Studying alligators, chemistry and biology will be the focus of a three-week summer internship program for high school students July 16-Aug. 3 at McNeese State University.

"McNeese has one of the world's most knowledgeable and experienced Crocodilian biochemist on faculty and this is the second summer that Dr. Mark Merchant is working with high school students to investigate the immune system of American alligators," said Dr. Nikos Kiritsis, dean of the McNeese college of engineering and engineering technology.

Students, accompanied by faculty members, will explore the marshes to capture blood samples from alligators and learn about the unique immune system of these reptiles.

"Dr. Merchant grew up hunting and fishing in the swamps of Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana," Kiritsis said. Merchant holds a doctorate in biochemistry and biophysics from Texas A&M University and teaches biochemistry.

His current research is focused on the immune system of alligators and other crocodilians. He has traveled to many countries including Australia, Gabon, Brazil, Panama, Costa Rica, Columbia, Mexico and Belize to study the different species of wild crocodilians. He has been featured on four National Geographic and two Discovery Channel documentaries, as well as other international appearances on Korean, Japanese and Russian television. His collaboration with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department biologists was featured in the January-February issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine.

Cost for the internship program is $1,500 and includes all transportation, lab supplies, on-campus housing and meals. Day trips are scheduled to the NASA Space Center in Houston, Creole Nature Trail, Avery Island and a canoe trip on the Ouiska Chitto.

For more information, contact Kiritsis at nikosk@mcneese.edu or at 337-475-5875.

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McNeese offers summer biochemistry internship program on alligators

John Joseph Scocca, a retired Johns Hopkins biochemistry professor recalled for his keen critical eye, died of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease May 10 at Gilchrist Hospice Care in Towson. He was 72 and lived in Aberdeen.

Born in South Philadelphia, he came to Baltimore in 1958 as a Johns Hopkins University undergraduate and went on to spend his entire career at the school. He earned a bachelor's degree in three years and received a doctorate in biochemistry. He then became a professor at what is now the Bloomberg School of Hygiene and Public Health, where he retired four years ago.

Family members said that in his third year of graduate school, he taught laboratory technique to a group of students that included his future wife, Jane Ruble.

They moved to a home on Monterey Road in Ednor Gardens north of the old Memorial Stadium. He, his wife and children were Orioles fans and enjoyed attending games. In 1977, the family moved to Aberdeen.

Colleagues said that as a professor at the School of Public Health, he taught biochemistry to graduate students from outside the biochemistry department. He called his course "baby biochemistry," but friends said he was a thorough and demanding scientist-teacher. He also valued concise speaking and brevity.

"Perhaps John's most significant contributions involved his 30-year tenure as chief organizer of the laboratory rotations for first-year doctoral students," said a Hopkins colleague, Roger McMacken, who lives near Lake Roland. "John operated a dreaded alarm clock that so loudly, rudely and famously halted student rotation talks precisely 10 minutes after the start of any still-continuing research presentation."

Mr. McMacken said this was an "immensely effective training strategy." By the time the students returned for more oral presentations, they "were virtually all completed before the sound of the jarring alarm clock."

He recalled his favorite "Scocca moment," which involved the annual opening day meeting of the department faculty with an incoming class of doctoral students.

"John, because of his wit, keen sense of humor, candor, and unparalleled scientific integrity, routinely had the honor of describing the department's academic program for first-year students," said Mr. McMacken. "What followed was an impassioned exhortation about the do's and don'ts of laboratory research and academic life. No one, including John, knew precisely what he was going to say. But you could certainly count on 45 minutes of a hilarious, off-the-cuff soliloquy that perpetually was a highlight of academic life for us."

Family members said that his personal research work involved the study of the bacterium Haemophilus influenzae and its interactions.

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John Joseph Scocca, Hopkins biochemistry professor

NEW YORK, May 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue:

Global Laboratory Chemical Reagents Industry

http://www.reportlinker.com/p087339/Global-Laboratory-Chemical-Reagents-Industry.html#utm_source=prnewswire&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=Genomics

This report analyzes the worldwide markets for Laboratory Chemical Reagents in US$ Million by the following Product Segments: Molecular Biology (Monoclonal & Polyclonal Antibodies, Gene Expression, Vectors, Cloning, & Sequencing, Gene Synthesis, Extraction Kits, PCR Reagents, Enzymes, & Others), Biochemistry (IVD), Cytokine & Chemokine Testing, Cell/Tissue Culture, Carbohydrate Analysis, Immunohistochemistry, and Environmental Testing (Pesticide Residues, & Others). The report provides separate comprehensive analytics for the US, Canada, Japan, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Rest of World. Annual estimates and forecasts are provided for the period 2009 through 2017. Also, a six-year historic analysis is provided for these markets. The report profiles 226 companies including many key and niche players such as BD Biosciences, Beckman Coulter, Inc., Biomerieux, EMD Chemicals Inc., GE Healthcare, Life Technologies Corporation, Meridian Life Science, Inc., PerkinElmer, Inc., SAFC Biosciences, Inc., Shimadzu Biotech, Sigma-Aldrich Corp., Takara Bio, Inc., Wako Pure Chemical Industries Ltd., and Waters Corp. Major Monoclonal and Polyclonal Antibodies suppliers also profiled in the report include Strategic Diagnostics Inc., Gallus Immunotech, Inc., and Lonza Biologics Ltd., key Nucleic Acid Extraction Kits supplier, Quiagen, is also profiled in the report. The two major Biochemistry Reagents and Related Chemical Suppliers highlighted in the report are A.G. Scientific, Inc., and Promega Corporation. R&D Systems, the major Cytokine and Chemokine Reagent and Kits supplier, is also profiled in the report. Market data and analytics are derived from primary and secondary research. Company profiles are primarily based upon search engine sources in the public domain.

I. INTRODUCTION, METHODOLOGY & PRODUCT DEFINITIONS

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Global Laboratory Chemical Reagents Industry

Mark Johnston, a professor and chair of the department of biochemistry and molecular genetics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

William R. Ward, an institute scientist in the planetary science directorate at Southwest Research Institute, has been named a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Ted Warner, president and owner of Connecting Point Greeley, was inducted into the IT Hall of Fame at the CompTIA annual meeting for outstanding contributions/service to the information technology channel.

Bureau of Land Management announced the appointment of Deborah Rawhouser as the associate state director for the agency's Arizona State Office. Rawhouser is currently based in Lakewood.

Eric Nesbitt of The Nesbitt Group at Keller Williams Park Meadows was recently appointed by Denver Mayor Michael Hancock to serve on the board of directors of the Denver Housing Authority.

Shawna Topor was named vice president of marketing for Beaver Creek-based East West Partners.

Colorado Housing and Finance Authority appointed James Hahn of JMH Consulting LLC as its board chair for the 2012-2013 term.

Charisse McAuliffe has been named managing director for the Institute for Entrepreneurship in the College of Business at Colorado State University.

Catalyst Lending Inc. named Kevin Yamane president.

Mercedes-Benz of Littleton hired Darren Hollingsworth to lead the dealership's service department.

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People on the move, 5/1

Zachary Hostetler of Garnet Valley, Pennsylvania, is one of two students who will be honored as the student marshals for the Eberly College of Science during Penn State's spring commencement ceremonies on 5 May, 2012 at the University Park campus. Hostetler's faculty escort will be Song Tan, a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Hostetler, who will graduate from Penn State with a 4.0 grade-point average and a bachelor's degree in biochemistry and molecular biology, also is enrolled in the Schreyer Honors College and he has been on the Dean's List every semester while at Penn State. Hostetler's awards and scholarships include a Schreyer Academic Excellence Scholarship, two Eberly College of Science academic scholarships--the Tershak Scholarship and the Vinezie Scholarship, a President's Freshman Award, a President Sparks Award, two Evan Pugh Scholar Awards, a University Undergraduate Research Funds award, and a Summer Discovery Grant.

During his years at Penn State, Hostetler has focused on laboratory research involving X-ray crystallography -- a method used to model the atomic structure of proteins. In particular, he and his faculty escort Song Tan, a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, have been working on a research project dealing with improving protein crystallization, which is often one of the most difficult steps in X-ray crystallography. While certain proteins naturally form large, ordered crystals, some proteins resist crystallization attempts. Hostetler's approach involves fusing a "protein of interest" with a protein that is known to crystallize well so that this fusion protein will form crystals.

In addition to his scientific pursuits, Hostetler has served on the executive board of the Schreyer Honors College Student Council for several years. He also has represented the Schreyer Honors College Student Council and a Four Diamonds Family by dancing in Penn State's IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon -- an independent student-organized event that raises money to fight pediatric cancer.

In addition, Hostetler has volunteered as a Donor and Alumni Relations (DAR) captain for THON. As a DAR captain, his responsibilities included approaching companies for monetary donations, acting as a liaison to Penn State clubs and organizations to help them with fund-raising efforts, and establishing a system to track and analyze donation patterns. Hostetler also has volunteered for ATLAS, which is an organization devoted to raising money for THON and the Four Diamonds Fund. The Four Diamonds Fund is a Penn State Hershey organization that provides support for patients and families facing pediatric cancer.

After graduation, Hostetler plans to attend a combined M.D./Ph.D. program at either the University of Pennsylvania or Weill-Cornell Medical College in New York City. "I hope that attending a combined medical and graduate-degree program will allow me to combine my interests in human medicine and scientific research," Hostetler said. "Ultimately, I envision myself in academic medicine: conducting research, treating patients, and eventually teaching and training new physicians."

Hostetler also said he is truly honored to represent his Eberly College of Science colleagues at graduation. "This past year truly challenged the Penn State community." Hostetler said. "However, I believe it also was an opportunity for a troubled community to come together. Candlelight vigils and a record-breaking THON weekend marked the best of what Penn State has to offer. These memories, the ones that challenged us as a school and a community, will forever be a part of my Penn State experience."

Hostetler, who attended Garnet Valley High School, will be accompanied at graduation by his parents Robert and Lisa Hostetler, his sisters Lauren and Jenna Hostetler, and his grandfather John Hostetler.

Hostetler, who will graduate from Penn State with a 4.0 grade-point average and a bachelor's degree in biochemistry and molecular biology, also is enrolled in the Schreyer Honors College and he has been on the Dean's List every semester while at Penn State. Hostetler's awards and scholarships include a Schreyer Academic Excellence Scholarship, two Eberly College of Science academic scholarships--the Tershak Scholarship and the Vinezie Scholarship, a President's Freshman Award, a President Sparks Award, two Evan Pugh Scholar Awards, a University Undergraduate Research Funds award, and a Summer Discovery Grant.

During his years at Penn State, Hostetler has focused on laboratory research involving X-ray crystallography -- a method used to model the atomic structure of proteins. In particular, he and his faculty escort Song Tan, a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, have been working on a research project dealing with improving protein crystallization, which is often one of the most difficult steps in X-ray crystallography. While certain proteins naturally form large, ordered crystals, some proteins resist crystallization attempts. Hostetler's approach involves fusing a "protein of interest" with a protein that is known to crystallize well so that this fusion protein will form crystals.

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Penn State student Zachary Hostetler from Garnet Valley is being honored as a student marshal

Public release date: 30-Apr-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Leanne Yohemas lmyohema@ucalgary.ca 403-220-7722 University of Calgary

Hans Vogel, a professor in the biological sciences department, is the guest editor of a special issue of the journal Biochemistry and Cell Biology that focuses on lactoferrin, an important iron-binding protein with many health benefits.

"Some people describe this protein as the 'Swiss army knife' of the human host defense system," says Vogel. "We now know that lactoferrin has many functions in innate immunity and that it plays a role in protecting us from bacterial, viral, fungal, and protozoal infections. It can even protect us from some forms of cancer."

Lactoferrinwhich is secreted into human milk, blood and other biofluidshas attracted a lot of interest from academics and industry. Furthermore, Vogel says it's likely the only protein that garners its own regular scientific conference. Researchers are starting to use lactoferrin as a potential therapeutic protein, one that can be taken orally instead of injected like other proteins.

"Lactoferrin is quite an unusual protein that has many effects on health," Vogel says. "It is also used as a general health-promoting substance, and in Japan it is added to infant formula."

The June issue of the journal includes 27 peer reviewed papers from leading international researchers on topics including the role of lactoferrin on small intestinal growth and development during early life, use of bovine lactoferrin to inhibit influenza and how the protein may prevent some preterm deliveries.

The protein may also have an important role in wound healing, says Vogel. "We've been working in this area for about 15 years and it's cool to see how the whole field slowly progresses, and you start to see more and more interesting applications. It is particularly exiting to see that clinical trials are now going on in the infectious disease area and in cancer."

Vogel says being a guest editor was a lot of work and a lot of fun. He also wrote an introductory article for the special issue that provides an overview of the current status of research into the protein. Read the open access article: http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/full/10.1139/o2012-016

###

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Protein heals wounds, boosts immunity and protects from cancer

Contrasting modern and historic architecture details are pictured in this view of the newly constructed Biochemical Sciences Building, at left, and the renovated Biochemistry Buildings brick exterior. Photo: Jeff Miller

The Biochemistry complex located next to Henry Mall looks a lot different than decades ago. But you wouldnt necessarily know that at first glance.

While the outside of the buildings looks similar to when they were first constructed, the interiors have been given state-of-the-art makeovers.

Theyve done a beautiful job in restoring the older parts and integrating the newer parts. I really think its remarkable, says Betty Craig, Biochemistry chair.

Planning started long ago on the $112 million project, and it had once been discussed that some of the old historical buildings would become history, torn down to make way for new structures.

A glass panel, at right, reflects a mirror view of a man descending a sunlight-filled staircase at the Biochemical Sciences Building. The graphic design featured on the exterior glass of the foyer, created by artist Norie Sato as part of Wisconsins Percent for Art program, incorporates a pattern abstracted from biochemical language that describes parts of DNA structure.

Photo: Jeff Miller

That didnt happen.

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Biochemistry complex blends old with new

The Castle High School biochemistry class received a grant from the Alcoa Foundation for a water testing community service project. Students used testing kits to test different community water samples and visited the testing laboratory and treatment plant to see how the process works.

We learned on the East Wastewater Treatment Plant site visit that prior to the Clean Water Act, the primary treatment process of effluent water was generally disinfected and sent to the river by municipalities and industries. Now, the minimum treatment required before discharge is secondary. This has resulted in significant improvement in the quality of the water in the Ohio River. The improvement created by secondary treatment has been extremely beneficial, both to the environment and community of the Evansville area.

We were especially intrigued by the utilization of biological treatments to break down the waste into a useful form. The advancement of technology and biological understanding that has influenced this highly efficient method of water treatment is truly remarkable. During the tour of the treatment plant we learned of many of the crucial chemical processes involved in water treatment and waste management; we now have a much greater understanding and appreciation of things that too often are taken for granted.

We would like to thank the Alcoa Foundation (who awarded us the grant for the project) and the Evansville Utility for providing this opportunity for educational enrichment. The practical, hands on learning of the water testing kits (used in a lab activity prior to visits) in combination with the thorough tours of the laboratory and treatment plant were very beneficial and greatly appreciated.

This Community Comment was submitted by Chris Bauer, Sammie Dillman, Jacob Tilmon, Austin Vaughn, Sarah Wagmeister and Lauren Wahle.

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COMMUNITY COMMENT: Castle biochemistry class says thanks for lab tour

GLASSBORO Though Nikita Iltchenko is a biochemistry major, on Friday he showed off a computer science-based design a flying robot for Rowan Universitys 15th Annual STEM Student Research Symposium.

As part of an independent study program with three other students math major Eva Guido, biology major Nick Persicketti and computer science major Tara Crittenden Iltchenko worked with computer science professor Jennifer Kay to learn about programming robots. Though the group started off working with rover robots, when they attended a conference in North Carolina and saw a professors flying robot, the students knew they had to make their own.

After a couple of weeks, we had convinced the computer science department to generously buy us this robot, said Iltchenko, 21, of Harrison Township. And then we began trying to get it to follow tags. Now, were trying to get it to follow two tags at the same time. If it can center itself between the two tags, it could go through a hula hoop or a tunnel. This robot can also recognize blobs or any items of a certain color, so our ultimate goal is to get it to recognize objects in the environment and react to them.

Guido, 22, of Cape May Courthouse, said shes happy with the progress the group has made so far.

When we first got the robot, we had to figure it all out from the most basic commands, she said. Right now were focused on getting it through that hula hoop, and then well take it a step further. As a math major, this is rewarding because I actually get to see it work.

Persicketti, 19, of West Deptford Township, said the project with the flying robot will be ongoing.

Every time we finish one task, well find something better that we want it to do, he said.

Kay said she thinks the robot is a really cool application of computer science and was excited to work with students from different backgrounds.

Once you have the right tools and bring in motivated people, its impressive what they can do in a semester, she said. Its a great project for a computer scientist or any smart scientist.

Across the room, biology major Samantha Musumeci explained the reproductive capabilities of the pea aphid.

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Rowan University STEM Student Research Symposium featured budding engineers, chemists, biologists and more

This is an illustration of the researchers' target protein crystal. Credit: Christopher MacDermaid, University of Pennsylvania

Protein design is technique that is increasingly valuable to a variety of fields, from biochemistry to therapeutics to materials engineering. University of Pennsylvania chemists have taken this kind of design a step further; using computational methods, they have created the first custom-designed protein crystal.

Picking an ambitious design target with challenging features, the researchers' success bodes well for the technique's use in better understanding proteins' makeup or using their self-assembling properties in making new materials with unique properties.

The research was conducted by professor Jeffrey G. Saven, postdoctoral fellow Christopher J. Lanci and graduate student Christopher M. MacDermaid, all of the Department of Chemistry in Penn's School of Arts and Sciences. Also contributing to the work were Seung-gu Kang and Xi Yang, formerly of the chemistry department, and Rudresh Acharya, Benjamin North, X. Jade Qiu and William F. DeGrado, formerly of Penn's Perelman School of Medicine's Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics.

The team's research was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Proteins are folded strings of molecular building blocks known as amino acids; their different functions are determined by their sequences of amino acids and the shapes they take when folded. As proteins are involved in most biological processes, determining sequences and structures is crucial to many scientific undertakings, such as understanding disease mechanisms or designing drugs to disrupt them.

To determine protein structures, scientists use crystals, which consist of many copies of a single protein lined up and stacked together. By irradiating the crystal with powerful X-rays, they can measure the way the light diffracts off the atoms and piece together the protein's overall three-dimensional shape and composition. Most proteins don't naturally crystalize, however, and making crystals of sufficient quality to do diffraction studies is a hit-or-miss process that can take years of painstaking work.

Protein crystals are also attractive as a nano-scale building material, as their properties, particularly their exterior surfaces, are highly customizable. However, bioengineers run into the same hurdles as crystallographers; making a protein crystal with a particular structure is a complex, hard-to-predict task.

"People have designed crystals out of smaller, much less complex molecules than proteins, but protein design is much more subtle," Saven said. "It's a complicated symphony of intermolecular interactions."

As accounting for these many interactions is one of the principal challenges behind designing a protein crystal, the researchers selected a complicated, honeycomb-shaped target to show their process could be widely applied.

Link:
Researchers create first custom designed protein crystal

Benjamin Madej, a chemistry and biochemistry PhD student at the University of California, San Diego, has won the 2012-2013 Nvidia Graduate Fellowship Program award for his molecular dynamics research using graphics processing unit-based computing.

Madej will receive a $25,000 scholarship to further his research. Additionally, he will have access to Nvidia products, technology, and expertise.

His proposal focused on improving the Amber molecular dynamics GPU engine and extending the use of GPUs in other facets of molecular dynamics development and workflows. He is currently working on new methods for developing force fields used in molecular dynamics software, specifically the Amber MD package.

Biovest, a majority-owned subsidiary of Accentia Biopharmaceuticals, has tapped Brian Athey to be a member of its scientific advisory board.

Athey is a professor of biomedical informatics and was recently named chair of the department of computational medicine and bioinformatics at the University of Michigan's medical school (BI 1/20/2012). Additionally, he serves on Appistry's scientific and technology advisory board (BI 2/10/2012).

Athey is also one of the founders of the tranSMART project community which supports open source pharmaceutical data-sharing and -analysis software platforms.

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People in the News: Benjamin Madej and Brian Athey

Judges at the Los Angeles County Science Fair named the top two winners of the competition on Saturday out of the more than a thousand students who had their experiments on display.

Kenneth Lee, a senior from Palos Verdes Peninsula High School, received the top sweepstakes prize for the senior-level division made up of high school students. He won for his project in the biochemistry and molecular biology category: "The Role of Testosterone in Hepatocyte Apoptosis in High Fat Diet-Induced Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease." His teacher on the project was Peter Starodub.

At the junior level for middle-schoolers, Raymond Gilmartin, an eight-grader at South Pasadena Middle School, took the sweepstakes prize. He had a project in the physics-aerodynamics and hydrodynamics category: "Spare the Environment, Spoiler the Car." His teacher on the project was Emily Hoffman.

Judges also awarded first-, second- and third-place medals, as well as honorable mention prizes, in a number of other categories, with animal physiology and biology, behavioral science, biochemistry and molecular biology, chemistry, engineering and mathematics and computer science, among them.

An exhibit hall at the Pasadena Convention Center was lined with rows of tri-fold poster boards featuring the projects, some of which will proceed to a statewide science fair and then on to the international level.

The science fair, in its 62nd year, had more students involved than in recent years, with 1,063 students taking part. The students came from public and private schools, as well as from those of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The number of girls participating has eclipsed the number of boys in recent years a trend that continued this year with 564 girls and 499 boys.

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L.A. County Science Fair names top student scientists

Public release date: 27-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Jan Zverina jzverina@sdsc.edu 858-534-5111 University of California - San Diego

A graduate student working in the Walker Molecular Dynamics laboratory at the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) at the University of California, San Diego is a recipient of the 2012-2013 NVIDIA Graduate Fellowship Program award for his innovative molecular dynamics research using GPU (graphics processing unit) computing.

Benjamin Madej, a chemistry and biochemistry Ph.D. student at UC San Diego, will receive a $25,000 scholarship to further his research. Madej received his Bachelor of Science in biomedical engineering from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, and is currently working on new methods for developing force fields used in molecular dynamics software, specifically the AMBER MD package.

Madej's research proposal focused on not only improving the AMBER Molecular Dynamics GPU engine, but extending the use of GPUs to multiple facets of molecular dynamics development and workflow for new drug discovery.

"We are proud of Ben's achievement in being awarded this prestigious scholarship and recognition," said SDSC Director Michael Norman. "It is very gratifying to see such a high level of accomplishment in computational science as Ben pursues his doctorate here at UC San Diego."

"This fellowship is a testimony to Ben's past work, the importance of GPUs at the frontiers of molecular dynamics and drug discovery, and recognition of the future potential of his contributions to science. The GPU revolution is transforming the field and this fellowship provides vital support for us to continue this cutting-edge research," said Ross C. Walker, an assistant research professor with SDSC and head of the Walker Molecular Dynamics laboratory. Walker also is an adjunct assistant professor in UC San Diego's Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, as well as an NVIDIA CUDA Fellow.

The NVIDIA Graduate Fellowship Program provides funding to Ph.D. students who are researching topics that will lead to major advances in the graphics and high-performance computing industries, and are investigating innovative ways of leveraging the power of GPUs. Recipients not only receive crucial funding for their research, but are provided access to NVIDIA products, technology, and expertise.

"This year the NVIDIA Foundation joined in our search for top Ph.D. students who are investigating innovative ways to leverage the power of the GPU, especially those that will ultimately benefit humanity," said Chandra Cheij, NVIDIA's research program manager. "Congratulations to Ben and SDSC for this significant achievement."

SDSC's Walker Molecular Dynamics lab is focused on computational chemistry, molecular biology, and high-performance computing. The lab is particularly interested in the development of efficient algorithms for parallel computation of Quantum Mechanical and hybrid Quantum/Molecular Mechanical (QM/MM) techniques, as well as improvements in the computational efficiency and accuracy of classical MM dynamics simulations.

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SDSC graduate student awarded NVIDIA Graduate Fellowship

Emily McFadden, a Westhampton College junior and biochemistry major, recently received the national Beckman Scholarship for outstanding undergraduate research in the chemistry and biological sciences.

The Beckman Scholars Program , established in 1997, was designed to provide scholarships that contribute significantly in advancing the education, research training and personal development of select students in biochemistry and its relative fields, according to the programs website. The nationwide scholarship is awarded to six undergraduate students each year.

McFadden, one of the six students selected to receive the scholarship in 2012 , said the $19,200 grant would cover her research costs for the next two summers and her senior year.

The grant funds travel to symposiums and conferences across the country where I can present my research, McFadden said. It also plays for supplies in my lab.

McFaddens research, which she has been conducting for the past year and a half, takes place in a Gottwald biochemistry lab with the help of a faculty mentor.

Ive been researching a specific enzyme involved in DNA repair, McFadden said. My upcoming project is looking at an alternative enzyme, and comparing the two to see how their efficiency in DNA repair is different.

McFadden said the final culmination of her research would take place next summer, when she would present her project results at the Beckman Scholars Conference in California.

Ill have the opportunity to show my work to the members of the Beckman Foundation, as well as any other scientists who may be interested in my findings, McFadden said.

Michelle Hamm , associate professor of chemistry at the University of Richmond , serves as McFaddens mentor and nominated McFadden to receive the scholarship.

Emily is a bright and talented student with a passion for science, Hamm said. The Beckman award is for future scientific leaders, and I thought that description fit Emily well.

Originally posted here:
Westhampton junior receives national research scholarship

(KATV, Source: UofA) Fayetteville - University of Arkansas Honors College students have led a campus-wide effort to plant a community garden that will provide fresh produce and flowers to the Full Circle Campus Food Pantry, a student-run emergency food assistance program recently honored at the White House. Two years of research and planning, along with countless hours of hands-on work with soil, compost and seedlings will culminate in the dedication of the new campus community garden at 3:30 p.m. on Monday, April 2.

Emily Crossfield, an honors biochemistry major in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences has led the effort to get the garden in the ground. More than 50 students from multiple disciplines have worked together to design and plant the garden, fostering connections across campus. Crossfield said for her the project is as much about the people as the plants.

"I'm meeting people I never would have met otherwise," said Crossfield, who also serves as director of sustainability for the Associated Student Government. She sees the garden as an important tool for promoting community as the campus grows.

"As a freshman in a big class you can feel lost, but if you're working with 10 other students in the garden, you're going to get to know each other pretty well," she said.

Inspired by community gardens that she saw while studying in Berlin, Crossfield decided to plant a campus community garden as the capstone project required for her minor in sustainability. Her efforts have revolved around finding a good site and building partnerships across campus. The Associated Student Government and Residents' Interhall Congress have provided substantial funding for the garden, with additional support from the department of facilities management and two registered student organizations, GroGreen and the Horticulture Club.

"Emmy has worked hard to bring a lot of people together on this, and there have been lots of ups and downs," said Curt Rom, a professor of horticulture and honors program director for the Bumpers College. "She has provided the leadership to get this garden going."

The new garden builds on research by Samantha Jones, a recent honors graduate of Bumpers College who surveyed 86 universities with community gardens and visited six of them to document best practices in her honors thesis. Her feasibility study, directed by Rom, was undertaken after an earlier garden located at the university's Agricultural Research and Extension Center proved not to be sustainable.

The location of the new garden, close to two residence halls should help ensure ongoing support.

"You need the garden to be visible, where people pass by it, notice it and can easily take care of it," Crossfield said.

The site is not without challenges. Sandwiched between two four-story wings of Maple Hill, the garden is short on sunlight in certain areas and hampered by poor soil. The students have divided the small plot into three zones based on the amount of sunlight received, planting shade-loving perennials and herbs such as basil, rosemary and sage in the back of the garden. Two truckloads of topsoil and one truckload of compost, some of it recycled from residence hall food waste, have created a rich bed for growing broccoli, peppers, squash and tomatoes. One-half of the fresh produce will go to the student volunteers, while one-half will be donated to the Full Circle Campus Food Pantry. The students will also plant day lilies, cannas, irises and hostas to donate to the food pantry and to the chancellor's office for use at university events.

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Honors Students Lead Effort to Plant Campus Garden

Senior Naomi Lopez, 18, is one of Sterling High Schools January Students of the Month. Her mother is Veronica Jaramillo, 38, and her brother is Elias Moreno, 9; they live in Sterling.

Favorite class: AP U.S. history. Its rigorous, and theres always something to read.

Top teacher: Susan Lawson, AP literature. Shes relatable, and she really cares about teaching us to become better readers and writers.

Extracurriculars: Tennis, I used to cheerlead. I played soccer freshman year.

After graduation: I want to major in biochemistry or molecular biology. I want to be a cosmetic dermatologist, a facial plastic surgeon or a pathologist.

Paycheck: I work off and on at Karlins Hallmark in Sterling. I was seasonal this year. I like it. Its really festive in there.

Best friend: Dahley Vinson. Shes funny, witty. She knows how to listen.

Favorite musical group: Empire of the Sun.

Favorite actor: Vincent Cassel.

Favorite movies: Black Swan and When Harry Met Sally.

Excerpt from:
Sterling Student of the Month

Newswise Cigarette smoke cannot only cause cancer, but it's also responsible for the spread of it, according to research by UC Merced biochemistry Professor Henry Jay Forman.

Forman discovered tobacco smoke activates an enzyme called Src that causes cancer cells to spread to other parts of the body. The study will appear in the April 15 edition of Free Radical Biology and Medicine.

Cigarette smoke is the major cause of lung cancer, Forman said, but nearly half of lung cancer patients remain active smokers. Nonetheless, researchers haven't understood how cigarette smoke causes cancer to metastasize.

The lab was also able to prevent cigarette smoke from activating the enzyme by introducing an antioxidant. Forman's discovery could prove useful in the fight against cancer, as it creates more understanding on how it spreads and how antioxidants can help combat this.

Forman will present his findings on April 21 at the Experimental Biology 2012 conference in San Diego.

Forman coauthored the paper with a professor from the University of Padova in Italy. Forman served as a visiting professor during the summer while also conducting research.

In another paper, recently published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, Forman collaborated with investigators at USC who are experts in looking at how cells maintain themselves using proteasome, which degrades old and damaged proteins. When cells are under oxidative stress, the proteasomes work faster to remove damaged proteins.

However, the lab discovered the signal used to increase a cell's defenses doesn't happen in old age, causing cells to die and turn malignant. The findings offer more insight into age-related problems, such as Alzheimer's disease. Both studies were supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Forman will continue his research this summer, focusing on three projects: understanding how differences in the expression of a particular enzyme increases human susceptibility to air pollution; studying how people with sickle cell trait may have a sickle cell crisis when doing severe exercise; and studying how cigarette smoke activates an enzyme that regulates changes in lung cancer cells that promote metastasis. The three projects are also funded by the National Institutes of Health.

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Continued Smoking Can Spread Cancer

SAN JOSE, Calif., March 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Ariosa Diagnostics (formerly Aria Diagnostics), a molecular diagnostics company, today announced the completion of its clinical validation study for the Harmony Prenatal Test. The multi-national study represents the largest clinical study performed to date for non-invasive prenatal detection of common fetal trisomies. The test utilizes a directed, non-invasive approach to cell-free DNA (cfDNA) analysis in maternal blood. Additionally, information about the company's proprietary biochemistry and algorithm platforms, which work together to efficiently analyze patient samples in order to provide individualized risk scores, will be presented at the 2012 American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG) Annual Clinical Genetics Meeting in Charlotte, N.C.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120326/NY75864LOGO )

"The completion of our validation study is an important milestone as we prepare to bring the Harmony Prenatal Test to market," said Ken Song, MD, chief executive officer at Ariosa Diagnostics. "The Harmony Prenatal Test's performance is the largest study to date using cell-free DNA technology and supports findings from our previous studies recently published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Prenatal Diagnosis demonstrating highly accurate fetal trisomy detection."

At the upcoming ACMG meeting, additional data on Ariosa's technology will be shared during an oral platform presentation (Molecular session) titled, "Non-Invasive Fetal Aneuploidy Detection in Cell-free DNA from Maternal Blood Using Digital Analysis of Selected Regions (DANSR) and the Fetal-fraction Optimized Risk of Trisomy Evaluation (FORTE) Algorithm" on Thursday, March 29, 2012 from 8:30 to 8:45 a.m. at the Charlotte Convention Center.

Formerly known as Aria Diagnostics, the company has changed its name to Ariosa Diagnostics in an effort to further distinguish and differentiate itself from other companies and products.

About Ariosa Diagnostics (formerly Aria Diagnostics)

Ariosa Diagnostics, Inc., is a molecular diagnostics company committed to providing safe, highly accurate and affordable prenatal tests for maternal and fetal health. Led by an experienced team, Ariosa is using its proprietary technology to perform a directed analysis of cell-free DNA in blood. Ariosa's simple blood test equips pregnant women and their healthcare providers with reliable information to make decisions regarding their health, without creating unnecessary stress or anxiety.

The company began operations in 2010 and is headquartered in San Jose, Calif. For more information, visitwww.ariosadx.com.

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Ariosa Diagnostics Announces Completion of Laboratory-Developed Test Study for the Harmony™ Prenatal Test

Submitted March 26, 2012 4:02PM

NIU Professor Tao Xu, who has developed a promising nanoscience research program in solar energy conversion, is getting a grant from the National Science Foundation. NSF has awarded the chemistry and biochemistry professor, who lives in west suburban Lisle, with a prestigious Faculty Early Career Development grant of $400,000 over the next five years in support of his research and teaching efforts. | Submitted by NIU

storyidforme: 27984965 tmspicid: 10105310 fileheaderid: 4658715

Updated: March 27, 2012 1:12AM

NIU Professor Tao Xu, who has developed a promising nanoscience research program in solar energy conversion, is getting a big boost from the National Science Foundation.

NSF has awarded the chemistry and biochemistry professor with a prestigious Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) grant of $400,000 over the next five years in support of his research and teaching efforts.

CAREER awards support junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research.

This award is a tribute to the quality and productivity of Dr. Xu and his research group, said Jon Carnahan, chair of the department of chemistry and biochemistry. Were very proud of Taos accomplishment.

Xu, of Lisle, also is affiliated with NIUs Institute for Nano Science, Engineering, and Technology. His research group is working to develop potential solar cells of the future.

Because of environmental concerns related to nuclear and fossil-fuel-based energy, people are demanding clean alternative energies that can help build up our power grids, Xu said. Solar cells are quite safe, but we need to enhance their overall efficiency and affordability. To accomplish this, our group is trying to gain a better understanding of the fundamental processes at work in solar cells.

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NIU chemistry professor receives grant from National Science Foundation

By Stephen Brooks | Originally Published: 12 hours ago |Modified: 12 hours ago |

Biochemistry professor Rawle Hollingsworth in his lab on Wednesday March 9, 2005.

During biochemistry professor Rawle Hollingsworths nearly 30 years at MSU, Tom Sharkey, chair of the biochemistry and molecular biology department, remembers having many conversations with him during casual run-ins outside the office.

One encounter sticks out in Sharkeys mind, who said he has a strong memory of listening to Hollingsworth explain carbohydrate involvement in blood types one day in the parking lot.

I was just fascinated to learn the things he was explaining, Sharkey said. Its just one of those moments in time that get frozen for reasons that you dont really know why.

Hollingsworth, a 55-year-old Haslett, Mich. resident, died from a pulmonary embolism on Feb. 29.

After completing his doctorate at the University of the West Indies in the Caribbean, Hollingsworth started as an assistant professor at MSU in 1983 and climbed the ranks to become a full professor.

I would say his enthusiasm really was the thing I continually think about when I think of him, Sharkey said.

Rawle Hollingsworth met his wife, Saleela Hollingsworth, at the University of the West Indies. The two were married for 26 years and had two children, Misha, 20, and Akhil, 15.

Saleela Hollingsworth said her husband loved traveling, reading and music and always put the childrens interests first.

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Professor leaves positive legacy