May 19, 2025
Congratulations to Pengxin Chai, Zhang Lab, on receiving the 2025 Mary Ellen Jones Dissertation Prize. The title of his dissertation is Cryo-EM Reveals the Mechanochemical Cycle of Reactive Full-length Human Dynein-1 and a short description is listed below:
“My dissertation explored how a molecular motor called dynein moves along cellular tracks to transport vital cargo inside cells—much like a city’s transportation system moves goods through roads. Using a powerful imaging tool called cryo-electron microscopy, I captured detailed snapshots of dynein’s movement cycle, revealing how it steps forward and generates force to power this transport.”