Heme Channel Found

Washington University scientists have discovered how the vital but vulnerable heme molecules is shuttled across cell membranes

By Diana Lutz


Resource for Biocomputing, Visualization, and Informatics at the University of California, San Francisco
The cytochrome c protein (colored ribbons), holds in its embrace a heme group (white honeycomb) that in turn clasps an iron atom (orange ball). This molecule is essential to life and any chemical that interferes with its activity is lethal.
In some ways a cell in your body or an organelle in that cell is like an ancient walled town. Life inside either depends critically on the intelligence of the gatekeepers.


If too many barbarians sneak into town, the town may be put to the torch. And if the cellular gatekeepers can't control the flow of ions and molecules into and out of the cell, the cell may die.

Because of their importance, cellular gates, channels and transporters, are the targets of intense scientific interest.

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Washington University Magazine Feature

Professor Younan Xia investigates imaginative applications of nanotechnology, and he applies keen observations to a wide range of disciplines: from fuel cell development to medical imaging and orthopedics.

"Nothing is too small to know, and nothing is too big to attempt.” —Sir William Van Horne (circa 1900)

When Van Horne linked the two extremes of the size spectrum 100-plus years ago, he could not have envisioned how small the objects of scientific study would become nor how large society’s problems would be. Nonetheless, he provided a fitting motto for research being conducted today at Washington University. Within laboratories in Whitaker Hall, Younan Xia engineers the tiniest structures—down to one ten-thousandth the thickness of a human hair—as agents to address some of society’s biggest concerns. Xia says that, increasingly, “technological advances in many areas will rely on nanotechnology,” as the field of miniaturized particles and devices is known. He foresees essential applications in everything from electronics to medicine. For example, a future laptop computer may require no batteries, relying instead on an onboard fuel cell to generate power. Its only requirement would be “a small supply of methanol,” Xia says.

As a student, Xia’s first interest was engineering; however, he trained in chemistry. Coming to Washington University in 2007, he established wide-ranging collaborations and, in the process, combined the two fields to create tiny, effective agents of change. Now, as the James M. McKelvey Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, he follows what he calls “simple ideas” to guide his work applying nanotechnology to clean energy production, imaging, and healing.

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Junk-food binge alters gut microbes in less than a day

Switching from a low-fat, plant-based diet to one high in fat and sugar alters the collection of microbes living in the gut in less than a day, with obesity-linked microbes suddenly thriving, according to new School of Medicine research.

The study was based on transplants of human intestinal microbes into germ-free mice.
Over time, mice that received the transplants, or humanized mice, on the junk-food diet became obese. Their weight gain was in lock step with dramatic shifts in the types of intestinal bacteria present compared to mice on a low-fat diet.

Using the latest DNA sequencing technology, the researchers found that mice on the high-fat, high-sugar diet had more microbes and microbial genes devoted to extracting calories from their "western" diet. These microbial genes were turned on when the mice were switched to the diet high in fat and sugar.

The study, published in Science Translational Medicine, documents the intimate relationship between diet and the dynamic variations in the community of intestinal microbes that can influence metabolism and weight.

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Recovery act funds new flu drug discovery center

School of Medicine scientists are investigating a new way to fight the flu.

Funding has been received largely through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to establish a drug discovery center that will look for compounds that enhance the body's natural virus-killing mechanisms to overcome the flu.

Each year, government agencies work with scientists to develop new flu vaccines to block large-scale flu outbreaks. The vaccines have to be modified yearly because flu viruses constantly change their basic components so the body's immune system can't recognize them.

But the researchers, headed by Michael J. Holtzman, M.D., believe they can identify drugs that enhance the body's resistance to a large range of respiratory viruses. That means these drugs could prevent or treat many different seasonal flu viruses and the 2009 H1N1 flu virus as well as the common cold and other respiratory viruses.

The ARRA provided nearly $2.5 million through the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases to support this research.

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Mutation linked to pediatric brain tumor may pave way for targeted treatment

School of Medicine researchers have linked mutations in a gene to a benign pediatric brain tumor, a finding that will help scientists seek drug treatments that block growth of the tumors.
"Now that we understand the signature mutation in these common pediatric tumors, we can think about designing treatments that alter the pathway that gene controls," said David H. Gutmann, M.D., Ph.D., the Donald O. Schnuck Family Professor of Neurology. "That's important because right now we have few treatments tailored to this tumor type."
Gutmann normally studies the tumors, known as pilocytic astrocytomas, in the context of neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1), an inherited condition that is one of the most common tumor predisposition syndromes. But pilocytic astrocytomas also occur sporadically in patients who do not have the NF1 mutation at a rate of about two to three new cases per 100,000 children per year.
To learn whether either condition could shed light on the other, Gutmann's team performed detailed genetic and genomic analyses of tumor samples from 70 patients with sporadic pilocytic astrocytomas and nine patients with NF1. The results appeared in a recent issue of Neurology.
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Washington U. scientists help unravel corn genome

By Georgina Gustin
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

A team of scientists led by researchers at The Genome Center at Washington University have sequenced the entire gene map of corn, helping unravel the basic biology of the nation's largest crop and providing information that could lead to key developments for corn growers.

The $29.5 million project, funded by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Departments of agriculture and energy, launched in 2005. The corn genome is similar in size to the human genome and has repetitive characteristics that make it especially difficult to decode. But the project was completed in the scheduled three years and within budget, researchers said.

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Dr. Garza Speaking on H1N1 Tonight

2009-2010 PhD Stipends in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences

With so many schools to chose from, it can be difficult to navigate through all of the stipends and benefits. Wendy Chao, a Harvard graduate, has put together a comprehensive list of PhD programs with adjusted stipends* and fringe benefits** (which are taken into consideration for tie breaks).

This is a great resource for those applying to graduate school.

Check out Wendy's list here!

*Adjusted to cost-of-living in New York City (home to the highest stipend) using the cost-of-living calculator at bestplaces.net/col. These numbers are by no means definitive, and should be used for general reference purposes only. Actual costs-of-living will obviously vary depending on multiple factors - including how lavish your lifestyle is, or even which calculator you use.

**Additional monetary funding based on available information. Tuition, insurance premiums, and fees are generally waived; only exceptions are noted (if information is available).

$80 million in stimulus grants awarded to WUSTL

Washington University has been awarded nearly $80 million in funding from the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to support research across a broad range of projects, including cancer, Alzheimer's disease, renewable energy, diabetes and climate change.

As of Sept. 30, the end of the federal fiscal year, University faculty had received 207 awards. Some $73 million came from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), ranking Washington University among the top 10 academic institutions in NIH stimulus funds. Other awards were received from the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy.

"The research funding we have been able to attract to Washington University will lead to new discoveries that will have direct benefit to people throughout our region and, indeed, across the world," Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton said. "Our successful competition for this funding is in large measure due to our many talented and experienced faculty who have distinguished themselves as world-class researchers. I am proud of the extra effort that many in our community made to bring this funding to St. Louis."

In all, 175 faculty members from the School of Medicine, Arts & Sciences, School of Engineering & Applied Science and the George Warren Brown School of Social Work received awards.

The largest chunk — $10 million — went to the Genome Center for a project to generate comprehensive genetic maps of mutations that underlie 20 different types of cancer. The researchers will sequence the DNA of cancer patients and compare it with DNA from tumor samples of the same patients to identify genetic changes that may be important to cancer. Over time, the project is expected to lead to new ways to diagnose, treat or even prevent cancer.

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by Caroline Arbanas

Solnica-Krezel to lead developmental biology department

Lilianna Solnica-Krezel, Ph.D., has been chosen to head the Department of Developmental Biology at the School of Medicine.
Larry J. Shapiro, M.D., executive vice chancellor for medical affairs and dean of the School of Medicine, announced the appointment, effective Jan.1, 2010.
Solnica-Krezel
"Lila is a visionary scientist and outstanding leader who will reach across departments and schools to build the strongest possible developmental biology department," Shapiro said. "I am confident that with her guidance, this department will continue to be at the forefront of research that is redefining how we think about human disease and how best to treat it."
Solnica-Krezel is the University Professor and the Martha Rivers Ingram Professor of Developmental Genetics at Vanderbilt University. She also is a professor of biological sciences, of pediatrics and of cell and developmental biology.
"I am honored by the invitation to head the new Department of Developmental Biology at Washington University, which has superb traditions in the area of developmental neurobiology and embryology," Solnica-Krezel said. "It is a particularly opportune time for developmental biology research as recent technological breakthroughs in the animal model systems afford insights into human embryonic development. We are discovering that many of the adult human diseases have their origins during embryogenesis, while studies of stem cells and regeneration are bringing us closer to curing human diseases and pushing boundaries of aging. I am thrilled about joining the excellent group of developmental biologists at Washington University and working with them to shape the future of the department."
The molecular biology and pharmacology department became the developmental biology department in 2007. The change reflected a shift in the department's research focus from embryonic development, aging, regenerative biology and physiology to an organism's development through life.
As head of the Department of Developmental Biology, Solnica-Krezel succeeds interim head David M. Ornitz, M.D., Ph.D., who has held the position since October 2004. Ornitz will return to his full-time research and teaching responsibilities.
"As an internationally regarded scientist and key member of the department for more than 17 years, David was the ideal person to guide the department through its renaming and its recent shift in focus," Shapiro said. "He has done a tremendous job and has ensured the department's success."
Solnica-Krezel earned a master's degree in molecular biology from Warsaw University in Poland in 1985 and a doctorate in oncology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research in 1991.
She also completed a postdoctoral fellowship in developmental genetics in 1995 at Harvard Medical School, where she helped to initiate and carry out the first large-scale genetic screen for mutations affecting zebrafish embryonic development.
Solnica-Krezel studies the molecular and genetic mechanisms that control the early development of vertebrate animals. She has studied this process in zebrafish, using a combination of genetic analysis with embryological and molecular methods.

By Diane Duke Williams

Cells in fruit fly gut can prompt tumor growth

Tumor growth can start from stem cells in the gut, say School of Medicine researchers studying fruit flies.

They found that tumors can grow from adult stem cells that have lost a specific tumor-suppressor gene. The gene, Apc, has previously been implicated in human gastrointestinal cancers, including colon cancer, the second-leading cause of cancer-related death in the Western world.

"A long-standing question in cancer biology is 'Do tumors arise from specific cell types?'" said lead author Craig A. Micchelli, Ph.D., assistant professor of developmental biology. "We asked what happens when the Apc gene is specifically disabled in fruit fly intestinal stem cells, and we observed that the mutant cells proliferate rapidly to create tumors. Our studies demonstrate that adult stem cells in the intestinal tract of fruit flies can function as a cell of origin for tumorigenesis."

The study was published in the journal Development.
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Obama taps Beachy to lead new federal agency

President Barack Obama has asked Roger Beachy, Ph.D., president of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center and professor of biology in Arts & Sciences, to lead a new federal agency that will transform the way that plant science research is funded in the United States.

Beachy is the founding president of the Danforth Plant Science Center, a private, nonprofit research institute in St. Louis County founded in 1999 by a partnership that includes Washington University.

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture, or NIFA, a newly named agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will manage the external grants of the Department of Agriculture, including the competitive grant program now called the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative.

In the past decade or so, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has distributed between $120 million and $180 million in competitive grants. "The goal we're aiming for in the next four or five years is an annual budget of $700 million," Beachy said.

"Plants are key to the future, to our survival," Beachy said. "But they just haven't been getting the attention they need from the research community or the U.S. public.

"We're beginning to see aberrations in climate, and the Earth's growing population will need not just more food but better food and will need to use less of the world's water supply so that the growing population will have what they require to live," Beachy said

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Sleckman named Conan Professor

Barry P. Sleckman, M.D., Ph.D., has been named the Conan Professor of Laboratory and Genomic Medicine.

Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton and Larry J. Shapiro, M.D., executive vice chancellor for medical affairs and dean of the School of Medicine, announced the appointment.

Sleckman is the second faculty member to hold the Conan Professorship, which was endowed by Jack Ladenson, Ph.D., the Oree M. Carroll and Lillian B. Ladenson Professor of Clinical Chemistry in Pathology and Immunology. Ladenson established the chair in part from funds earned through the development of blood tests to detect myocardial infarction, or heart attack.
"As an outstanding leader in teaching, research and administration, Barry Sleckman is a fine match for the Conan Professorship," Shapiro said. "He is an outstanding basic scientist interested in DNA damage and repair. He's a regular recipient of teaching awards at the School of Medicine, and his guidance helps to ensure that faculty in his division not only keep pace with the latest rapid advancements but also lead the way in developing new technologies and applying them to patient care."

In July 2008, Sleckman became chief of the Division of Laboratory and Genomic Medicine in the Department of Pathology and Immunology.

"As Conan professorship donor Jack Ladenson so ably demonstrated with his work on heart attack tests, Laboratory and Genomic Medicine is one of the real foci of our efforts to translate bench results from the laboratory into new bedside diagnostics and treatments for patients," Wrighton said. "I'm confident that Barry Sleckman will help such efforts move forward quickly and effectively as our new Conan Professor."

Sleckman's personal research focuses on DNA repair and the development of the early immune system. To develop properly, immune system cells have to rearrange some of their DNA. If these carefully regulated processes go awry, immune deficiency or cancer can result.

"Barry's research is helping us to understand basic processes that establish the diversity and effectiveness of the immune system. His studies have implications that extend well beyond the immune system into understanding fundamental aspects of gene regulation and mechanisms of cancer induction," said Herbert W. Virgin, M.D., Ph.D., the Edward Mallinckrodt Professor and chair of Pathology and Immunology. "Quite simply, he is a fantastic leader with vision and enthusiasm that will improve the department, the School of Medicine and the University. His commitment to the training of students and residents also stands out as a true strength."

Two more genetic risk factors for Alzheimer's found

An international team of scientists, including those from the School of Medicine, has identified two more genetic risk factors for Alzheimer's disease.

The group, led by investigators from the School of Medicine at Cardiff University in the U.K., completed the largest genome-wide association study ever involving patients with Alzheimer's disease. The study pooled DNA samples from more than 19,000 older European and U.S. residents. Seven thousand had Alzheimer's disease, and the others had no clinical symptoms of the disorder.

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DB Student Haluk Lacin's Research Featured on Development Cover!

Check it out here!

Which DBBS Program is Right for You?

Take Our Program Interest Quiz and Find out!

Itch-specific neurons identified in mice

Historically, many scientists have regarded itching as just a less intense version of pain. They have spent decades searching for itch-specific nerve cells to explain how the brain perceives itch differently from pain, but none have been found.
Now School of Medicine researchers have discovered that those itch-specific neurons do exist in mice, and their studies suggest that itch and pain signals are transmitted along different pathways in the spinal cord.
Reporting in the Aug. 6 issue of Science Express, the advance online publication of the journal Science, the researchers say they can knock out an animal's itch response without affecting its ability to sense and attempt to avoid pain.
"This finding has very important therapeutic implications," said principal investigator Zhou-Feng Chen, Ph.D., associate professor of anesthesiology, of psychiatry and of developmental biology.

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Ultra-tiny 'bees' target tumors

DBBS Faculty Member Samuel Wickline's Research was featured on CNN.com today. Check out the article here.

BioMedRAP & CD-BioRAP Summer Concludes

Exterior is nearly complete on the BJC Institute of Health

The exterior of the BJC Institute of Health at Washington University is almost a wrap.

The building is enclosed in 24,000 square-feet of insulated metal panels, 20,800 square-feet of brick, 99,000 square-feet of limestone panels and 75,000 square-feet of glass. The focus now continues inward as crews prepare the building for a December 2009 opening.

The 11-story, 700,000 square-foot building is located at the corner of Children's Place and Euclid. The $235 million BJC Institute of Health will be the hub for Washington University's BioMed 21 initiative to speed scientific discovery and apply breakthroughs to patient care rapidly. It also eventually will house Barnes-Jewish Hospital support functions, potentially dietary services, clinical laboratories and pharmacies. BJC has supported construction of the building with a $30 million gift over five years.

"We are a key step closer to opening the structure that will foster lifesaving research and accelerate the promise of BioMed 21," says Larry J. Shapiro, M.D., executive vice chancellor for medical affairs and dean of Washington University School of Medicine.

A look inside

A spacious, two-story lobby with a glass entryway will lead into the building. A staircase with built-in seating space will connect the lobby with upper walkways.

Floors one through five will be left as flexible shell space for Barnes-Jewish Hospital to develop in the future. Floors seven through 10 will provide space for the School of Medicine departments of ob/gyn, as well as five interdisciplinary research centers focusing on cancer genomics, diabetic cardiovascular disease, neurodegeneration, women's infectious disease and membrane excitability disorders.

The building's layout will facilitate teamwork and interaction. The labs are designed to be open, with no walls in between. They also will have flexibility built in, including casework, or cabinets, and equipment that can be moved easily to accommodate technology and change.

A scenic lobby will front the building, continuing efforts to make Euclid a relaxing area for staff and physicians, as well as visitors.

Three pedestrian bridges linking the building are in the process of being installed into the West Building, the Clinical Sciences Research Building and the current north/south link. A service road will lead from Taylor Avenue to the building's underground loading docks.

The BJC Institute of Health is striving for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. Groundbreaking occurred Oct. 29, 2007.

Fast facts on the BJC Institute of Health

More than 320 trailer loads of steel shipped to job site
7,200 tons of steel
Heaviest single structural column weighs 26,890 pounds
9,650 tons of rock
26,000 cubic yard of concrete

(by Kelly Pahl)

The Hope Center

The Hope Center is a collaborative alliance between Washington University and Hope Happens, a St. Louis-based non-profit organization.
For more information on the Hope Center, CLICK HERE.

Harvesting green energy

In the search for renewable sources of energy, Himadri Pakrasi recommends looking to the experts-algae and plants.

"Harvesting solar energy is what plants do," says Pakrasi, who is the George William and Irene Koechig Freiberg Professor of Biology in Arts & Sciences as well as a professor of energy in the School of Engineering & Applied Science. "Plants use sunlight to extract energy from water. In doing so they make all the things we need to sustain our lives."

Read Janni L. Simner's Article Here.

Mice with skin condition help scientists understand tumor growth

Cancerous tumors sometimes form at the site of chronic wounds or injury, but the reason why is not entirely clear. Now researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have engineered mice with a persistent wound-like skin condition, and the mice are helping them understand the tumor-promoting effects of long-standing wounds and injuries.

"The chronic skin condition in the mice led to the growth of skin tumors," says Raphael Kopan, Ph.D., professor of developmental biology and of dermatology. "And what we learned from this process fit very well with the emerging realization that a tumor's surroundings play a critical role in its development."

Past clinical evidence has linked chronic skin wounds such as leg ulcers to an increased risk of skin cancer, and some scientists have suggested that chronic injury can predispose various organs to cancer.

Read More...

Doctors recommend sunscreen with UVA and UVB protection

Ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun are well-known carcinogens, and exposure to sunlight increases dramatically for most people during the summer months. Year-round UV protection is recommended, but it is even more important during the summer. Sunscreen with both UVA and UVB protection should be applied regularly when in the sun, say Washington University in St. Louis dermatologists.

$37 million to extend regional biodefense and emerging infectious diseases research

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has extended funding for the Midwest Regional Center for Excellence in Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases (MRCE), anchored at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The center received a five-year, $37 million grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to continue to support basic and translational research in biodefense and emerging infectious diseases throughout the Midwest.

To Read More, Click Here.

$19 million to WU scientists to decode microbe DNA and explore links to disease

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis four grants totaling $19 million to explore the trillions of microbes that inhabit the human body and determine how they contribute to good health and disease.

Image courtesy of United States Department of Agriculture
The bacterium Enterococcus faecalis, which lives in the human gut, is just one type of microbe that will be studied as part of NIH's Human Microbiome Project.

To read more about the Grants, Click Here.

I Scream, You Scream, We all Scream for ICE CREAM

Ted Drewes, a local STL favorite, has been named one of America's Best Ice Creams by Traveler Magazine.
The article, written by Jennifer Murphy, praises Ted Drewes saying, "While not ice cream in the traditional sense, Ted Drewes is by far the most beloved frozen custard shop in Saint Louis, Mo., and its Route 66 stand stays open until midnight during the summer to feed comfort-seeking devotees. Unlike the Creamery, the only flavor available at Ted Drewes is vanilla, which is then mixed with fresh toppings like tiramisu and strawberries, and blended into mass so thick it’s charmingly referred to as “concrete.”

Read the full article here

Washington University opens Living Learning Center at Tyson

Washington University in St. Louis has opened what could be the first "living building" in North America. The Living Learning Center at Tyson Research Center is designed to be a net zero energy and net zero wastewater facility. Certification could come after the building is fully operational for 12 months and has met the Living Building Challenge requirements.



For a great article on the Living Learning Center at Tyson Research Center Click Here

2009 BioMedRAP and CD BioRAP Kicks Off With Welcome Dinner

The 2009 Summer Research Program has officially begun! Participants arrived yesterday amid torrential rains and damaging winds and checked safely into Olin Hall, their home away from home for the next 10 weeks.

The Welcome Dinner opened the Summer Program offically. Participtants mingled with current graduate students, faculty and DBBS staff.

To learn more about BioMedRAP and CD BioRAP, please visit: http://biomedrap.wustl.edu/

BioMed 21 Research Building

The largest building ever constructed on the campus of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis will be the home base for BioMed 21 — the University's innovative research initiative designed to speed scientific discovery and apply breakthroughs to patient care rapidly. The building is supported by a $30 million gift to Washington University's medical school from BJC HealthCare and will be named the BJC Institute of Health at Washington University.

Construction began in the summer of 2007 on the new building, which will house not only BioMed 21 laboratories and support facilities but also two academic departments of the School of Medicine as well as some support operations of Barnes-Jewish Hospital. The University will be adding 240,000 square feet of research space, and the estimated total cost of the building will be $235 million. As a hub for BioMed 21, the building will provide space for five newly created Interdisciplinary Research Centers (IRCs).

Over the next few weeks, we'll take a closer look at the BioMed 21 IRC's, so stay tuned!

Brain's organization switches as children become adults

Any child confronting an outraged parent demanding to know "What were you thinking?" now has a new response: "Scientists have discovered that my brain is organized differently than yours."
But all is not well for errant kids. The same new study also provides parents with a rejoinder: While the overarching organization scheme differs, one of the most important core principals of adult brain organization is present in the brains of children as young as 7.

...READ MORE

Obama names Schaal to science advisory council

President Barack Obama has appointed Barbara A. Schaal, Ph.D., the Mary-Dell Chilton Distinguished Professor of biology in Arts & Sciences and vice president of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), to the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST).
Schaal

PCAST is an advisory group of 20 of the nation's leading scientists and engineers who will advise the president and vice president and formulate policy in the many areas where understanding of science, technology and innovation is key to strengthening the nation's economy and forming policy that works for the American people.

Obama announced the PCAST members during remarks April 27 at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C. Obama is only the fourth president in modern times to address the annual meeting of the National Academy of Sciences.

"This council represents leaders from many scientific disciplines who will bring a diversity of experience and views," Obama said during the meeting, which Schaal attended. "I will charge PCAST with advising me about national strategies to nurture and sustain a culture of scientific innovation."

Click Here to Read More

DBBS Student inducted into Buchet Honor Society

Two WU doctoral students were inducted into the Edward A. Bouchet Graduate Honor Society at the annual Bouchet Conference on Diversity in Graduate Education March 28 at Yale University.
The 2009 Bouchet Fellows are N'Goundo Magassa, a doctoral student in the Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis Program in the Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, and Veronica Shead, a doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology Program in the Department of Psychology in Arts & Sciences.
The Bouchet Society recognizes outstanding scholarly achievement and promotes diversity and excellence in doctoral education and the professoriate.
To read more about N'Goundo's achievement, Click HERE

Admissions season is now closed! Applications for fall 2010 will be available on line at dbbs.wustl.edu on September 1st.

We are currently getting ready for our summer research students. Check back often for updates on their summer and other DBBS Happenings!!

DBBS Faculty Member Schaal installed as first Mary-Dell Chilton Professor

In naming biologist Barbara Schaal, Ph.D., the Mary-Dell Chilton Distinguished Professor in Arts & Sciences, Washington University honors two of its pioneering women biologists, said Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton at Schaal's installation in Holmes Lounge March 9.

To read more, click HERE

Weber awarded $4 million to study cancer cell growth

Jason Weber, Ph.D., associate professor of medicine in the Division of Oncology, has received a $4 million Era of Hope Scholar Award to study potential new ways to control breast cancer cell growth.

Read more about Dr. Weber's award HERE

Visiting St. Louis On the Cheap

Recently, there was a great article about St. Louis on MSNBC.com. Check out the article and a terrific slide show HERE

Morehouse Visit Highlighted in Record

The recent visit to Washington University by the Morehouse Hopps Scholars Program has been hightlighted in the Washington University Record. Check it out HERE

DBBS is on Twitter!

Hey Twitter Users! Follow DBBS to get blog updates directly to your Twitter feed!

Men of Morehouse

On March 8 and March 9 DBBS hosted a visit from Morehouse HOPPS Scholars, faculty and staff. The group arrived on Saturday and were given a tour of the St. Louis area that included the Arch, Union Station and, best of all, Ted Drewes frozen custard!

After a hearty breakfast on Monday, the young men of Morehouse enjoyed Information Sessions on the Ph.D., M.D/Ph.D, and M.D programs at Washington University. They were also given an opportunity to meet with DBBS Program faculty, as well as faculty from Chemistry, Physics, Psychology and Engineering for an informal "graduate fair".
Lunch in the King Center was followed by a scientific talk given by Dr. Erik Herzog on sleep.

The day wrapped up with a Panel Talk with current DBBS Graduate Students and Pizza in the FLTC Atrium.

DBBS enjoyed the opportunity to meet everyone from Morehouse and we certainly hope to see them again next year!

The DBBS PhD Admission season is winding down. We received over 900 applications for 80 positions in our entering class. We interviewed over 215 applicants during the 7 week interview season. We are very excited about the outstanding individuals who have been offered admission and hope many will decide to become part of the Wash U- DBBS family.

This is a very exciting time in the next stage of your life. You are finishing your undergraduate work and perhaps taking that last spring break trip. The interviews are over and you are now making a decision of where to spend the next 5-7 years of your life. Many of you have received several offers of admission. If you Google “how to choose a graduate school”, you will find many sources of information. In the end, you will need to make the decision that is best for you based on the factors that are the most important to you. April 15th is the deadline for informing all schools if you are accepting or declining an offer of admission. If you have any questions about DBBS as your make your decision, please contact me at rineyr@wustl.edu.

Sincerely,
Rebecca Riney
Director of PhD Admissions and Student Affairs

5th ANNUAL POSTDOC SCIENTIFIC SYMPOSIUM Next Week!

The purpose of the Symposium is to recognize the important work that postdocs perform at Washington University and provide a forum for postdocs to illustrate the scope of their research.

The 2009 Symposium will be Tuesday, February 24, 2009 12noon – 5:00pmEric P. Newman Education Center at the School of Medicine Campus

The Symposium will include individual postdoc talks, joint keynote address, presentation of the outstanding faculty mentor award, and a postdoc poster session with reception.

For more information, please refer to the OPGA Website Symposium Page

WU to Host NIH/ORWH National Conference on Women's Health

Washington University will host a national meeting March 4-6 on behalf of the NIH Office of Research in Women's Health as it begins to develop research priorities for the next decade. The meeting begins with a public hearing to gather input from scientists, health-care providers, patients, community groups, advocacy groups and other interested parties.
It is the first of several regional conferences to explore new avenues for research into diseases and issues that affect numerous women.

The conference is free and open to the WUSTL community and the public, but registration is required. To register and find more information, visit research.wustl.edu/womenshealth.

FLTC Currently Exhibiting DBBS Student Jason Hill's Work

The Farrell Learning and Teaching Center has chosen to enhance the facility and cultivate and inviting and creative atmosphere. Biomedical themes are present in many of the pieces by local artists and Washington University faculty, students and staff. Rotating exhibits of visiting artists can be found in the 2nd floor hearth and link areas of the building.

To check out samples of Jason's work, click HERE

Barbara Schaal named Mary-Dell Chilton Distinguished Professor

Barbara A. Schaal has been named the Mary-Dell Chilton Distinguished Professor in Arts & Sciences and will be installed on March 9, 2009.

"As one of our country's most outstanding biologists, Barbara Schaal is an excellent selection as the inaugural recipient of this distinguished professorship," said Chancellor Mark Wrighton. "Dr. Schaal has demonstrated impressive leadership skills both in her service to Washington University and the nation through her role with the National Academy of Sciences." Professor Schaal embodies excellence in research, teaching, leadership and service.

Schaal, an evolutionary plant biologist, counts over 150 publications and is well known for her work on the genetics of plant species, particularly the studies that use DNA sequences to understand evolutionary processes such as gene flow, geographical differentiation, and the domestication of crop species. Dr. Schaal’s research is primarily supported through highly competitive funding from the National Science Foundation. Her lab often collaborates with the Missouri Botanical Garden, one of the oldest botanical institutions in the United States. Her research uses a wide variety of techniques, from field observations to quantitative genetics and molecular biology. She studies plant species native to the U.S., tropical crops and their wild relatives, and Arabidopsis, the first plant to have its entire genome sequenced.

Professor Schaal brings additional distinction to Washington University in her current position as vice president of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, one of the world’s most prestigious science academies. Additionally, she plays a significant role in addressing scientific issues of concern to the U.S. government by chairing the Division on Earth and Life Studies of the National Research Council. "Many scientists I meet in this country and internationally know Barbara or know of her work. We are fortunate to have her on our faculty,” said Edward S. Macias, Ph.D., Provost and the Barbara and David Thomas Distinguished Professor in Arts & Sciences.

Born in Berlin, Germany in 1947, Professor Schaal became a U.S. citizen in 1956. She grew up in Chicago, graduated with honors from the University of Illinois-Chicago with a degree in biology, and received a doctorate from Yale University in 1974. She was on the faculty of the University of Houston and Ohio State University before joining Washington University in 1980. Here, she holds a joint appointment as both Professor of Biology in Arts & Sciences and Professor of Genetics at the School of Medicine. She has served as the chair of the biology department and is a longstanding member of the Arts & Sciences Academic Planning Committee. She was named the Spencer T. Olin Professor in Arts & Sciences in 2001.

Her career includes an extensive list of service, honors and awards. She has been president of the Botanical Society of America and president of the Society for the Study of Evolution. She has received a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Wilbur Cross Medal from Yale University, the Key award from the American Genetics Association, and a Distinguished Alumni award from the University of Illinois, among others. Professor Schaal is an elected member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Her recognition within the University includes the Founder’s Distinguished Faculty award, the Arthur Holly Compton Faculty Achievement award, and Graduate Student Mentor award.

Professor Schaal is dedicated to the teaching mission of Washington University. Outside of the classroom, she regularly involves undergraduates in her labs, serving as a mentor to many. She takes great pride in mentoring graduate students and post-docs, listing them prominently on her webpage under a "Hall of Fame" category. Students from her lab now hold post-doctoral fellowships and academic positions across this country and in Taiwan, Mexico, and the United Kingdom.

Mary-Dell Chilton is the Distinguished Science Fellow and Principal Scientist II at Syngenta Biotechnology, Inc. in Research Triangle Park, N.C. A key founder of modern plant biotechnology, she is the author of more than 100 scientific publications. Dr. Chilton was on the faculty of the biology department in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in the late 1970s and early 1980s. During that time, she led a collaborative research study that produced the first transgenic plants. This groundbreaking research was the basis for the many significant contributions plant biotechnology has made to agriculture today. Dr. Chilton received her Ph.D. from the University of Illinois and has been recognized with an honorary doctorate from the University of Louvaine, the John Scott Medal from the City of Philadelphia, membership in the National Academy of Sciences and the Benjamin Franklin Medal in Life Sciences from the Franklin Institute.

Save the Date!


DBBS will host an Open House for all Prospective PhD Graduate Students on Saturday, April 18. The event is free to all who wish to attend. Please visit http://dbbs.wustl.edu/openhouse for additional information.

To Register for the event, please contact the event coordinator- Jennifer Brown at lawlerj@dbbs.wustl.edu

We hope to see you there!!