achievement in Research Award from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Iowa State University.

Discover more about Espin Palazon's research by reading the complete College of Agriculture and Life Sciences article, "Espin Palazon receives early research award." 

Eight faculty members in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, including Genetics, Development and Cell Biology Associate Professor Geetu Tuteja, recently received funded awards for innovative research in their respective academic areas. Tuteja received a LAS Dean's Professorship.

Tuteja works with her lab partners on molecular mechanisms underlying trophoblast innovation, a process that occurs in early placental development and establishes adequate blood flow between mother and fetus. Defects in trophoblast invasion can lead to several disorders, such as preeclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction, and placenta accreta. Identifying cell-type specific enhancers is crucial for understanding the genetic architecture underlying development and disease.

Ashwini Rangaraj, genetics, development and cell biology graduate student, won the Iowa State University (ISU) Graduate College’s Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition held in November 2023 with her presentation, “Characterizing a novel DNA element in the placenta.” 

Rangaraj is a graduate student in the lab of GDCB Associate Professor Geetu Tuteja, and her major is in molecular, cellular and developmental biology.

Two genetics, development and cell biology (GDCB) faculty members have been chosen to participate in the Iowa State University (ISU) College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) 2024 Innovation and Entrepreneurship Faculty Fellows program. 

Dior Kelley, GDCB assistant professor, and Jelena Kraft, GDCB associate teaching professor, are among 11 faculty chosen to participate from eight CALS departments. Each faculty member will receive funding to support their proposed projects. 

A common theme among projects is the effort to engage students in more interdisciplinary collaboration and engagement. The faculty also will seek to engage students with external stakeholders, including commodity groups, industry and non-governmental organizations, and K-12 students.

The Iowa State University Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) awarded $100,000 in 2024 Presidential Interdisciplinary Research Seed Grant program (PIRS) funding to support university scholars exploring novel approaches to genomics studies and metabolic dysfunction.

Established in 2017, the PIRS program is administered by the OVPR and supported with funds from the Office of the President and an endowment from the Mary G. Miller estate. The annual award is given to support university faculty members pursuing initiatives that are innovative, high-risk, and high reward, with an interdisciplinary focus and strong potential for external funding.

The research discoveries of two Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology (GDCB) faculty appeared in the Des Moines media recently. 

GDCB Assistant Professor Raquel Espin Palazon and her lab are featured in WHO Des Moines Channel 13's news report, "Iowa State researchers make groundbreaking discovery for creating blood stem cells in the lab."  

GDCB Professor Eric Henderson’s research is featured in a "We Are Iowa" Local 5 News story, "A genetic cure": Iowa State scientists make first-of-its-kind DNA discovery."  

Vaishali Todi, genetics, development and cell biology graduate student, GDCB Associate Professor Mohan Gupta's lab, discusses the internship she participated in during summer 2023 at Elanco in the Indianapolis area. 

Q. Tell us briefly about the company you worked for and your role in your internship.

A. Elanco is an animal pharma company; they develop and manufacture therapeutics for both farm animals as well as pets. They used to be a subsidiary of Eli Lilly and Company, but they are now starting out on their own. I was a R&D intern with the Cell Line Development group where my role was to genetically engineer cells to produce recombinant proteins of interest. 

Q. What drew you to apply for this internship?

One of Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology Teaching Professor Karri Haen Whitmer's bionics students was featured in the fall 2023 issue of Forward Magazine in "The Future by Degrees" article. Learn more about Kaylee Herrig in "The bionics making woman." Herrig is also featured in the article's accompanying video.