Ann Wehman brings genetics, cell biology expertise to TexA&M – AgriLife Today

Ann Wehman, Ph.D., has been appointed an assistant professor in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics. His position is focused on cell biology research and genetics teaching.

Wehman brings a strong focus on developmental genetics, molecular cell biology and the role of lipids, or fats, in membrane trafficking. His lab will work to uncover the details of extracellular vesicles – small membrane-enclosed packets that can transport signals between cells or change the contents of a cell.

Wehman’s research examines how extracellular vesicles form, how they function during animal development and change in response to environmental conditions such as food. This basic research has potential applications in the diagnosis of diseases such as cancer, the delivery of therapeutic drugs and the management of autoimmune responses.

“Cells are constantly releasing extracellular vesicles, and these vesicles can tell us a lot about the state of the body, especially disease,” Wehman said. “By studying how vesicles are formed and how they interact with other cells, we can learn to modify vesicle biology for better health outcomes.”

Researching cell communication

The Wehman lab uses C. elegans, a tiny worm that is key to studying cell biology and genetics. This month, two C. elegans researchers were awarded the Nobel Prize for discovering microRNAs in this small, transparent animal. Wehman advocates the use of such models in research, and his lab uses C. elegans to study how vesicles bud from the cell surface and how cells receive signals to take these vesicles and to transport their goods.

“Extracellular vesicles contain a lot of information about the state of the cell, and by studying them, we can learn to monitor and influence disease processes,” said Wehman.

Specialists and graduate students in the biochemistry and biophysics program have embarked on various research projects in the Wehman lab, with projects ranging from studying membrane dynamics during phagocytic clearance – the process by which a type of white cell blood that eliminates dead and foreign cells. things – to understand the genetic pathways involved in the formation of extracellular vesicles.

The Wehman lab also researches membrane dynamics in the context of biological development. The early growth and development of embryos is highly dependent on changes in the cell membrane.

Wehman recently published research showing the role of extracellular vesicles in maintaining neuron structure in a journal. Current Biologyalong with fellow 2023 Distinguished Investigator Allen Andrew Chisholm, Ph.D., professor of neurobiology and cell developmental biology at the University of California, San Diego.

More about Wehman

Wehman earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a doctorate in genetics from the University of California, San Francisco.

After completing his doctorate, Wehman held a postdoctoral position at the Skirball Institute at New York University Medical Center, where he focused on developmental genetics. He also spent ten years in faculty positions at the University of Würzburg in Germany and the University of Denver before joining Texas A&M University in August.

After growing up in San Antonio, Wehman said he is excited about the opportunity to return to Texas and join the biochemistry department in a collaborative research effort. His lab is already up and running, supported by a new $1.8 million National Institutes of Health Research Award, which will give his lab the opportunity to conduct research in many areas of membrane dynamics. .

“This sector has a large research pool, and as a Tier-1 research facility, it offers very exciting prospects,” he said. “The opportunity to work with colleagues focused on membrane biology, but with different perspectives, has been a great challenge for me, and I look forward to seeing where these collaborations take us.”