Genetics and Biochemistry News

Our Students Are Family-Driven: Gwen Schnidel ’27

Junior genetics major Gwen Schindel’s grandfather suffered from Huntington’s Disease, a rare, genetic neurodegenerative disorder that affects the brain and causes uncontrolled movements, cognitive decline and psychiatric symptoms. Gwen’s mother had a 50/50 chance of receiving this gene and had to undergo extensive research to ensure that she did not have it. Fortunately, for Gwen […]

Faculty Feature: Dr. Cheryl Ingram-Smith, Associate Professor

Dr. Cheryl Ingram-Smith is an associate professor of genetics and biochemistry and serves as the department’s graduate program director. She teaches courses in biochemistry, genetics and molecular biology and her primary research interests include metabolism of eukaryotic pathogens during infection in a human host and enzymology of metabolic enzymes. Dr. Ingram-Smith graduated with her B.S. […]

Biochemistry major Kaylee Board ’25 writes letter for IfYoureReadingThis

Each week Clemson’s sect of IfYoureReadingThis posts a letter to the community on the topics of mental health and encouraging their peers. Last week’s letter came from senior biochemistry major Kaylee Board. IfYoureReadingThis.org is a mental health nonprofit that empowers students to build and tap into their support networks by amplifying the faces and voices […]

Elizabeth Caldwell ’25 gives TEDxClemsonU Talk

Senior genetics major, Truman and National Scholar Elizabeth Caldwell was invited to give a Ted Talk at TEDxClemsonU’s Innovate to Elevate event on August 24, 2024. TEDxClemsonU’s Innovate to Elevate event aimed to catalyze a culture of innovation, collaboration, and positive change within the university community, empowering individuals to elevate their ideas, aspirations, and impact […]

Our Students Are Volunteers: Ruxi Xia ’25

When senior biochemistry major Ruxi Xia was shopping for colleges, she began to get worried that she wouldn’t find the place for her because she wasn’t connecting at any of the campuses she toured at. That all changed when she visited Clemson. “Clemson felt like home as soon as I stepped on the campus.” Ruxi […]

Man’s best friend? Dr. Kelsey Witt Dillon’s research proves so

How long ago the bond between dog and man was first formed is something scientists haven’t been able to ascertain. New research involving Kelsey Witt Dillon, an assistant professor in the Clemson University Department of Genetics and Biochemistry and the Center for Human Genetics, is part of new research that now suggests indigenous people in […]

Luo receives USDA grant

Considering the world’s growing population and less land being available for farming, it’s becoming more important than ever to increase nutritional quality and crop yield of food crops. One way to achieve this is by genetically modifying a plant by introducing a foreign gene (called a transgene) from another organism, essentially giving the plant a […]

December Graduate – Olivia Eierman ’24

When choosing a college, STEM opportunities were important for December genetics graduate Olivia Eierman ’24. Originally from Long Island, NY, Olivia came a long way to make Clemson her home. “I chose Clemson because of its many opportunities in STEM related fields as well as hometown feel.” With cluster engineering and biological sciences as her […]

G&B hosts Research in Progress Symposium

On Monday, December 16th, the Department of Genetics and Biochemistry held its semi-annual Research in Progress (RIP) Symposium, where graduate students give a 20-minute presentation on their research. This year’s presenters included Sabrina Pizzaro, Xiaotong Chen, Amara Onoh and Chia-Lun (Allen) Wu. Titles of Presentations Sabrina Pizzaro: Putative Sodium/Proton Exchangers in Trypanosoma brucei Xiaotong Chen: […]

Faculty and students receive grants – Fall 2024

Dr. Hong Luo has received a $650,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to study the unintended consequences of three site-specific DNA recombination systems commonly used to genetically engineer target crops. 5th year Ph.D. student in Dr. Jennifer Mason’s lab Josh Turner was recently awarded an Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Society (EMGS) travel grant […]