The mission of CMMB is to advance basic and translational research as well as to provide excellent educational opportunities and training for our graduate students in a thriving collaborative environment. Our researchers combine genomic, biochemical, cellular, genetic and computational approaches with sophisticated imaging and molecular techniques to provide a wide range of cutting-edge skills. CMMB faculty have a strong record of receiving external funding and are committed to supporting our current community of faculty, postdoctoral fellows and graduate students and to recruiting the best new scientists.<br><br>Reflecting the breadth of biology, CMMB houses a vibrant group of faculty working on timely problems, using a variety of approaches and model organisms. While diverse in scope, our members are unified in their focus to understand the organizing principles of biology and engage in innovative research that addresses fundamental processes. These include signal transduction, protein trafficking, immunology, cellular lifespan, and the genetics of behavior, as well as molecular mechanisms of diseases such as cancer, Lyme disease, Rift Valley fever, human cytomegalovirus disease, and Q fever. In addition, research in the CMMB Program is addressing emerging themes in the rapidly growing fields of genome evolution, and RNA structure and function.