Physiology

Provost Tammy Evetovich named interim chancellor of UW-Platteville – University of Wisconsin System

Evetovich

MADISON, Wis.University of Wisconsin System Interim President Michael J. Falbo today named Provost and Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs Tammy Evetovich as interim Chancellor of UW-Platteville. Evetovich will begin that position June 1.

Evetovich replaces Dennis J. Shields, who is departing to become President of the Southern University System and Chancellor of Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge. Shields has been the Chancellor at UW-Platteville since 2010.

We will miss Chancellor Shields, who has been a true asset to UW-Platteville, but I am confident in Provost Evetovich and the universitys leadership team, Falbo said.

Evetovich has served as the provost and vice chancellor of Academic Affairs at UW-Platteville since June 2020. During this time, she led the universitys transition to alternative learning methods due to the COVID-19 pandemic and spearheaded an academic strategic plan that guides the university as it continues to provide high-quality education.

I am honored and humbled to carry on the rich legacy at UW-Platteville as interim chancellor, Evetovich said. From my first interactions with students, faculty, staff, and alumni, I quickly learned how special this place is and admired the deep commitment to learning so valued by the entire UW-Platteville community. Our hands-on approach to education has contributed greatly to strong student outcomes and makes our graduates valuable additions to the workforce. I look forward to continuing that pioneer attitude and creating momentum towards building even more student-focused initiatives.

Prior to arriving in southwest Wisconsin, Evetovich served more than 20 years in a variety of leadership roles at Wayne State College in Wayne, Nebraska. She was Dean of the School of Natural and Social Sciences and a department chair and professor in the Department of Health, Human Performance, and Sport. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in biology and masters degree and Ph.D. in exercise physiology from the University of NebraskaLincoln.

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The University of Wisconsin System serves approximately 165,000 students. Awarding nearly 37,000 degrees annually, the UW System is Wisconsins talent pipeline, putting graduates in position to increase their earning power, contribute to their communities, and make Wisconsin a better place to live. Nearly 90 percent of in-state UW System graduates stay in Wisconsin five years after earning a degree with a median salary of more than $66,000. The UW System provides a 23:1 return on state investment. UW System universities also contribute to the richness of Wisconsins culture and economy with groundbreaking research, new companies and patents, and boundless creative intellectual energy.

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Provost Tammy Evetovich named interim chancellor of UW-Platteville - University of Wisconsin System

Physiology

CM wants Swat vet varsitys groundbreaking – The News International

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Friday directed the officials to complete all the prerequisites for groundbreaking of the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Swat.

He issued the directive while chairing a meeting on the establishment of the varsity in Swat here, said an official handout. Minister for Livestock Mohibullah Khan, Secretary Livestock Muhammad Israr Khan and other relevant officials attended the meeting.

Briefing the participants about various aspects of the project, it was told that the university would be established in Chota Kalam.

It would span over 263 kanals of land with an estimated cost of Rs8 billion.

The university will provide education and research facilities to students in 20 different departments of three faculties.

About the proposed departments in the university, it was informed that Anatomy, Physiology, Pharmacology, Fisheries, Wildlife, Biochemistry and Biotechnology departments would be established under the Biosciences Faculty.

Nine different departments, including Pathology, Microbiology, Medicine, Surgery and Pet Sciences would be established Under the Faculty of Veterinary Science.

Under the Faculty of Animal Production and Technology, five departments including Animal Nutrition, Livestock Management, Poultry Sciences, Breeding and Genetics and the Department of Meat and Dairy Technology would be established.

It was added that the relevant institutions of the Livestock and Dairy Development Department would be linked to the proposed university as outreach centres.

Touching upon the proposed building for the university, it was informed that the building would include administration and academic blocks, an education centre, four boys hostels, one girls hostel, accommodation for faculty and staff, teaching and research centres and other allied facilities.

The chief minister termed the establishment of the proposed university a need of the region as he felt that existing universities offered limited programmes in veterinary education while the demand was much higher.

He hoped the establishment of the proposed university would not only provide quality education and research facilities to the students interested in this field but also would prove to be a milestone for the development of livestock and other related fields.

Mahmood Khan directed the officials concerned to determine the priorities in the construction of the proposed university and formulate various packages for the purpose.

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CM wants Swat vet varsitys groundbreaking - The News International

Physiology

The dogs of Science Hall Tone Madison – tonemadison.com

What does all of this signify? To try to answer that question, we need to consider three sets of facts we have on hand. First, there are the rooms themselves, with their dog cages, windowless chambers, ceiling ventilation and soundproof construction. Second, we know that medical research was being conducted in the building at this time and that Medical School labs were close by on the fourth floor. Third, there is the historical context to consider. In April of 1917, a few months before these renovation plans were drafted, the United States had declared war on Germany and entered the First World War. An immediate concern was poison gas, which Britain, France, and Germany were all using as a chemical weapon. By mid-1917, the federal government and the War Department had launched a war gas research program that eventually enrolled hundreds of scientists from universities and private labs across the country. From the very beginning, researchers employed animals, especially dogs, as experimental subjects.

The first use of poisonous gas in the First World War was a German chlorine gas attack against British troops in April of 1915. The British, initially outraged, soon decided to fight fire with fire and an arms race escalated quickly, as historian Jeffrey Allan Johnson detailed in a 2017 paper. When the U.S. entered the war two years later, the chemical arsenal of the combatants had grown to include asphyxiants like phosgene, lung irritants like chloropicrin (also spelled chlorpicrin), various compounds of arsenic and cyanide, and blistering agents (vesicants) like mustard gas.

Like Britain and France, the United States adopted a bellicose stance upon entering the war. An editorial in the December 1917 issue of the American magazine Illustrated World, quoted in a 1969 PhD thesis by historian and chemist Daniel Patrick Jones, observed,

Chemical knowledge of destructive substances is not limited to the German mind or German textbooks. There are among us chemists who can meet them upon their own ground and go them one better in devilish inventiveness if it is so desired.

After declaring war in April of 1917, the U.S. government quickly launched a program focused on large-scale gas production and the creation of new gasses and methods of delivery. By the end of the war in November of 1918, less than two years later, the U.S. was producing twice as much poison gas as Britain, France, and Germany combined. Gas production in the U.S. had grown to encompass at least 10 facilities. The Army's main chemical warfare plant, Edgewood Arsenal in Maryland, had more than 10,000 workers at peak production, according to the Army's own accounting in The Chemical Warfare Service: From Laboratory To Field. Other plants included repurposed commercial chemical factories in Ohio, New York, Michigan, and Connecticut. At full capacity, this network of plants was capable of producing over 4,000 tons of poison gas per month, including chlorine, phosgene, chloropicrin, mustard gas, and lewisite, the latter being a U.S. innovation. Theo Emery chronicles this explosion of chemical-weapons research in the 2017 book Hellfire Boys.

When the war was over almost 11,000 tons of gas had been produced domestically. The Army's First Gas Regiment reached the front lines in the spring of 1918 and deployed thousands of gas shells and canisters against the German Army. But as this was already late in the war, gas use by U.S. forces never matched its domestic production levels, let alone its planned capacity. In fact, despite soaring domestic production levels, the U.S. Army did not employ any domestically produced gas in the war, relying instead on British and French weapons, according to a Department of Defense history of U.S. chemical warfare. If the war had continued into 1919, the U.S. and its allies were prepared to use their stockpiles in massive gas attacks, including aerial bombardments, against Germany, Jeffrey Allan Johnson claims. At the end of the war, these plans were abandoned. Emery details how hundreds of tons of surplus gas in barrels and artillery shells were simply dumped into the ocean.

The rapidity with which production facilities were established led to a problem: injuries to plant workers resulting from accidental exposure to toxic chemicals. At the Edgewood plant in Maryland, Emery writes in Hellfire Boys, there were 279 casualties in one month alone in 1918. Much of the impetus behind the war gas research program was to protect the workers in gas production facilities, and the Army's Chemical Warfare Service history cites this as a major focus of the research effort at the University of Wisconsin.

Despite its obvious military applications, it was the Bureau of Mines in the Department of the Interior that initially coordinated chemical warfare research in the United States. This made sense, because the Bureau was already involved in research on mine gasses and self-contained breathing devices. In early 1917, the Director of the Bureau of Mines, Vannoy Manning, offered the Bureau's services to the War Department for chemical warfare research. He made this offer through the National Research Council, which had been formed in 1916 under the National Academy of Sciences. During the war the Council's Military Committee acted as an intermediary between the Army, which posed research problems, and scientists at universities, who carried out the work, Daniel Patrick Jones notes in his 1969 UW-Madison PhD thesis.

In April of 1917, with a declaration of war imminent, the Council's Military Committee added a Subcommittee on Noxious Gases chaired by Manning. The Subcommittee was charged with conducting research into the generation of toxic gasses and developing antidotes to them. The Subcommittee's subsequent plan for research gave the Bureau of Mines its authority to conduct chemical warfare research.

Staff of the research program initially included several engineers and chemists from the Bureau of Mines, as well as Dr. Yandell Henderson, Professor of Physiology at Yale University and a consultant with the Bureau of Mines. Henderson was put in charge of medical research including

physiological investigations of gas masks, pharmacological gassing experiments on men and on animals, pathological gross and microscopic study of gassed animals, and pathological chemistry of disorders of gassed animals. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc12372/m1/ p. 17)

Henderson set up a makeshift lab under the bleachers on the baseball field at Yale to begin gas experiments on animals, Emery writes in Hellfire Boys. Apparently the demand for test animals was so great that even the dog pounds in New Haven could not keep up, and Henderson's team sent out requests to the mayors of cities up and down the east coast to round up stray animals. Eventually Henderson became Director of the Toxicology, Therapeutic, Pathological and Physiological divisions at Yale, which accounted for over 40 military personnel and almost 20 civilian employees. Like other universities, Yale was eager to contribute to the war effort by supplying lab space and releasing faculty from their teaching duties, according to a Yale-published history of this period.

With scientists and lab space in short supply, the Subcommittee on Noxious Gases was granted authority to accept offers of assistance from scientists in the private sector and universities. Manning probed for interest by conducting a nationwide census of chemists that eventually received over 22,000 responses, Emery writes. The census was conducted with the assistance of the American Chemical Society, a strong advocate for the involvement of chemists in the war effort and one of the groups that successfully lobbied the government to continue chemical warfare research after the war ended.

By the end of 1917, the Bureau of Mines had obtained the aid of labs in three industrial companies, three government agencies, and 21 universities. The list of universities eventually included Bryn Mawr, Catholic, Chicago, Clark, Columbia, Cornell, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Michigan, MIT, Ohio State, Princeton, Wisconsin, and Yale, according to Bureau of Mines records from that time. This cooperation was possible, in part, because the field of chemistry in Europe and the U.S. was highly industrialized and marked by a well-developed academic-industrial network. This in turn was the result of the academic-industrial symbiosis that evolved out of the chemical dye industry, which ironically was dominated by German interests, even in the U.S.

An important partner for the Bureau of Mines was American University in Washington, D.C., which had offered its buildings and grounds for free to the Army for the duration of the war. American became the main center of chemical warfare research in the United States. By late 1917, research facilities had been constructed at American, including kennels to hold over 700 dogs. Researchers across the country, including Henderson at Yale, transferred their experimental equipment and animals to American University for the duration of the war.

By September of 1917, students and professors at the University of Wisconsin had begun researching safety measures for workers at gas-production facilities. The University's role in this area became more formalized in February of 1918, when the factory protection section of the Gas Defense Service was created to study the chronic effects of exposure to war gasses, and test protective devices and therapeutic treatments. (Figure 6)

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The dogs of Science Hall Tone Madison - tonemadison.com

Physiology

CALS 2022 Summer Term courses that have limited or no prerequisites and fulfill breadth requirements CALS News – wisc.edu

Summer Term courses are a great way for UW undergraduates to get aheador stay on trackin their studies. They are also open to students enrolled at other universities, high school students and the general public. Below are some 2022 Summer Term courses from the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences that have no prerequisites and are open to all interested learners. These courses also fulfill breadth requirements such as Biological Science, Physical Science, Social Science and Humanities.

For more information about Summer Term, tuition and a full list of available courses, visit https://summer.wisc.edu/. See more information about CALS courses on the CALS 2022 Summer Term page.

AGRICULTURAL AND APPLIED ECONOMICS/AGRONOMY/INTER-AG/NUTRITIONAL SCIENCES 350: World Hunger and MalnutritionHunger and poverty in developing countries and the United States. Topics include: nutrition and health, population, food production and availability, and income distribution and employment.May 23 June 19Credit: 3Breadth: Biological Science

AGROECOLOGY/AGRONOMY/ENTOMOLOGY/ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES/COMMUNITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIOLOGY 103: Agroecology: An introduction to the Ecology of Food and AgricultureAgroecology has blossomed across the world in recent decades as not only a science, but also a practice, and a movement. Employ the multiple disciplines and perspectives that Agroecology affords to analyze our agricultural and food systems wihin a broader context of dynamic social and ecological relationships.June 20 August 14Credits: 3Breadth: Biological Science

AGRONOMY/ENTOMOLOGY/NUTRITIONAL SCIENCES 203: Introduction to Global HealthIntroduces students to global health concepts through multidisciplinary speakers dedicated to improving health through their unique training. It targets students with an interest in public health and those who wish to learn how their field impacts their global issues.June 13 July 10Credits: 3Breadth: Social Science

ANIMAL SCIENCES/DAIRY SCIENCES 101: Introduction to Animal SciencesAn overview of animal sciences covering anatomy, physiology, nutrition, reproduction, genetics, management, animal welfare, and behavior of domesticated animals. Food animals are emphasized to discuss their contributions to humans.June 20 August 14Credits: 3Breadth: Biological Science

ANIMAL SCIENCES 200: The Biology and Appreciation of Companion AnimalsA systematic coverage of many of the animals (including birds) that humans keep as their social companions. The classification, nutritional requirements, environmental considerations, reproductive habits, health, legal aspects and economics of companion animals and their supportive organizations.June 20 August 14Credits: 3Breadth: Biological Science

ANIMAL SCIENCES 240: Ancient Animals and PeoplesProvides an introduction to human and animal relationships from prehistory to the present. Examines how animals have influenced social and economic structures of past societies, with a focus on the advent of domestication. Explores the cultural and economic changes that domestication has had on human societies, as well as the behavioral, genetic, and morphological changes that this process had on once wild animals. Emphasizes the methods used to retrace human-animal interactions, drawing on cross-cultural examples from anthropology, ethnozoology, archaeology, history, and genetics.June 20 August 14Credits: 3Breadth: Biological Science, Social Science

BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS ENGINEERING 310: Project Economics & Decision AnalysisEvaluation techniques for research, development & engineering projects. Covers the time value of money and other cash-flow concepts, capital budgeting, economic practices and techniques used to evaluate and optimize decisions, and research & development project portfolio management techniques.June 20 August 14Credits: 3Breadth: Social SciencePrerequisites: MATH 113, 114, or (MATH 171 and 217)

BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS ENGINEERING/ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES 367: Renewable Energy SystemsLearn about the state-of-the-art in renewable energy applications including biomass for heat, electric power and liquid fuels as well as geo-energy sources such as wind, solar, and hydro power. Practice engineering calculations of power and energy availability of renewable energy sources and learn about requirements for integrating renewable energy sources into production, distribution and end-use systems.June 20 August 14Credits: 3Breadth: Physical SciencePrerequisites: MATH 112, 114, 217, or graduate/professional standing

COMMUNITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIOLOGY 140: Introduction to Community and Environmental SociologySociological examination of the linkages between the social and biophysical dimensions of the environment. Key topics include community organizing, local food systems, energy transitions, environmental justice, resource dependence, and sustainable development. Gateway to advanced courses in sociology.July 18 August 14Credits: 4Breadth: Social Science

COMMUNITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIOLOGY/FOREST AND WILDLIFE ECOLOGY 248: Environment, Natural Resources and SocietyIntroduces the concerns and principles of sociology through examination of human interaction with the natural environment. Places environmental issues such as resource depletion, population growth, food production, environmental regulation, and sustainability in national and global perspectives.May 23 June 19Credits: 3Breadth: Social Science

COMMUNITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIOLOGY 260: Latin America: An IntroductionLatin American culture and society from an interdisciplinary perspective; historical developments from pre-Columbian times to the present; political movements; economic problems; social change; ecology in tropical Latin America; legal systems; literature and the arts; cultural contrasts involving the US and Latin America; land reform; labor movements; capitalism, socialism, imperialism; mass media.May 23 June 19Credits: 3 4Breadth: Social Science

ENTOMOLOGY 201: Insects and Human CultureImportance of insects in humans environment, emphasizing beneficial insects, disease carriers, and agricultural pests that interfere with humans food supply. Environmental problems due to insect control agents.June 20 August 14Credits: 3Breadth: Biological Science

ENTOMOLOGY 205: Our Planet, Our HealthAn introduction to the multiple determinants of health, global disease burden and disparities, foundational global health principles, and the overlap between ecosystem stability, planetary boundaries, and human health. Explore the core fundamentals of global health scholarship, including but not limited to infectious disease, sanitation, and mental health, and also consider ecological perspectives on these issues through the lens of planetary boundaries. Attention is placed on how human-mediated global change (e.g. climate change, biodiversity loss, land-use patterns, geochemical cycling, agricultural practice) impacts human health and the ecosystem services we depend on. An overview of pertinent issues in sustainability science and planetary health discourse, including the Anthropocene and resilience to understand and critically assess global trends.June 20 August 14Credits: 3Breadth: Biological Science

FOOD SCIENCE 120: Science of FoodRelationship between food, additives, processing and health. How foods are processed.June 20 August 14Credits: 3Breadth: Biological Science

FOOD SCIENCE 150: Fermented Food and Beverages: Science, Art and HealthExplores the science behind fermented food and beverages, popularized by brewing, winemaking and breadmaking at home and in retail. Introduces the scientific principles that underlie food and beverage processing through fermentation. Covers how basic sciences such as chemistry, biochemistry and microbiology influence the process and desired outcomes when fermenting vegetables, milk, fruit, and grains.June 20 August 14Credits: 3Breadth: Biological Science

FOREST AND WILDLIFE ECOLOGY 110: Living with Wildlife Animals, Habitats and Human InteractionsA general survey course of wildlife and wildlife conservation for non-majors. Basic characteristics and management of wildlife populations and habitats. Human perceptions and interactions with wildlife. Current issues in wildlife management and conservation.June 20 August 14Credits: 3Breadth: Biological Science

FOREST AND WILDLIFE ECOLOGY 248: Environment, Natural Resources, and SocietyIntroduces the concerns and principles of sociology through examination of human interaction with the natural environment. Places environmental issues such as resource depletion, population growth, food production, environmental regulation, and sustainability in national and global perspectives.May 23 June 19Credits: 3Breadth: Social Science

GENETICS 133: Genetics in the NewsThe science of genetics is at the heart of many issues facing our society, and as such, genetics is often in the news. Explores the underlying genetics and methodologies to gain a deeper understanding of the science behind the headlines so that we can make more informed decisions as citizens.June 20 August 14Credits: 3Breadth: Biological Science

HORTICULTURE 350: Plants and Human WellbeingPlants provide not only the foundation of food, clothing, and shelter essential for human existence, but also some of the key raw materials for transcendence and abstraction through music, art, and spirituality. Since antiquity, we have co-evolved with plants and their derivative products, with each exerting a domesticating force on the other. It is, for example, impossible to think of our modern life without its plant-based accompaniments in the form of cotton, sugar, bread, coffee, and wood. Yet they are so ubiquitous we may forget they all derive from plants discovered, domesticated, bred, and farmed for millennia in a never-ending pursuit to improve our wellbeing. Major points of intersection between plants and human wellbeing will be explored from a horticultural point of view by highlighting a plant or group of plants that represent a primary commodity or resource through which humans have pursued their own aims and explore effects and impacts on human society.June 20 August 14Credits: 2Breadth: Biological Science

LIFE SCIENCES COMMUNICATION 212: Introduction to Scientific CommunicationWriting effective science digests, proposals, newsletters, and trade magazine articles for agriculture, natural resources, health and science-related topics.June 20 August 14Credits: 3General education: Communication Part BPrerequisites: Satisfied Communications A requirement

LIFE SCIENCES COMMUNICATION 251: Science, Media and SocietyIntroduction to communication at the intersection of science, politics and society; overview of the theoretical foundations of science communication and their relevance for societal debates about science and emerging technologies across different parts of the world.June 20 August 14Credits: 3Breadth: Humanities, Social Science

LIFE SCIENCES COMMUNICATION 350: Visualizing Science and TechnologyIntroduction to the basic principles in the visual communication of science information. Principles of design, perception, cognition as well as the use of technologies in the representation of science in the mass media will be explored through illustrated lectures and written critique.July 5 August 7Credits: 3Breadth: Humanities, Social SciencePrerequisites: Satisfied Communications A requirement or graduate/professional standing

MICROBIOLOGY 100: The Microbial WorldPrimarily for non-science majors. Roles of microorganisms and viruses in nature, health, agriculture, pollution control and ecology. Principles of disease production, epidemiology and body defense mechanisms. Biotechnology and the genetic engineering revolution.June 20 August 14Credits: 3Breadth: Biological Science

MICROBIOLOGY 101: General MicrobiologySurvey of microorganisms and their activities; emphasis on structure, function, ecology, nutrition, physiology, genetics. Survey of applied microbiologymedical, agricultural, food and industrial microbiology. Intended to satisfy any curriculum which requires introductory level microbiology.June 20 August 14Credits: 3Breadth: Biological SciencePrerequisites: CHEM 103, 108, 109, or 115. Not open to students with credit for MICROBIO 303.

MICROBIOLOGY 102: General Microbiology LaboratoryCovers techniques and procedures used in general microbiology, including cultivation, enumeration, aseptic techniques, physiology and selected applications.June 20 August 14Credits: 2Breadth: Biological SciencePrerequisites: MICROBIO 101, 303 or concurrent enrollment. Not open to students with credit for MICROBIO 304.

NUTRITIONAL SCIENCES 132: Nutrition TodayNutrition and its relationship to humans and their biological, social, and physical environment; current issues and concerns that affect the nutritional status of various population groups.June 20 August 14Credits: 3Breadth: Biological Science

PLANT PATHOLOGY 123: Plants, Parasites and PeopleThe course will explore the interaction between society and plant-associated microbes. Topics include: the Irish potato famine, pesticides in current agriculture, role of economics and consumer preference in crop disease management and the release of genetically engineered organisms.June 20 August 14Credits: 3Breadth: Biological Science

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CALS 2022 Summer Term courses that have limited or no prerequisites and fulfill breadth requirements CALS News - wisc.edu

Physiology

For the Record, April 8, 2022 | UDaily – UDaily

For the Record provides information about recent professional activities and honors of University of Delaware faculty, staff, students and alumni.

Recent activities presentations, publications and honors include the following:

Larry Purnell, professor emeritus of nursing, discussed Cultural theories and models and individualism and collectivism on April 7, 2022, at the Donato Post-Doctoral Institute, Prava University, Milan Italy.

Margaret Stetz, Mae and Robert Carter Professor of Women's Studies and professor of humanities, and Mark Samuels Lasner, senior research fellow at the University of Delaware Library, Museums and Press, were the invited speakers on March 30, 2022, at the Rosenbach Museum and Library in Philadelphia. Their evening of back-to-back illustrated lectures, titled "The Decadent Aubrey Beardsley," was the Rosenbach's first in-person event in more than two years. Stetz's talk, "In Bed with Aubrey Beardsley," examined the 1890s British artist and writer's daring representations of gender and sexuality, especially in his self-portraits and in his unfinished novel,Under the Hill. Samuels Lasner's talk, "The Doctor and the Decadent: Beardsley at the Rosenbach," explored how and why the bookseller A. S. W. Rosenbach's collection came to include important work by Beardsley, such as the manuscript ofUnder the Hill, as well as the history of how other Beardsley items joined the Mark Samuels Lasner Collection at the University of Delaware.

David R. Wunsch, state geologist and director of the Delaware Geological Survey, was a panelist at a policy roundtable cosponsored by Interstate Council on Water Policy (ICWP), the Western States Water Council (WSWC) and the National Water Supply Alliance (NWSA) on April 5, 2022, in Washington, DC. The panels subject was Basin Wide Water Planning and Climate Resilience, and panelists representing water management agencies from across the U.S. presented planning and modelling initiatives being undertaken in response to climate change.

Thomas Kaminski, director of the athletic training program and professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Applied Physiology, recently presented his concussion research at the 29th annual Biomedical Distinguished Lecture Series at Chestnut Hill Colleges Center for Natural and Behavioral Sciences and the Center for Concussion Education and Research. His talk was entitled Trying to Stay aHEAD of the Curve: The Implications of Repetitive Head Impacts in Sport on Long-Term Neurological Outcomes Especially in the Sport of Soccer. He discussed the importance of limiting exposures to heading in youth soccer as the brain is developing: Every successive year, cumulative exposure can be dangerous and harmful. He also told the engaged audience at CHC that protecting head space is pivotal and answered questions about whether a ban on heading would help prevent injury. If you banned aerial challenges in the sport of soccer, you would see concussions go down immensely. Read more about how women soccer players are more at risk from heading here.

Margaret Stetz, Mae and Robert Carter Professor of Women's Studies and professor of humanities, continues her record of publication of poetry that reflects her scholarship and brings her research to new audiences. The current issue ofAzure: A Journal of Literary Thought(Volume 6: 1) contains her poem "The Depths of the Sea(1887) by Edward Burne-Jones"--a commentaryon Pre-Raphaelite painting, as well as on the Victorian fashion for women of wearing animal parts, including beetle-wing dresses and hats trimmedwith taxidermied birds.

The Courtyard by Marriott Newark-University of Delaware, managed by Bill Sullivan, was awarded two honors at the 10th annual awards ceremony for the Delaware Small Business Chamber on April 7, 2022. The hotel was named Best in New Castle County and Best Franchise in awards voted on by the chamber membership.

University of Delaware undergraduate students studying computer science, math and engineering made their mark in early March 2022 at the Association for Computing Machinerys International Collegiate Programming Contest Mid-Atlantic Region. Two teams of three students each competed against more than 100 other teams from universities in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Team Code Gibbons placed 12th while Coding Hens placed 48th, inspiring them to return next season. On team Code Gibbons were Jinay Jain, Amani Kiruga and Leon Zhao. On team Coding Hens were Jan Ahmed, Sean OSullivan and Alex You. In the past, UD teams have excelled in the contest, advancing to finals multiple times in the 1990s. In 1996, the University team ranked seventh in the world. The last time a UD team competed in the international finals was 2007. This is the first year since 2016 that UD students have participated, said retired computer scientist David Saunders. A return next year with more practice and ambition to score even higher is very much in the cards, he said, adding that future teams will need a new faculty member to coach them toward victory. Kiruga is spearheading an effort to form a student organization dedicated to competitive programming. Interested students can contact Kiruga at akiruga@udel.edu.

To submit information for inclusion in For the Record, write to ocm@udel.edu and include For the Record in the subject line.

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For the Record, April 8, 2022 | UDaily - UDaily

Biochemistry

Teaching during COVID-19 pandemic in practical laboratory classes of applied biochemistry and pharmacology: A validated fast and simple protocol for…

This article was originally published here

PLoS One. 2022 Apr 6;17(4):e0266419. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0266419. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

The pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus (COVID-19) is still a major health issue. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the university teaching to consider in high priority the switch from in-presence teaching to remote teaching, including laboratory teaching. While excellent virtual-laboratory teaching has been proposed and turned out to be very useful, the need of a real-laboratory in-presence teaching is still a major need. This study was aimed at presenting a laboratory exercise focusing (a) on a very challenging therapeutic strategy, i.e. SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics, and (b) on technologies that are playing a central role in applied biochemistry and molecular biology, i.e. PCR and RT-PCR. The aims of the practical laboratory were to determine: (a) the possibility to identify SARS-CoV-2 sequences starting from a recombinant plasmid and (b) the possibility to discriminate cells with respect to the expression of SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein. This activity is simple (cell culture, RNA extraction, RT-qPCR are all well-established technologies), fast (starting from isolated and characterized RNA, few hours are just necessary), highly reproducible (therefore easily employed by even untrained students). We suggest that this laboratory practical exercises should be considered for face-to-face teaching especially if the emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic is maintained. The teaching protocol here described might be considered in order to perform fast but meaningful in-presence teaching, making feasible the division of crowded classes in low-number cohorts of students, allowing the maintenance of the required social distance.

PMID:35385518 | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0266419

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Teaching during COVID-19 pandemic in practical laboratory classes of applied biochemistry and pharmacology: A validated fast and simple protocol for...

Biochemistry

Northern Arizona University – Chemistry Dept – Assistant Professor of Practice in Brewing and Fermentation Science – Brewbound.com Craft Beer Job…

The Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry at Northern Arizona University invites applications for an Assistant Professor of Practice in Brewing and Fermentation Science. This position is an academic-year appointment beginning in mid-August 2022. This position is not eligible for tenure. The salary range is $62,000 to $71,000.

Minimum qualifications include (1) an earned Bachelors degree in brewing science, food science, or a related field, or a bachelors degree in a non-related field and completion of a professional or university-affiliated brewing program; (2) at least three years of work experience in a commercial brewing (or similar) facility with at least one year in a supervisorial role (brewmaster, head brewer, brewing supervisor, packaging manager, quality manager, tap room operations manager, or other documented work experience).

Preferred qualifications include (1) Masters degree or higher in a brewing science or related field (chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology, biological sciences, engineering, food science, etc.); (2) Prior teaching experience and evidence of teaching effectiveness in higher education in chemistry or other brewing science related fields; (3) Experience in differentiated instruction for diverse student populations; (4) Research experience and a publication record in brewing science related disciplines; (5) Proven knowledge of brewing process operations including raw materials, fermentation process technology, and packaging operations. Five years or more work experience in a commercial brewing facility; (6) Certified Cicerone or BJCP Judge and prior beer judging experience and prior beer judging experience; (7) Demonstrated knowledge or experience in tap room operations, beer sales, or marketing.

The successful candidate will serve as the primary point of contact for the curriculum in the newly launched Brewing and Fermentation Science certificate program at NAU. This program integrates coursework from Chemistry and Biological Sciences with offerings in NAUs School of Hotel and Restaurant Management in the form of unique emphases in Brewing Quality Assurance and Brewing Management and Hospitality (https://nau.edu/cefns/brewing-and-fermentation-science). The successful candidate will provide excellent instruction in brewing science lectures and labs, including Principles of Brewing Science (CHM 310), Brewing Process Technology (CHM 311), Sensory and Quality Aspects of Beer/Lab (CHM 312/312L), and Beer Basics (HA 372), and the candidate may also be required to instruct courses in brewing science relevant fields as needed.A critical part of this roll will be coordinating internships for undergraduate students in the craft beer and brewing industry and bringing and developing strategic relationships is key. This person will represent NAU in engagement efforts with statewide and national industry trade groups in brewing as well as community partners.

To apply, go to Faculty and Administrator Openings at https://in.nau.edu/human-resources/current-job-openings/ and select job ID 606157. Your application must be submitted online to be reviewed and should include a single attachment that contains (1) a cover letter addressing the job description and preferred qualifications, 2) a current CV, (3) a statement of teaching interests and philosophy, (4) a statement of research interests and plans of scholarly activity, (5) a one-page DEIJ statement that addresses your values and/or philosophy, accomplishments, experiences, education and training in DEIJ, and (6) the names of three references. Save all items, in the order stated, and attach them in a single PDF or Word Document. You will also need to arrange for three letters of reference to be sent separately as an attachment to chemistry@nau.edu. Address questions to Dr. Brandon Cruickshank, Chair, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, PO Box 5698, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011-5698, brandon.cruickshank@nau.edu, (928) 523-9602. Review of applications will begin 30 days after posting (April 21, 2022) and continue until the position is filled or closed.

Northern Arizona University is a 29,569-student institution with its main campus in Flagstaff, a four-season community of about 72,000 at the base of the majestic San Francisco Peaks. NAUs emphasis on undergraduate education is enhanced by its graduate programs and research as well as distance learning. All faculty members are expected to promote student learning and help students achieve academic outcomes. The university is committed to a diverse and civil working and learning environment. The Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry has 18 faculty committed to excellence in teaching and research. The department currently has over 250 undergraduate majors and offers a number of Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in chemistry including two ACS certified degrees. A 120,000 square foot Science and Health Building, opened in 2015, houses chemistry teaching and research activities. The department also operates laboratories in the 95,000 square foot Science Lab Facility which was completed in 2007.

Northern Arizona University requires satisfactory results for the following: a criminal background investigation, an employment history verification, and a degree verification (in some cases) prior to employment. You may also be required to complete a fingerprint background check. Additionally, NAU is required to participate in the federal E-Verify program that assists employers with verifying new employees right to work in the United States.

Northern Arizona University is a committee Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution. Women, minorities, veterans, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. NAU is responsive to the needs of dual career couples.

NAU affirms the importance and critical need for justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (DEIJ) in higher education, and we seek to hire people with a strong track record of engagement with DEIJ in their professional endeavors. We require as part of your application a one-page DEIJ statement that addresses your values and/or philosophy, accomplishments, experiences, education, and training with DEIJ.

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Northern Arizona University - Chemistry Dept - Assistant Professor of Practice in Brewing and Fermentation Science - Brewbound.com Craft Beer Job...

Biochemistry

Calendar of events, awards and opportunities – ASBMB Today

Every week, we update this list with new meetings, awards, scholarships and events to help you advance your career.If youd like us to feature something that youre offering to the bioscience community, email us with the subject line For calendar. ASBMB members offerings take priority, and we do not promote products/services. Learn how to advertise in ASBMB Today.

The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology is offering $500 to graduate students and postdocs displaced from their labs as a result of natural disaster, war or "other events beyond their control that interrupt their training." The money is for travel and settling in. Learn more and spread the word to those who could use assistance.

Empowering Female Minds in STEM (EFeMS) is a nonprofit organization that supports African women in STEM. On April 9, it is hosting the inaugural EFeMS Research Conference. The virtual conference will present research from academic and industrial scientists in the form of presentations, posters and networking. The deadline for abstract submissions is March 25. Learn more.

For scientists, information literacy skills are more important now than ever before. Students have many possible avenues to look for information, and navigating effectively to the best source can be overwhelming if they dont know where to start. For scientists and instructors to help students with this navigation, it is a great idea to work with a librarian. On April 14, from 14 p.m. Eastern, this workshop will cover forming collaborations between scientists and librarians. Register.

This in-person meeting will be held in Madison, Wisconsin. It'll bea unique, open, inclusive and interactive forum for the international and domestic research community working on ESCRT biology and be an effective learning environment for all participants, especially graduate students, postdocs and other researchers from diverse backgrounds.This meeting will bring together experts in disciplines as diverse as biophysics, plant biology, cell biology, biochemistry and structural biology from around the world to cover key aspects of ESCRT biology.Submit an abstract.Learn more in in this Q&A with with organizer Wes Sundquist.

The Department of Neuroscience and Center for Foundational Neuroscience Research & Education at West Virginia University will offer up to 10 summer internships of research-intensive training to diverse, competitive undergraduate students who are currently enrolled at a U.S. college or institution and have completed their second or third year. Interns participate in nine weeks of research, weekly journal clubs, a poster symposium, and activities. Benefits: research stipend of $4,000, plus a round-trip travel stipend of up to $500; a double-room in a residential hall; and access to state-of-the-art laboratories, libraries, and recreational facilities. Learn more and apply.

The ASBMB Annual Awards are given to outstanding professionals who have been recognized by their peers for contributions to their fields, education and diversity. The recipients will give talks about their work at the 2023 ASBMB Annual Meeting in Seattle.See eligibility criteria here.

This conference, to be held in person in Athens, Ga., will address the multitude of roles that the O-GlcNAc protein modification has in regulating nuclear and cytosolic proteins. It will bring together researchers from diverse fields to share their research, tools and experience in O-GlcNAc biology. The abstract deadline is April 26, and the early registration deadline is May 9. Submit an abstract.Learn more in this Q&A with organizers Gerald Hart and Lance Wells.

ASBMB Lipid Research Division Seminar Series

The ASBMB Lipid Research Division features the work of young investigators at noon Eastern on Wednesdays. If you are interested in presenting, please contactJohn Burke. Registeronce to access the whole series.

The next seminar on April 27 will feature Nirmalya Bag of the Indian Institute of Technology and Federico Gulluni of the University of Turin in Italy.

We were contacted by Caroline Mueller, assistant professor at Ohio University, about a survey for early-career medical educators. She wrote: "We hope that through this survey, we will identify the needs of early-career medical educators and develop appropriate resources for new faculty." Learn more and complete the survey by April 30.

The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science Graduate Student Research program is accepting applications until May 4. The program supports U.S. graduate students seeking to conduct part of their thesis research at a DOE national lab or host site with a DOE scientist. The program is open to Ph.D. students who are conducting their thesis research in targeted areas of importance to the DOE Office of Science. Learn more.

The 2020 documentary Coded Bias explores biases embedded into technology. These biases affect the behaviors, outputs and consequences of countless devices, tools and digital spaces and often lead to or perpetuate inequity. Self-driving cars, facial recognition software, motion-activated appliances, job applicant screens and algorithms used for medical decision making theyre only as good as the code that defines their functions. The film describes in chilling fashion numerous prejudicial and even dangerous outcomes caused by biases hard-wired into data-centric technologies, and it makes the case for systemic changes needed to safeguard users and hold the tech industry accountable. Interested? The ASBMB Women in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Committee is hosting a screening and virtual panel discussion at 4 p.m. EDT on May 4. Committee member Meghna Gupta will moderate, and Jeff Kapler and Marina Holz will be panelists. The link to access the film will be sent to all registered attendees two weeks prior to the event. (The film also can be streamed on Netflix.) Register.

This in-person meetingin Kansas City, Mo., will showcasethe most recent insights into the cis-regulatory code, how cis-regulatory information is read out by transcription factors, signaling pathways and other proteins, how cellular diversity is created during development and how we can study this problem using cutting-edge genomics technology and computational methods.The meeting will simultaneously examine the problem from an evolutionary perspective: how cis-regulatory elements evolve, how regulatory variation affects gene expression and phenotypes, how these changes have shaped development and parallel evolution, and how noise affects regulatory circuits and their evolution. The abstract deadline for those who'd like to be considered for talks is May 6. The abstract deadline for poster presenters and the registration deadline is May 25.Submit an abstract.Learn more in this Q&A with two of the organizers.

This five-day conference will be held Aug. 1418 in person in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and online. It will be an international forum for discussion of the remarkable advances in cell and human protein biology revealed by ever-more-innovative and powerful mass spectrometric technologies. The conference will juxtapose sessions about methodological advances with sessions about the roles those advances play in solving problems and seizing opportunities to understand the composition, dynamics and function of cellular machinery in numerous biological contexts. In addition to celebrating these successes, we also intend to articulate urgent, unmet needs and unsolved problems that will drive the field in the future. Registration and abstract submission begins Nov. 1. Abstracts are due May 16. Learn more.

The Marion B. Sewer Distinguished Scholarship for Undergraduates offers financial support to students who demonstrate an interest in the fields of biochemistry and molecular biology and enhance the diversity of science. Students whose social, educational or economic background adds to the diversity of the biomedical workforce or who show commitment to enhancing academic success of underrepresented students are eligible. The scholarship provides up to $2,000 toward undergraduate tuition costs for one academic year and can be applied to fall or spring tuition of the year following scholarship award notification. Up to ten scholarships will be awarded each academic year. Applications by individuals from underrepresented groups are encouraged, although all qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, gender, color, ethnicity or national origin. Apply.

The Oklahoma Cobre in Structural Biology at the University of Oklahoma is hosting its 10th annual structural biology symposium on June 16. Confirmed speakers include Hao Wu of Harvard University, Breann Brown of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Lorena Saelices of University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Satish Nair of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Erica Ollman Saphire of the La Jolla Institute for Immunology. Check here for details and to register.

The Journal of Science Policy & Governance, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the Major Group for Children and Youth announced in February a call for papers for a special issue on "open science policies as an accelerator for achieving the sustainable development goals." The deadline for submissions is July 10. To help authors prepare their submissions, the group will be hosting a series of webinars (April 8 & 29, May 20, and June 10) and a science policy paper-writing workshop (March 2627). Read the call for submissions and learn more about the events.

Head to beautiful Denver, Colorado, for a summer experience as a PRIDE (Programs to Increase Diversity Among Individuals Engaged in Health-Related Research) scholar. PRIDE is an initiative of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute that trains junior faculty from underrepresented backgrounds and/or with disabilities to advance their scientific careers and make them more competitive for external research funding. The University of Colorado PRIDE (led by Sonia C. Flores, who also leads the ASBMB Minority Affairs Committee) is one of nine national PRIDE sites. Its focus is on the "impact of ancestry and gender on omics of lung and cardiovascular diseases" (which is why it's called PRIDEAGOLD). The program consists of two consecutive summer institutes (two and one week, respectively) that offer comprehensive formal instruction on multi-omics, data sciences and bioinformatics, with an emphasis on interpretations based on ancestry and/or gender; career development and grant-writing tools; pairing with expert mentors; and pilot funds to develop a small research project. Learn more.

This in-person meeting will be held Sept. 29 through Oct. 2 in Snowbird, Utah. Sessionswill cover recent advances and new technologies in RNA polymerase II regulation, including the contributions of non-coding RNAs, enhancers and promoters, chromatin structure and post-translational modifications, molecular condensates, and other factors that regulate gene expression. Patrick Cramer of the Max Planck Institute will present the keynote address on the structure and function of transcription regulatory complexes. The deadline for oral presentation abstracts is July 14. The deadline for poster presentation abstracts is Aug. 18.Learn more.

Most meetings on epigenetics and chromatin focus on transcription, while most meetings on genome integrity include little attention to epigenetics and chromatin. This conference in Seattle will bridge this gap to link researchers who are interested in epigenetic regulations and chromatin with those who are interested in genome integrity. The oral and poster abstract deadline and early registration deadline is Aug. 2. The regular registration deadline is Aug. 29.Learn more..

The ASBMB provides members with a virtual platform to share scientific research and accomplishments and to discuss emerging topics and technologies with the BMB community.

The ASBMB will manage the technical aspects, market the event to tens of thousands of contacts and present the digital event live to a remote audience. Additional tools such as polling, Q&A, breakout rooms and post event Twitter chats may be used to facilitate maximum engagement.

Seminars are typically one to two hours long. A workshop or conference might be longer and even span several days.

Prospective organizers may submit proposals at any time. Decisions are usually made within four to sixweeks.

Propose an event.

If you are a graduate student, postdoc or early-career investigator interested in hosting a #LipidTakeover, fill out this application. You can spend a day tweeting from the Journal of Lipid Research's account (@JLipidRes) about your favorite lipids and your work.

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Calendar of events, awards and opportunities - ASBMB Today

Biochemistry

A study of old flies offers new insight into retinal degeneration – ASBMB Today

While bright light helps us see better, our eyes need darkness for better vision. Light breaks down the sensitive machinery of our eyes every day, and during the darkness of night, key pieces are rebuilt. The clock of our circadian rhythms runs this process, and researchers have found that if the clock is disrupted, our eyes may be at greater risk of retinal degeneration as we age.

Purdue University photo/Tom Campbell

Fruit flies give insight into age-related changes in human vision. A team of researchers discovered the circadian clock plays a significant role in protecting eyes from retinal degeneration. The team studied fruit flies, which serve as a good model for the human retina. Vikki Weake, associate professor of biochemistry in Purdue's College of Agriculture, led the team.

Imagine if we could slow or prevent vision loss from retinal degeneration, said Vikki Weake, associate professor of biochemistry in Purdue Universitys College of Agriculture, who led the study. To do this, we need to understand the molecular mechanisms that drive age-associated changes and the external and internal factors that influence them. In this study, we discovered the circadian clock plays a surprisingly significant role in age-related changes in the retina. This internal clock may be critical in advanced age to prevent retinal degeneration and maintain eye health.

The team studied the eyes of Drosophila flies, a common model for the human eye. However, the study was uncommon in its use of multiple time points during aging, focus on photoreceptor neurons and new data analysis approaches. The findings are detailed in a paper in PLOS Genetics.

In our earlier studies, just focusing on gene expression, we were missing part of the story, Weake said. By looking at changes in chromatin that alter access to the underlying DNA during aging, we were able to identify some of the transcription factors that drive these gene expression changes in the aging eye.

Weake acknowledges doctoral student Juan Jupa Jauregui-Lozano for the idea for and application of the bioinformatics technique used.

I came across a powerful bioinformatics technique that can identify changes in transcription factor activity, helping us to understand gene regulation, Jauregui-Lozano said. The results revealed that the transcription factors Clock and Cycle - known for their role in circadian rhythm showed progressive changes in activity with age. This fits with what we know about eye biology, and this unbiased approach led us to identify Clock and Cycle as interesting targets to study.

Purdue University photo/Tom Campbell

Vikki Weake, associate professor of biochemistry in Purdue's College of Agriculture, sits at a microscope in her lab.

The technique, called diffTF, looks at changes in DNA accessibility in chromatin between different conditions. It generates a panel of potential candidates to pursue, as opposed to a research team beginning with a target gene in mind.

Clock and Cycle were known for being master regulators of circadian rhythms, but we saw they also regulate nearly all of the genes involved in sensing light in the retina, Jauregui-Lozano said. When the Clock:Cycle complex is disrupted, flies are susceptible to light-dependent retinal degeneration, and light-independent increase of oxidative stress. In humans, disruption of circadian rhythms has been associated with the onset of several age-related eye diseases. This is another piece of the puzzle.

Regulating the time at which these proteins are made is important to protect the light-sensing neurons and retain vision, Weake said.

The proteins involved in sensing light are delicate and degrade during the day when they are exposed to light, she said. If the circadian clock is off and these proteins arent made at the right time, its a problem.

The study found this complex controlled gene expression of nearly 20% of the active genes in Drosophila photoreceptors. The study also found the complex was responsible for maintaining global levels of chromatin accessibility in photoreceptors, a critical step in transcription of genes.

Co-author Hana Hall, research assistant professor of biochemistry at Purdue, performed light and dark experiments to see the effect on gene transcription when she was a researcher in Weakes lab.

Unlike most cells in the human body, neurons dont divide and replicate. The death of neurons lead to degenerative disease, Hall said. Because of this the cellular processes involved in repairing and regulating them are especially important. Proteins achieve this, and genes control which proteins are produced.

Aging is the main risk factor for neurodegenerative disease, Hall said. If we can understand the mechanics of how things get off track or become misregulated in our later years, we may be able to prevent or slow down the progression of these diseases. Vision loss affects a persons lifespan, independence and quality of life. Even delaying onset by five years could make a tremendous difference. We have ideas, and we are going to seek the answers.

The research team also included doctoral student Sarah Stanhope and undergraduate students Kimaya Bakhle and Makayla M. Marlin.

The National Eye Institute of the NIH (R01EY024905) and the Bird Stair Research Fellowship and Ross Lynn Research Scholar funded this work.

This article originally appeared in Purdue Universitys Agriculture News and has been republished with permission.

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A study of old flies offers new insight into retinal degeneration - ASBMB Today

Biochemistry

How tumor hypoxia suppresses the immune response – ASBMB Today

A team of researchers at the New England Inflammation and Tissue Protection Institute at Northeastern University have made headway in determining how the upregulation of adenosine in the hypoxic tumor microenvironment influences cell responses to immunotherapy.

Cells constantly are regulating every aspect of cell growth with complex signaling pathways and checkpoints to ensure everything is working normally. When cells notice something foreign or harmful, such as cancer cells, they activate their immune response to eliminate the harm. Cancer, however, has adapted to override this response, which allows cancer cells to grow into lethal tumors.

Kai Beattie is an undergraduate working under the direction of Michail Sitkovsky and Stephen Hatfield at the New England Inflammation and Tissue Protection Institute.

Courtesy of Nuria Roxana Romero Navarrete

T cells (pink) infiltrate an orthotopically injected murine breast tumor with differential expression of the adenosine-generating ectoenzyme CD73 (yellow).DAPI (blue).

Beattie and colleagues are working to elucidate evolutionary conserved mechanisms of immune evasion and metastatic dissemination exploited by cancerous cells. He will discuss his teams findings today during a poster presentation at the 2022 American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Annual Meeting held in conjunction with the Experimental Biology conference in Philadelphia.

Studying cancers molecular underpinnings is especially intriguing to me because it represents an impossibly difficult biological puzzle that is the ultimate product of Darwinian evolution, Beattie said. When we study biochemical pathways enriched in tumors, we are actually beginning to understand ancient mechanisms of survival. Such is the case for hypoxiaadenosinergic signaling and the epithelialmesenchymal transition.

Cancer cells override the immune response by changing their surroundings to make the ideal environment for tumor growth.

Tumor hypoxia is when cancer cells have low oxygen levels because they are consuming oxygen to grow faster than the body can make more oxygen. Just as when we work out, we breathe faster to get more oxygen, when cells grow faster, they need more oxygen.

Kai Beattie did the work hell present at the ASBMB annual meeting while he was an undergraduate at Northeastern University. He credited research technician Nuria Roxana Romero Navarette for her excellent mentorship and scientific intellect and Anushka Dongre, an assistant professor, for collaborating with the New England Inflammation and Tissue Protection Institute on the project.

Beattie and colleagues are studying the A2AR signaling pathway and how this pathway could be harnessed to enable antitumor responses. Beatties research specifically focuses on understanding the mechanism with which HIF-1 increases adenosine levels. Better understanding the link between HIF-1 and adenosine levels will add another potential regulation mechanism for programming the anti-tumor response.

While studying HIF-1s mechanism, Beattie discovered adenosine-generating enzymes and changes in adenosine metabolism when hypoxic conditions are induced. Using epithelial murine breast cancer and quasi-mesenchymal carcinoma cells, he and his team found a remarkable difference in adenosinergic enzymes and epithelialmesenchymal transition transcription factors during hypoxia.

Future work by Beattie and colleagues will focus on validating his findings in 3D cell aggregates that can mimic tissues (spheroids) and in preclinical mouse models, potentially using gene editing methods to establish key proteins involved in anti-hypoxia-HIF-1-A2AR treatment.

Beattie said the take-home message of his work so far is this: Hypoxia-dependent signaling within neoplastic contexts represents one of many pathophysiological hallmarks of cancer that are integral to carcinogenesis and development of therapeutic resistance. Our knowledge of these biological capabilities is directly translatable to the development of treatments that, in the case of hypoxiaadenosinergic signaling, enhance anticancer immunity through the liberation of tumor-reactive cytotoxic lymphocytes from immunosuppression.

Kai Beattie will present this research between 12:45 and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 3, in Exhibit/Poster Hall AB, Pennsylvania Convention Center (Poster Board Number A346) (abstract).

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How tumor hypoxia suppresses the immune response - ASBMB Today