In order to generate energy, our bodies transfer electrons from food—sugars, fats and proteins—to molecular oxygen, which allows our cells to respire and function. Performed by the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC), this process creates ATP, the “molecular currency” for energy in the cell. In a Molecular Cell study, Assistant Professor James Letts, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, and colleagues reveal further nuances of the ETC.

Katherine Dahlhausen's microbial curiosity was inspired by a rare bacterial disease she contracted while traveling in South America. Today, she's a graduate student in Professor Jonathan Eisen's lab exploring things like koala poo, chlamydia and the microbiome.