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.

Read More

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.

READ MORE

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.
Read More

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.

READ MORE

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.

READ MORE

by Caroline Arbanas