Category Archives: Biochemistry

Austin, Brito, and Di Dio pose for media day.

Katie Austin, Mia Brito, and Alaina Di Dio are fourth-years on the softball team in addition to being captains and housemates. Austin is a Chemistry and Biochemistry major from San Diego, Brito is a History major from Covina, CA, and Di Dio is a Psychology major from Whitmore Lake, MI.

Since softball is a spring sport, they do not participate in games in the fall except for Fall Ball, one day when the team can play up to three games. On Oct. 7, the team hosted Ursuline College, an NCAA Division II school, and lost 64.

We played a DII [team], but we were definitely able to hold our own, which was great, Brito said. We lost a few players from last year, so its taken us a while to see where all the pieces are going to be for this year. Especially after play day, we have a much clearer idea of how our defense is going to shape up, and its looking really good.

Throughout the fall the team is allotted a set number of practices, which start in early September. After these, the team then transitions to captains practices for the rest of the fall, led by Austin, Brito, and Di Dio. In addition, they lift two to three times a week.

The three housemates have all played softball for many years. Austin has been playing since elementary school.

It was the first sport I ever played and I just stuck with it because I like pitching so much, Austin said. [I] essentially [have] control on the mound and we just get to be outside with our friends. Its a good environment and it teaches you a lot. Ive learned so much about dedication and teamwork from travel ball and then playing in college, and it builds a really strong community.

Brito has been playing softball since she was four years old. She hasnt stopped playing because her mom never got the opportunity to continue playing after high school.

I really like it, but I mostly play because my mom didnt get to, Brito said. She had my brother when she was 17, [so] she had to quit. So, I keep playing for her.

Di Dio credits softball as her break from school, which motivated her to keep playing at Oberlin.

In high school and now, its a time to get away from academics and responsibilities, Di Dio said. Its like structured hanging-out time with your friends; its your favorite people and you get to see them every day. Our team is so close-knit.

In their house, the fourth-years have a cherished cone, a softball tradition. Each year, the softball fourth-years pass on a giant megaphone cone to the next group of fourth-years, with each graduating class signing the interior. Maria Roussos, OC 18, came back during homecoming and noticed the megaphone cone sitting in their living room.

She goes, I cannot believe you guys still have this cone, Di Dio said. And were like, What? Shes like, I started this when I was in school, when I was a [first-year]. One of her [fourth-years] gave it to her. When youre a [fourth-year], you sign the cone under the cone, theres a list of names from all these years past. She came and saw it in our house and shes like, I am so glad someone still has it. I thought itd be thrown away right now. But I like that you guys are keeping the tradition forward. You have to give it to the next house.

Outside of softball, the three are constantly busy with other extracurricular activities, which the team is incredibly supportive of. Over the summer, Brito had the opportunity to study in Japan through the Luce Initiative on Asian Studies and the Environment Grant as an East Asian Studies minor. When she did her LIASE presentation at the beginning of the school year, the team came and watched her present. When Di Dio presented at the Undergraduate Research Symposium last year, she received similar support from her teammates and coaches who came to her presentation.

Since her second year at Oberlin, Brito has worked at the Multicultural Resource Center and as a manager at the Dionysus Disco. Over the last year and a half, she has been working with 15 different minority student groups on an archive for minority student groups on campus. She has gotten the school to approve a digital database, which will be uploaded to the Oberlin College Library server, and a physical archive, which will be in Wilder Hall. After Oberlin, she plans to take a gap year on campus to continue working on this project. Later, she plans to go into information science and archiving with a focus on social justice, library science, and information access.

Theres not many schools that are doing that, Brito said. Im very excited.

Di Dio is a peer tutor for Psychology and Statistics classes as well as a PRSM trainer on campus. She has been in multiple labs and assisted Visiting Assistant Professor of Politics Adam J. Howat in formulating a study investigating political identity and affective polarization. She currently does research at the Michigan State University Twin Registry, where shes mainly focused on studying the etiology and development of externalizing behavior, specifically antisocial behavior. She presented her research in Spain at the annual meeting of the Behavior Genetics Association. Shes currently applying to Ph.D. programs in clinical science and psychology, where she hopes to continue her work or go into the field of behavioral genetics.

Austin does research in the Ryno Lab in the Biochemistry department, looking at changes in the transcriptome of arabinose-treated E. coli. This summer, she participated in a nuclear and radiochemistry summer school program at San Jose State University, where she learned about the basics of nuclear chemistry and visited the Livermore National Laboratory and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Now, shes looking at graduate schools for radiochemistry or biochemistry.

When asked about advice she would give to her first-year self, Austin was nostalgic about her time here.

Just enjoy the things that Oberlin has to offer, because its going by so quickly, Austin said. Its over already, and we have to cherish these last moments, like going to Long Island Night.

Di Dio believes that ones first-year and fourth-year selves are very different.

A lot changes between first year and fourth year, Di Dio said. You think you might have it figured out, but you dont roll with the changes.

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In the Locker Room with Katie Austin, Mia Brito, and Alaina Di Dio ... - The Oberlin Review

Biochemistry

Dr. Tara Schwetz named NIH Deputy Director for Program … – National Institutes of Health (.gov)

October 27, 2023 medical

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Tara A. Schwetz, Ph.D., as NIH Deputy Director for Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives and the Director of the Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives (DPCPSI) in the NIH Office of the Director. She will remain in her current role as Acting NIH Principal Deputy Director, a position she has held since December 2021, until a new NIH Director is confirmed by the U.S. Senate and a transition occurs.

Dr. Schwetz will lead DPCPSI in meeting its mission to identify emerging scientific opportunities, rising public health challenges, or scientific knowledge gaps that merit further research; developing and applying analytic tools and methodologies in support of portfolio analyses and priority setting; and coordinating strategic planning, performance monitoring, evaluation, and reporting. DPCPSI also coordinates or supports research related to AIDS, behavioral and social sciences, women's health, disease prevention, dietary supplements, research infrastructure, sexual and gender minorities, tribal health, data science, and nutrition, and includes the office that manages the NIH Common Fund.

Dr. Schwetz has been serving as the Acting NIH Principal Deputy Director since December 2021 and the NIH Alternate Deputy Ethics Counselor since 2019. For much of 2021, Dr. Schwetz was on detail to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy as the Assistant Director for Biomedical Science Initiatives. In this role, she led the effort to stand up the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). The Biden Administration created ARPA-H to tackle some of the biggest health challenges facing Americans by driving medical innovation more rapidly.

Prior to 2021, Dr. Schwetz served as the NIH Associate Deputy Director. Throughout her more than 10-year tenure at NIH, Dr. Schwetz has held multiple positions within the NIH Office of the Director and across several NIH institutes. She has served as the Acting Director and Acting Deputy Director of the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), Chief of the Strategic Planning and Evaluation Branch at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Senior Advisor to the Principal Deputy Director of NIH, Interim Associate Program Director for the NIH Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes Program, and a Health Science Policy Analyst at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Dr. Schwetz started her career at NIH as an AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow at NINR.

Dr. Schwetz has led or co-led several high-profile, NIH-wide efforts including two Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) programs (RADx Underserved Populations and RADx Radical) and Implementing a Maternal health and Pregnancy Outcomes Vision for Everyone (IMPROVE) initiative. She also has spearheaded several strategic planning efforts, such as the first NIH-Wide Strategic Plan, NIH-Wide COVID-19 Strategic Plan, NIAID Strategic Plan for Tuberculosis Research, NIH Office of the Director Strategic Engagement Agenda, and played a significant role in the development of the National Pain Strategy. She received a B.S. in biochemistry with honors from Florida State University and a Ph.D. in biophysics from the University of South Florida, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at Vanderbilt University.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Schwetz on her new role.

I want to express my appreciation and thanks to Robert W. Eisinger, Ph.D., for his service as Acting Director of DPCPSI, a position he has held since July 2022. He will continue in that role until Dr. Schwetz moves to DPCPSI following the NIH Director transition.

Lawrence A. Tabak, D.D.S., Ph.D. Acting Director, National Institutes of Health

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Dr. Tara Schwetz named NIH Deputy Director for Program ... - National Institutes of Health (.gov)

Biochemistry

Armstrong Welcomes Burning Swamp The George-Anne Media … – The George-Anne

October 27, 2023 medical

Eight students faced the fire at Armstrongs first annual burning swamp open mic on Oct 20.

Its all about building community, said host Benjamin Drevlow. Its always magic at Burning Swamp.

Despite rainfall students and faculty brought energy to the international gardens. Each presenter opened up to the crowd adding a layer of intimacy.

Pieces performed ranged from chicken wings to war.

I have a unique point of view because I am older and a combat veteran so I write a lot about that to work through it, said senior biochemistry and English double major Alex Reese.

Another burning swamp event is anticipated to be held in the spring semester.

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Armstrong Welcomes Burning Swamp The George-Anne Media ... - The George-Anne

Biochemistry

Summer Research Projects Grow Depth of Knowledge – Taylor University

October 27, 2023 medical

Most classes may have been out for the summer, but faculty-mentored research projects were in full swing across campus.

Studies show that undergraduate students who participate in research projects have better grades, are more prepared for study or career after graduation, and have more clarity in their future goals. Here are just a few snapshots of some of the research work students and faculty were exploring over the summer at Taylor University.

Taylors growing Engineering program was bustling over the summer with students working on several research projects.

Water filtration project: Senior David Mitchell continued to design and make improvements to a water filtration system for a hospital in Bangladesh. He spent the summer improving filtration quality and system reliability as well as reducing system manufacturing costs.

Building in Space: Juniors Koby Rodgers and Harrison Schmitt worked on the SkyForge project. This project, funded by the Indiana Space Grant Consortium, is developing a first-generation lab version of a robot designed to build expansive space structures in Earths orbit. Over the summer, the students did preliminary research on the space environment, developed a test architecture meant to improve the robots ability to withstand space radiation, and designed a small form factor arm joint for operating in the vacuum and cold of space. This research will continue in the spring of 2024.

Other projects: Addison Johnson 23, who is now attending the robotics graduate program at Oregon State University, worked on refining and controlling the Next Generation Sulfur Concrete Print Head. The print head is a prototype for 3D printing structures on Mars.

The Womens Giving Circle made it possible for John Pugsley 22, who now works for Near Space Launch in Upland, to continue to work on the New Worlds virtual reality walking interface. John is making improvements to allow further testing of the system that had been his senior project.

We are thankful for the funding weve received that is allowing us to push forward with these projects, said Dr. Peter Staritz, Associate Professor of Physics and Engineering. Our students are working with cutting-edge ideas, doing incredible work, and making real contributions to the engineering world.

Professor of Biology Lauren Woodward Hartzler led a plant genetics research effort to learn more about how regulation of mRNA stability helps plants respond to heat stress and heavy metal pollution in their environment.

All organisms and plants are able to respond to their environment by changing gene expression. One way that gene expression can be changed is by tinkering with the stability of mRNA molecules, said Woodward.

If we can identify the genes or biological pathways that are regulated during these responses, there is a potential to harness that information to generate plants that are more resilient to surviving in climates and conditions that other plants would likely perish in. There is even the potential that such plants could be used to remediate disturbed or polluted areas.

Hartzler and student Rebekah Ong made significant progress toward making a genetically modified plant that will be less capable of degrading some mRNAs. This project was primarily funded by the Womens Giving Circle.

Dr. Reed Spencer, professor of Music, and Musical Theatre major Steven Day have been working collaboratively on lyrics, music, recording, and notation for a musical theatre composition project that addresses Generation Zs experiences with social media.

We took on this project with the goal of approaching this with a desire to acknowledge social medias important place in our society, while exploring the complex problems and emotions that accompany its use, said Spencer.

Over the course of the summer, Spencer and Day wrote eleven songs, recorded them, and began the process of notation. They plan to workshop the music, eventually produce a production of their work with more Taylor students, with the hope to submit it to competitions and find external performances.

Professor of Chemistry Dr. Michael Bowman and student Kirsten Stinson used methods in computational chemistry to understand how certain gene mutations can lead to cancer. They have been studying O6-methylated guanine and thioguanine complexes, which are molecules of a mutated form of guanine, one of the fundamental building blocks of DNA known as nucleobases.

Previous studies have demonstrated a connection between these mutated nucleobases and certain types of cancers, which is surprising given the relatively minor change to the natural guanine structure, said Bowman. By examining the interactions between O6-methylguanine or thioguanine with other nucleobases, we hope to help others understand how such mutations lead to cancer.

They made significant progress in yielding results that affirm their hypothesis, and they plan to do additional research using computational methods with a higher level of accuracy as well as other forms of analysis to provide a more comprehensive picture of these systems.

Dr. Daniel Kaluka, professor of Biochemistry, led four students on two different projects.

Malaria parasite: Malaria is an infectious and deadly disease caused by the parasite Plasmodium Falciparum. Although drugs have been developed to fight against this disease, reports of increased drug resistance call for the need to design new intervention strategies. Kaluka has been researching how hemeproteins within the parasites genome can lead to identification of new therapeutic targets in the mosquito stage of the parasite. Anna Draviam and Gabriel Swinney worked on furthering his research over the summer.

Malaria remains a public health problem, especially in the developing world. For children under age 5, its reported especially high mortality rates, said Kaluka. Understanding the malaria parasite biochemistry is a step towards developing new intervention strategies. Our goal is to use our understandingof protein structure-function relationship to unveil the parasite's vulnerabilities and thus stop the transmission of malaria.

Investigating the Sequence-Structure-Function Relationship of beta-glucosidase B (enzyme): Kaluka and students Annika Bennett and Carter Ahlstedtwere part of a design-to-data network of scholars initiated by Professor Steven Seigel of University of California Davis. Seigels lab provided most of the research materials needed.

Bennett and Ahlstedt used computational tools to design mutants of b-glucosidase B and perform functional studies on their novel enzymes using biochemistry techniques, which are employed routinely in the biotechnology world. This student-generated data will be utilized in training protein modeling algorithms, such as the Rosetta Commons, which presently have less than optimal predictive capabilities due to a small number of data sets.

Understanding and manipulating protein structure and function is important in protein engineering(for example, enzyme designed to metabolize plastic waste) and human health research (for example, drug design), said Kaluka. The biggest challenge in protein engineering is designing proteins that are both thermally stable and catalytically efficient. Thats why computational design of such proteins is a welcome advancement.

Research projects dont have to wait until grad school or beyond. At Taylor, students have access to undertaking major projects in a broad range of interest areas and faculty who are willing to mentor and guide the process. Want to learn more? Request more information about Taylor University today.

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Biochemistry

Brookings Register | Speakout: Decarbonize industry with nuclear … – Brookings Register

October 27, 2023 medical

(Metro photo)

By: Robert McTaggert

Updated: 8 hours ago / Posted Oct 27, 2023

Editor's note: This Speakout was submitted by Robert McTaggert, assistant department head, chemistry, biochemistry and physics atSouth Dakota State University.

Despite the growth of renewable energy, industries still rely upon fossil fuels for the energy intensity they require for manufacturing. This emits almost as much carbon as transportation does. The good news is that several new nuclear reactors can work with renewables to remove carbon emissions from industry.

Recently, the Dow corporation partnered with X-energy to plan the use of helium-cooled, graphite moderated pebble bed reactors (the Xe-100) by the end of the decade to avoid emitting carbon in some of its manufacturing processes.

The fuel and any resulting waste are trapped within ceramic pebbles that do not melt. Heat removal occurs passively, so there is no need to power emergency pumps with diesel generators. The safety measures are so robust that instead of the usual 10-mile radius for emergency planning, the safety perimeter has a radius of less than 400 meters.

The helium does not become radioactive in the reactor, and it is chemically inert. It allows for higher temperatures, greater efficiencies, and the generation of process heat for industrial use. It also offers flexibility to utilities by being able to reduce power from 100% to 40% in 12 minutes and follow electrical loads.

Nucor, the leading steel manufacturer in the USA, is partnering with NuScale to use their water-cooled small reactor to make steel without emitting carbon.

NuScale improves current reactor technology to deliver similar passive heat removal as well as the flexibility to work with renewables in a small physical footprint. The design is resilient to tornadoes and attack by electromagnetic pulse.

Another reactor of interest is the Natrium reactor by TerraPower that is supported by Bill Gates. Like the other reactors, it is suitable for replacing coal plants.

The reactor is sodium-cooled and paired with a molten salt energy storage system that can also store excess energy from renewables without batteries.

Microsoft is considering small nuclear reactors to help power its data centers and computational needs for artificial intelligence. Estimates are that the power demands of artificial intelligence will grow five-fold by 2028. Nuclear energy can help meet that demand with carbon-free electricity.

While there is much interest in using hydrogen to complement renewables like natural gas does, hydrogen has other uses. For instance, it can be combined with carbon dioxide to produce new drop-in biofuels. We can all but eliminate carbon emissions from hydrogen production if the electrolysis of water were powered by nuclear and renewable energy.

Renewables need help to eliminate carbon from industry. Lets build the new nuclear reactors that are cheaper to build, last a long time, significantly reduce waste, leave more land for agriculture, and are completely walk-away safe.

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Brookings Register | Speakout: Decarbonize industry with nuclear ... - Brookings Register

Biochemistry

Professor Yong Sik Ok becomes the first Korean President of the … – EurekAlert

October 27, 2023 medical

image:

Prof. Yong Sik Ok was elected President of the International Society of Trace Element Biogeochemistry at the 16th International Conference on the Biogeochemistry of Trace Elements held in Wuppertal, Germany.

Credit: Professor Yong Sik Ok

Founded in Austria in 1999, the International Society of Trace Element Biogeochemistry (ISTEB) is a non-profit scientific organization of scientists and professionals who are interested in trace elements and key minerals research. The organization advances research on trace element biogeochemistry mainly through its flagship conference, the International Conference on the Biogeochemistry of Trace Elements or ICOBTE, which is held biannually.The ICOBTE is a world-renowned conference on trace elements, including key minerals such as cobalt, nickel, and manganese.

The highest governing body of the ISTEB, the Executive Board, is headed by the President of ISTEB, who also serves as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The Executive Board members and the President are chosen for a term of 2 years. At the 16th edition of ICOBTE, which was held in Wuppertal in Germany, Professor Yong Sik Ok was chosen as the next president of ISTEB. Professor Ok will assume office on the 1st of January 2024, thereby becoming the first Korean to serve as president of the society.

Professor Yong Sik Ok is the HCR Professor and Director at Korea University in Seoul. He is primarily interested in developing cutting-edge waste management strategies and sustainable technologies to reduce the environmental impact of pollution. He is a renowned and highly accomplished scientist and the only person to have been a Highly Cited Researcher (HCR) in three separate research fieldsEnvironment and Ecology, Engineering, and Biology and Biochemistry in 2022, according to Web of Science. Professor Ok wears many hats in an administrative capacity. He is the Director of the Sustainable Waste Management Program for the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU), which is co-chaired with Prof. William Mitch from Stanford University. He is also the President of the International ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) Association (IESGA).

The ISTEB has held international conferences every two years in Taiwan (1993), France (1995), the United States (1997), Austria (1999), Canada (2001), Sweden (2003), Australia (2005), China (2007), Mexico (2009), Italy (2011), the United States (2013), Japan (2015), Switzerland (2017), and China (2019).

The 16th International ICOBTE conference (Chair: Prof. Jrg Rinklebe) in Germany was a joint affair with the 21st International Conference of Heavy Metals (ICHMET), which was attended by many renowned scientists and professionals from around the world. The event had a number of symbolic meanings, not least because it was held in Wuppertal, a former mining center and was patronized by the German Federal Minister of Education and Research, Bettina Stark-Watzinger. It also attracted international attention with the presence of Hendrik Wst, Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, and Professor Uwe Schneidewind, Lord Major of the Wuppertal City Council.

The ICOBTE seeks to advance our understanding of the movement and accumulation of trace elements across many levels in the ecosystem, such as soils, sediments, plants, water, air, organisms, and humans. Trace elements (metals and metalloids) play a crucial role in maintaining a healthy mineral composition in the environment. However, the mineral balance can be affected by natural processes like volcanic eruptions and, to a much greater degree, by human activities such as mining, smelting, electroplating, wastewater discharge, deposition of industrial fumes, etc.

Exposure to high amounts of trace elements can negatively affect the health of humans and the environment. Therefore, the discussions hosted by ICOBTE assume vital importance at a time when pollution and environmental degradation are at their peak. With Professor Ok, a researcher with considerable experience tackling pollution, at its helm, the ISTEB will have able guidance in hosting and directing critical conversations on the effects of pollution and trace elements on our environment.

The World Congress also announced that the 2025 ICOBTE-ICHMET will be held in Seoul.

As a world-renowned scholar in the field of sustainability and environmental studies, Prof. Yong Sik Ok is expected to further enhance the research capabilities and position of Korean scholars through this important role. Meanwhile, the International ESG Association (IESGA) and APRU Sustainable Waste Management Program will host the 6th International Conference on ESG Management and Sustainability at Korea University in November, where IUCN Director General and ISTEB President Prof. Jrg Rinklebe will participate in an in-depth discussion of various practical implications related to the environment and sustainability.

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

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Biochemistry

Partnership between UCR and City of Hope aims to increase … – UC Riverside

October 27, 2023 medical

A multiyear cancer-research project, stemming from a newly established partnership between the University of California, Riverside, and the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center (CoH-CCC), has received funding from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the National Institutes of Health to develop collaborations, resources, and training programs aimed at reducing disparities in cancer research and drug development throughout the drug development pipeline.

Exceeding $13.7 million, the five-year grant, which will be split almost equally between UCR and CoH-CCC, was awarded by the Partnerships to Advance Cancer Health Equity, or PACHE, a program of the NCI. PACHE provides awards to develop partnerships between institutions serving underserved health disparity populations and underrepresented students, such as UCR, and NCI-designated cancer centers, such as CoH-CCC. Each partnership develops and implements cancer research experiences and research education for scientists and students and disseminates cancer advances to underserved communities.

The generous NCI funding will help UCR and CoH-CCC become a focal point for mentoring and training a diverse force of cancer biologists and addressing the disparities in cancer therapeutics and drug development, said Ernest Martinez, a professor of biochemistry at UCR and the principal investigator of the grant apportioned to UCR. Martinez will partner with Dr. Victoria Seewaldt, the principal investigator of the partnership at CoH-CCC.

Martinez added: The innovative cancer research projects that the funding will help develop will greatly increase the number of students and investigators from underrepresented populations engaged in cancer research.

Titled Drug Development and Capacity Building: a UCR/CoH-CCC Partnership, the grant will also develop and implement cancer-related activities that benefit the surrounding underserved communities. The grant will support mini-pilot projects, pilot projects, and full projects led by UCR researchers. These projects will be relevant to the goals of the grant and involve collaborations with CoH-CCC scientists.

The NCI funding will help establish a cancer education core at UCR that will be directed by Maurizio Pellecchia, a professor of biomedical sciences and the Daniel Hays Endowed Chair in Cancer Research in the School of Medicine, who will also serve as project leader on new therapeutics.

In the education core, we intend to establish a new Center for EDUCation in Oncology REsearch and Innovation, or EDUCORE, that will work as a forum to increase cancer awareness and provide training and education for UCR students and investigators in cancer research, said Pellecchia, who directs the Center for Molecular and Translational Medicine in the UCR School of Medicine. EDUCORE will be led by Pellecchia and Daniel Novak, a health sciences assistant clinical professor in the School of Medicines Department of Social, Population, and Public Health.

Other cores the NCI funding will establish at UCR are an outreach core, led by Dr. David Lo, a distinguished professor of biomedical sciences; and a planning and evaluation core, led by Kendrick Davis, a health sciences associate clinical professor in the medical schools Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience.

The NCI grant will make possible two full research projects in breast cancer and pancreatic cancer that will involve training, research, and education.

The first, led by Martinez and co-led by Maria Ninova, an assistant professor of biochemistry at UCR, will focus on luminal B breast cancers, or LBBC, approximately 20% of which are highly aggressive and resistant to current therapies. LBBC disproportionally affects women of African descent. The majority of LBBC have activation of an oncoprotein called MYC. Martinez and Ninova will collaborate with CoH-CCC breast cancer expert oncologists and biomarker/population scientists.

This project will identify and characterize novel cancer-selective genetic and epigenetic mechanisms and signaling pathways of the MYC oncoprotein, Martinez said. The long-term goal is to identify new druggable targets to improve survival of women with aggressive LBBC, including women of African ancestry. My lab recently identified a new signaling pathway for MYC that activates specific genes that make mammary cells malignant. We are now investigating whether this pathway occurs in breast cancer of women of different ancestries. If so, specific drugs or interventions can be designed to break the signaling in breast cancer.

The second project, led by Pellecchia and co-led by Gregor Blaha, an associate professor of biochemistry at UCR, will focus on the oncogene PIN1 that is overexpressed both in pancreatic cancer cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts. In pancreatic cancers, which disproportionally affect African American populations, PIN1 also confers resistance to chemotherapy and immunotherapy. When PIN1 is over-expressed, it induces the expression of other oncogenes, including MYC. It also inactivates several tumor suppressors. Studies have shown that PIN1 inhibition could downregulate key oncogenic pathways.

PIN1 inhibitors could increase sensitivity of pancreatic cancer to both chemotherapy and immunotherapy, Pellecchia said. My lab has developed initial PIN1 inhibitors, being patented at UCR, that present an innovative mechanism of action in that they cause the degradation of PIN1 in cancer cells very effectively.

Pellecchia and his research team will work with CoH-CCC scientists to translate these inhibitors into potential therapeutics. Their initial focus will be on pancreatic cancer, for which there are only limited treatments.

The average survival rate is less than five years for newly diagnosed pancreatic cancer patients, Pellecchia said. However, given the pivotal role of PIN1 in oncogenesis, our studies suggest that our inhibitors may also suppress progression of other tumors, including those in breast, lung, and prostate cancers.

A third project is a pilot project led byDeborah Lefkowitz, an assistant professional researcher in the UCR School of Public Policy, and co-led by Lo of the School of Medicine. It will develop a clinical trial at UCR in collaboration with CoH-CCC to test the ability of metformin medication used in patients with type 2 diabetes to reverse insulin resistance to reduce inflammation in insulin-resistant breast cancer survivors. The trial will involve the participation of insulin-resistant Latina and African American/Black breast cancer survivors.

Martinez stressed that diversity in all projects will be included in cancer research and education as well as the clinical trials.

We want the researchers and the beneficiaries of the research to reflect the diversity of Southern California, he said. Our partnership with CoH-CCC is a game changer. Such stable partnerships are difficult to form. They give us at UCR access to doctors and oncologists who can provide us with all kinds of samples for analysis.

Pellecchia is excited the partnership with CoH-CCC can eventually take UCR discoveries all the way to the clinic.

The intent of the NCI is to have a marriage between an advanced NCI-designated cancer center, such as CoH-CCC, and a minority-serving institution, such as UCR, he said. CoH-CCC has state-of-the-art resources to move our pre-clinical advanced discoveries all the way to clinical trials. Our ultimate hope is that when the trials take place, patients from Inland Southern California in need of such treatments will take part.

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Biochemistry

Biochemist selected as Innovation Fund investigator by Pew … – Pennsylvania State University

October 27, 2023 medical

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. Katsuhiko Murakami, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Penn State, has been selected as a member of the 2023 class of Innovation Fund investigators by the Pew Charitable Trusts, a national philanthropy organization based in Philadelphia. The 12 members of the new class all alumni or advisors of Pews biomedical programs will partner on interdisciplinary research projects exploring key questions in human biology and disease.

An interdisciplinary approach to research is critical to uncovering scientific breakthroughs and making lasting change, said Donna Frisby-Greenwood, senior vice president for Philadelphia and scientific advancement at The Pew Charitable Trusts. Pew is thrilled to support this exceptional group of investigators, whose collective efforts will help move the needle in important areas of health and medicine.

Murakami, who was named a Pew biomedical scholar in 2005, will partner with Gene-Wei Li, associate professor of biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who was named a Pew biomedical scholar in 2017. They will study a critical step in the regulation of gene expression in cyanobacteria. Cyanobacteria inhabit a wide range of environments and are responsible for a majority of Earths carbon fixation, drawing out carbon from inorganic molecules for photosynthesis and producing oxygen as a byproduct. These bacteria played an important role in the evolution the Earths atmosphere and ecosystem by introducing oxygen during a period called the Great Oxidation Event. Cyanobacteria can also produce cyanotoxins, which can cause illness in humans and livestock when present in drinking water.

Murakami and Li will specifically study the process of transcription termination, a key step in cyanobacteria gene regulation that tells the cell when to stop converting genetic information from DNA to RNA the molecular instructions for producing proteins. While the mechanisms behind transcription termination are well known in some model bacteria, the details of this process in cyanobacteria are still largely unknown. The pair will draw on Murakamis expertise in structural biology and Lis knowledge of transcription regulation to better understand this process. Their work could yield new scientific approaches used to study cyanobacteria, photosynthesis-promoting plant cells and other bacterial groups.

More broadly, Murakamis research is centered on understanding the mechanism of gene expression the fundamental process of how the genetic code is used in cells which is critical to development and to understanding diseases in all organisms. He is particularly interested in how information stored in genomic DNA is transcribed into RNA by the enzyme RNA polymerase, the first step and the key control point in gene expression and one of the most fundamental processes required for life. His laboratory applies X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy techniques to reveal three-dimensional structures of bacterial, archaeal and bacteriophage RNA polymerases for elucidating the mechanisms of RNA transcription and its regulation as well as investigating the mechanism of antibiotic action targeting bacterial RNA polymerase.

Murakami was named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2020. He is a member of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the American Crystallographic Association, the Biophysical Society and the American Society for Microbiology. Murakami is a faculty director of Cryo-Electron Microscopy Facility and interim director of the Center for Structural Biology in the Penn State Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences.

Prior to joining the faculty at Penn State, Murakami was a postdoctoral research fellow and research associate at The Rockefeller University from 1998 to 2003. He also was a postdoctoral researcher at the National Institute of Genetics in Japan from 1997 to 1998. He earned a bachelors degree in chemistry in 1992 and a masters degree in chemistry in 1994 at the Yamaguchi University in Japan. He earned a doctoral degree in genetics at The Graduate University for Advanced Studies in Japan in 1997.

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Biochemist selected as Innovation Fund investigator by Pew ... - Pennsylvania State University

Biochemistry

The seeds have been planted: The beautification of Ernst Nature … – Miami Student

October 27, 2023 medical

Walking along Western College Drive toward Peabody Hall, a small path cuts across the lawn before reaching a small hollow of land up against Western Woods, the site of Miamis Ernst Nature Theatre. The aroma of freshly turned dirt, fallen leaves and Dominos pizza fills the air as students prepare to begin planting 2,000 individual plants.

A large delivery truck rumbles around the corner and pulls onto the lawn across the street. The hatch is opened to reveal trays upon trays of juvenile flowers, and the students who have arrived begin carrying them into the planting plot.

The first step toward revitalizing the Ernst Nature Theatre is underway.

With a recent and large donation from the Western College Alumnae Association to improve infrastructure at the nature theater, beautification of the site has become a priority. After applying for and receiving a grant from the National Wildlife Federations Garden for Wildlife program to use their plants at the site, Miamis director of sustainability Olivia Herron got to work organizing the volunteering that would be needed to plant so many specimens.

I am pleasantly surprised by the turnout, Herron said as she gazed over the dozen or so students getting to work on the plot. I just have not organized this kind of volunteer event here before so I'm just really excited.

The volunteering took place over two days, Tuesday, Oct. 24, and Wednesday, Oct. 25, with students from many different clubs, majors and years descending onto Western Campus to help with the project.

The plot sits right next to the road snaking behind Peabody, overlooking the bleacher seating of the theater. While the infrastructure updates for Ernst intend to make the theater more accessible, the native pollinator plants serve to attract visitors for their aesthetics, among other reasons.

The other thing, too, that Id like to enhance is to put some little side markers that describe what kind of natives we've used, said Daniel Acrocco, the project manager for this revitalization. So people can come over here and basically start to think of it as a learning lab, in addition to a theater.

Among the students volunteering on this project was Sean Bryson, a junior double majoring in biology and biochemistry, who viewed the plants as an upgrade to the ecosystem as well as an upgrade to the visuals of the theater.

Once insects die off, then the birds go and then it's just an entire cascade, Bryson said. So having the native [plantlife] that we're putting in will allow native species to remain, and maintain the ecosystem in its entirety.

With 12 different flowering species planted in the approximately 40-by-40-foot plot, the beautification provided by the plants and the cleanup of the previously unkempt space is sure to be viewed favorably by those who did not appreciate the theater before.

I knew it was here because I lived on Western Campus my freshman year, but I've never really done anything, I've just walked by it, said Elaina Winslow, a junior biochemistry major and food systems and studies co-major. I think it's a good idea that [Acroccos] doing this because I think it's a space that could be used for a lot of things, but I don't think it's utilized.

Surrounding the plot is a 4-foot-tall wire fence to keep wildlife out of the plot while plants take root. Due to the planting occurring later in the year, Herron does not anticipate much flowering to happen before the winter.

The fence will stay up throughout the winter and early spring as the plants go dormant and then begin to flower in the spring, when it will be removed. The timing will coincide closely with the official opening of the revitalized theater and the disbanding of the Western College Alumnae Association in June 2024.

After the event, the Ernst Nature Theatre will be available to reserve for events and as a conference place, while the native pollinator garden will be available for all to appreciate and enjoy. The other flowers included in the grant will be planted at the DeWitt Cabin bird blind, the Miami Apiculture Society beehives and other locations on Western Campus.

While only being part of a larger project, the native pollinator garden has much to offer by itself.

Having native flowers visible allows you to educate yourself and others, just about what nature should look like and how we're working to get it that way, Bryson said. ... I have a dog and I love to walk around. So it'd be really cool to just casually walk by and look at the flowers like yeah, I planted those.

nortonsm@miamioh.edu

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The seeds have been planted: The beautification of Ernst Nature ... - Miami Student

Biochemistry

UTHealth Houston researchers awarded $3.4M NIH grant to study … – EurekAlert

October 27, 2023 medical

image:

Holger Eltzschig, MD, PhD; and Xiaoyi Yuan, PhD, are leading a study to further understand how the human body responds to lung injury on a molecular level. (Photo by Dwight Andrews/UTHealth Houston)

Credit: Dwight Andrews/UTHealth Houston

A four-year, $3.4 million grant to investigate molecular mechanisms and therapeutic treatments for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) has been awarded toUTHealth Houstonresearchers by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health.

The study led by principal investigatorsHolger Eltzschig, MD, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, and Xiaoyi Yuan, PhD, assistant professor in the department, is built on many years of research in the endogenous protective pathways in ARDS.

We are further understanding how the human body responds to different insults in the lung to identify molecular mechanisms that could be targeted pharmacologically, Yuan said. Our ultimate goal is to translate our research from bench to bedside to improve clinical outcomes of ARDS.

ARDS is a severe lung condition that develops from direct insult in the lung, such as ventilation-induced lung injury or COVID-19 infection, and systemic inflammation, such as sepsis. Fluid builds up in tiny elastic air sacs called alveoli and during severe conditions, it deprives the lungs and major organs of oxygen. This causes the body to go into hypoxia, a life-threatening state of low oxygen. Currently, there are limited pharmacological strategies for ARDS.

Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) are stabilized in alveoli cells to provide lung protection during ARDS. Prolyl hydroxylases (PHDs) are enzymes that control the protein levels of HIFs when oxygen is abundant. In a hypoxic state, less active PHDs allow HIFs to accumulate, promoting angiogenesis, alleviating inflammation, and supporting oxygen delivery to lung tissue.

It is important to design preclinical studies to facilitate clinical translation, Yuan said.

Many previous studies in murine models of ARDS employ therapeutic strategies before the onset of ARDS. Their conclusion is unfortunately rarely translated into the clinic. With concepts adopted from ongoing clinical studies, the investigators will use HIF-PHD inhibitor compounds and other therapeutic strategies to target molecular pathways after the onset of ARDS in preclinical murine models.

Our model systems are highly translational and relevant to human ARDS caused by ventilator usage, sepsis, and SARS-CoV-2. We are very optimistic that using HIF-PHD inhibitor compounds will evolve as a new approach to either prevent or treat lung inflammation among a wide range of patients, said Eltzschig, the John P. and Kathrine G. McGovern Distinguished University Chair and the director of the Center for Perioperative Medicine at the medical school.

COVID-19-associated cases of ARDS have become rare because the recent various strains of COVID-19 are not causing severe outcomes. The teams next step is to conduct separate independent studies analyzing the use of pharmaceutical HIF-PHD inhibitors to treat ARDS that occur from infection caused by other viral and bacterial diseases.

UTHealth Houston co-investigators on the study are Marie-Franoise Doursout, PhD, professor in the Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine; Charles Green, PhD, professor in the Department of Pediatrics; and Harry Karmouty-Quintana, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Fellow of the William S. Kilroy Sr. Distinguished University Chair in Pulmonary Disease, with McGovern Medical School. This research is funded by NIH grant R01HL169519.

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