The Nucleus of an Expanding Science
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A Magazine | The School of Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | Issue 8, 2014 THE NUCLEUS OF AN EXPANDING SCIENCE College of Liberal Arts and Sciences LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR TABLE OF CONTENTS It is a pleasure to welcome you again to another issue of the MCB magazine. 2 Letter from the Director, Stephen Sligar 4 The Nucleus of an Expanding Science, by Deb Aronson A central theme of this issue deals with how major research advances are realized in the biological sciences. It is well appreciated that many significant 9 It Takes a(n Academic) Village to Determine an Enzyme’s Function, by Diana Yates discoveries are now made by teams of collaborative researchers. An important 10 Team Finds Mechanism Linking Key Inflammatory Marker to Cancer,by Diana Yates part of the history of accomplishment at U of I is due to an open and synergistic environment that encourages cross-campus and cross-disciplinary interactions. 12 What Won’t Kill You, Might Make You Stronger, by Claire Sturgeon While several institutes on campus provide a structure for bringing multi- 14 All Creatures Great and Small: What’s Going on in the Mind of a Mouse, and What disciplinary partners together, multiple bridges also exist between research Does it Mean for Humans?” by Doug Peterson groups, departments and colleges. This provides a feeling of openness and 15 A Meeting of the Minds: Neurologist Connects Carle with Campus, by Doug Peterson possibility that makes human creativity the only limit to discovery. As many who have moved to other institutions or outside of academia can attest: This degree of 16 Welcome New Faculty Members collaboration in the absence of formal relationships between individuals and units Dr. Catherine Christian, Dr. Xin Li, Dr. Erik Nelson, Dr. Erik Procko, Dr. Nien-Pei Tsai, Dr. Derek Wildman, Dr. Kai Zhang Dr. Stephen G. Sligar is not common at other institutions. 18 Don’t Underestimate the Power of Undergraduate Research When you connect the links among highly productive bio-science research 20 Medical Scholars in MCB Find Synergy in a Good Relationship, by Deb Aronson centers across campus, one often finds an MCB faculty member at the nucleus. In basketball, the center, also known as the post, is normally the tallest player 22 U of I SACNAS Chapter Receives National Recognition, by Ana Petracovici on the team, and often has a great deal of strength. As is evidenced in the content 23 Scientists Discover a New Role for Estrogen in the Pathology of Breast Cancer, of this issue of the our magazine, MCB faculty in the College of Liberal Arts and by Diana Yates Sciences provide critical participation in the research enterprises being conducted in the Beckman Institute, the Institute for Genomic Biology, the Center for the 24 The Meaning of Alma Mater: Alumna, June Aprille, by Doug Peterson Physics of the Living Cell, and numerous collaborative partnerships in the College 25 Second Chances: Alumn, Michael Recny, by Doug Peterson of Engineering, the College of Veterinary Medicine, the College of Agriculture, 26 A Different Direction: Alumna, Nancy Sasavage, by Doug Peterson Consumer and Environmental Sciences, the College of Applied Health Sciences and the College of Medicine. 27 In Memorium It is a pleasure to introduce you to the seven new faculty joining MCB as William T. Greenough (1944-2013), Lowell P. Hager (1926-2014), Abigail Salyers (1942-2013), well as a sampling of the important advances in education and research being William Sleator Jr. (1917-2013), Colin A. Wraight (1945-2014) conducted within the School and its four departments. Importantly, we also 30 List of Recent Graduates continue to stress the amazing accomplishments of our undergraduate and graduate alumni, particularly when one appreciates the breadth of career paths, from journalism through endowed professors in academe to senior corporate leaders, the educational experiences in MCB and its departments have clearly been most enabling. As we enter into the holiday season and new year, we wish you a productive and fulfilling 2015! MCB is published by the School of Molecular and Cellular Biology MCB Director Assistant Director of Development MCB Communications Office Stephen G. Sligar Sean D. Williams 393 Morrill Hall, MC-119 505 South Goodwin Avenue Managing Editor Photography Urbana, IL 61801 Steph Adams Steph Adams Carle phone | 217.265.6594 Additional Editing Kathryn Coulter fax | 217.265.6595 Julie O’Mahoney Don Hamerman [email protected] Graphic Designer L. Brian Stauffer Kurt Bielema Joseph Storch www.mcb.illinois.edu Produced by the MCB Communications Office with Single Stereo Design for the School of Molecular and Cellular Biology. The University of Illinois is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution. Printed on recycled paper with soy-based ink. 12.038 2 MCB THE NUCLEUS OF AN EXPANDING SCIENCE By Deb Aronson Benito Mariñas Joanna Shisler Yi Lu Madhu Viswanathan Civil and Environmental Engineering Microbiology Chemistry Business From blood clotting to Alzheimer’s Benito Mariñas, professor of civil and environmental engineering, This project is one of three large cross-campus projects recently had a problem. He was part of an effort to provide clean water to funded by the University’s Institute of Sustainability, Energy, and and clean water, MCB faculty communities in East Africa, but the range of contaminants was vast. Environment. Diarrhea from unsafe drinking water is an enormous global health “I’ve learned an aspect of public health I wouldn’t have without this members are involved in cross- burden. Many contaminants cause chronic diarrhea, which leads to collaboration,” reflects Shisler. “Helping communities alone has been numerous health problems and is one of the leading causes of death in really rewarding, but we’re also training different levels of students campus, interdisciplinary and children under five-years old. One contaminant Mariñas was wrestling who become more broadly trained, who can put pieces of information with was adenovirus, which was very resistant to low pressure UV together for new solutions.” even visionary, efforts combining disinfection, a common technique that worked for other viruses. “It is highly likely that any hardcore highly translational questions with Wanting to better understand the challenge, he sought out MCB professor Joanna Shisler, a microbiologist, who, he learned, worked molecular biosciences project on cutting-edge approaches. And with with adenovirus. Could she help him with this problem, he wondered? “Benito wanted to be able to measure what was going on with the campus will involve MCB faculty,” collaborations like this taking part all virus when it was being disinfected,” says Shisler, who agreed to help. Thus began a seven-year (so far) collaboration that has begun, not says Stephen Sligar, professor of across campus, it’s an exciting time only to address some of Mariñas’s questions, but also to train “very unique people” with experience in molecular biology, engineering biochemistry and director of MCB. to be part of MCB. and global health issues, says Shisler. So far, Shisler and Mariñas have trained five students together and published four papers Sometimes, as in the case with Shisler, a researcher on campus will on their collaborative work. approach an MCB member with a question. In other cases, MCB Thanks to Shisler’s in-depth understanding of the complex biology faculty have had problems for which they seek out engineers, computer of viruses, the team is slowly making progress in determining how to analysts or physical scientists for solutions. neutralize viruses and how to determine if they have been neutralized. In addition, as scientists seek to answer more complex questions, the One grand challenge in the field is how do you detect an active, intact need to collaborate with people who have different areas of expertise virus versus the individual parts that are no longer a unit. becomes essential. Current methods can identify the genome and the protein elements “When you employ a certain methodology in isolation, even though Student collecting water from a point-of-use water system to test for chemical and of the virus, but it can’t tell if they are together, and thus infectious, it may be very powerful, you are very limited in scope, but when you microbial activities in Lira District, Uganda or if they were separated, at which point they are no longer infectious. combine it with other methodologies, other ways of looking at the same One approach involves an effort by Yi Lu, professor of chemistry, problem from different angles, you have a great chance to make significant to design an aptamer to recognize an entire virus particle. Aptamers contributions,” says Emad Tajkhorshid, professor of biochemistry, are single-stranded RNA, and very long molecules. Lu is trying to biophysics and computational biology. He should know, since he design one that will recognize an entire virus particle. Lu is trying collaborates with countless colleagues across (and beyond) campus. to find an aptamer that would bind to the intact virus particle but One undertaking that is resulting in significant contributions Aptamer, single-stranded RNA not the disinfected particle. involves understanding how cell membranes and membrane proteins Image provided by Dr. Yi Lu “The grand vision here is that we know how adenoviruses are work. For much of his career, Jim Morrissey, professor and head of inactivated; we know on a molecular level and what