About the Weill Institute

The Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, founded in 2008, is an interdisciplinary research institute in the heart of Cornell University's Ithaca, NY campus focusing on cell signaling and molecular dynamics. The institute, located in Weill Hall, now includes twelve faculty members with appointments in three Cornell colleges and five departments - Biological Statistics and Computational Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Molecular Biology and Genetics, Plant Biology, and Chemistry & Chemical Biology. Our goal is to provide the best possible environment for our faculty and their labs to do world-class research.

Recent Institute Publications

Lanz, M.C., Yugandhar, K., Gupta, S., Sanford, E.J., Faça, V.M., Vega, S., Joiner, A.M.N., Fromme, J.C., Yu, H., Smolka, M.B. In-depth and 3-dimensional exploration of the budding yeast phosphoproteome. EMBO Rep. (2021)

Shin, J.H., Choe, D., Ransegnola, B., Hong, H.R., Onyekwere, I., Cross, T., Shi, Q., Cho, B.K., Westblade, L.F., Brito, I.L., Dörr, T. A multifaceted cellular damage repair and prevention pathway promotes high-level tolerance to β-lactam antibiotics. EMBO Rep. (2021)

Shah, P., Hobson, C.M., Svea, C., Colville, M.J., Paszek, M.J., Superfine, R., Lammerding, J. Nuclear Deformation Causes DNA Damage by Increasing Replication Stress. Curr Bio. (2020)

Faca, V.M., Sanford, E.J., Tieu, J., Comstock, W., Gupta, S., Marshall, S., Yu, H., Smolka, M.B. Maximized quantitative phosphoproteomics allows high confidence dissection of the DNA damage signaling network. Scientific Reports. (2020)

Gingras, R.M., Lwin, K.M., Miller, A.M., Bretscher, A. Yeast Rgd3 is a phospho-regulated F-BAR-containing RhoGAP involved in the regulation of Rho3 distribution and cell morphology. Mol. Bio. of the Cell. (2020)

Sulpizio, A.G., Shin, J.H., Minelli, M.E., Mao, Y. Radioactive Assay of in vitro Glutamylation Activity of the Legionella pneumophila Effector Protein SidJ. Bio-Protocol. (2020)

Read more Institute publications

Member Spotlight

Adrienne Roeder

Adrienne Roeder is a Nancy M. & Samuel C. Fleming Term Assistant Professor at the the Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, and the Department of Plant Biology. In the Roeder Lab, we are interested in how growth and cell divisions contribute to the both the development and patterning of specialized cell types in plants - a process which requires analysis of development in space and time.

Learn more about Adrienne Roeder

News

Neurons thrive even when malnourished

Arabidopsis flower with petals of various sizes

Roeder Lab Study explores how multiple organs end up the same size

posed photo of Tobias Dörr in lab setting

Bacterial enzyme structure opens door for new antibiotics

Mann award winner Alan Sulpizio illuminates infectious diseases

More news

Welcome

Welcome to the Joan and Sanford I. Weill Institute for Cell & Molecular Biology at Cornell University. The Weill Institute opened in June 2008, with a vision to create a vibrant center of scientific excellence in basic biology integrated with existing, outstanding programs in chemistry and chemical biology, physics, plant biology, computational biology, and engineering. We have sought to attract the best faculty, students, and postdocs and to establish an environment that encourages cutting-edge research and the transfer of ideas and technology.

Research in the Institute covers topics in cell signaling, membrane trafficking, bacterial pathogenesis, cancer biology and metastasis, DNA damage and repair, neurodegeneration, and the regulation of the size and shape of cells during development. Model organisms including bacteria, yeast, flies, plants, and mice are being used to discover the molecules and mechanisms for each of these pathways toward the ultimate goal of understanding human disease and improving health.

As the Weill Institute grows and changes, it is a privilege to oversee this dynamic interdisciplinary center. I look forward to the next chapter in our exploration of the remarkable molecular machines that are essential to keep cells alive and maintain their normal functions.