News

Kansas City supports biobank proposal

Source: National Human Genome Research Institute.

Kansas City, MO, Mar. 8—At a town hall meeting here, citizens voiced support for a federal biobanks project proposed by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI). The proposed federal research resource, containing genetic and medical information on more than half a million people, would aid the study of the influence of genes, lifestyle, and environment on common diseases.

According to the Kansas City Star, an "overwhelming majority" of the participants voted in favor of the proposed project, though with some reservations. The criticisms included the security of personal information, concerns that health insurance companies would use genetic information to deny claims, and worries that the pharmaceutical industry might unfairly profit from the data.

NHGRI has scheduled a series of such public town hall meetings to gauge public support for the project, before asking Congress for funding.  Future events are scheduled for April 5 in Phoenix, AZ; April 19 in Jackson, MS; April 24 in Portland, OR; and May 13 in Philadelphia, PA. Members of the public can register to attend by calling Erin Wiley at (202) 374-0840 or online... More

NIH outlines steps to address safety concerns about Boston lab

Bethesda, MD, Mar. 6—The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced a plan to address public safety concerns regarding a national biocontainment laboratory under construction at Boston University Medical Center.

The construction is partially funded by the NIH, and the laboratory's research will focus on developing treatments, diagnostics, and vaccines for an array of infectious diseases.

According to NIH News, the NIH has organized a Coordinating Committee to guide the agency in addressing safety concerns raised by community representatives, members of the public, and the National Research Council.

"Our number-one concern is the safety of the people working in the laboratory and those living in the surrounding communities," said NIH director Elias A. Zerhouni. "All of the analyses conducted to date indicate that the risks posed by this lab are extremely low. We recognize that the community has remaining concerns, however, and we will address those concerns rigorously, objectively, and comprehensively."

The NIH also has created a Blue Ribbon Panel that includes experts in public health, epidemiology, risk assessment, environmental justice, biodefense, biosafety, and infectious diseases. The panel will advise the agency in determining the extent of any additional environmental risk assessment that the NIH will conduct, and provide independent scientific advice on the conduct of the study and its conclusions... More

α-Synuclein aggregates at presynaptic terminals

Insolubility of α-synuclein aggregates from dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). Source: BioTechniques.

Göettingen, Germany, Mar. 1—Parkinson's disease (PD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and multiple systemic atrophy (MSA) are characterized by aggregated α-synuclein deposits in the brain. These deposits are linked to almost complete loss of dendritic spines, suggesting that synaptic dysfunction in DLB and possibly PD may be caused by presynaptic accumulation of α-synuclein. This idea could not be easily tested due to difficulties of working with insoluble α-synuclein aggregates.

In this month's issue of BioTechniques, Michael Kramer and colleagues at the University of Göettingen describe how they developed a protein aggregate filtration (PAF) assay to test this hypothesis. Their method takes advantage of the insolubility of α-synuclein in detergents by dissolving pelleted homogenates in SLS and then passing the solution through a membrane. Oligomers will pass through into the supernatant leaving the membrane to be developed like an immunoblot. The PAF assay requires simpler sample preparation than a Western blot, allows the direct comparison of α-synuclein aggregate amounts, and shows specificity for the detection of α-synuclein aggregates in human and mouse homogenates and cell cultures. Using this assay and subcellular fractionation of brain homogenates, the authors verified that α-synuclein aggregates exist at presynaptic terminals in DLB... More

Researchers identify genes that may regulate human aging

Seattle, WA, Mar. 13—Researchers led by Matt Kaeberlein and Brian Kennedy of the University of Washington conducted a genome-wide analysis of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans to identify genes that may regulate aging in humans. 

The researchers compiled a set of 276 C. elegans genes that were known to modulate aging and scanned the yeast genome for genes with highly similar sequences. The highly similar yeast genes were then individually analyzed for a potential role in longevity by measuring the lifespan of yeast cells lacking each gene. 

In addition to identifying related pairs of aging-associated genes in yeast and nematodes, the group also investigated whether these genes are involved in common functional pathways. Signaling pathways involved in the response to nutrients have previously been implicated in the regulation of aging. 

The genes identified in this study now provide a foundation for extending this research to a higher model organism, and ultimately for understanding human aging. 

The paper was published online in Genome Research... More

Cancer markers identified in saliva

Minneapolis, MN, Mar. 10—Saliva contains many markers of oral disease, but until now, only soluble proteins have been regularly studied. Much of the diagnostic potential is lost when cells in saliva, which are mostly exfoliated epithelial cells, are excluded from analysis.

Hogwei Xie and colleagues at the University of Minnesota developed a novel proteomics-based method to characterize cells contained in whole saliva from patients diagnosed with oral squamous cell carcinoma. Their three-step method included preparative isoelectric focusing using free-flow electrophoresis, strong cation-exchange step-gradient chromatography, and microcapillary reverse-phase liquid chromatography. This technique successfully separated proteins from cellular fractions of saliva and aided in their identification by mass spectrometry.

From four oral cancer patient samples, the researchers identified more than 1000 proteins, many of which play known roles in cancer signaling and tumorigenesis. Proteins from more than 30 different bacteria were also identified. Many of these bacteria had not previously been identified in saliva, and a few are implicated in cancer development. Results of this study, published in Molecular and Cellular Proteomics, confirm the potential for analyzing the cells in saliva to detect oral cancer and possibly other oral diseases... More

Surveys & Polls

2008 Protocol Guide reader survey

In November, BioTechniques published its 2008 Protocol Guide, a collection of vendor-supplied laboratory protocols with supplementary information at www.BioTechniques.com. As we begin to prepare for next year's edition, we'd like your feedback on the 2008 edition of the BioTechniques Protocol Guide. Take our 2008 Protocol Guide Reader Survey now!

Freezers, incubators, and autoclaves poll

Participate in this week's equipment poll, and help manufacturers of freezers, incubators, and autoclaves serve your needs better. Freezers, Incubators, Autoclaves Poll.

Grant Watch

Howard Hughes Medical Institute announces $300M early career researcher competition

Chevy Chase, MD, Mar. 10—The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) announced a program to support early career researchers who have run their own labs for two to six years and are establishing independent research programs.

Through a national competition, HHMI plans to select as many as 70 early career scientists from a range of scientific disciplines relevant to biological and medical inquiry. These scientists will receive six-year, non-renewable appointments to HHMI and receive the substantial support needed to move their research forward. HHMI will invest more than $300 million in this first group and is planning a second competition for 2011.

According to a prepared statement, the HHMI's competition focuses on researchers who have led independent laboratories for only two to six years because early career stage faculty attempting to win their first research project grants have been the most affected by constrained government funding.

Scientists who wish to be considered must indicate their intention by April 30, 2008. The deadline for completed applications is June 10, 2008. Distinguished biomedical researchers will evaluate the candidates' applications, and final selections are expected to be made by February 2009... More

Gates Foundation awards $20.5M to "HIV controllers" study

New York, NY, Mar. 4—The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded $20.5 million to the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and partner institutions to study the genomes and immune systems of people whose bodies naturally control HIV without drugs.

According to the announcement, the five-year grant will expand an international effort to study the genes of these so-called "HIV controllers" who are HIV-positive but have remained healthy for as long as 25 years without medication.

The Gates Foundation award will support the expansion of the HIV Controllers Study, which MGH launched in 2006 with a $2.5 million grant from the Mark and Lisa Schwartz Foundation. The program has already recruited almost 1000 controllers and plans to expand the study group to 2000 participants—1000 elite controllers and 1000 viremic controllers.

Researchers plan to sequence 650,000 SNP sites in the genome of each participant and will compare the genotypes of the HIV controllers against those of 3000 people who are suffering from progressive HIV infection to identify genetic factors that may be associated with viremic control... More

NIH notices and requests for applications

• Registration Open for the Tenth Annual NIH SBIR/STTR Conference (July 22-23, 2008)
• Administrative Supplements for Gene Identification Efforts: Replication and Fine-Mapping Studies for The Genes, Environment, and Health Initiative (GEI)
• Notice of Public Meeting: Seeking Comments on Implementation of the NIH Public Access Policy
• Genomic Parsing of Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia: Studies of Large Cohorts in the U.S. and Across the Globe (R01)

Video of the Week

Open science and scientific publishing

Hal Abelson. Source: Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Cambridge, MA, Mar. 12—Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has just posted the video of a forum entitled "Open Science and Scientific Publishing" that MIT hosted in November 2007. The invited speakers describe how traditional modes of publication have constricted public sharing of ideas on which scientific progress is based. They then propose some new approaches that are more appropriate for a web-based world. The speakers include Hal Abelson, professor of Computer Science and Engineering at MIT School of Engineering, John Wilbanks, vice president of Science Commons, and Anna Gold, Associate Dean for Public Services at the Robert E. Kennedy Library at California Polytechnic State University.

Recognitions

Molecular biologists among five winners of the UNESCO Awards for Women in Science

V. Narry Kim, Elizabeth Blackburn, Ada Yonath, Lihadh Al-Gazali, and Ana Belén Elgoyhen. Source: L'ORÉAL.

Paris, France, Mar. 6—This year's L'ORÉAL-UNESCO Awards for Women in Science were presented to five distinguished women life scientists, including Prof. Elizabeth Blackburn, University of California San Francisco, CA, USA (representing North America) and Prof. V. Narry Kim, Seoul National University, Republic of Korea (representing Asia-Pacific).

Blackburn's career-long study of telomerase and telomeres has earned her the award "for the discovery of the nature and maintenance of chromosome ends and their roles in cancer and aging." Her research may lead to new cancer therapies that would block production of the telomerase enzyme and hinder the cells' ability to replicate. Conversely, reactivating enzymes to prolong cell life may aid in the treatment of age-related and neurodegenerative disorders.

Kim was recognized "for elucidating the formation of a new class of RNA molecules involved in gene regulation." With the help of colleagues, she made the fundamental discovery that microRNAs are generated by a "stepwise processing" method. She has also shown that microRNA genes are transcribed by RNA polymerase II, a key enzyme in genetic processes.

The other 2008 laureates are Prof. Ada Yonath, Weizmann Institute for Science, Rehovot, Israel (for Europe); Prof. Lihadh Al-Gazali, the United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates (for the continent of Africa and the Arab States); and Prof. Ana Belen Elgoyhen, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina (for Latin America).

Created in 1998, the L'ORÉAL-UNESCO Awards for Women in Science honor five researchers each year who have made outstanding contributions to scientific advancement. The laureates are chosen by an international jury made up of 18 members of the scientific community. Each winner receives $100,000... More

New Products

Laser scanning microscope

Thornwood, NY, Mar. 12—Carl Zeiss introduces the LSM 710 NLO laser scanning microscope. According to the company, the microscope will provide biomedical research with improved femtosecond multiphoton technology. The microscope provides the acquisition of high-resolution images of fluorescent structures in living animals and thick tissue specimens, long-time observation of development processes, and functional imaging in combination with the photo manipulation of fluorescent structures. The high signal-to-noise ratio ensures imaging of cellular and sub-cellular details even in deep-lying tissue layers. Up to five fluorescence signals can be recorded simultaneously in the non-descanned mode.

Carl Zeiss MicroImaging, Inc. | www.zeiss.com/micro

Multiplexing kit

Billerica, MA, Mar. 7—Millipore Corporation launched its multi-analyte profiling portfolio. The company's Beadlyte and LINCOplex willl be combined in a single multiplexing kit. According to the company, standard curve ranges are fixed for the analytes in a panel. Consequently, template setup for one analyte can be used with other analytes in the same panel and across different lots, simplifying data analysis. The multiplexing kit provides all the reagents needed, including serum matrix, in an all-one-box format. Customers can select a custom kit or a pre-mixed kit.

Millipore | www.millipore.com

DNA polymerase

Espoo, Finland, Feb. 28—Finnzymes' Phire Hot Start DNA Polymerase is a PCR enzyme designed to shorten extension times, improve yields, and increase fidelity. The company's technology allows complete reactivation of polymerase in "zero-time" at standard cycling temperatures. According to the company, the polymerase is ideal for routine and high-throughput PCR applications.

Finnzymes | www.finnzymes.fi

Supplier News

Microarray platform comparison

Santa Clara, CA, Mar. 5—Agilent announced that the first objective comparison of its kind of tiling microarray platforms using engineered DNA targets demonstrated the high performance and cost effectiveness of Agilent microarrays. The study, organized by members of the ENCODE consortium at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Stanford University, appears in the journal Genome Research this week. "Systematic Evaluation of Variability in ChIP-chip Experiments Using Predefined DNA Targets" evaluated DNA microarrays from Agilent, Affymetrix, and Nimblegen, which were used in seven independent laboratories.

Agilent Technologies Inc. | www.agilent.com

GE Healthcare expands service program

Piscataway, NJ , Mar. 3—GE Healthcare has announced the expansion of its Scientific Asset Service program to incorporate options for instrument financing, facility relocation, and the company's performance solutions. These additional services have been included in response to an increasing trend toward outsourcing in the biotech and pharma industries, and will provide support for customers through the entire lifecycle of their assets. The financing solutions offered will allow customers to lease single instruments or to finance entire laboratories, providing a custom and cost-effective route to improved facilities. Customers can also obtain loans to purchase equipment or free up capital by entering into sale and leaseback arrangements.

GE Healthcare | www.gehealthcare.com

Invitrogen and Tecan collaborate

Carlsbad, CA, Mar. 4—Invitrogen and Tecan are entering into a collaboration agreement to validate the compatibility of Invitrogen's reagents with Tecan's microplate detection instruments. Invitrogen's drug discovery products will be validated on selected Tecan microplate readers and instruments, starting with the Infinite series readers. Initial certifications will focus on Invitrogen's assay systems for key target classes, such as LanthaScreen TR-FRET for protein kinases, GeneBLAzer reporter-gene technology for G protein-coupled receptors, and Adapta, a new TR-FRET assay system for lipid kinases. This collaboration will allow Tecan and Invitrogen to develop and promote joint applications for the drug discovery market.

Invitrogen Corporation | www.invitrogen.com
Tecan | www.tecan.com

In This Issue...

Employment Opportunities

Director - Biomedical Genomics Research Center
University of Minnesota is looking for an established leader in providing genomics and genetic analysis services to oversee the development and expansion of the center, which currently has an operating annual budget of approximately $2 million.

Lecturer - Biology/Biochemistry/Cell Biology
Stony Brook University is looking for applicants to teach large and small lecture courses in the areas of biology, biochemistry, cell biology, and genetics.

Postdoctoral Associate - Metabolic Engineering
Brookhaven National Laboratories is looking for a Ph.D. with expertise in the metabolic engineering of novel fatty acid accumulation in plant seeds field for research involving the biochemical/genetic analysis of Arabidopsis seed lipids.

Postdoctoral Associate - Molecular Biology/Cell Biology/Developmental Biology
Stony Brook West Campus/HSC is looking for a Ph.D. with expertise in molecular, cell, or developmental biology for research in the regulation of Xenopus and vertebrate development by growth factor and ubiquitin pathways.

Postdoctoral Associate - Biochemistry/Microbiology/Genetics
Stony Brook West Campus/HSC is looking for a Ph.D. with a background in molecular biological, genetic, and biochemical techniques for research in glycosyltransferases and hetero-oligomeric membrane protein complexes.

Postdoctoral Associate - Glycobiology
Stony Brook West Campus/HSC is looking for a Ph.D. with expertise in glycobiology for research in the role of O-fucosylation of proteins containing thrombospondin type 1 repeats.

For more opportunities, see BioTechniques' online job listings .

Calendar

Keystone Symposia: NAi, MicroRNA, and Non-Coding RNA (C8)
Whistler, British Columbia, March 25–30.

Keystone Symposia: Metabolic Pathways of Longevity (G1)
Copper Mountain, CO, March 30–April 4.

IBC's 3rd International China 2008 Pharmaceutical R&D Summit
Grand Hyatt Hotel, Shanghai, China, March 31–April 2.

analytica 2008
Munich Trade Fairs, Germany, April 1–4.

Keystone Symposia: Molecular Basis for Chromatin Modifications and Epigenetic Phenomena (D3)
Snowmass, CO, April 7–12.

The First International Workshop on Label-free Biosensing
Enschede, The Netherlands, April 8–9.

IIR's Vaccine Development Forum
Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, NV, April 14–16.

Drug Discovery & Development of Innovative Therapeutics JAPAN
Keio Plaza Hotel, Tokyo, Japan, May 7-9.

HPLC 2008
Marriott Waterfront Hotel, Baltimore, MD, May 10–16.

IIR's 9th Annual Immunogenicity for Biotherapeutics
Hilton McLean Tysons Corner, McLean, VA, May 19–21.

Next Generation Vaccines
Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center National Harbor, MD, July 17-18.

Drug Discovery & Development of Innovative Therapeutics
World Trade Center Boston & Seaport Hotel, Boston, MA, August 4–7.

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