Benjamin Tu, Ph.D. Professor Endowed Title Martha Steiner Professorship in Medical Research; UT Southwestern Presidential Scholar; W.W. Caruth, Jr. Scholar in Biomedical Research School Medical School Department Biochemistry Graduate Programs Biological Chemistry Biography ***Updated Lab Website: tulab.science EDUCATION 2003 University of California-San Francisco. PhD, biochemistry and biophysics 1998 Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. AB and AM, chemistry 1994 State College Area High School, State College, PA POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING 2004-2006 UT Southwestern, Postdoctoral Fellow CURRENT POSITION 2018 – Professor, Department of Biochemistry, UT Southwestern 2021 - Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Education Graduate School Harvard University , Chemistry Graduate School Uni of California-Sfrancisco (2003), Biochemistry Research Interest Mechanisms by which cellular processes are coupled to metabolic state Metabolic cycles Oxidative stress, nutritional stress Regulation of cell growth versus survival Publications Featured Publications Acetate dependence of tumors. Comerford SA, Huang Z, Du X, Wang Y, Cai L, Witkiewicz AK, Walters H, Tantawy MN, Fu A, Manning HC, Horton JD, Hammer RE, McKnight SL, Tu BP Cell 2014 Dec 159 7 1591-602 Npr2 inhibits TORC1 to prevent inappropriate utilization of glutamine for biosynthesis of nitrogen-containing metabolites. Laxman S, Sutter BM, Shi L, Tu BP Sci Signal 2014 7 356 ra120 Sulfur Amino Acids Regulate Translational Capacity and Metabolic Homeostasis through Modulation of tRNA Thiolation. Laxman S, Sutter BM, Wu X, Kumar S, Guo X, Trudgian DC, Mirzaei H, Tu BP Cell 2013 Jul 154 2 416-29 Methionine Inhibits Autophagy and Promotes Growth by Inducing the SAM-Responsive Methylation of PP2A. Sutter BM, Wu X, Laxman S, Tu BP Cell 2013 Jul 154 2 403-15 Acetyl-CoA induces cell growth and proliferation by promoting the acetylation of histones at growth genes. Cai L, Sutter BM, Li B, Tu BP Mol. Cell 2011 May 42 4 426-37 Selective regulation of autophagy by the Iml1-Npr2-Npr3 complex in the absence of nitrogen starvation. Wu X, Tu BP Mol. Biol. Cell 2011 Nov 22 21 4124-33 Results 1-6 of 6 1 Honors & Awards Finalist, Blavatnik National Award for Young Scientists (2019) Finalist, Blavatnik National Award for Young Scientists (2018) Finalist, Blavatnik National Award for Young Scientists (2017) Norman Hackerman Award in Chemical Research (2014) Damon Runyon-Rachleff Innovation Award (2010) Packard Fellowship (2010) W. W. Caruth, Jr. Scholar in Biomedical Research (2007) Burroughs Wellcome FundCareer Award in Biomedical Sciences (2006) AAAS & GE HealthcareYoung Scientist Award Regional Winner - North America (2004)