Category Archives: Biochemistry

Biochemistry

Biological Optical Microscopy Platform Manager job with UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE | 302639 – Times Higher Education

Location:ParkvilleRole type:Full time / Fixed-termfor 3 years (with the possibility of extension)Faculty: Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health SciencesDepartment/School:Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologySalary: Level B($110,236 - $130,900) or Level C ($135,032 - $155,698) p.a. plus 17% super

The University of Melbourne would like to acknowledge and pay respect to the Traditional Owners of the lands upon which our campuses are situated, the Wurundjeri and Boon Wurrung Peoples, the Yorta Yorta Nation, the Dja Dja Wurrung People. We acknowledge that the land on which we meet and learn was the place of age-old ceremonies, of celebration, initiation and renewal, and that the local Aboriginal Peoples have had and continue to have a unique role in the life of these lands.

About the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology is a research and research-lead teaching department of the School of Biomedical Science in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences. The Departments research laboratories are mainly located in the Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute (Bio21 Institute) which is adjacent to the University of Melbourne campus at Parkville and the University of Melbourne, Medical Building. We use our strengths in research to create high-quality courses for our undergraduate and graduate students in biomedicine, science and medicine.

https://biomedicalsciences.unimelb.edu.au/departments/biochemistry

About the Role

This is an academic position with major responsibility for management and ongoing development of the Biological Optical Microscopy Platform (BOMP), which makes state-of-the art fluorescence microscopy equipment available to the staff and students of the University of Melbourne, as well as the wider community. You will be actively involved in oversight of the maintenance of a suite of instrumentation, as well as training and research projects.

You will provide leadership and direction to all users of the BOMP facilities in a collaborative research and teaching environment and will manage a team of application specialists.

Other responsibilities include:

The Department and the Bio21 Institute provides superb training facilities and environment for students, as well as outstanding career opportunities for staff.

Biological Optical Microscopy Platform (unimelb.edu.au)

About You

You are a collaborative researcher, with excellent time management and the flexibility to manage and respond to changing priorities and deadlines. You can demonstrate your high level problem-solving and well as your effective verbal and written communication skills. Your ability to foster relationships will set you up for success in this role.

You will also have:

To ensure the University continues to provide a safe environment for everyone, this position requires the incumbent to hold a current and valid Working with Children Check.

About the University

The University of Melbourne is consistently ranked amongst the leading universities in the world. We are proud of our people, our commitment to research and teaching excellence, and our global engagement.

Benefits of Working with Us

In addition to having the opportunity to grow and be challenged, and to be part of a vibrant campus life, our people enjoy a range of rewarding benefits:

To find out more, visithttps://about.unimelb.edu.au/careers/staff-benefits.

Be Yourself

We value the unique backgrounds, experiences and contributions that each person brings to our community and encourage and celebrate diversity. First Nations people, those identifying as LGBTQIA+, females, people of all ages, with disabilities and culturally and linguistically diverse people are encouraged to apply. Our aim is to create a workforce that reflects the community in which we live.

Join Us!

If you feel this role is right for you, please submit your application including a brief cover letter, your resume and your responses against the selection criteria^ (found in the Position Description) for the role.

^For information to help you with compiling short statements to answer the selection criteria and competencies, please go tohttp://about.unimelb.edu.au/careers/selection-criteria

We are dedicated to ensuring barrier free and inclusive practices to recruit the most talented candidates. If you require any reasonable adjustments with the recruitment process, please contact us athr-talent@unimelb.edu.au.

The University of Melbourne is required to comply with applicable health guidance and directions issued from the Victorian Health Minister. All University of Melbourne employees are to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, unless an exemption order applies. Applicants must meet this requirement when submitting an application.

Position description:PD_BOMP Platform Manager.pdf

Applications close: 24 AUGUST2022 11:55 PMAUS Eastern Standard Time

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Biological Optical Microscopy Platform Manager job with UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE | 302639 - Times Higher Education

Biochemistry

Researchers Working To Find New Effective Treatments For Tuberculosis – Gilmore Health News

Treatment of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections is difficult, especially with the emergence of strains that are drug-resistant. Researchers led by University of Oklahoma professor Helen Zgurskaya are now working to find new, more effective drugs for tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis

Read Also: SMARt751 Brings a Solution to Drug Resistance by Tuberculosis Bacteria in Animal Models

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a pathogenic bacterium that is implicated in the incidence of tuberculosis. Experts say it is the number one cause of infectious disease globally. It affects billions of people worldwide about 25 percent of the worlds population.

Treatment of patients with active symptoms typically involves the use of multiple antibiotics for months. But, as with an increasing number of other bacterial infections these days, this infectious disease is becoming more drug-resistant.

Currently, the treatment requires a combination of antibiotics taken by patients for six months, but now imagine that the disease does not respond to the treatment, stated Zgurskaya, who is the studys corresponding author and a George Lynn Cross Research Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry in the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences.

We are out of therapeutic options for this infection, and we need new drugs. The paper we published is focused on understanding how recently discovered new inhibitors kill the pathogen, she added.

Read Also: Antibiotics: Two Antibacterial Compounds Effective Against Resistant Tuberculosis Discovered

The new paper appeared in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Aside from OU scientists, its authors included researchers from Colorado State University, Creighton University, and the Georgia Institute of Technology.

In this study, researchers investigated the mycobacterial membrane protein Large 3 (MmpL3) transporter and its analogs. This inner membrane protein is very critical for coming up with new drugs for tuberculosis.

MmpL3 transporters are vital for shuttling materials that are needed to build the outer membrane of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. They are, thus, essential for bacteria growth and building antibiotic resistance.

Zgurskaya and her colleague isolated MmpL3 from bacterial cells and purified it. Next, they reconstituted this major target for anti-tuberculosis discovery and its analogs in artificial membranes.

The team went further to make a range of substrate mimics and transporter-specific inhibitors. It also examined the activities and properties of these molecules.

Findings showed that all reconstituted proteins aided proton transfer across membranes. However, striking differences were observed in the responses of MmpL3 analogs to pH and their interactions with substrate mimics and indole-2-carboxamide inhibitors.

Read Also: The BCG a Tuberculosis Vaccine Boosts Immune Cells and Reduces Risk of Other Infections

This new paper suggests that certain inhibitors stop the transport activity of MmpL3, together with its analogs, by blocking proton translocation.

This study creates a potent method for characterizing and making new drugs for tuberculosis.

The research lays the groundwork for working out the mechanism of MmpL3 transporters. It also provides a biochemical basis for grasping the inhibition of these transporters by tiny molecule compounds. This will hopefully prove crucial for developing new effective antibiotics for tuberculosis treatment.

The expected next step following the publication of this paper would be to use the developed methods to study other inhibitors, said Zgurskaya. This will help to know which ones are most effective for possible evaluation in clinical trials.

Read Also: Vitamin D Can Help Treat Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis

Proton transfer activity of the reconstituted Mycobacterium tuberculosis MmpL3 is modulated by substrate mimics and inhibitors

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Researchers Working To Find New Effective Treatments For Tuberculosis - Gilmore Health News

Biochemistry

Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor, Bio Sciences and Technology job with VELLORE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY | 302478 – Times Higher…

Job Description:

Designations Available:

Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor

Desired Skillset:

Preferred Qualifications:

Ph.D. in Life Sciences / Biotechnology/Molecular Biology/ Biochemistry/ Chemical Engineering

Areas of Specializations:

Responsibilities:

Academics:

Research Consultancy:

Academic / Administration:

Apart from the above duties, any other relevant work is assigned by the Dean of the respective schools.

Department:School of Bio Sciences & Technology (SBST)Location:Vellore, Tamil Nadu, IndiaPosted On:19-Jul-2022Years Of Exp:0 to 20 Years

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Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor, Bio Sciences and Technology job with VELLORE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY | 302478 - Times Higher...

Biochemistry

Phage therapeutics can be used to fight multidrug-resistant pathogens – News-Medical.Net

Scientists with the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences were among those providing the biochemical tools needed to help save a man's life through a unique emergency intervention in 2016.

Now those Center for Phage Technology scientists in the Texas A&M Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Bryan-College Station, have completed a study about that treatment as well as other opportunities for phage therapy.

Their study, "Comparative genomics of Acinetobacter baumannii and therapeutic bacteriophages from a patient undergoing phage therapy," was published recently in the scientific journal Nature Communications.

The threat of antimicrobial resistance has become a worldwide concern, with the World Health Organization estimating at least 50 million people per year worldwide could die from it by 2050. Center for Phage Technology scientists believe phage therapeutics can be used to fight these resistant bacterial infections.

The premiere case involved phage center scientists working in collaboration with other scientists and physicians at University of California San Diego, UC San Diego, School of Medicine and the U.S. Navy Medical Research Center Biological Defense Research Directorate. Together, they worked to identify phages and determine a treatment plan for Tom Patterson, a professor of psychiatry at the UC San Diego School of Medicine, who was infected by a deadly pathogen while vacationing in Egypt.

Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that can infect and kill bacteria without having a negative effect on human or animal cells. Phages can be used alone or in combination with antibiotics or other drugs to treat bacterial infections.

Bacteriophage therapy is an emerging field that many researchers think could yield novel ways to fight antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. At the center, we are interested in the applications of phage therapeutics to fight multidrug-resistant bacterial infections."

Mei Liu, Ph.D., program director at the Center for Phage Technology and a primary investigator for the study

She said the center's work is aided by the team's deep knowledge of phage biology, particularly in the areas of phage lysis and phage genomics.

In 2015, while on vacation in Egypt during the Thanksgiving holiday, Patterson began to experience severe abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. Local doctors diagnosed him with pancreatitis and treated him accordingly, but the treatments didn't work and his condition worsened.

He was later transported to Germany, where doctors found fluid around his pancreas and took cultures from the fluid's contents. The cultures showed he had been infected with a multidrug-resistant strain of Acinetobacter baumannii, an often-deadly pathogen found in hospital settings and in the Middle East. The same pathogen was also identified in many injured U.S. military members returning home after serving in that part of the world.

In Germany, Patterson was treated with a combination of antibiotics, and his condition improved to a degree where he could be airlifted to the intensive care unit at Thornton Hospital in the UC San Diego Health academic health system. There, however, the medical team discovered that the bacteria had become resistant to antibiotics.

Tom Patterson, in hospital bed, received phage therapy from Robert "Chip" Schooley, MD, left, of UC San Diego Health. (Courtesy photo used with permission of Dr. Tom Patterson)

A "compassionate use" exemption for phage therapy was requested by Dr. Robert "Chip" Schooley, the UC San Diego physician treating Patterson. He was given rapid approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, to proceed.

Shortly after the phage treatment began, Patterson awakened from a months-long coma. After a long recovery, his health improved greatly, and he was able to return to life as it was before the infection.

Acinetobacter baumannii is recognized as a significant bacterial pathogen in health care-associated infections. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report from 2019 stated that antibiotic-resistant pathogens cause more than 2.8 million infections and more than 35,000 deaths annually in the U.S.

Several characteristics of the pathogen that infected Patterson impacted the treatment regimens and outcomes, said Ry Young, Ph.D., director of the Center for Phage Technology.

Patterson's wife, Steffanie Strathdee, Ph.D., associate dean of global health sciences with UC San Diego School of Medicine and an infectious disease epidemiologist, had contacted Young to seek his help in finding a treatment for her husband once she became aware of Young's extensive work with phages.

Young and his lab team took up the challenge and worked almost nonstop for three months to help find a solution.

Phages are viruses that can infect and kill bacteria without affecting human or animal cells. Phage therapy was used extensively in the early 20th century prior to the use of antibiotics. (Stock illustration)

"Cases of resistant infections are becoming more prevalent and very few new antibiotics are available, so the use of bacteriophages to treat or control multidrug-resistant infections is being reconsidered as an alternative strategy," Young said. "Phage therapy is actually a very old concept, having been used extensively in the early 20th century during the pre-antibiotic era."

Phage treatment also has been successful in several more recent case studies involving multidrug-resistant strains of P. aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli bacteria.

"Phages had been sidelined as a potential treatment for bacterial infections when antibiotics came into wide use in the U.S.," Liu said. "But in other areas of the world, particularly where antibiotics were not immediately available, researchers and doctors have continued developing and practicing phage therapy. Now we are seeing more instances of how phage therapy can be used when antibiotics alone are not sufficient to treat bacterial infections."

Jason Gill, Ph.D., professor in the Texas A&M Department of Animal Science and associate director of the Center for Phage Technology, said while the Patterson case and similar case studies treating multidrug-resistant bacteria have been encouraging in terms of clinical outcome, a more in-depth examination of the phage-host interaction during treatment and its implications is needed.

"The recent study showed that resistance to the therapeutic phages emerged early, and the acquisition of new mobile elements by the bacteria can occur during treatment," said Gill, a corresponding author of the study. "It is important to have a thorough genomic analysis of phages prior to phage treatment in order to maximize treatment success and minimize both effort and resources. There is also a need for conventional experimental testing for phage host range and growth characteristics."

Gill also noted the use of well-characterized phages in a phage cocktail can avoid redundancy and significantly save time and effort in phage production and purification. Eight of the nine phages used for treatment in the Patterson case turned out to be closely related, and this knowledge could have been used to streamline the process if the investigators had known this when assembling the treatment.

"The Patterson case has done a lot to increase awareness of phage therapy and its effectiveness as an alternative therapy for multidrug-resistant pathogenic strains," Liu said. "The success of phage therapy in that case and other cases has brought wider attention to its use and efficacy."

Liu added that the Center for Phage Technology is focusing on developing the technology, standardizing optimal delivery procedures and securing necessary approvals from regulatory agencies to make phage treatment available to patients in the U.S.

"Much of what we did in the Patterson case was unconventional due to the context of phage therapy at that time," Liu said. "But there have been many advances in genomic sequencing and other technologies since then. Today, it would be a much quicker and more efficient process to develop and implement phage therapy if there was another case similar to Patterson's."

Source:

Journal reference:

Liu, M., et al. (2022) Comparative genomics of Acinetobacter baumannii and therapeutic bacteriophages from a patient undergoing phage therapy. Nature Communications. doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-31455-5.

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Phage therapeutics can be used to fight multidrug-resistant pathogens - News-Medical.Net

Biochemistry

Postdoctoral Researcher, Seaweed Molecular Biology, Physiology and Genetics, Ryan Institute, School job with NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, GALWAY |…

Postdoctoral Researcher Seaweed Molecular Biology, Physiology and Genetics, Ryan Institute, School of Natural Sciences.NUIG RES 192-22Applications are invited from suitably qualified candidates for a full time position as a Postdoctoral Researcher (Plant Molecular Biology & Metabolism) in the Plant Systems Biology research group of Dr. Ronan Sulpice at the National University of Ireland, Galway.This 24 months position is funded by the Marine Institute and is available from September 2022 to end date of August 2024.

Job Description:The successful candidate will combine advanced knowledge of molecular genetics research with large-scale metabolic and phenotypic screening of algae. The experiments will consist of large scale metabolic analyses and growth phenotyping screens, whole genome sequencing of Palmaria strains, and data will be aggregated in a built for purpose database. Traits of focus in the project will include identification of genetic markers to identify best performing strains, both for biomass quality and growth performance.Thus experimental approaches employed in the project will include DNAseq, biochemical assays, phenotyping, and extensive field- and lab-level screening.In addition to the experimental aspect of the project, the successful candidate is expected to contribute to the dissemination of the results, help to report the results, and participate in the daily life of the laboratory.

Duties: What the successful candidate will do attached to the specific post (list /bulletpoint)-Sample seaweeds-Extract DNA, and analyse NGS data generated-perform large throughput metabolic and growth analyses-collaborate with the laboratory team technically and scientifically-write papers/reports-interact with stakeholders-participate to report progress to grant agency-participate in dissemination activities-participate in lab management and co-supervision of students-may act as mentor to co-supervisor of students and have limited teaching hours

Qualifications/Skills required:

Essential Requirements:Track record in molecular biology, ideally with a background on micro- or macro-algae.PhD in Plant or seaweed biology and a good research track record that demonstrates strong capabilities and outputs.knowledge of R for analysis of large datasetsStrong proven (via publications, patents and other research outputs) research recordOrganisational, writing and report/paper drafting skills.Driving licenseSkills in biochemistry (metabolic analyses)

Desirable Requirements:Previous experience in a laboratory from the private sectorHave experience in grant writingEvidence for team working (including supervision and/or lab management experience)

Salary: 39,523- 45,609 per annum pro rata for shorter and/or part-time contracts (public sector pay policy rules pertaining to new entrants will apply).Start date: Position is available from 01/09/2022

Continuing Professional Development/Training:Researchers at NUI Galway are encouraged to avail of a range of training and development opportunities designed to support their personal career development plans.

Further information on research and working at NUI Galway is available on Research at NUI Galway

For information on moving to Ireland please see http://www.euraxess.ie

Further information about the laboratory is available at https://sulpice-lab.com/

Informal enquiries concerning the post may be made to Dr. Ronan Sulpice ronan.sulpice@nuigalway.ie

To Apply:Applications to include a covering letter, CV, and the contact details of three referees should be sent, via e-mail (in word or PDF only) to Dr. Ronan Sulpice ronan.sulpice@nuigalway.ie

Please put reference number NUIG RES 192-22 in subject line of e-mail application.

Closing date for receipt of applications is 5.00 pm 15/08/2022

We reserve the right to re-advertise or extend the closing date for this post.

National University of Ireland, Galway is an equal opportunities employer. All positions are recruited in line with Open, Transparent, Merit (OTM) and Competency based recruitment

'NUI Galway provides continuing professional development supports for all researchers seeking to build their own career pathways either within or beyond academia. Researchers are encouraged to engage with our Researcher Development Centre (RDC) upon commencing employment - see http://www.nuigalway.ie/rdc for further information.

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Postdoctoral Researcher, Seaweed Molecular Biology, Physiology and Genetics, Ryan Institute, School job with NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, GALWAY |...

Biochemistry

Post-Doctoral Associate in the Division of Science, Biochemistry, Dr. Azam Gholami job with NEW YORK UNIVERSITY ABU DHABI | 300813 – Times Higher…

Description

Applications are invited for a fully-funded Post-Doctoral Associate position in the newly established multidisciplinary group of Prof. Azam Gholami at New York University Abu Dhabi. The appointed candidate will be expected to work on:

We seek a highly qualified candidate with a strong background in protein production and purification with a focus on trans-membrane proteins. The appointed candidate will be expected to be familiar with bacterial protein expression and chromatographic purification techniques. Expertise in the reconstitution of membrane proteins into lipid vesicles/polymersomes and skills in microfluidics and optical microscopy are highly advantageous.

Applicants must have a Ph.D. in protein biochemistry or a related field and an excellent track record of original research on the relevant topics. For consideration, applicants need to submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae with full publication list, statement of research accomplishments and interests and contact information for at least three references, all in PDF format. If you have any questions, please email Prof. Azam Gholami atag9141@nyu.edu

This position is not located in the United States and the applicant must be willing to relocate to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

The terms of employment are very competitive and include housing and educational subsidies for children. Applications will be accepted immediately and candidates will be considered until the position is filled.

About NYUAD

NYU Abu Dhabi is a degree-granting research university with a fully integrated liberal arts and science undergraduate program in the Arts, Sciences, Social Sciences, Humanities, and Engineering. NYU Abu Dhabi, NYU New York, and NYU Shanghai, form the backbone of NYUs global network university, an interconnected network of portal campuses and academic centers across six continents that enable seamless international mobility of students and faculty in their pursuit of academic and scholarly activity. This global university represents a transformative shift in higher education, one in which the intellectual and creative endeavors of academia are shaped and examined through an international and multicultural perspective. As a major intellectual hub at the crossroads of the Arab world, NYUAD serves as a center for scholarly thought, advanced research, knowledge creation, and sharing, through its academic, research, and creative activities.

EOE/AA/Minorities/Females/Vet/Disabled/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity Employer

UAE Nationals are encouraged to apply

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

For people in the EU, click here for information on your privacy rights under GDPR:www.nyu.edu/it/gdpr

NYU is an equal opportunity employer committed to equity, diversity, and social inclusion.

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Post-Doctoral Associate in the Division of Science, Biochemistry, Dr. Azam Gholami job with NEW YORK UNIVERSITY ABU DHABI | 300813 - Times Higher...

Biochemistry

Seeing the molecular beauty of life – ASBMB Today

When Collins Maina was in secondary school in Kenya, a genetics class piqued his interest in science. He found especially fascinating how certain mutations can be disastrous to the well-being of organisms. And when he took his national exams, he was placed into a biochemistry program, which coincidentally turned out to be a good move for him.

Collins Maina

Collins Maina earned his bachelors degree in biochemistry and molecular biologyfrom South Eastern Kenya University in November.

Maina attended South Eastern Kenya University, where he earned his bachelors degree in biochemistry and molecular biology in November. He said two particularly memorable classes were Biochemistry of Tumors and Biochemical Techniques and Instrumentation.

Not only were these classes interesting, he said, but he also was able to apply what he learned to his own life situation. Learning about the molecular and cellular bases of tumors helped him and his family when his grandfather developed prostate cancer.

I remember I was the go-to guy for the family when they wanted to sort of analyze and translate the pathologists reports, he said.

Learning about laboratory techniques in biochemistry was a highlight for Maina because of the physics involved. He was also able to carry and apply some of this knowledge to his career in industry as a medical representative.

In general, Maina said, biochemistry has helped him better understand what life is and how complex it is at the molecular level.

Its really fun knowing very well that beyond what you see in a person, you see there are a couple of three-letter sequences (codons) that determine who you are, determine the personality, determine so many things in your life how a mishap in the placement of an amino acid, how a molecule that lacks the right conformation can have very detrimental effects on an organism, he said. At the basic level they are nothing more than molecules, very beautiful molecules.

Maina values how relatable biochemistry is to real life. If I dont watch my health currently, Im expecting to develop osteoporosis as I get into my 40s, he said. And so, its like reading the future.

While applying to postgraduate programs and reading extensively about various areas of research, Maina has developed a passion for molecular microbiology and is particularly interested in quorum sensing, which involves responding to cell population density via gene regulation. He plans to continue his studies by earning a Master of Science degree, preferably in Canada, the United States, Scotland or New Zealand. He easily excelled in his undergraduate courses, but the high cost of and limited access to good schools make this goal quite difficult. Few research jobs are available in Kenya. Still, he remains hopeful.

Eventually, Maina said, he sees himself completing a Ph.D. program, doing a lot of research and retiring as a lecturer.

I have so many questions I think I need to answer, he said.

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Seeing the molecular beauty of life - ASBMB Today

Biochemistry

Dr. Nina Schor appointed as the NIH Acting Deputy Director for Intramural Research – National Institutes of Health (.gov)

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Nina F. Schor, M.D., Ph.D., as the NIH Acting Deputy Director for Intramural Research (DDIR) in the NIH Office of the Director. Michael M. Gottesman, M.D., who served as NIH DDIR for 29 years, announced his plans last year to step down to return to the Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, where he is chief of the Laboratory of Cell Biology. Dr. Schor will begin her new role on August 1, 2022.

As Acting DDIR, Dr. Schor will lead the NIH Intramural Research Program (IRP) and facilitate coordination and collaboration among the 24 NIH institutes and centers that are a part of NIHs distinct research community. She will be responsible for the selection and approval of new NIH principal investigators, human subjects research protection, research integrity, technology transfer, and animal care and use for the IRP. Additionally, Dr. Schor will oversee efforts to train the next generation of biomedical and behavioral researchers at NIH, as well as efforts to foster a diverse and inclusive culture across the IRP.

With a career that has touched all realms of the biomedical research enterprise, Dr. Schor brings substantial experience as an educator, scientist, clinician, and administrator. Dr. Schor joined NIH in January 2018 as Deputy Director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), and in May 2021, she also assumed the role of Acting Scientific Director of NINDS. As Deputy Director, she guided the institutes strategic planning activities, career development programs, maternal and child neurologic health collaborations with other NIH institutes, and the creation and implementation of the Ultra-Rare GENe-based Therapies (URGenT) Network. Prior to joining NIH, Dr. Schor worked at the University of Rochester, where for nearly 12 years she held the positions of Chair of the Department of Pediatrics and Pediatrician-in-Chief of the Golisano Childrens Hospital. Prior to that, she spent 20 years building her academic and scientific career at the University of Pittsburgh, culminating with her roles as Associate Dean for Medical Student Research and Chief of the Division of Child Neurology in the Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology.

Dr. Schor earned her Ph.D. in medical biochemistry from Rockefeller University and her M.D. from Cornell University Medical College. Her residency and postdoctoral fellowship training in pediatrics, child neurology, and molecular biochemistry and pharmacology took place at Harvard University Medical School and Boston Childrens Hospital, where she began her three-decades-long, NIH-funded research efforts focused on targeted therapy for neuroblastoma, a type of pediatric cancer, and neuronal cell death caused by oxidative stress, which occurs when harmful forms of oxygen molecules damage cells.

I am profoundly grateful to Dr. Gottesman for his many years of leadership and service at NIH. With his contagious optimism, adept problem-solving attitude, and wise policymaking, Michael leaves a strong legacy to guide the future DDIR. The programs he developed touch every stage of a scientific career from high school and college internship programs, graduate studies, and postdoctoral training, to recruitment, career development, tenure, and emeritus transition of faculty. His leadership will be remembered in many things, including the remarkable improvements seen in research integrity and the recruitment and subsequent achievements of a diverse scientific workforce over the last three decades. We wish him all the best in this next chapter.

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Schor to the NIH leadership team.

Lawrence A. Tabak, D.D.S., Ph.D.Acting Director, National Institutes of Health

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Dr. Nina Schor appointed as the NIH Acting Deputy Director for Intramural Research - National Institutes of Health (.gov)

Biochemistry

10 scientists elected leaders of the ASBMB – EurekAlert

Members of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology have elected several new leaders. Three members of the governingCouncilwere re-elected. Theres a new secretary. And both theNominating Committeeand the Publications Committeehave new members.

Council

TheASBMB Councilserves as an advisory board to the president and the executive director for setting priorities and strategic directions, overseeing resource allocations, and ensuring that all activities align with the mission of the society. Councilors are elected for three-year terms and can be re-elected or reappointed to serve one additional term. Three incumbents were re-elected to the Council.

Suzanne Barbourisa professor anddean of the Graduate School at theUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She wrote in her candidate statement: During my first term, I have learned more about our society, its challenges and opportunities. I am particularly intrigued by an opportunity that was discussed at a recent Council meeting: pursuing philanthropic support for the ASBMB. My experience as a dean, working with alumni, friends and prospective donors, will be helpful for this effort. Barbour is a former member ofthe Minority Affairs Committee (now the Maximizing Access Committee), has organizedannual meeting symposiaand was honored as a member ofthefirst class of ASBMB fellowsin 2021.Read herfull candidate profile.

Joan Broderickis a professor and department head atMontana State University. In 2022, she becamean elected member of the National Academy of Sciences. Broderick has been at Montana State since 2005; before that she was on the faculty ofa small liberal arts college and a research-intensive state university. This range of experiences has given me a broad perspective on science education and academic research and the intersection of the two, she wrote.Read herfull candidate profile.

Matthew Gentryis a professor at theUniversity of Kentucky. He has served on the societys Membership Committee, Public Affairs Advisory Committee andJournal of Biological Chemistry editorial board. For this term on the Council,he has prioritized sharing with members how to utilize their passions to serve on an ASBMB committee, recruiting the societys next executive director; serving as a resource and adviser to PresidentAnn Stock, who was elected in 2021, and headquarters leaders; and spreading the word about how the ASBMB can help biochemists at all career stages.Read hisfull candidate profile.

Nominating Committee

TheASBMB Nominating Committeenominates regular members of the society to stand for election for president, the Council, the Publications Committee and the Nominating Committee.Committee members are elected for three-year terms and can be re-elected or reappointed to serve one additional term. ASBMB members elected two new committee members this year.

Juan L. Mendozais an assistant professor at theUniversity of Chicago. He twice has co-chaired the Enzyme Interest Group at the ASBMB annual meeting and is an active advocate for diversity and inclusion. I am passionate about making education in STEM accessible to everyone and inspiring future generations of scientists. For me, this includes active participation in community outreach and societies such as the ASBMB, he wrote.Read hisfull candidate profile.

Jeremy Thorneris a distinguished professor emeritus at theUniversity of California, Berkeley. He won the ASBMBsHerb Tabor Research Award in 2019. The many activities of ASBMB are best achieved by ensuring gender equity and diversity in its advisory bodies and leadership, as well as in its general membership, he wrote. To thrive, our organization needs to be inclusive, and to hear from and recruit diverse voices. Hence, the most important function of the Nominating Committee is to make certain we draw on the rich pool of our membership and secure the participation of individuals from all quarters of the biochemical sciences.Read the full candidate profile.

Secretary

The secretary is responsible for reviewing the minutes of the society, serving on the Nominating Committee and the Audit Committee, and completing other duties as assigned by the Council, which may include certifying Council resolutions to support the operations of the society.The secretary is a voting member of Council and participates in the governance of the society. The secretary serves a three-year term.

George Carmanis a distinguished professor atRutgers Universityand director of theRutgers Center for Lipid Research. He won the ASBMBsAvanti Award in Lipids in 2012,has beenan associate editorfor the societys Journal of Lipid Research and Journal of Biological Chemistry, and has served on the Council and several committees. He co-directs the societysLipid Research Division. The ASBMB has been a large part of my professional life since I joined the society in 1980, he wrote. Throughout my career, I have profited from formal and informal mentors, and I am obliged to pay forward my knowledge and experiences to early-career scientists including undergraduate and graduate students, and postdoctoral associates. Carman was a member of the societysinaugural class of fellowsin 2021.Read hisfull candidate profile.

Publications Committee

TheASBMB Publications Committeeoversees the societys scholarly publishing activities, advises the Council on policy and ethical issues that may arise, and advises journal editors about editorial matters, including the approval of associate editor appointments. Committee members are elected for five-year terms and can be re-elected or reappointed to serve one additional term. ASBMB members elected four new committee members.

Walid Houryis a professor at theUniversity of Toronto. Hes been a member of the Journal of Biological Chemistry editorial board since 2017. During his term on the committee, he intends to advocate for innovative article review and publication formats. He wrote: I find this to be especially important given the new and different article reviewing and publishing approaches being used by other journals. Hence, a clear policy needs to be established to address how ASBMB journals will interact with open-access preprint repositories such as bioRxiv and what value will be placed on reviews provided by journal-independent peer-review platforms such as the Review Commons.Read hisfull candidate profile.

Marcelo Kazanietzis a professor at theUniversity of Pennsylvania. He has been an editorial board member for the Journal of Biological Chemistry and several other peer-reviewed publications. I understand emerging challenges to keep disseminating our scientific discoveries in a highly competitive environment.I aim to support efforts toward facilitating communication between editors, authors and readers, with the ultimate goal of promoting high-impact science while affirming strong ethical publishing values, he wrote.Read hisfull candidate profile.

Daniel Leahyis a professor atUniversity of Texas at Austin. He served on the ASBMB Council from 2012 to 2015, has helpedorganize meeting themes and other society events,and is a member of the societys2022 class of fellows. Chief among the jewels in the ASBMB crown are its publications, which are run by scientists for scientists, and I am delighted at the opportunity to help continue the ASBMBs tradition of excellent publications as modes of scientific communication continue to evolve, he wrote.Read hisfull candidate profile.

Anne-Frances Milleris a distinguished professor at theUniversity of Kentucky. She has been a member of the Journal of Biological Chemistry editorial board and a member of the Publications Committee before. I understand that publications are central to both the professional conduct of science and also its social fabric, she wrote. I am a big admirer of how ASBMBs publications have spanned both spheres via the several journals the society produces. ASBMB Today nurtures networks of people and interest and keeps the science fun, engaging us all beyond the boundaries of our own specializations and keeping the best of our humanity connected to the best of our science. Meanwhile, ASBMBs established research journals provide critical channels for sharing high-quality scientific progress, complete with the assurances of expert peer review.Read herfull candidate profile.

About the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB)

The ASBMB is a nonprofit scientific and educational organization with more than 12,000 members worldwide. Founded in 1906 to advance the science of biochemistry and molecular biology, the society publishes three peer-reviewed journals, advocates for funding of basic research and education, supports science education at all levels, and promotes the diversity of individuals entering the scientific workforce. For more information about the ASBMB, visitwww.asbmb.org.

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10 scientists elected leaders of the ASBMB - EurekAlert

Biochemistry

U-M researchers track protein binding, build synthetic proteins to study gene expression – University of Michigan News

How does a nose remember that its a nose? Or an eye remember that its an eye?

As scientists probe the question of how cells remember what kind of cells they are supposed to be, or their genetic lineage, its important to understand how cells express different genes without changing the DNA sequence itself.

But studying this subject is difficult: Researchers can purify the proteins that drive genetic expression, put them in a test tube and watch them bind. But doing so inside the nucleus of cells, their native environment, has been so far impossible.

Study: HP1 oligomerization compensates for low-affinity H3K9me recognition and provides a tunable mechanism for heterochromatin-specific localization (DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abk0793)

Now, a team of researchers at three University of Michigan labs have been able to track how a protein binds to its chromatin substrate within a living cell by establishing a collaboration that combines state-of-the-art ultra high-resolution imaging, synthetic protein design and computational modeling. Their results are published in Science Advances.

The biological question that were asking is, How do cells actually remember past experiences? And how do these experiences also lead to cells establishing distinct identities, as it happens in the case of the human body where you have lineages of cells that form neurons, or blood cells, or brain cells, and all actually maintain their identities for many generations,' said lead author Kaushik Ragunathan, assistant professor of biological chemistry at the U-M Medical School.

An example I like to think about is that if you chop off your nose, you dont get a hand growing there, even though the genome in your nose and the genome in your hand are exactly the same.

Cells control how and which genes are expressed from a copy of the DNA sequence held within each cell, despite that sequence being the same across all cells in the body. One way they control expression is by changing how tightly the DNA is packaged within the nucleus using proteins called histones. Histones can be modified through the addition of small chemical tags that regulate how tightly the DNA is wound around them and thus whether the genes can be expressed.

Proteins that have the ability to read, write and erase these histone tags explore the DNA within the nucleus of the cell very rapidlyon the order of milliseconds, according to Ragunathan. Ultimately, all this epigenetic information needs to be inherited across generations, but the recognition of these tags is a complicated process that involves chromatin binding and proteins meeting and interacting with each other amidst the chaos of all other possible competing interactions within the cell.

Being able to understand each step of the processand therefore enabling control of how the epigenetic information is inheritedintrigued co-author Julie Biteen, professor of chemistry and biophysics.

Biteen uses single-molecule fluorescence imaging to track individual proteins inside cells. Her lab can see where these proteins are relative to the chromatin, and Ragunathans expertise is in the molecular mechanisms underpinning how histone modifications and histone-binding proteins interact. These two worlds needed to come together so that the biochemistry of what happens in a test tube outside of cells could be tested to figure out what happens inside of them.

The timing of this process is critically important to ensure that the right genes are silenced at the right place and at the right time, Biteen said. What hooked me on this project is that in vitroin a test tubeyou can purify two proteins, watch them bind and see how good that binding is, or what is the affinity for one another. That tells you what can happen in the cells, but not what does happen in the cells.

Biteen and Ragunathan worked with Peter Freddolino, associate professor of biological chemistry, and computational medicine and bioinformatics at the U-M Medical School, to combine computer modeling with their experimental results.

This is really where our collaboration becomes really powerful, Biteen said. On one hand, seeing molecules is very helpful and knowing how fast the molecules move helps a lot in terms of understanding what is possible inside the cell, but here we could take a leap forward by perturbing the system even in unnatural ways in order to understand what these different motions of molecules in the cell actually mean.

While epigenetic marks are tremendously important for maintaining different tissues in complex organisms like humans, they also play an important role in regulating genes of single-celled organisms such as yeast. The team focused on a type of HP1 protein in yeast cells called Swi6. This family of proteins binds to a specific type of histone modifications in the cell to enforce gene silencing. By integrating fluorescent labels with Swi6, Bitees lab watched Swi6 move inside the cells nucleus.

While Swi6 searches for the correct binding site on DNA, it moves quickly, Biteen said. When it finds its target, it slows down significantly. The movement of a protein within the cell is akin to gears in a car and things can move at different speeds based on whom proteins interact with.

From these spaghetti tracks that we get inside the cell, we then figure out how much time they are spending searching and how much of the time they are spending bound, Biteen said. The amount of time they spend not moving tells us about how strongly theyre interacting and their biochemical properties.

While Biteens lab can measure movements in the cell on the scale of tens of milliseconds, much of the biochemistry happening in the cell is happening even faster, she said. Freddolino took this experimental information and developed models to estimate the ability of the Swi6 proteins to jump between the binding states that were identified in experiments.

Freddolinos modeling took into account the experimental measurements and the possible biochemical properties, which includes how the Swi6 molecules interact in the cell. These interactions include molecules that freely float in the solution of the cell, molecules that have bound to DNA, and molecules that are holding hands with each other, he said.

My lab wanted to come up with a more fine-grained model that estimated what was the most likely set of molecular states of the proteins and their ability to jump between those states, that would then give rise to the imaging data that Biteens lab created, Freddolino said.

Having this numerical model allows us to do the computational experiments of what happens if the protein binding is twice as fast as we think. What if its 10 times as fast as we think? Or 10 times slower? Could that still give rise to the data? Very happily, in this case, we were able to show that the relevant processes were really being captured in the fluorescence microscopy.

After identifying the binding properties of natural Swi6, the researchers tested their findings by redesigning Swi6 from its components to see whether they could replicate some of its biochemical properties, Ragunathan said. This allowed the researchers to determine that the imaging and modeling conducted in the first part of the paper reflects how the protein was binding in its native environment.

Can we do what nature did over the course of millions of years and make a protein that in many ways has properties similar to that of Swi6 in cells? Ragunathan said. In vivo biochemistry, which is what weve decided to call this, was not something that was ever thought to be possible inside living cells, but we have shown this is entirely feasible by using imaging as a modality. We are using this project as a foundation in order to understand how these epigenetic states can be established and maintained across generations.

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U-M researchers track protein binding, build synthetic proteins to study gene expression - University of Michigan News