DURHAM, N.C. -- During World War II, the Soviet Red Army was forced to move their biological warfare operations out of the path of advancing Nazi troops. Among the dangerous cargo were vials of Francisella tularensis, the organism that causes tularemia and one of the worlds most infectious pathogens.

Years later, a Soviet defector claimed that his country had unleashed their stores of F. tularensis on German soldiers, weakening them shortly before the pivotal Battle of Stalingrad. Others believe the outbreak on the German-Soviet front was more likely spread by rats, not Russians. Yet no one has disputed the bacterias capacity to inflict harm.

The Centers of Disease Control ranks tularemia as one of the six most concerning bioterrorism agents, alongside anthrax, botulism, plague, smallpox and viral hemorrhagic fever. And Russian stockpiles of it likely remain.

American scientists studying F. tularensis recently mapped out the complex molecular circuitry that enables the bacterium to become virulent. The map reveals a unique characteristic of the bacteria that could become the target of future drug development.

The research appeared early online Sept.1 and will be in the Sept. 13, 2017 journal Genes & Development.

Now we have the coordinates for stopping one of the most infectious agents known to man. By having all of these pieces, and understanding how they fit together, we can design new drugs that can shut down virulence, said Maria A. Schumacher, Ph.D., senior study author and the Nanaline H. Duke Professor of Biochemistry at the Duke University School of Medicine.

F. tularensis is an exceptionally hardy organism that can infect a variety of hosts, including humans, rabbits and mosquitos, and can survive for weeks at a time in dead and decaying carcasses. It is so virulent that a person only has to inhale 10 microscopic particles of the bacterium to become infected. The Russians and Japanese, as well as the Americans and their allies, all explored its potential as a biological weapon during World War II.

After the war, Russians continued to develop the agent, searching for mutations that could make it resistant to antibiotics and thus even more deadly. The World Health Organization has since projected that 110 pounds of F. tularensis dispersed over a city of 5 million people would cause about 250,000 cases of severe illness, and 19,000 deaths.

Despite decades of fervent study, the factors that make this bacterium so pathogenic are still not fully understood. Recently, a cluster of genes called the Francisella pathogenicity island emerged that is essential for its virulence. In this study, researchers carried out a battery of structural, biochemical and cellular studies to define the molecular factors that turn these pathogenicity genes on and off.

They suspected that a stress-sensing molecule or alarmone called ppGpp might play a role. Alarmones are known to respond to stressful conditions by promoting survival and virulence in bacteria.

Lead study author and Duke graduate student Bonnie J. Cuthbert started by looking at factors that might interact with ppGpp, such as the aptly named protein pathogenicity island gene regulator or PigR, the macrophage growth locus protein A or MglA, and the stringent starvation protein A or SspA. Cuthbert used a technique called x-ray crystallography to produce atomic-level three-dimensional structures of each of these proteins, and then assembled them one by one, like the components of a circuit board.

She found that MglA and SspA partner up to form a two-part protein that contains a unique binding pocket on its underside for ppGpp. Once this molecule is bound, it recruits PigR and subsequently stabilizes RNA polymerase to this area of the F. tularensis genome, creating a large complex that latches onto the DNA to flip on the pathogenicity genes.

The researchers then created mutations that destroyed the binding pocket for ppGpp. They found that when the alarmone couldnt bind, pathogenicity couldnt be activated.

We have uncovered a totally novel way for controlling virulence, said senior study author Richard G. Brennan, Ph.D., James B. Duke Professor of Biochemistry and Chair of Biochemistry at Duke University School of Medicine and also an advisor to Cuthbert. If we could block this binding pocket, then we could stop virulence in F. tularensis. It would be a new way of fighting this bacteria, by disabling it with antivirulence drugs rather than by killing it outright with antibiotics.

The research was supported by aNational Institutes of Health grants GM115547,GM37048, and AI081693. The Berkeley Center for Structural Biology is supported in part by the National Institutesof Health, the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. The ALS issupported by the Director, Office of Science, Office of Basic EnergySciences of the US Department of Energy under contract numberDEAC02-05CH11231.

CITATION: Dissection of the molecular circuitry controlling virulence in Francisella tularensis, Bonnie Cuthbert, Wilma Ross, Amy Rohlfing, Simon Dove, Richard Gourse, Richard G. Brennan, and Maria A. Schumacher. Genes & Development, September 13, 2017. DOI: 10.1101/gad.303701.117

http://genesdev.cshlp.org/content/early/2017/09/01/gad.303701.117.full.pdf+html?sid=f7d8a806-f7ee-4da3-ac9e-1f1f4f82f5c3

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Molecular Map Shows How to Disable Dangerous Bioweapon ... - Duke Today

Australian scientists have developed a new tool for imaging life at the nanoscale that will provide new insights into the role of transition metal ions such as copper in neuro-degenerative diseases.

In a new paper published in Nature Communications, a team of researchers at the University of Melbourne reveal a "quantum kangaroo" that demonstrates a way to detect and image electronic spins non-invasively with ambient sensitivities and resolution orders of magnitude never before achieved. The breakthrough will provide physicians and researchers with a new tool for probing the role transition metal ions play in biology and disease.

Electron spin resonance (ESR) techniques have been a mainstay in understanding biochemical processes in biological systems. Yet ESR has not seen the rapid growth compared to its sister technology, nuclear magnetic resonance, which is now a mature technology used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to look inside the body.

Both ESR and NMR apply a magnetic field to image molecules, but unlike NMR, ESR can reveal biochemistry related to metal ions and free radicals. The challenge is that in biological systems the detectable concentration of electron spins is many orders of magnitude lower than nuclear spins. Hence, the roadblock for the development of ESR-based imaging techniques has been the sensitivity required - typically billions of electronic spins have been needed to generate a sufficient signal for successful imaging.

Enter: quantum technology. A team led by Professor Lloyd Hollenberg has used a specially engineered array of quantum probes in diamond to demonstrate non-invasive ESR imaging with sub-cellular resolution. Remarkably, the system is able to image and interrogate very small regions containing only a few thousand electron spins.

"The sensing and imaging technology we are developing enables us to view life in completely new ways, with greater sensitivity and resolution derived from the fundamental interactions of sample and probe at the quantum mechanical level," said Hollenberg, who is Deputy Director of the Centre for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology (CQC2T) and Thomas Baker Chair at the University of Melbourne.

"This dramatic improvement in ESR imaging technology is an exciting development and a clear demonstration of how quantum technology can be used to enhance signal sensitivity and provide solutions to long standing problems, for example probing human biochemistry at even finer scales."

Scaling ESR technology down to sub-micron resolution has been challenging because such a reduction in spatial resolution requires substantially better sensitivity. However, this is precisely what quantum probes offer - high sensitivity with high spatial resolution.

By generating an array of quantum probes in diamond, using the material's unique nitrogen-vacancy colour centre, the interdisciplinary research team was able to image and detect electronic spin species at the diffraction limit of light, 300 nanometres. Critically, the sensing technology is able to provide spectroscopic information on the particular source of electronic spins being imaged.

Dr David Simpson, lead author and co-head of sensing and imaging at the Centre for Neural Engineering said that the technology can provide new insight into the role transition metal ions play in biology.

"Transition metal ions are implicated in several neuro-degenerative diseases, however, little is known about their concentration and oxidation state within living cells," he said.

"We aim to adapt this new form of sensing to begin probing such effects in a range of biological systems."

One of the unique advantages of quantum-based sensing is that it does not interfere with the sample being imaged. Other approaches rely on fluorescent molecules binding to particular targets of interest. While these approaches are species-specific, they modify the functionality and availability of the target species being imaged.

PhD student and co-author on the paper Robert Ryan explained the technique.

"Our technique relies on passive, non-invasive detection of electronic spins by observing their interaction with the quantum probe array," said Ryan.

"By carefully tuning an external magnet into resonance with the quantum probes, we are able to listen to the magnetic noise created by the sample's electronic spins. Different electronic spin species have different resonance conditions; therefore we are able to detect and image various electronic spin targets."

A key to the success of the work was collaboration among the team members, who were drawn from different research centres across the university.

"The interdisciplinary aspect of this research helped push the boundaries of what is possible," said Professor Paul Mulvaney, co-author and Director of the Centre for Exciton Science in the School of Chemistry at the University of Melbourne.

"From a chemistry perspective, it is surprising to see that a fragile quantum system can accommodate the fluctuating environment encountered in ?real' chemical systems and the inherent fluctuations in the environment of ions undergoing ligand rearrangement. The complementary expertise within chemistry, physics and neuroscience has led to this advance."

Research paper

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Aussie quantum tech has its sights set on human biochemistry - Space Daily

Amanda Miller, a senior biochemistry major from Plano, spent her summer at Harvard University conducting research as a 2017 Amgen Scholar. This experience opened doors for her future career.

When I first came to Tech, my goal was to become a pediatrician, but after being involved with this hand-on experience, I want to incorporate research into my career, Miller said. I want to get my M.D. after my undergraduate biochemistry degree. It is a huge commitment, but after seeing professionals act in this field, I know it is for me.

Miller was one of 200 students chosen for the Amgen Scholars program. According to its website, Amgen Scholars gives undergraduate students from across the world the opportunity to participate in prestigious research programs at high-ranking institutions.

Miller is the first Texas Tech student to participate in the program at Harvard University.

Applying for the Harvard program is different from some of the other institutions because it requires not only a transcript, resum and letters of recommendation, but I also had to do a Skype interview, Miller said.

For the 10 weeks she was in Massachusetts, Miller said she worked on Project Abbie.

Project Abbie is inspired by Abbie Benford, a young girl who died from anaphylactic shock, Miller said. Essentially, Project Abbie is creating a sensor that detects the early symptoms of an allergic reaction and injects epinephrine automatically.

Miller said this device will help save lives because it involves early detection and will aid in injecting medicine into individuals who are unable to do so themselves.

Anaphylaxis is a huge problem, she said. Getting help in time is a huge issue. So much time is already wasted even before the symptoms are noticeable.

As an Amgen Scholar, Miller said the Amgen Foundation funded her research at Harvard.

Amgen is one of the biggest biotechnology companies in the United States, Miller said. Because of its funding, the Amgen Scholars program is possible.

Wendoli Flores, director of National and International Scholarships and Fellowships in Techs Honors College, said being chosen as an Amgen Scholar will open many career avenues for Miller in the future.

Honors like these hold a lot of prestige and gives the student credibility, she said. The nature of summer research is very beneficial to students because it exposes them to a different way of learning through other universities.

Miller said her love for research began in her general chemistry course, taught by Dominick Casadonte, Minnie Stevens Piper Professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry.

Amanda (Miller) was one of the strongest general chemistry students that I have had here at Texas Tech in over 25 years, Casadonte said. She has a lot of research and intellectual attributes that I would see in senior graduate students. Her ability to think through a problem clearly is one of the strongest I think I have ever seen.

Along with his general chemistry class, Casadonte has also had Miller partake in his undergraduate research for three years.

She takes everything she does very seriously and does it very well, he said. That seriousness characteristic is something that I think stood out in terms of her application.

Along with the Amgen program, Miller was also awarded the Goldwater Scholarship in the spring.

At the time, Amanda (Miller) was applying for the Amgen Scholars, she was honorable mentioned for the Goldwater Scholarship. She had not officially received it yet, Flores said. The Goldwater Scholarship is such a prestigious award that even just being honorable mentioned helped her get into the Amgen program.

Miller said this program was a great experience because she did not have to take actual classes: It was entirely research oriented.

This program was amazing because I got to work as if I was a graduate student when I have not even finished my undergraduate degree yet, she said. I also got to meet and talk to some of the celebrities of the biotechnology field. It was an incredible experience.

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Texas Tech student receives prestigious Amgen award - The Daily Toreador (registration)

A dangerous driver was tracked down by a police dog after dumping his car and hiding in an empty bus.

Mohamed Mansaray abandoned his Ford Fiesta after speeding through Sutton-in-Ashfield.

He headed for a bus depot and hid there - but was sniffed out by a sharp-nosed four-legged canine.

Nottingham Crown Court heard on Tuesday, September 5, police wanted to speak to him after he was spotted using his mobile phone at the wheel in the uninsured car.

But instead of stopping when they indicated him to, Mansaray drove off - hitting 60mph in a 30mph zone, and overtaking on a bend after 9.15pm on June 1.

Now he hopes to go on the straight and narrow and study biochemistry.

As he was sentenced for dangerous driving, Recorder William Harbage QC told him in the dock: "This was very bad driving".

Handing him four months in youth custody, suspended for two years, he commented: "You drove off at speed. Clearly you knew you were required to stop by the police and they wanted to speak to you.

"You drove at an excessive speed in a residential area. You were going up to 60mph in a 30mph limit.

"You were detained by the police dog".

The judge watched police dash camera footage of the mile-long chase. He said Mansaray put road users, police, himself and two passengers at risk.

"There was no accident, no one was hurt, by good fortune than anything else".

The judge gave Mansaray, 19, of Walworth Place, Southwark, South London, 150 hours of unpaid work.

And he ordered he attend a 'thinking skills programme', eight days of a rehabilitation activity requirement, and be subject to a 12-month driving ban.

Solicitor-advocate Felicity Campbell said the driving was a short distance and duration.

"No one was hurt," she stressed. "There were no collisions. He made off on foot".

Mansaray, who pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, has previous convictions for robbery and shoplifting.

Miss Campbell said "a flurry of dishonesty offences" led to his imprisonment in August this year and it "had a real impact on him".

He has been serving his sentence away from his family and found the whole process difficult and unpleasant, she explained.

"He comes from a supportive family," she added. "He lives with his mother and older sister. His sister helped him complete an application for university to study biochemistry. He has applied to Leicester University and is hopeful he can complete a biochemistry degree.

"He sees his criminal behaviour comes from hanging around with the wrong people. His past has caught up with him".

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Dangerous driver was tracked by police dog after hiding in empty bus - Nottingham Post

A 50-year-old, alcoholic male presents with a swollen face, distended abdomen, and an enlarged fatty liver. Fatty acids react with glycerol-3-P to form triglycerides, which accumulate to cause fatty liver. The liver has glycerol kinase, while adipose tissue lacks glycerol kinase. As a result, in adipose tissue, which of [] Continue ReadingPlease help "Biochemistry for Medics" by CLICKING ON THE ADVERTISEMENTS above!

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Biochemistry for Medics - Lecture Notes

By Bridget Mire Staff Writer

In third grade, John Doucet was punished in class and saw his parents' car drive up outside the window.

"I thought I was going to be executed," he said. "Why'd they call my parents? All I did was drop a crayon at the wrong time or something, you know? As it turns out, they were meeting with the administration because my science aptitude scores were high."

So began the Golden Meadow native's path to becoming a scientist.

In high school, a teacher who'd judged one of Doucet's projects decided he knew enough about chemistry that he didn't have to sit in class. He put him in a vacant laboratory with a biochemistry college textbook.

Doucet went on to earn a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Nicholls State University in 1984 and a doctorate in biochemistry from Louisiana State University in 1992. He was hired at Nicholls in the fall of 1997.

He is now dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and recently received the top faculty honor of being named an Alcee Fortier Distinguished Service Professor. The award is named after a professor of romance languages who taught at Tulane University starting in the 19th century.

Doucet said other professors he's worked with and has great respect for also hold the title.

"It's humbling that the selection committee and the administration thought enough of my body of work that I belonged in that group," he said.

Doucet also directs the University Honors Program and has been named a Distinguished Service Professor of Biological Sciences and McIlhenny Professor of Human and Environmental Genetics.

He spent more than five years researching Usher syndrome as part of a National Institute of Health postdoctoral fellowship. The disease, which causes hearing loss and a degenerative retinal condition, was segregating among a small group of Acadian descendants.

In April of 1997, Doucet discovered something else he'd be interested in researching.

"I had driven across Highway 90 from where I was working at LSU Medical Center in New Orleans, and my car was full of lovebugs," he recalled. "So I said, 'You know what? I'm going to kill lovebugs. I'm going to rid this area of lovebugs.' As I studied lovebugs as a hobby, it turned out their larvae are beneficial for the environment, so it's not a good idea to kill them."

Doucet has written 13 plays, had a book of poetry published and has one in the works.

He said it's fitting that he received the Alcee Fortier award, as the namesake shared his interest in Louisiana culture and history.

"The Alcee Fortier Distinguished Service Professor award honors the best of the best of the Nicholls faculty," said Lynn Gillette, provost and vice president for academic affairs. "Dr. Doucet has devoted two decades to Nicholls and our students, and he is well deserving of this honor."

-- Staff Writer Bridget Mire can be reached at 448-7639 or bridget.mire@dailycomet.com. Follow her on Twitter @bridget_mire.

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Nicholls dean receives top faculty honor - Houma Today - Houma Courier

Veterinary biochemistry analyzers enable testing to be performed quickly and accurately for immediate diagnosis and health check for animals. They are also used in emergency situation, and routine testing.

Increasing incidences of disease outbreak in animals and technological advancements are expected to drive the veterinary biochemistry analyzers market. Additionally, growing awareness regarding animal health and rise in investment opportunities together form strong market prospects for veterinary biochemistry analyzers, especially in the developing countries.

The threats such as foot and mouth disease (FMD), as well as agents that affect animals and humans, such as bovine tuberculosis and paratuberculosis, anthrax, avian influenza, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and West Nile virus are responsible for rise in importance of need for veterinary disease diagnostics eventually propelling the market growth.

Most veterinary laboratories typically provide a basic panel of tests. The veterinary biochemistry analysis may be performed in-house at the veterinarian's clinic or at a specialized test facility in another location depending on the need of test type to be performed as well as availability of equipment in that particular facility.

Advancements in the analyzers technology is anticipated to fuel fueled the market growth due to the availability of faster and cheaper microchips with increase in acceptance level of pet owners for laboratory testing.

Veterinary Biochemistry Analyzers Market: Segmentation

The global veterinary biochemistry analyzers market can be segmented on the basis of product type, test type, animal type, end-users and geography. Test types include clinical chemistry, critical care and blood gases, electrolytes, glucose, lactate and blood and urine tests.

Other tests include: tests for anemia, endocrine function; cancer, viral pathogens such as calicivirus (CaCV), canine adenovirus type-1 (CAV-1), coronavirus, adenovirus, parvovirus, rotavirus, rabies, West Nile Virus,.; and bacteria and parasites such as E. coli, heartworm, cryptosporidia, hookworm, leptospirosis, leishmania, Lyme disease, tapeworm and roundworm.

Chemical analysis of urine may include determination of specific gravity and pH level, measurement of the amount of glucose, protein, or fragmented blood cells, assisting in identification of injury, disease, or defects.

Analysis of the numbers and structure of blood cells is important in the diagnosis and monitoring of disease and infection. Blood samples are usually taken by the veterinarian or a veterinary technician for analysis.

Product types include fully automated analyzers, semi-automated analyzers, hematology analyzers, urine analyzers amongst others.

End-users segment includes veterinary clinics, pet hospitals and animal research institutes. Companion animal and farm animal form two segments for animal type.

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Veterinary Biochemistry Analyzers Market: Region-wise Outlook

Geographically, the veterinary biochemistry analyzers market across the globe can be segmented into four major regions, namely, North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of the World. North America is expected to lead the market with maximum share followed by Europe attributed to the increasing companion animal population and positive trends towards healthcare expenditure for animals in these regions.

Veterinary Biochemistry Analyzers Market: Key Entities

Major players contributing to the global veterinary biochemistry analyzers comprise Abaxis,Inc., Heska, Diagno-Vision Products Corporation, Idexx Laboratories, Inc., Mindray Medical International Limited, Neogen Corporation, Thermo Fischer Scientific, Virbac SA, Woodley Equipment Company Ltd., Zoetis, Inc.

Univerities such as the University of Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (VDL), which is fully accredited by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, provide quality diagnostic services such as bacteriology, necropsy, electron microscopy, serology, clinical chemistry, histopathology, endocrinology, virology, immunohistochemistry, parasitology, toxicology and molecular diagnostics. VDL is also engaged in training future diagnosticians and veterinarians.

The research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data, and statistically supported and industry-validated market data. It also contains projections using a suitable set of assumptions and methodologies.

The research report provides analysis and information according to categories such as market segments, geographies, types and applications.

Request a brochure of this report to know what opportunities will emerge in the rapidly evolving Veterinary Biochemistry Analyzers Market during 2016- 2023

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Report explores the veterinary biochemistry analyzers market - WhaTech

Biochemist Marcos E. Ortega, a native of El Paso, Texas, studied how viruses replicate at the University of Colorado Denver and Health Sciences Center, where he earned a doctorate in biochemistry. Following postdoctoral fellowships at USC and Harvey Mudd College, he landed a teaching position in 2013 at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota.

This fall semester, he joins Cal State Fullerton as an assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry. Ortega also holds a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Grinnell College in Iowa.

"I chose to pursue a career in academia as I truly love the combination of teaching and research," said Ortega, who also speaks Spanish. "I wanted to pursue a path that allowed me to impact the community and students in a very personal way through teaching, mentoring, outreach and service work."

I was inspired to pursue biochemistry and education by two things: the passing of my grandfather from diabetes when I was a teen and the teaching career of my mother. When I chose to pursue chemistry in college, it was biochemistry and the molecular origins of disease that piqued my interest the most. I sought answers in biochemistry about diabetes, which helped me to deal with the loss of my grandfather. It was truly a case where knowledge was power, and I utilize these lessons to this day in my classes. I was also inspired by the patience and significant impact that my mom had on students as a first-grade teacher. I want to have that same type of impact on others and a career in academics married my desire to impact students with the molecular understanding and prevention of disease and infection.

My research interests lie in trying to understand viral infection and viral replication using biochemical techniques and studies. I seek to understand how biophysical and biochemical principles guide the spontaneous assembly of a mature virus in a host cell. At the core, I want to investigate how viruses replicate and assemble and thus cause infection by studying the relation between protein structure and function.

I hope students learn that biochemistry is important to all people and impacts our lives on a daily basis. I want students to find a personal connection to biochemistry that hopefully motivates them to learn more. I also want students to find their place in the world and realize the importance of education. I know all students will not pursue biochemistry or biophysics, but through my teaching, I want students to know that anything is possible with a strong work ethic and an education.

I would like people to know that the answers to many of the difficult questions in todays world may be right in front of us. Whether its treatments for cancer, feeding the hungry, environmental issues or sustainable energy, the foundations of cellular function and the chemistry that drives it may begin to illuminate some answers that will help us prosper and advance as a society.

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Biochemist Studies How Viruses Replicate, Cause Infection - CSUF News

Michigan State Universitys Robert Last studies tomatoes. Specifically, he researches their hair, or trichomes.

For this study, he focused on a single type of molecule in trichomes acylsugars. The secrets Last and a team of MSU scientists found from studying these specialized metabolites open an evolutionary window for the emerging field of plant defense metabolism, insights that could lead to engineering advances for better pest resistance and human medicine.

There are an estimated 300,000 species of plants in the world, producing roughly more than a million metabolites. Plants use these molecules to grow, communicate with each other or to defend themselves against pests and disease. Humans benefit from many of these products for food, medicines and industrial uses. Thousands of core metabolites are found in every plant, but hundreds of thousands are more specialized and found only in specific groups of plants.

Acylsugars are an example of a group of specialized metabolites found only in the Solanaceae family, which includes tomato and petunia plants. These specialized metabolites have a wide variety of structures and are made by different enzymes working together to carry out a series of biochemical reactions.

We sought to understand how this novel pathway originated and diversified across 100 million years of plant evolution, said Last, MSU Barnett Rosenberg Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Plant Biology and the studys senior author. This is our crystal ball, our view into evolution.

The crystal ball revealed that many of the enzymes that make acylsugars are promiscuous, meaning that they could use a variety of molecules as starting points for their chemical reactions. This could be the key as to how the plants make a variety of acylsugars.

The scientists also discovered that many of the enzymes that make acylsugars are encoded by genes that were originally copies of other genes and that have subsequently evolved new roles.

Deciphering these codes are important because tomatoes acylsugars are natural pesticides. Engineering plants to produce acylsugars could reduce pesticide use in crop production. Additionally, some of these mechanisms could help make chemicals that have pharmaceutical value, including ones that treat cancer and heart conditions.

Plants are master chemists, and were only just beginning to understand the metabolic pathways that they use to produce these amazing compounds, said Last, whos also an MSU AgBioResearch scientist. By understanding how the pathways evolved to produce these enzymes could lead to innovative ways to make valuable compounds on a large scale.

The MSU team of scientists contributing to this research included Gaurav Moghe, Bryan Leong, Steven Hurney and Daniel Jones. The paper is published in the current issue of the journal eLife.

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Tomatoes' 'Crystal Ball' Reveals Evolutionary Secrets - Laboratory Equipment

by Erin Facer | Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017, 11:54 AM

Carlos Lopez (Vanderbilt University)

Carlos F. Lopez, assistant professor of biochemistry and biomedical informatics, has been appointed as Vanderbilt Universitys liaison to Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the U.S. Department of Energys largest science and energy laboratory conducting research in energy and security. Lopez will continue the many collaborations that Greg Walker, associate professor of mechanical engineering, initiated during his term in this role.

Carlos expertise at the interface of physical, biological and computer sciences is precisely what is needed to help Vanderbilt University develop closer scientific collaborations with Oak Ridge National Lab, Vice Provost for Research Padma Raghavan said. I am grateful to him for stepping into this role, and I look forward to working with him to further develop this important partnership.

Carlos is an energetic and interactive investigator who already has productive collaborations with Oak Ridge scientists. He is very well suited for this new role, added Larry Marnett, dean of basic sciences at the School of Medicine.

As the Vanderbilt liaison to ORNL, Lopez will work closely with Vanderbilt faculty, the Office of the Provost, university deans and Vanderbilt University Medical Center leadership to advance key research themes that align with both Vanderbilt and ORNL priorities.

I would like to be instrumental in bringing together researchers from both institutions to develop robust collaborations to accelerate discovery, Lopez said.

Lopez received his Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania. He pursued a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Texas at Austin, where he studied theoretical biophysics, and followed this with a postdoctoral position at Harvard Medical School. He moved to Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in late 2012 as an assistant professor of cancer biology. His work develops and applies novel computational modeling tools and leverages strong experimental collaborations to describe intracellular biochemical signaling networks to further our understanding of cellular decision-making processes.

Media Inquiries: Erin Facer, erin.facer@vanderbilt.edu

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Lopez named Vanderbilt's liaison to Oak Ridge National Laboratory - Vanderbilt University News