News

Congratulations Jacob Harwood on receiving a CCS Summer Research Award!

May 17, 2021

Congratulations to Chris Conner, PhD who landed a dream job!

May 17, 2021

Denise elected to the National Academy of Sciences!

May 02, 2021

For contributions to cancer cell biology

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National Academy of Sciences

Denise signs off as President of the Genetics Society of America.

January 11, 2021

What a year it was!

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Goodbye, 2020

The Science paper is out!

November 20, 2020

Moving cells can sense and respond to physical features of the microenvironment; however, in vivo, the significance of tissue topography is mostly unknown. Here, we used Drosophila border cells, an established model for in vivo cell migration, to study how chemical and physical information influences path selection. Although chemical cues were thought to be sufficient, live imaging, genetics, modeling, and simulations show that microtopography is also important.

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Tissue topography steers migrating Drosophila border cells

Gongping's paper is published!

November 12, 2020

Apoptosis is an ancient and evolutionarily conserved cell suicide program. During apoptosis, executioner caspase enzyme activation has been considered a point of no return. However, emerging evidence suggests that some cells can survive caspase activation following exposure to apoptosis-inducing stresses, raising questions as to the physiological significance and underlying molecular mechanisms of this unexpected phenomenon. Here, we show that, following severe tissue injury, Drosophila wing disc cells that survive executioner caspase activation contribute to tissue regeneration.

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Akt1 and dCIZ1 promote cell survival from apoptotic caspase activation during regeneration and oncogenic overgrowth

Denise gives a seminar on the work in two new papers

October 12, 2020

Dai, Guo et al, Science, in press

Cell motility is essential for embryonic development, adult homeostasis, tumor cell

dissemination, and immunity. Migrating cells navigate physical features of their

microenvironment, however the in vivo significance of tissue topography for pathfinding is

mostly unknown. Dai, Guo et al. use Drosophila border cells to study path selection in vivo.

Experiments, mathematical modeling and simulations show that tissue microtopography

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Cell Migration Seminars Montell

Congratulations to Gongping on acceptance of her anastasis paper!

October 12, 2020

Apoptosis is an ancient and evolutionarily conserved cell suicide program. During apoptosis, executioner caspase enzyme activation has been considered a point of no return. However, emerging evidence suggests that some cells can survive caspase activation following exposure to apoptosis-inducing stresses, raising questions as to the physiological significance and underlying molecular mechanisms of this unexpected phenomenon. Here, we show that, following severe tissue injury, Drosophila wing disc cells that survive executioner caspase activation contribute to tissue regeneration.

Science paper accepted!

October 12, 2020

Tissue topography steers migrating Drosophila border cells

Diversity is our strength

August 31, 2020

The Montell lab has a commitment to creating a warm and welcoming work environment for people from all backgrounds. We strive to treat everyone with respect at all times regardless of race, ethnicity, country of origin, language of origin, economic background, sexual orientation, gender identity. We value curiosity, generosity, creativity, effort, positive energy, collaboration, and individual expression. We recognize that people from diverse backgrounds enhance our environment and our work.

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