Most of the well-studied proteins in our bodies are like metal; some can change shape easily, like aluminum foil, and others are rigid, like steel beams, but they typically have a solid, well-defined structure. Many other essential proteins are more like water — able to change phase from liquid to solid ice. A team of researchers led by Nicolas Fawzi, an associate professor in the Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Physiology and Biotechnology, used a combination of techniques to determine the atomic interactions that stabilize the liquid, yet “condensed” phase of FUS, one of the important phase-changing proteins. Fawzi’s team includes doctoral student Anastasia Murthy, the lead author on the study. The findings were published on Monday, July 1, in the journal Nature Structural and Molecular Biology. Read more.

Memory Dishes, curated by Johanna Obenda '19 AM (Public Humanities), highlights the cooking practices of six Providence families of African descent. Videos, photos and personal stories document the families’ culinary traditions, many of which changed as they moved to the New World and began to reimagine traditional West and Central African recipes by using European and indigenous ingredients. The exhibit on display through October at Brown University’s Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice (CSSJ). Read more.

Brown is once again a leading Fulbright-producing university for the 2019-2020 academic year. Graduate students Melanie White and Keegan Cothern are among those selected this year. White is a doctoral candidate in Africana Studies who will travel to Nicaragua; Cothern is a PhD student in History who will travel to Japan. “Being awarded a Fulbright is an extreme honor and privilege that will allow me to conduct my international dissertation research in Nicaragua. I have been planning to conduct this research since my early years as an undergraduate, and it is incredibly affirming to know that the Fulbright program believes in and has decided to support my project,” says White. Read more.