News
Our research not only influences the scientific community, but the general public as well. We strive to share our discoveries with everyone. Read some of our latest articles on what is happening at the Nutrition Research Institute.
Transcription factor Olig2 defines subpopulations of retinal progenitor cells biased toward specific cell fates
Transcription factor Olig2 defines subpopulations of retinal progenitor cells biased toward specific cell fates
Brian P. Hafler, Natalia Surzenko, Kevin T. Beier, Claudio Punzo, Jeffrey M. Trimarchi, Jennifer H. Kong, Constance L. Cepko
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012 May 15; 109(20): 7882–7887. Published online 2012 April 27. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1203138109
PMCID: PMC3356608
SOX2 maintains the quiescent progenitor cell state of postnatal retinal Müller glia
SOX2 maintains the quiescent progenitor cell state of postnatal retinal Müller glia
Natalia Surzenko, Tessa Crowl, Amelia Bachleda, Lee Langer, Larysa Pevny
Development. 2013 April 1; 140(7): 1445–1456. doi: 10.1242/dev.071878
PMCID: PMC3596988
Otx2 and Onecut1 Promote the Fates of Cone Photoreceptors and Horizontal Cells and Repress Rod Photoreceptors
Otx2 and Onecut1 Promote the Fates of Cone Photoreceptors and Horizontal Cells and Repress Rod Photoreceptors
Mark M. Emerson, Natalia Surzenko, Jillian J. Goetz, Jeffrey Trimarchi, Constance L. Cepko
Dev Cell. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2014 July 15.
Published in final edited form as: Dev Cell. 2013 July 15; 26(1): 10.1016/j.devcel.2013.06.005. doi: 10.1016/j.devcel.2013.06.005
PMCID: PMC3819454
Understanding Nutrigenomics
March 2, 2015 • Why “good” and “bad” are irrelevant when talking about genes and nutrition
From the desk of: Mihai Niculescu, M.D., Ph.D.
…“How to override your bad genes with food.” “Can Exercise Override Bad Genes?” “Good Nutrition Can Overcome Bad Genes”…
woman drawing dnaWe are bombarded by media with these kinds of messages. The main theme, of course, is that many of us may have “bad” genes that would put us at risk of a certain poor health outcome unless we eat less of “this” and more of “that.” Knowing myself as a bearer of several such genetic variations, I almost feel, at times, guilty that I am harboring such “bad” genes, albeit without my consent.
NRI Scientist Achieves New Role
March 2, 2015 • Natalia Surzenko, Ph.D., studies the connections between nutrients and brain and eye development. Her work in this area has been as Research Scientist in the Zeisel lab since joining the NRI in 2013. In recognition of the excellence she brings to her research, Dr. Surzenko has been promoted to Research Assistant Professor.
March 2015
Free Public Presentation Registration Required–Sign Up Today The NRI's popular public event series, Appetite for Life, continues on Tuesday, March 10 with a free presentation by Patrick Stover, Ph.D., on Keeping a Hungry World Healthy: Our Changing Food...
Series to help laypeople understand science
Saturday, February 14, 2015 • The following has been reprinted from Charlotte Observer, an article by Lisa Thornton. If Dr. Natalia Surzenko told you that choline produces increased hippocampal neurogenesis in Mus musculus, you probably wouldn’t understand. But if she said a nutrient called choline, naturally found in foods such as egg yolks, salmon and cocoa powder has been shown to regenerate brain cells responsible for increased memory in mice, that would be different. At the UNC Nutrition Research Institute in Kannapolis, where Surzenko, a neurobiologist, has her lab, a new series called “Appetite for Life” is intended to create clearer dialogue between researchers and laypeople about discoveries changing the way experts view nutrition.
Diet and Cancer Prevention
Dr. Stephen Hursting, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Choline: An Essential Nutrient
Makes Babies Smarter, Keeps Memory Keen and Prevents Disease, Yet Most Americans Are Missing Out
Choline was discovered in 1862, but scientists did not fully understand its importance—or what foods contained it—for another 136 years. They thought we could make our own choline, much like we make Vitamin D from sunlight and cholesterol, but only women who still produce estrogen can make enough choline—and only if they have the right genes. Forty-five percent of child-bearing women have a genetic variation called a SNP (pronounced “snip”) that prevents them from turning estrogen into choline.