Research Areas
RNA-protein interactions
Translational control
Pain
Publications
Functionally distinct roles for eEF2K in the control of ribosome availability and p-body abundance in sensory neurons 2021 - Other
A peptide encoded within a 5' untranslated region promotes pain sensitization in mice. 2021 - Journal Article
A role for translational regulation by S6 kinase and a downstream target in inflammatory pain. 2021 - Journal Article
Functionally distinct roles for eEF2K in the control of ribosome availability and p-body abundance. 2021 - Journal Article
Principles of mRNA control by human PUM proteins elucidated from multi-modal experiments and integrative data analysis. 2020 - Journal Article
Molecular entrapment by RNA: an emerging tool for disrupting protein-RNA interactions in vivo. 2020 - Journal Article
News Articles
Researchers Devise Decoy Molecule to Block Pain Where It Starts
For anyone who has accidentally injured themselves, Dr. Zachary Campbell not only sympathizes, he’s developing new ways to blunt pain.“If you have ever hit yourself with a hammer, afterward, even a light touch can be painful for days or even weeks,” said Campbell, who researches pain on the molecular level at The University of Texas at Dallas. “While many of us may not be coordinated enough to avoid an accident, my goal is to disrupt the inception and persistence of pain memories."
A Scientific Dating Game: Biologists Play RNA-Protein Matchmakers
Virtually all functions in our bodies require precise interactions between radically different types of molecules. The vast majority of the time, these encounters yield nothing, but a special few sustain life as we know it.
Team Creates Shape-Changing Material That Pushes Biological Boundaries
Combining the powers of the living and the inanimate, an interdisciplinary team from The University of Texas at Dallas has embedded genetically modified yeast into a synthetic gel to create a novel, shape-changing material designed to grow under specific biochemical or physical conditions.“This is definitely a case where the product is more than the sum of its parts,” said Taylor Ware MS’11, PhD’13, assistant professor of bioengineering in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science and corresponding author of a paper published in January in Science Advances, the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s open-access journal.
The idea to use the reproductive growth of cells to drive shape change within an inanimate container began with an old, reliable standby: baker’s yeast, or Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
Dr. Zachary Campbell Receives $1.9 Million From NIH
Dr. Zachary Campbell was awarded $1,998,717 from the National Institute of Health (NIH) for his research on Profiling Translation in Nociceptor Plasticity. Dr. Campbell’s team probe the effects of methylglyoxal on translational control and determine if blocking the integrated stress response is a viable option for neuropathic pain. The project involves mechanisms that promote chronic pain to gain a better understanding of disease mechanisms for the eventual development of more effective therapeutics.