NASA Education Express Message — Jan. 22, 2015

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Search for NASA Educational Resources With New Search ToolAre you looking for a lesson plan about the planet Jupiter? Do you need a poster with information about the Wright Brothers' first flight? Or maybe you're hunting for a website with information about NASA's deep space missions. NASA Education has a new tool to help you in your search!NASA's new Educational Resource Search Tool can help you find lesson plans, posters, educator guides and other materials to supplement your science, technology, engineering and mathematics curriculum. Search hundreds of resources by subject, grade level, type and keywords.To check out the new search tool and begin your educational resource hunt, visithttp://www.nasa.gov/education/materials/.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Space Shuttle Thermal Protective Tiles Available for Educational UseNASA invites eligible U.S. educational institutions and museums to request space shuttle thermal protective tiles and other special items offered on a first-come, first-served basis while quantities last. Organizations previously allocated thermal protective tiles may request an additional three tiles.There will be a nominal shipping fee that must be paid online with a credit card. To make a request for special items online, visithttp://gsaxcess.gov/htm/nasa/userguide/Special_Item_Request_Procedure.pdf.Questions about this opportunity should be directed toGSAXcessHelp@gsa.gov.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Free Smithsonian's Stars Lecture Series

Curious about icy bodies in the outer reaches of our solar system, the effects of space junk on deep-space observation, the latest discoveries about the origins of the universe and new ways galaxy formation is mapped? Come to the Smithsonian's Stars Lecture Series presented by Smithsonian researchers who are exploring the sun, the moon, planets, stars, galaxies and the universe. These speakers will share behind-the-scenes details about how their research is done and about technologies that advance new discoveries. The lectures will be held at the Albert Einstein Planetarium at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.Each lecture begins at 5:15 p.m. EST and is followed by a Q&A session. Stay after the lecture to visit the museum's observatory, weather permitting.Jan. 24, 2015 -- Observing the Origin of the Universe From the South PoleAfter three years of observing from the South Pole, scientists may have found confirmation that the universe underwent a burst of inflationary growth at the time of the Big Bang. Cosmologist Colin Bischoff will discuss these findings as well as the excitement of astronomy from Antarctica.Feb. 21, 2015 -- Tracing the Structure of the Universe With Galaxy SurveysStudies of galaxy formation and cosmology have exploded in recent years due to the immense data obtained from large galaxy surveys. Postdoctoral fellow Cameron McBride will discuss how observational data and theory are combined to better understand fundamental questions in our universe, and will highlight some exciting results from ongoing research.

For more information about the Smithsonian's Stars Lecture Series, visithttp://airandspace.si.edu/events/lectures/smithsonian-stars/.Questions about this lecture series should be directed to the visitor service line at 202-633-2214.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________Sally Ride EarthKAM Announces the 2015 Winter MissionStudents and educators are invited to participate in the Sally Ride EarthKAM winter mission scheduled forJan. 27-30, 2015. Guide your students in hands-on research as they program a camera aboard the International Space Station to take pictures of specific locations on Earth. The optional online curricula at the Sally Ride EarthKAM website are targeted at middle school students but are adaptable for other grade levels. All students and educators are welcome, including participants in afterschool programs.For more information and to register for an upcoming mission, visit the Sally Ride EarthKAM home page athttps://earthkam.ucsd.edu/.If you have questions about the EarthKAM project, please emailek-help@earthkam.ucsd.edu.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________DEADLINE EXTENDED: 2014-2015 NASA Goddard OPTIMUS PRIME Spinoff ChallengeNASA's Goddard Space Flight Center is launching the 2014-2015 TRANSFORMERS OPTIMUS PRIME Spinoff Challenge, hosted by the Innovative Technology Partnerships Office. The purpose of the challenge is to raise awareness of NASA's Technology Transfer Program and to inspire interest in all NASA missions, programs and projects.This year the scope of the contest is being expanded to include two challenges. In the first challenge, students in grades 3-12 are asked to submit a video describing their favorite NASA Goddard spinoff. In a new twist, participants in this years contest must also use the engineering design process to develop and propose a new spinoff application of their own for the technology. Spinoffs are technologies originally created for space and modified into everyday products used on Earth. Examples include memory foam, invisible braces and scratch-resistant lenses for eyeglasses.The second challenge, the TRANSFORMERS OPTIMUS PRIME InWorld Challenge, offers students in grades 6-12 an opportunity to take their video spinoff ideas to another level. Interested teams must study James Webb Space Telescope spinoff technology and post their completed spinoff videos for review by college engineering students. Engineering college mentors will select 20 teams to continue the collaborative design process within a multiuser virtual world to build a 3-D model of the teams design solutions.Winning students from each grade category will be invited to Goddard to participate in a behind-the-scenes workshop, attend a VIP awards ceremony and meet actor Peter Cullen, the voice of OPTIMUS PRIME.The new deadline to register and upload videos isJan. 28, 2015.For more information, visithttp://itpo.gsfc.nasa.gov/optimus/.Questions about this contest should be directed to Darryl Mitchell atDarryl.R.Mitchell@nasa.gov.TRANSFORMERS and OPTIMUS PRIME are trademarks of Hasbro and are used with permission. 2014 Hasbro. All rights reserved.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ DEADLINE EXTENDED: 2014 NASA EONS Solicitation New AppendixNASA's Office of Education is accepting new proposals under the Education Opportunities in NASA STEM, or EONS, 2014 NASA Research Announcement for the Minority University Research and Education Program, or MUREP, Institutional Research Opportunity, or MIRO appendix. This effort was previously titled as the NASA University Research Centers Project, and has now been consolidated into the MUREP Program within the NASA Office of Education.Through the EONS omnibus solicitation, the opportunity MIRO has been released. Through MIRO awards, NASA aims to promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM literacy and to enhance and sustain the capability of minority serving institutions to perform NASA-related research and education, which directly support NASA's four mission directorates -- Aeronautics Research, Human Exploration and Space Operations, Science, and Space Technology.The deadline for proposals has been extended toJan. 30, 2015.For more information regarding theMIRO solicitation, please visit theNASA EONSpage on the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Proposal System, or NSPIRES, website at:http://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary.do?method=init&solId=%7bB6C61D04-5793-EF52-3497-1AA57FA424A5%7d&path=open.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2015 NOAA Undergraduate ScholarshipThe National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, is accepting applications for its 2015 Educational Partnership Program, or EPP, Undergraduate Scholarship Program. The EPP Undergraduate Scholarship Program provides scholarships for two years of undergraduate study to rising junior undergraduate students majoring in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields that directly support NOAA's mission.Participants receive total awards valued at up to $35,000 in total support during their junior and senior years. During the first summer, scholars complete a nine-week paid summer internship at NOAA in Silver Spring, Maryland. During the second summer, scholars complete paid internships at NOAA facilities across the country. A stipend and housing allowance is provided. At the end of both summer internships, students present the results of their projects at an education and science symposium in Silver Spring.Students attending an accredited Minority Serving Institution within the United States or U.S. Territories as defined by the U.S. Department of Education (Hispanic Serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Alaskan-Native Serving Institutions, and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions) are eligible to apply for the program. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and must earn and maintain a minimum 3.2 grade point average on a 4.0 scale.Applications are dueJan. 30, 2015.For more information and to submit an online application, visithttp://www.epp.noaa.gov/ssp_undergrad_page.html.Questions about this scholarship opportunity should be directed toEPP.USP@noaa.gov.

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U.S. National Park Service's Young Leaders in Climate Change -- Summer 2015 InternshipsThe George Melendez Wright Initiative for Young Leaders in Climate Change, or YLCC,builds a pathway for exemplary students in higher education to apply cutting-edge climate change knowledge to park management. The program provides paid summer internships to highly accomplished graduate and upper-level undergraduate students to work on diverse issues related to climate change and its effects in national parks. Participants gain valuable work experience, explore career options and develop leadership skills under the mentorship and guidance of the National Park Service.The program features structured projects in one or more of the following interdisciplinary areas: climate change science and monitoring; resource conservation and adaptation; policy development; sustainable park operations; facilities adaptation; and communication/interpretation/education. Interns who successfully complete the YLCC will be eligible to be hired noncompetitively into subsequent federal jobsonce they complete their degree programs. These jobs would be in the Department of Interior, National Park Service or one of the other bureaus within the Department of Interior. An intern must qualify for the job in order to be hired noncompetitively.Internships are full-time positions (40 hours/week) lasting 11-12 weeks. Interns are paid $14/hour plus benefits, and are employees of the University of Washington. Most positions come with free or subsidized housing in dormitories or other shared accommodations in parks. Internships offer rigorous and challenging projects that demand high-level academic knowledge and skills, allowing interns considerable autonomy and opportunity for leadership under an effective mentor.The application deadline is12:01 pm PST on Jan. 30, 2015.For additional information and to apply for a YLCC internship, visithttp://parksclimateinterns.org/.Questions about this program should be directed to Tim Watkins atclimate_change@nps.gov.

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NASA History Program Office Summer and Fall 2015 InternshipsThe NASA History Program Office is seeking undergraduate and graduate students for summer and fall 2015 internships. The History Program Office maintains archival materials to answer research questions from NASA personnel, journalists, scholars, students at all levels and others from around the world. The division also edits and publishes several books and monographs each year. It maintains a large number of websites on NASA history.Students of all majors are welcome to apply. While detailed prior knowledge of the aeronautics and space fields is not necessary, a keen interest and some basic familiarity with these topics are needed. Strong research, writing and editing skills are essential. Experience with social media is a plus.Intern projects are flexible. Typical projects include handling a variety of information requests, writing posts for the NASA history Twitter and Facebook pages, editing historical manuscripts, doing research and writing biographical sketches, and identifying and captioning photos.Applications for summer 2015 internships are dueFeb. 1, 2015. Fall 2015 internship applications are dueJune 1, 2015.For more information, visithttp://history.nasa.gov/interncall.htm.If you have questions about this opportunity, please contact Bill Barry atbill.barry@nasa.gov.

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NASA Education Express Message -- Jan. 22, 2015

Nanotechnology changes behavior of materials

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3 hours ago by Beth Miller Thimsen

One of the reasons solar cells are not used more widely is costthe materials used to make them most efficient are expensive. Engineers are exploring ways to print solar cells from inks, but the devices don't work as well.

Elijah Thimsen, PhD, assistant professor of energy, environmental & chemical engineering in the School of Engineering & Applied Science at Washington University in St. Louis, and a team of engineers at the University of Minnesota have developed a technique to increase the performance and electrical conductivity of thin films that make up these materials using nanotechnology. Their work was published in the Dec. 19, 2014, issue of Nature Communications.

Transparent conductors are thin films, which are are simply ultrathin layers of materials deposited on a surface that allow light to pass through and conduct electricity, a process in which electrons flow through a system. Thimsen and his team found by changing the structure of a thin film made of zinc oxide nanoparticles, electrons no longer flowed through the system in a conventional way, but hopped from place to place by a process called tunneling.

The team measured the electronic properties of a thin film made of zinc oxide nanoparticles before and after coating its surface with aluminum oxide. Both the zinc oxide nanoparticles and aluminum oxide are electronic insulators, so only a tiny amount of electricity flows through them. However, when these insulators were combined, the researchers got a surprising result.

"The new composite became highly conductive," Thimsen said. "The composite exhibits fundamentally different behavior than the parent compounds. We found that by controlling the structure of the material, you can control the mechanism by which electrons are transported."

Because the reason behind this is not well understood, Thimsen and the team plan to continue to work to understand the relationship between the structure of the nanoparticle film and the electron transport mechanism, he said.

"If electrons are tunneling, they're not really moving with a classical velocity and moving from one point to the next," Thimsen said. "If electrons are tunneling from one point to the next, one hypothesis is that they won't interact with strong magnetic fields. One of our long-term visions is to create a material that has high electrical conductivity but does not interact with magnetic fields."

In addition, the new composite's behavior also improved its performance, which could ultimately help to lower the cost of materials used in solar cells and other electronic devices.

"The performance is quite good, but not at the level it needs to be to be commercially viable, but it's close," Thimsen said.

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Nanotechnology changes behavior of materials

Designed Molecules Trap Cancer Cells in Deadly Cages

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Sugar-like molecules self-assemble into a nano fiber web around bone cancer cells but spare healthy ones

The inspiration for spinning a molecular cage around cells came from nature, says Rein V. Ulijn of the City University of New Yorks Hunter College. Credit: National Cancer Institute

Chemists have designed a carbohydrate-based molecule that can surround and strangle bone cancer cells by self-assembling into a tangled web of nanofibers (J. Am. Chem. Soc.2014, DOI:10.1021/ ja5111893). The molecule spares healthy cells because its assembly is triggered by an enzyme thats overexpressed on cancer cells.

The inspiration for spinning a molecular cage around cells came from nature, saysRein V. Ulijnof theCity University of New Yorks Hunter College. Many of the bodys cells are enmeshed in an extracellular matrixa complex web of biomolecules that provides structure for tissues, facilitates intercellular communication, and traps nutrients. Scientists are developing molecules that spontaneously assemble into simpler versions of this matrix to provide a growth medium for cells, in particular for tissue engineering.

The field has focused mainly on self-assembling peptides. In a recent study,Bing XuofBrandeis Universityand colleagues designed a nonnurturing peptide that aggregates and engulfs cancer cells only when its phosphate group is removed (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.2014, DOI:10.1002/anie.201402216). The phosphate-free peptides have a hydrophilic end and a hydrophobic one, which allow them to assemble like lipids in a cell membrane. The negative charge on the phosphate groups creates electrostatic repulsion between the molecules and prevents this. This phosphate on-off switch is great for targeting cancer because some types of cancer cells overexpress alkaline phosphatase, an enzyme that cleaves phosphates.

Ulijn and his colleagues, includingIva Pashkulevaof theUniversity of Minho, in Portugal, thought they could get carbohydrate-based molecules to behave the same way. Compared with peptides, Ulijn says, carbohydrates can lead to more diverse structures, opening up new possible applications. So to make their web-weaving molecules, the researchers first took the hydrophilic carbohydrate glucosamine and added a hydrophobic aromatic group to create a molecule that would self-assemble. They then added a phosphate group to the sugar.

To test the molecules cancer-killing prowess, the researchers added it to cultures of bone cancer cells as well as to normal cartilage cells, which have only about 5% of the alkaline phosphatase activity observed in the cancerous ones. After seven hours, about 95% of the bone cancer cells had died, while only 15% of the cartilage ones were dead.

Scanning electron microscope images of the cells revealed a cagelike hydrogel on the surface of the bone cancer cells. Although the mechanism of cell death remains unknown, Ulijn suspects the nanofiber cage suffocates the cancer cells, neither allowing nutrients in nor waste products out.

The study nicely demonstrates that high enzyme activity can serve as a way to target cancer cells, Brandeiss Xu says. One concern Xu has is that the team needed to use concentrations of the molecule that are higher than are typical for drugs. High concentrations often require large doses for patients, which usually mean high risk of side effects. Ulijn agrees that his team needs to study possible side effects of their self-assembling carbohydrates.

This article is reproduced with permission from Chemical & Engineering News ( American Chemical Society). The article was first published on January 20, 2015.

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Designed Molecules Trap Cancer Cells in Deadly Cages

Letters to the editor, Jan. 23, 2015

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Time to stop sport killing of coyotes

In the wake of the mass dumping of coyote bodies in Las Cruces, state Sen. Mark Moores (R-Albuquerque) and state Rep. Jeff Steinborn (D-Las Cruces) are proposing a bill that would make killing coyotes for sport a misdemeanor under New Mexico law.

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Letters to the editor, Jan. 23, 2015

Penn Medicine Opens Pavilion for Advanced Care, Integrating Critical Care Specialties and Expanding Penn Presbyterian …

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Features of the new PAC will include:

Three state-of-the-art critical care units including a designated Heart and Vascular critical care unit, and PPMCs first neurosurgical and neurocritical care inpatient units increasing bed capacity by as many as 36 beds. A 16-bed increase in capacity in the new Emergency Department, in addition to a new 5-bay Rapid Assessment Treatment area designed to quickly and more accurately triage emergency patients. 24/7 eye injury treatment in the Emergency Department A new concourse that provides a consolidated Pre-Admissions Testing and Medical Imaging services, including the most advanced CT and MRI technology, digital X-rays, ultrasound and flouroscopy A new surgical suite that provides a bridge to the second floor of PPMC, and includes a new 30-bed Short Procedure Unit for outpatient surgeries such as hernia repairs, gallbladder removals, or eye and ear procedures. A new inpatient therapy gym An outdoor space which serves as both a healing garden and a common outdoor space for eating, and gathering.

Over the last decade, Penn Medicine has made numerous investments in people, facilities, and patient care that have strengthened our commitment to our patients, staff and our multiple missions of clinical care, research and teaching, said Ralph Muller, CEO of the University of Pennsylvania Health System. With this latest endeavor, Penn Medicine has the resources and in place to effectively elevate our care processes and provide better value to both our patients and payers.

Planning for the Pavilion for Advanced Care has involved work by hundreds of staff and leaders spanning 37 unique departments and divisions across Penn Medicine during the three-year planning process for the new facility.

This has been a momentous year for Penn Presbyterian, said Michele Volpe, executive director of PPMC. Beginning with the opening of Penn Medicine University City in August 2013 which now houses many of Presbyterians outpatient services and as we approach the final stages of the transition to the PAC, Presbyterian is now poised to deliver the most advanced medical care to some of our most vulnerable and critically ill patients.

Transitioning the Level I Regional Resource Trauma Center Penn Medicines Trauma Program treats more than 2,200 patients with life-threatening injuries per year. These injuries include those resulting from severe falls, motor vehicle and motorcycle collisions, injuries associated with violent crime, including gunshot wounds and stabbings. The new trauma center includes upgrades to the overall design and efficiency of caring for these critically injured patients, including:

A new oversized helipad on the roof of the PAC, equipped with self-cleaning and snow-melting technology, and to an elevator that takes the PennSTAR flight team from the helipad to the OR or Trauma resuscitation unit in seconds The John Paul Pryor, MD, FACS, Shock Trauma and Resuscitation (STAR) Unit: a state-of-the-art, 5-bay trauma resuscitation area and the largest known design dedicated to trauma resuscitation, which facilitates immediate access to Corridor of Life critical care treatment areas, including ceiling-mounted CT and MRI imaging and X-rays. Designated operating rooms, elevators and pathways for trauma patients and providers, allowing the quickest care when every minute counts toward the chances of survival

The Emergency Department at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) will continue to be a full-service ED, equipped and staffed to handle more than 60,000 visits each year. HUP will also remain Penn Medicine's home for specialty emergency services such as the most advanced cardiac resuscitation techniques, hyperbaric medicine for carbon monoxide poisoning, and medical toxicology expertise for poisoning and adverse effects of drugs.

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Penn Medicine Opens Pavilion for Advanced Care, Integrating Critical Care Specialties and Expanding Penn Presbyterian ...

Medical school coming to Clifton

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Staff photo/Deborah Ann TripoldiStaff photo/Deborah Ann TripoldiStaff photo/Marko GeorgievStaff photo/Don Smith

Robert C. Garrett, president and CEO of Hackensack University Health Network speaks at the Hoffmann-La Roche campus in Nutley and Clifton about the joint venture to create a medical school with Seton Hall University as Gov. Chris Christie and University President Dr. A Gabriel Esteban look on. At center, Nutley Mayor Alphonse Petracco and Clifton Mayor James Anzaldi discuss their support for the project. The building pictured will house the new school.

CLIFTON Gov. Chris Christie and local dignitaries stood by as Hackensack University Medical Network and Seton Hall University announced a joint venture last week that will bring to the vacated Roche campus New Jerseys first private medical school.

Robert Garrett, the health network's CEO, and the South Orange universitys president, Dr. Gabriel Esteban, presented the major project to dozens of Roche executives, local officials and members of the press who were packed into the drugmakers Building 123 auditorium.

An official said the agreement shows the two sides are "in it for the long haul" with multiple sources with knowledge of the deal stating the partnership inked a 25-year lease agreement with Roche with three renewal options that could carry the life of the contract to more than 100 years.

The medical school is a nonprofit institution but sources say the new venture will pay a Payment In Lieu of Taxes instead of paying property taxes. A PILOT is typically less than what a city would receive in property taxes. And in this case, two City officials said 95 percent of the money will go to Clifton and 5 percent to Passaic County.

During the Jan. 15 press conference, Garrett said the two organizations "made history" by establishing the four-year medical school which, at its "full maturity" will become home to about 1,200 students and staff members.

Thomas Lyon, the site head of Hoffmann-La Roche's Route 3 campus, said the partnership first began to take form 18 months ago when Garrett contacted him to request a tour of the property.

"Since that time I was able to follow along as this whole vision came together," Lyon said. "As we progress to transfer the site to its new owners, the future of this campus is very bright."

The governor, a graduate of SHU's law school and whose wife received her master's degree from the Stillman School of Business, praised Roche for taking a decision which was disappointing for New Jerseyans at the time and working hard to turn it into a positive for tomorrow.

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Medical school coming to Clifton

WSU president wants medical school collaboration with UW – Fri, 23 Jan 2015 PST

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OLYMPIA Washington State University wants to continue to collaborate with the University of Washington on medical education, WSU President Elson Floyd told legislators Thursday. But it wants its own medical school in Spokane,too.

UW isnt opposed to WSU starting a new medical school, officials from that university told the Senate Health Care Committee a few minutes later. With onecaveat:

We would only object to a proposal if it were done at the expense of the (UW) program, Regent Orin Smithsaid.

Leaders from both universities laid out their plans to expand medical school education in Spokane and

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WSU President Elson Floyd describes the universitys plans Thursday for its own medical school in Spokane to the Senate Health CareCommittee. (Full-size photo)

OLYMPIA Washington State University wants to continue to collaborate with the University of Washington on medical education, WSU President Elson Floyd told legislators Thursday. But it wants its own medical school in Spokane,too.

UW isnt opposed to WSU starting a new medical school, officials from that university told the Senate Health Care Committee a few minutes later. With onecaveat:

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WSU president wants medical school collaboration with UW - Fri, 23 Jan 2015 PST

Med School Establishes Research Center in Dubai

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Harvard Medical School and the Dubai Healthcare City Authority have partnered to establish a center for training and research on health care and medical treatment in the United Arab Emirates, the University announced on Tuesday.

The Harvard Medical School Center for Global Health DeliveryDubai, as the center is called, will house research for delivery methods of health care treatment throughout the UAE, but it will not provide patient care, according to Medical School spokesperson Gina Vild.

The center is a new space in the pre-existing Mohammed Bin Rashid Academic Medical Center in Dubai Healthcare City, and will focus on research and teaching to optimize systems for care delivery and patient outcomes, Vild said.

According to David E. Golan 75, dean for graduate education at the Medical School, the center will target four main areas: diabetes and obesity, improvements in surgical care, infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and hepatitis, and mental health. Harvard faculty will be involved in collaborative research projects, he said.

The center is going to focus initially on pressing health challenges in Dubai and the United Arab Emirates, Golan said. We think it can be a central location that can allow us to convene in research education and policy discussion.

Medical School associate professor Salmaan Keshavjee, who will direct the center, said it will work with care providers here to conduct research on how they can improve their treatment delivery, which Keshavjee said can come in a variety of different forms, ranging from a text message reminder to regular visits from a nurse.

The center hopes to offer Harvard Medical students the chance to do research there, according to Keshavjee, and may also involve Harvard undergraduates.

The new center is not the Medical Schools first collaboration in Dubai. With Partners Harvard Medical International and Dubai Healthcare City, the Medical School established the Harvard Medical School Dubai Center, an education and research institution, in 2004. That center evolved into the new global health delivery center, according to Medical School spokesperson David Cameron.

HMS has had a relationship with Dubai for many years, Keshavjee said. Much of that relationship has been focused on how to increase research capacity in Dubai and the region and to strengthen the health care delivery infrastructure.

According to Keshavjee, Dubai has become an vital hub for the Middle East and for parts of Africa and for a significant part of South Asia.

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Med School Establishes Research Center in Dubai

#CatoSOTU: A Libertarian Take on the State of the Union Address

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On Tuesday night, President Obama delivered his sixth annual State of the Union address.Cato scholars took to Twitter to live-tweet not only the Presidents address, but also the Republican and Tea Party responsesdelivered by Sen. Joni Ernst and Rep. Curt Clawson respectivelyfocusing, as always, on what the policies being discussed would mean for the future of liberty.

Many on Twitter joined the discussion, which was billed as achance to ask experts what to expect from the policy world in 2015; the hashtag#CatoSOTUhas been used over 4,400 times since Tuesday, a number which will likely continue to grow as Cato scholars and members of the public continue the online conversation.

Over the years, the State of the Union has become an annual spectacle much larger than the founding fathers would ever have expected, and Cato scholars were quick to put it in context:

Topics spanned the gamutfrom cybersecurity and Guantanamo Bay to the Presidents community college proposal and what he has termed middle class economicsbut Cato responses remained strong throughout.

Catos policy analysts were quick to call out factual inaccuracies:

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#CatoSOTU: A Libertarian Take on the State of the Union Address

Genetics Society of America names Louisa Stark as recipient of Elizabeth W. Jones Award

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BETHESDA, MD - The Genetics Society of America (GSA) is pleased to announce that Louisa A. Stark, PhD (University of Utah) has been awarded the Society's Elizabeth W. Jones Award for Excellence in Education in recognition of her significant and sustained impact in genetics education. The award, whose namesake was a renowned geneticist and educator, honors the remarkable advances in global access to genetics education enabled by Dr. Stark's work.

"Dr. Stark has pioneered innovative approaches and resources that have transformed the accessibility of genetics education," said Robin Wright, PhD, Head of the Department of Biology Teaching and Learning, Professor in the Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, and Senior Associate Dean for Undergraduate Initiatives in the College of Biological Sciences at the University of Minnesota, and last year's winner of the Elizabeth W. Jones Award. "Her work will undoubtedly continue to inspire teachers and students for years to come."

Dr. Stark has had a major impact on improving genetics literacy worldwide. She has 20 years of experience in planning and teaching professional development programs for K-12 teachers. The University of Utah Genetic Science Learning Center, which she directs, excels at developing interactive, multimedia materials that focus on making genetics easy for everyone to understand. These materials are freely disseminated via the Center's Learn.Genetics and Teach.Genetics websites. The sites constitute the most widely-used online genetics education resource in the world. In 2014, they were visited by almost 20 million students, educators, scientists, and members of the public who came from every country. With over 80 million page views annually, Learn.Genetics is among the most used sites on the Web. In 2010, the sites received the first award of the Science Prize for Online Resources in Education from AAAS/Science Magazine. Stark's work also has been recognized by awards from the American Society of Human Genetics, the governor of Utah, the National Association of Biology Teachers, and the Utah Science Teachers Association.

The Elizabeth W. Jones Award for Excellence in Education recognizes significant and sustained impact on genetics education. Recipients of the award have promoted greater exposure to and deeper understanding of genetics through distinguished teaching or mentoring, development of innovative pedagogical approaches or tools, design of new courses or curricula, national leadership, and/or public engagement and outreach.

The award was named posthumously for Elizabeth W. Jones (1939-2008), the recipient of the first GSA Excellence in Education Award in 2007. She was a renowned geneticist and educator who served as the 1987 GSA president and as Editor-in-Chief of GSA's journal GENETICS for almost 12 years (1996-2008).

To learn more about the GSA awards, and to view a list of previous recipients, please see http://www.genetics-gsa.org/awards.

* * *

About the Genetics Society of America (GSA)

Founded in 1931, the Genetics Society of America (GSA) is the professional scientific society for genetics researchers and educators. The Society's more than 5,000 members worldwide work to deepen our understanding of the living world by advancing the field of genetics, from the molecular to the population level. GSA promotes research and fosters communication through a number of GSA-sponsored conferences including regular meetings that focus on particular model organisms. GSA publishes two peer-reviewed, peer-edited scholarly journals: GENETICS, which has published high quality original research across the breadth of the field since 1916, and G3: Genes|Genomes|Genetics, an open-access journal launched in 2011 to disseminate high quality foundational research in genetics and genomics. The Society also has a deep commitment to education and fostering the next generation of scholars in the field. For more information about GSA, please visit http://www.genetics-gsa.org.

9650 Rockville Pike | Bethesda, MD 20814 | 301.634.7300 | press@genetics-gsa.org">press@genetics-gsa.org | http://www.genetics-gsa.orgConnect with GSA on Twitter (@GeneticsGSA) | Facebook LinkedIn | Google+

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Genetics Society of America names Louisa Stark as recipient of Elizabeth W. Jones Award

New 'systems genetics' study identifies possible target for epilepsy treatment

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A single gene that coordinates a network of about 400 genes involved in epilepsy could be a target for new treatments, according to research.

Epilepsy is a common and serious disease that affects around 50 million people worldwide. The mortality rate among people with epilepsy is two to three times higher than the general population. It is known that epilepsy has a strong genetic component, but the risk is related to multiple factors that are 'spread' over hundreds of genes. Identifying how these genes are co-ordinated in the brain is important in the search for new anti-epilepsy medications. This requires approaches that can analyse how multiple genes work in concert to cause disease.

Instead of studying individual genes, which has been the usual approach in epilepsy to date, researchers from Imperial College London developed novel computational and genetics techniques to systematically analyse the activity of genes in epilepsy. Published in Nature Communications, the study is the first to apply this 'systems genetics' approach to epilepsy.

The researchers studied samples of brain tissue removed from patients during neurosurgery for their epilepsy. Starting from these samples, they identified a gene network that was highly active in the brain of these patients, and then discovered that an unconnected gene, Sestrin 3 (SESN3), acts as a major regulator of this epileptic gene network. This is the first time SESN3 has been implicated in epilepsy and its co-ordinating role was confirmed in studies with mice and zebrafish.

Dr Enrico Petretto, from the Medical Research Council (MRC) Clinical Sciences Centre at Imperial College London and co-senior author of the study, said: "Systems genetics allows us to understand how multiple genes work together, which is far more effective than looking at the effect of a gene in isolation. It's a bit like trying to tackle a rival football team. If you want to stop the team from playing well, you can't just target an individual player; you first need to understand how the team plays together and their strategy. Likewise in systems genetics we don't look at just one gene at a time, but a network or team of genes and the functional relationships between them in disease.

"After understanding how the team plays together, a possible approach to beating a strong side is then to identify a major control point- say the captain or the coach - who co-ordinates the players. This is like our 'master regulator gene', which in this case is SESN3. If we can develop medication to target this gene in the brain, then the hope is that we could influence the whole epileptic gene network rather than individual parts and in turn achieve more effective treatments."

Using surgical samples of brain tissue provides a unique opportunity to study how genes are coordinated in the brains of people with epilepsy. Patients with severe temporal lobe epilepsy who do not respond to medication can undergo surgery to remove part of the brain to relieve their seizures. Our research was able to use brain tissue samples donated by 129 patients to analyse the genetic and functional activity underlying their epilepsy.

Co-senior author of the paper, Dr Michael Johnson from Imperial's Department of Medicine, said: "This study is proof-of-concept for a new scientific approach in epilepsy. Existing epilepsy medications are symptomatic treatments only; that is they act to supress the seizures but they don't treat the underlying disease.

Consequently, we find that existing medications don't work in about one-third of people with epilepsy. Here we have taken a new approach, and identified a network of genes underlying the epilepsy itself in these patients and mapped its control to a single gene, SESN3. This offers hope that new disease-modifying therapies can be developed for the treatment of epilepsy itself.

"Imperial has pioneered the systems genetics approach to common human disease and by applying its specialism in epilepsy and working in collaboration with pharmaceutical companies and other institutes worldwide, we have identified SESN3 as a new 'master regulatory' gene of key inflammatory processes in the brain that could be a potential target for new and more effective treatments."

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New 'systems genetics' study identifies possible target for epilepsy treatment

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