The Laboratory of Molecular and Cell Biology or LMCB specializes in the applications of cell and molecular biology techniques and research models with higher-level organization such as cell lines, tissues, organs and whole animal models to elucidate the roles of genes in development. Students at the LMCB students are trained in a wide variety of techniques that hone them into well-rounded individuals prepared for careers in research in molecular biology and biotechnology.

PROJECTS
Research at the LMCB covers a variety of topics that include the isolation, expression and characterization of anthozoan fluorescent proteins and venomous peptides from marine snails, genetic analysis of mouse hyperactivity, nanomaterials in cancer research, and the optimization of scaffolds in neural precursor cell cultures.

Each field utilizes a combination of skill sets from molecular biology, biochemistry, immunology, histochemistry, material science and instrumentation physics, making LMCB one of the most diverse laboratories in the NIMBB.

WORKSHOPS AND THESIS
The LMCB also conducts workshops for junior and senior students who would like to do their undergraduate studies in the laboratory. The month-long workshops are held every mid-year. They are comprised of modules for standard mouse breeding and basic molecular biology and cell culture techniques using cell lines and primary cultures of embryonic mouse tissues.

Students learn basic histology and immunofluorescence staining and imaging. Bioinformatics is also taught as supplementary training for those who want to pursue genomics projects.

The workshop and the thesis thus equip students with skills necessary for conducting independent research at subsequent stages of their careers.

Research Assistant:
Jobi Subosa

Project 3: Gene Expression analysis towards coconut genotyping and varietal improvement

In-house Projects
Functional analysis of candidate turritoxin coding genes obtained from transcriptome data analysis

Unravelling the Molecular Underpinnings of DRD1 involvement in Mammalian Hyperactivity: Murine Brain Transcriptome and Human Association Studies

Saloma, C., Perez, G. J., Gavile, C. A., Ick-Joson, J. J., & Palmes-Saloma, C. (2015). Prior individual training and self-organized queuing during group emergency escape of mice from water pool. PLoS ONE, 10(2).

Dalet, J. ., Saloma, C. P., Olivera, B. M., & Heralde, F. M. (2014). Karyological analysis and FISH physical mapping of 18S rDNA genes, (GATA)n centromeric and (TTAGGG)n telomeric sequences in Conus magus Linnaeus, 1758. Journal of Molluscan Studies, 81(2), 274-289.

Gonzales, D. T., & Saloma, C. P. (2014). A bioinformatics survey for conotoxin-like sequences in three turrid snail venom duct transcriptomes. Toxicon, 92, 66-74.

Natividad, M. F., Torres-Villanueva, C. A. ., & Saloma, C. P. (2013). Superantigen involvement and susceptibility factors in Kawasaki disease: Profiles of TCR Vβ2+ T cells and HLA-DRB1, TNF-α and ITPKC genes among filipino patients. International Journal of Molecular Epidemiology and Genetics, 4(1), 70-76.

Villar, V., Jones, J., Palmes-Saloma, C., & Al., E. (2013). Sorting Nexin 1 Loss Results in D-5 Dopamine Receptor Dysfunction in Human Renal Proximal Tubule Cells and Hypertension in Mice. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 288(1), 152-163.

Saloma, C. P. (2012). Prospects and Priorities in Nanomedicine. Nanotechnology: Prospects and Priorities (pp. 59-74).

Villar, V. A. M., Jones, J. E., Armando, I., Palmes-Saloma, C., Yu, P., Pascua, A. M., Keever, L., et al. (2009). G protein-coupled receptor kinase 4 (GRK4) regulates the phosphorylation and function of the dopamine D3 receptor. The Journal of biological chemistry, 284(32), 21425-34.

Saloma, C., Perez, G. J., Tapang, G., Lim, M., & Palmes-Saloma, C. (2003). Self-organized queuing and scale-free behavior in real escape panic. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 100(21), 11947-52. doi:10.1073/pnas.2031912100

Palmes-saloma, C., & Saloma, C. (2000). Long-Depth Imaging of Specific Gene Expressions in Whole-Mount Mouse Embryos with Single-Photon Excitation Confocal Fluorescence Microscopy and FISH. Journal of Structural Biology, 66, 56 – 66.