ASCB J U L Y 2 0 1 0 NEWSLETTER VOLUME 33, NUMBER 6 Treasurer’s Vale Elected President for 2012 Report Botstein, Kusumi, Sabry, and Zheng to Serve on Council Page 6 Ronald D. Vale of the University of California, San Francisco/HHMI was elected by the ASCB ASCB Offers membership to serve as Society President in 2012. Vale will serve on the Executive Annual Meeting Committee as President-Elect in 2011, and will Childcare succeed Sandra L. Schmid as President. Elected from among eight candidates Wojciechowski Photo: Frank Ronald D. Vale David Botstein Akihiro Kusumi Grants for Council are David Botstein of Princeton Page 11 University; Akihiro Kusumi of Kyoto University, Japan; James Sabry of Genentech, Inc.; and Yixian Zheng of Carnegie Institution and Johns Hopkins University. Each member of Modernizing Council will serve a three year term beginning January 1, 2011. ASCB thanks all the nominees. Cell Biology in The Bylaws measure to eliminate the membership application sponsor requirement was passed by a 9-1 margin. Ghana James Sabry Yixian Zheng Page 24 Thirty-nine percent of the ASCB eligible voting membership participated in the elections this year. n Inside Did You Know...? New Mission July 29 is the regular abstract submission President’s Column 3 Statement for Call for Nominations 5 deadline (for Minisymposium or poster Treasurer’s Report 6 presentation) for this year’s ASCB Annual Annual Meeting Program 8 Meeting; the meeting will be held ASCB WICB Column 11 December 11–15 in Philadelphia, PA. Childcare Grants 12 n Sponsorship of abstracts is required. How to capture what ASCB does, and what Public Policy Briefing 13 n All current members and member ASCB members value, succinctly? The ASCB Congressional Resolution 15 applicants may sponsor their own ASCB Council considered recent member CLS Caucuses 15 abstract. survey data and reassessed ASCB’s mission. Highlights from MBoC 16 n All regular, postdoctoral, and emeritus Read an overview of the May Council ASCB 50 in Photos 17 members may sponsor another person’s Retreat beginning on page 3. The new CBE-LSE Special Issue 17 abstract if they are not submitting one mission statement is: Dear Labby 18 themselves. ASCB is an inclusive, international ASCB Profile 19 community of biologists studying the E.E. Just Award 21 Are there nonmembers in your lab cell, the fundamental unit of life. We Members in the News 22 who want to submit abstracts? are dedicated to advancing scientific 2010 Half-Century Fund Donors 22 Now is the time to encourage them to join discovery, advocating sound research MBoC Paper of the Year 23 policies, improving education, promoting International Affairs 24 ASCB. Not only will they be able to sponsor professional development, and increasing New ASCB Members 25 their own abstract, but they will be eligible diversity in the scientific workforce. ASCB Emeritus Members 25 for the discounted member-only registration As always, ASCB welcomes your thoughts. Grants & Opportunities 26 rate. For more information, go to www.ascb. n International Authors Wanted 27 org and click on “Membership.” n Please write to [email protected]. Calendar 27 FEI Life Sciences The premier provider of 3D ultrastructural imaging solutions for the life sciences.

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09-305_ASCBNewsletter_Ad_FIN.indd 1 8/11/09 10:45 AM The American Society PRESIDENT’S Column for Cell Biology 8120 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 750 Bethesda, MD 20814-2762, USA Tel: 301-347-9300 We Are All About the Science! Fax: 301-347-9310 [email protected], www.ascb.org This President’s Column was written by Sandra intracellular trafficking, nuclear structure and Joan R. Goldberg Schmid (President-Elect) and Tim Mitchison function, signal transduction, cell–cell and Executive Director (President). cell–extracellular matrix interactions, and cell division—the ASCB Council also discussed the Officers On May 27, the ASCB Council need to integrate these areas to Timothy J. Mitchison President held a one-day strategic understand fully the cell as a Sandra L. Schmid President-Elect planning retreat. As the Society complex living system. Council Brigid Hogan Past President rounds 50 years and looks to and ASCB members alike also Thoru Pederson Treasurer Jean E. Schwarzbauer Secretary the future, ASCB Councilors recognized the importance of met with key staff to consider new approaches and the need Council such questions as: What is cell for input from biophysicists, biology, who does the ASCB physicists, chemists, Raymond Deshaies Joan R. Goldberg, ex officio represent, and how can we engineers, mathematicians, Holly V. Goodson best serve these constituencies? and computational biologists Kathleen J. Green The retreat was part two of the to augment the efforts of Inke Näthke strategic planning process one traditional cell biologists David Spector Paul W. Sternberg of us (Sandra Schmid) outlined in dealing with increasing Elizabeth Sztul in her guest President’s Column Tim Mitchison complexity. JoAnn Trejo in the May ASCB Newsletter. Clare M. Waterman Part one was collecting opinions from the Who Are We? Fiona M. Watt membership through the recent survey on the Susan M. Wick The ASCB Council and members also Virginia A. Zakian importance of different ASCB activities. We considered the Society’s identity and would like to thank the many members who constituency. ASCB members are at many The ASCB Newsletter took the time to fill out the survey; your opinions is published 11 times per year different career stages, and hold positions by The American Society provided essential input into our discussion. at many different institutions. However, for Cell Biology. The main goal of the retreat was to reassess our reasons for being part of the Society the mission of the ASCB, and to articulate Joan R. Goldberg Editor are surprisingly coherent. The number one W. Mark Leader Editor a clear and succinct mission statement that cited reason (expressed by 74% of our survey Elizabeth M. Rich Production Manager encapsulates our purpose and core values. respondents) for remaining members of the Kevin Wilson Public Policy Director Defining our mission will help us—and future ASCB was “to be part of the international cell John Fleischman Science Writer ASCB Councils—decide what activities to biology community.” The Council reaffirmed its Thea Clarke Editorial Manager support, and how to prioritize our resources belief that the ASCB should be an inclusive and Advertising among our many ongoing activities. This is diverse community open to anyone interested especially important in the current climate of in cell biology (i.e., undergraduates, graduate The deadline for advertising is the financial constraint and as we look to the future. first day of the month preceding the students, postdocs, teachers, academic and cover date. For information contact applied researchers). Advertising Manager Ed Newman, What Is Cell Biology? Members recently approved a bylaws change [email protected]. The ASCB Council and ASCB members see to discontinue the membership requirement ASCB Newsletter cell biology as a highly complex and integrated of sponsorship by a current member. We ISSN 1060-8982 field aimed at understanding the cell as a will miss this tradition, but shedding it is an Volume 33, Number 6 system of dynamic, interacting parts. The important step toward greater inclusivity. In July 2010 cell is the fundamental unit of life, and cell addition, our low membership fees for students © 2010 The American Society for Cell biologists also seek to understand how cellular and postdoctoral fellows reflect this value. Biology. Copyright to the articles is held by the author or, for staff-written articles, processes lead to the formation of distinct However, Council also agreed that our resources by the ASCB. The content of the ASCB living organisms through differentiation, and programs should primarily be focused on Newsletter is available to the public under development, and tissue morphogenesis. We supporting graduate students, postdocs, and an Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike Unported Creative Commons License also study the processes that regulate organismal researchers actively engaged in cell biology. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ homeostasis under normal physiological and by-nc-sa/3.0). pathological conditions. While acknowledging What Is Our Mission? Postmaster: Send change of address to: ASCB Newsletter the importance of traditional core areas of cell The most important discussion at the retreat The American Society for Cell Biology 8120 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 750 biological research—including the cytoskeleton, concerned defining our mission and developing Bethesda, MD 20814-2762, USA

JULY 2010 ASCB NEWSLETTER 3 a concise mission statement that articulates a clear vision of our purpose and objectives. This will serve as a promise to our members, and as a guide to current and future Councilors, committee members, and ASCB staffers in the development and execution of programs in support of our objectives. From these discussions emerged the following mission statement: ASCB is an inclusive, international community of biologists studying the cell, the fundamental The number one unit of life. We are dedicated to advancing scientific discovery, advocating sound research cited reason for policies, improving education, promoting remaining members professional development, and increasing diversity in the scientific workforce. of the ASCB was We also sought to prioritize these objectives “to be part of the in light of results from the membership survey. international cell A strong consensus emerged that the ASCB’s Numerous activities help support the ASCB mission of primary purpose is to advance scientific advancing scientific discovery. biology community.” discovery. We are all about the science! We (MAC). The Subcommittee on Postdoctoral accomplish this goal directly through Symposia, Training also assists young scientists with career Minisymposia, award presentations, and poster choices. And the Dear Labby column in this sessions at our Annual Meeting: the only annual Newsletter, along with the Career Advice for Life international meeting encompassing the entire Scientists books compiled from WICB columns, breadth and depth of cell biology. We also offer wisdom in highly readable formats. advance scientific discovery through our journal, Education is also important, to keep the Molecular Biology of the Cell (MBoC). MBoC is career pipeline filled with excited young cell open access after two months, peer-reviewed, biologists, and to help the public understand and a scientist-run journal; it publishes high- what we do and why. We support education quality findings from research in all aspects of through such activities as our open-access, cell biology. In addition, as our newly launched online journal CBE—Life Sciences Education, and developing collection of images, videos, and which is partially funded by the Howard animations—The Cell: An Image Library— Hughes Medical Institute. Annual Meeting grows, it will serve as an important research tool. education workshops and sessions—including The other activities in the mission statement special programs for high school teachers and can be viewed as supporting our primary students and for professors and undergraduate purpose of advancing discovery. We support students—expand our educational portfolio. members’ research programs by advocating CellSlam, Celldance, and the ASCB press book for science, and for science funding, through (all Public Information Committee efforts) activities of our own Public Policy Committee expand our educational outreach online, as do and our active membership in the Coalition for iBioSeminars. the Life Sciences. These groups continuously Promoting increased diversity in the educate Congress on the importance of our cell biology workforce was reaffirmed as an scientific research, and advise the National important ASCB core value at the retreat. This Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Science is supported by pioneering efforts of the MAC Foundation on matters of peer review and and its programs funded by an NIH Minority funding policies. Access to Research Careers (MARC) grant to We support professional development of our reach out to minority students, postdocs, and members at all career stages, but particularly faculty. WICB publications and programs younger scientists. We do this through career support women scientists and others, while development programs and workshops International Affairs Committee programs sponsored by the Women in Cell Biology build capacity and expand engagement in (WICB) and Minorities Affairs Committees the international community. The Carnegie

4 ASCB NEWSLETTER JULY 2010 Foundation of New York funds the ASCB’s Now, if someone asks you, “why should African workshops. I join the ASCB?” you can The ASCB’s mission is tell him or her how our captured, metaphorically, by A strong consensus membership contributes to the the image of a three-legged future strength of our chosen emerged that the stool (see previous page). Our field. Or you can tell them Now, if someone objectives of sound science ASCB’s primary about the platform embodied policy, improved science by the three-legged stool and asks you, “why purpose is to education, and professional invite them to share a seat and should I join the development are all in advance scientific join our community. Why not ASCB?” you can support of our members, who discovery. We are all become an ASCB Ambassador are actively engaged in cell (see www.ascb.org/ambtoolkit tell him or her how biological research. As a diverse, about the science! for more information) and international community of spread the word? n our membership cell biologists, we can ensure contributes to the the vitality of our research and of our profession Comments are welcome and should be sent to future strength of together. [email protected]. our chosen field.

The ASCB 2010 Call for Nominations

Norton B. Gilula Memorial Award Who is Eligible: An outstanding graduate or undergraduate student (at the time of nomination) who has excelled in research or a first-year postdoc whose work was performed while a PhD or MD/PhD student

How to Apply: The student or advisor should submit a one-page research statement, a CV, a list of publications, if any, the abstract submitted to the current year’s Annual Meeting, and the advisor’s letter of recommendation. Duplicate applications from graduate students may be submitted for the Gilula and Bernfield Memorial Awards.

Awards: The winner is presented a plaque and a ribbon for his/her poster board. Expenses to attend the Annual Meeting are paid. Funded by an annual grant from Rockefeller University Press. Deadline: July 15

Merton Bernfield Memorial Award Who is Eligible: An outstanding graduate student or postdoctoral fellow (at the time of nomination) who has excelled in research

How to Apply: The student or postdoc or his or her advisor should submit a one-page research statement, a CV, a list of publications, a copy of the abstract submitted to the current year’s Annual Meeting, and the advisor’s letter of recommendation. Postdocs may also submit the recommendation of their graduate student advisor. Duplicate applications from graduate students may be submitted for the Gilula and Bernfield Memorial Awards.

Awards: The winner is presented a plaque and an honorarium and will speak at a Minisymposium at the Annual Meeting. Expenses to attend the Annual Meeting are paid.

Deadline: July 15

All applications and nominations should be submitted to: The American Society for Cell Biology 8120 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 750 Bethesda, MD 20814-2762, USA [email protected] For names of prior awardees or more information, visit www.ascb.org and click on “Awards/Grants,” or contact the ASCB at 301-347-9300 or [email protected].

JULY 2010 ASCB NEWSLETTER 5 TREASURER’S Report Getting through a Tough Year Pounded by External Factors, Yet Bounced by Internal Positives

Dear Members, Investment Losses Lead Revenue You are used to lively pages throughout the Drop ASCB Newsletter each month, but once a year Budgeting for marketing gains, or losses, is a there comes the necessity of subjecting you tricky business. The Society is conservative in to a more prosaic tract—the both its investment policy and Report of the Treasurer. Please its budgeting. Nevertheless, the take a few minutes to read impact of investment returns what follows, not only for its on the Society’s bottom line quantitative content but to [T]he ASCB’s is clear. 2009’s continuing grasp the critical juncture at traditional “business realized loss in investment value which the ASCB finds itself. As accounted for nearly 70% of ASCB enters our 50th year we plan,” which was the variance between ASCB’s face several challenges, some based on the budgeted income and actual unprecedented, and we need income in 2009. your input and support to Annual Meeting and ASCB’s 2009 income was navigate these shoals. membership dues approximately 16% lower than A Slight Operational budgeted, in large part due to constituting the the realized loss on investments Loss Resulted from revenue stream, has of $571,700. Revenue from Declining Income; begun to evolve into the Annual Meeting, Molecular Expense Cuts Biology of the Cell (MBoC), and Alleviated a Greater Hit a more balanced membership dues also fell short Creative cuts in expenses by income structure. of budget. All declined from the ASCB staff in 2009 continued previous year. to help the ASCB counter In 2008, the Society held declining revenue compared its Annual Meeting in San to budget. And while 2009 Francisco. That city has proved ASCB income of $5,344,122 the most popular and successful surpassed 2008’s, most revenue sources meeting site for the Society. In addition, the 2008 declined significantly from the year before. meeting was held later in December (13–17) Benefiting the 2009 bottom line compared than in some other years. Traditionally, ASCB to 2008’s was a drop in realized* investment meetings held earlier in December do less well. losses by nearly 57%. This sign of improving The 2009 ASCB Annual Meeting in San Diego, market conditions was enhanced by the far held December 5–9, saw a drop of approximately greater 2009 increase in unrealized gain on 20% in registration. Abstracts declined as well. investments. The latter totaled more than (Selection of meeting sites and timing has been $1.075 million (vs. a $312,000 unrealized dependent on the convention center dates loss in 2008). This 2009 unrealized gain was available that don’t overlap with Chanukah or responsible for turning a small operational approach Christmas.) loss into an audited, overall gain of $401,747. New membership in the postdoc, predoc,

* “Realized” and “unrealized” gains/losses can be confusing terms. The former are simply what an investor gains or loses when a held equity is sold, as of the day of that transaction. (This is what is entered in the capital gains or losses section of the tax return.) Unrealized gains or losses are the value of held equities, relative to value at acquisition, as of the day the books are closed on an organization’s fiscal year. Unrealized gains/losses are thus an accounting measure that reflects (one aspect of) the financial condition of an organization.

6 ASCB NEWSLETTER JULY 2010 and undergraduate categories was much weaker all resulted in significant savings over budget. In in 2009 than 2008; this too reflects a traditional fact, ASCB 2009 expenses of $6,009,208 were association between San Francisco meetings and more than 7% lower than budgeted (a savings membership. (One of ASCB’s key challenges is of $468,533). The greatest source of savings was to make potential members, in all categories, for the Annual Meeting. With new, multi-year more aware of the many significant benefits of contracts for many related services now in place, membership and to reorient thinking away from these expenses should prove more predictable. the tendency of some individuals to join, or Travel costs, however, remain unpredictable and, renew, only because they are planning to attend of course, beyond ASCB’s control. the meeting. Your ideas on solving this challenge Another area in which the Society reduced are particularly needed.) In addition, in 2008, 2009 expenses considerably is in the general and the page count and associated revenue for MBoC administrative category. Overhead was reduced by had risen significantly. Those figures declined more than $74,000 due to an allowable allocation in 2009, suggesting that 2008’s unanticipated for federal grant overhead. Additional reductions increase might have been a one-time event. were due to negotiations noted above and holding off on filling certain open staff positions. Grant Revenue Rises Other expenses that were lower than On the positive side, the Society outperformed budgeted in 2009 related to declining revenue. ASCB is approaching budget in grant revenue. ASCB income grew For example, African course expenses were a point where in this area through competitive renewal of less than budgeted, enabling the Carnegie the NIGMS Minority Access to Research grant funds to cover more expenses in future further reductions Careers (MARC) grant, with an expanded years. Income matches expense for this in costs without budget awarded, and a new NIGMS Grand program. Similarly MBoC expense was reduced Opportunities (GO) grant. ASCB supported significantly due to declining pages and reprints cutting programs MARC programs at a higher than usual level: compared to budget. will be very difficult $165,639 more. The GO grant, however, The Society also reduced expenses by provides significant overhead, offsetting ASCB instituting virtual rather than in-person and in most cases expenses. In addition, substantial grants from committee meetings for two more committees impossible. the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and in 2009 vs. 2008. the Carnegie Foundation continue to help There were only two areas where actual support the Society’s education journal, CBE— expense exceeded budget. One was The Cell: Life Sciences Education, certain activities of An Image Library, the new initiative made the International Affairs Committee, and the possible by the Society’s GO grant. An earlier, iBioSeminars program, respectively. Grants were underresourced Image & Video Library was shut also received from the Burroughs Wellcome down in January, and the GO grant had not Fund. The ASCB’s traditional “business plan,” been announced by NIGMS at the time of the which was based on the Annual Meeting and 2009 budget development. The second area was membership dues constituting the revenue for MARC-related programs; expanded ASCB stream, has begun to evolve into a more funding was approved by the ASCB Executive balanced income structure. One example is the Committee. above-mentioned, expanding external grant support. To the extent that these grants are Bottom Line Underscores Concerns supporting all the ASCB’s key programs and ASCB is approaching a point where further yet provide a degree of balance and buffering reductions in costs without cutting programs capacity, this trend is healthy. Nevertheless, will be very difficult and in most cases it does not address the core issue of declining impossible. The staff is lean, and ASCB membership and Annual Meeting attendance. programs are many. ASCB’s long-term philosophy has been to charge members as little Staff Reduce Expenses with as possible, and provide community resources Ingenuity, Negotiation with as few restrictions as possible. The ASCB The ASCB staff is always focused on securing recently began a strategic planning process the best contracts for the Society to safeguard guided by member survey data and Council and funds for necessary program costs. In 2009, staff discussion. A key step in this process was negotiations for new telephones, a faster a Council Retreat held at ASCB headquarters Internet connection, a new lease for office on May 27 (see page 2). This strategic planning space, reduced credit card fees and new banking process, when complete, will prioritize the relationships, and Annual Meeting contractors Treasurer’s Report, continued on page 22

JULY 2010 ASCB NEWSLETTER 7 50th ASCB Annual Meeting Program December 11–15, 2010 n Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia, PA Timothy J. Mitchison, President n Jodi Nunnari, Program Chair

Two concurrent Symposia will be held each afternoon, Sunday through Tuesday, December 12–14, at 4:15 pm–5:45 pm; a special Closing Symposium will be held on Wednesday, December 15, from 11:00 am–12:15 pm. Seven Minisymposia and one Working Group will be held each morning, Sunday through Wednesday, December 11–15, from 8:30 am–10:35 am. Co-chairs are encouraged to give a talk, and will select four to six speakers for each presentation from regular abstracts submitted by July 29, 2010.

Member-Organized Special Symposia Interest Subgroups Sunday, December 12, 4:15 pm

Chromosome Dynamics Cytoskeletal Dynamics Saturday, December 11 12:30 pm–5:00 pm

Session titles, organizers, and

speakers will be Photo: GeorgeNikitin/AP ©HHMI announced in the fall. Peter Fraser Gary Karpen Jeannie Lee Karen Oegema Laurie Smith Julie Theriot Babraham University of Massachusetts University of University of Stanford University Institute, UK California, Berkeley General Hospital/ California, San Diego California, San Harvard Medical Diego School

Monday, December 13, 4:15 pm

50th Cell Adhesion and Migration Membrane Trafficking Anniversary Keynote ©walidbahaphotography Saturday, December 11 Peter Friedl Rick Horwitz Pernille Rorth Susan Ferro-Novick James Hurley Harvey McMahon 6:00 pm Radboud University University of Institute of University of National Institute MRC Lab of Nijmegen, Virginia Molecular and Cell California, San of Diabetes and Molecular Biology, The Netherlands Biology, Singapore Diego/HHMI Digestive and Kidney UK Looking Back: ASCB’s Diseases, NIH First Meeting Remarks by Gary Borisy Tuesday, December 14, 4:15 pm

Improving Cancer Cellular Quality Control Patterns and Symmetry in Development Chemotherapy: How Can a Basic Scientist Contribute? Photo: IMBA/Hans Krist Dan Gottschling Ramanujan Hegde Noboru Mizushima Jürgen Knoblich Keiko Torii Eric Wieschaus Fred Hutchinson National Institute Tokyo Medical and Institute of University of Princeton Cancer Research of Child Health Dental University, Molecular Washington University Center and Human Japan Biotechnology, Development, NIH Austria

Wednesday, December 15, 11:00 am Cell Biology to Therapeutics Timothy J. Mitchison Harvard Medical School Ira Mellman Randall Moon Genentech, University of Inc. Washington School of Medicine/HHMI

8 ASCB NEWSLETTER JULY 2010 50th ASCB Annual Meeting Program December 11–15, 2010 n Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia, PA Timothy J. Mitchison, President n Jodi Nunnari, Program Chair

Minisymposia Lipid Dynamics and Signaling Will Prinz, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Cancer and Cancer Microenvironment Kidney Diseases, NIH For more Lloyd Trotman, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Julie Saba, Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute information, Valerie Weaver, University of California, San Francisco Mitosis and Meiosis contact the ASCB: Cell and Tissue Morphogenesis Monica Colaiacovo, Harvard Medical School 301-347-9300 Darren Gilmour, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Duane Compton, Dartmouth Medical School [email protected] Heidelberg Cheryll Tickle, University of Bath Motors www.ascb.org Mary Porter, University of Minnesota Medical School Cell Biology Education: Where’s the Math? Thomas Schwarz, Children’s Hospital Boston Caroline Kane, University of California, Berkeley Susan Wick, University of Minnesota Neuronal Development and Degeneration Maxwell G. Heiman, Rockefeller University Cell Death Leo Pallanck, University of Washington Barbara Conradt, Dartmouth Medical School Jim Wells, University of California, San Francisco Nuclear Cell Biology Ana Pombo, Imperial College London Important Cell Growth and Cell Cycle Daniel A. Starr, University of California, Davis Michael N. Hall, Biozentrum, University of Basel Michael Rape, University of California, Berkeley Organelle Structure and Biogenesis Dates Benjamin Glick, University of Chicago Cell Migration and Motility Maya Schuldiner, Weizmann Institute of Science Carole Parent, National Cancer Institute, NIH Meeting registration, abstract Michael Sixt, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry Prokaryotic Cell Biology submission, and hotel Briana Burton, Harvard University Cell Polarity Joe Pogliano, University of California, San Diego reservations are now available Dominique Bergmann, Stanford University at www.ascb.org/meetings. Ken Prehoda, University of Oregon Protein and RNA Folding and Quality Control Douglas M. Cyr, University of North Carolina School of Medicine Cells of the Immune System Sandra Wolin, Yale University School of Medicine Deadlines Matthew Krummel, University of California, San Francisco July 29 Judy Lieberman, Harvard Medical School RNA Biology Javier Cáceres, MRC Human Genetics Unit, Edinburgh Regular Abstract Submission Cellular Stress Response Daniel St. Johnston, The Gurdon Institute, University of (for Minisymposium talk or Maho Niwa, University of California, San Diego Cambridge poster consideration) Matthias Peter, Institute of Biochemistry, ETH Zurich Stem Cells Member-Organized Chromatin and Chromosomes Sally Temple, New York Neural Stem Cell Institute Special Interest Subgroup David M. Gilbert, Florida State University Amy Wagers, Joslin Diabetes Center Lori Wallrath, University of Iowa Application Wound Healing and Regeneration Cilia and Centrosomes William Bement, University of Wisconsin–Madison September 1 Tamara Caspary, Emory University Phillip Newmark, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign/ Tim Stearns, Stanford University/HHMI HHMI Regular Abstract Submission (for poster consideration only) Cytoskeletal and Nuclear Intermediate Filaments and Working Groups Disease Travel Award Application Ueli Aebi, University of Basel, M.E. Mueller Institute As an alternative to Minisymposia, these Katherine Wilson, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine sessions provide a more interactive October 7 Cytoskeleton Dynamics experience for meeting attendees. Early Meeting Registration R. Dyche Mullins, University of California, San Francisco Aging (for discounted rates) Ed Munro, University of Chicago Ana Maria Cuervo, Albert Einstein College of Medicine Marcia Haigis, Harvard Medical School Endo- and Exocytosis October 15 Brian Kennedy, University of Washington Tomas Kirchhausen, Harvard Medical School John Sedivy, Brown University Late Abstract Submission Mary Munson, University of Massachusetts Medical School In Vivo Imaging Extracellular Matrix, Cell Adhesion, and Signaling December 1 John Condeelis, Albert Einstein College of Medicine Christopher S. Chen, University of Pennsylvania Kat Hadjantonakis, Sloan-Kettering Institute Hotel Reservations Douglas Desimone, University of Virginia School of Medicine Ralph Weissleder, Harvard Medical School (for guaranteed low ASCB Host-Pathogen Interactions Nanoscale Biology rates) Kent Hill, University of California, Los Angeles Marileen Dogterom, FOM Institute AMOLF, Amsterdam Nick Talbot, University of Exeter Scott Manalis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Doug Weibel, University of Wisconsin–Madison Intracellular Trafficking Suzanne Pfeffer, Stanford University To Screen or Not to Screen Sharon A. Tooze, London Research Institute Cancer Research UK Anne Carpenter, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard www.ascb.org/meetings Tobias Meyer, Stanford University School of Medicine Caroline Shamu, Harvard Medical School

JULY 2010 ASCB NEWSLETTER 9 Spend less. Get more.

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The Women in Cell Biology (WICB) Committee Canfield)—all parents themselves—realized that is pleased to have a role in enabling parents of two elements would be critical to optimizing dependent children to attend the ASCB Annual the cost–benefit of the awards: coverage of Meeting. For the third year, the ASCB will reasonable costs and ease of application. offer Childcare Grants. These The first critical element will again be made possible by is that the grants cover an Elsevier Foundation grant, any reasonable childcare which has been augmented by arrangement. We explicitly state a donation from a generous that we will pay: anonymous Society member. n For a caretaker at home n For a relative/caretaker to Balancing Parenthood travel to one’s home and Career n For children to travel to a When we’re lucky, the practical relative challenges of raising a child n To retain childcare at the site predominantly boil down to a of the Annual Meeting Photo credit: Stacey Z. Goldberg Photography n For extended daycare hours succession of demands on our Elizabeth Marincola time and money: getting the n To bring a caretaker (related child to school, making arrangements when a or not) to accompany the parent (especially a child is sick or has an appointment, attending nursing mother) to the meeting events at and outside of school, and ensuring There is also an “other” category, leaving safe and healthy care when we are away or have open the possibility that there are other creative, legitimate childcare solutions that parent- schedule conflicts. But people sometimes give [P]eople sometimes up on or compromise a promising, demanding applicants may wish to propose. career when they become parents. They usually The second critical element is that the give up on or application itself not be, or be perceived offer as explanation the overwhelming sense that compromise they couldn’t satisfactorily serve the needs of as, a barrier to seeking help. By definition, both their child and their career simultaneously. those applying have limited time, so the a promising, Attending the ASCB Annual Meeting can Subcommittee sought to eliminate requests for demanding career be an important event in a scientific career. unnecessary data. The application is basically, Often it is the first time that a graduate “tell us how many children you have; how when they become student or postdoc presents her or his work old they are; how you would apply money if parents. They granted; and how much you are requesting.” at an international forum. Both the formal usually offer as mechanisms (posters, symposia) and the The Subcommittee estimates that the informal ones (discussions, networking) often application takes 15–20 minutes to complete. explanation the Once an application is received, the provide an early, critical step to advancing an overwhelming sense individual’s research. For most attendees, of Subcommittee validates that the circumstances course, going to the meeting requires travel are consistent with and limited to the intent of that they couldn’t away from home. Thus for parents of dependent the grant. (No, the grant will not cover the cost satisfactorily children it adds the burden of childcare to the of a separate hotel room for grandma and baby.) other many demands for their financial and It checks that airfare requests are appropriate. serve the needs emotional resources. The great majority of successful applicants of both their child receive most or all of the amount of their request. and their career User-Friendly Application and Grant Applicants are required to submit a poster for presentation at the meeting to qualify for a grant, In designing the grants, members of the WICB simultaneously. and they must remain for the duration of the Committee Subcommittee on Childcare (Ursula meeting. Grants reimburse documented expenses Goodenough, Elizabeth Marincola, Inke up to the awarded amount. Näthke, Lynne Quarmby, and Jenna Roecklein-

JULY 2010 ASCB NEWSLETTER 11 Those We Have Helped for my little boy nearby. During the day I In the first two years that the WICB Committee could focus on the science and still see them offered childcare grants, 29 awards were made to during the off hours without having any guilt parents from five countries, including multiple about being away from my little one. Each grants to cover each of the arrangements night I was able to put him to bed, which described above. was priceless. Thank you so much for this In designing the Zhiqing Zhu, a graduate student at the opportunity!” grants, members of University of Notre Dame, received an award Lecturer Yee Ling Lau traveled to the ASCB in 2009 and said, “I really appreciate being Annual Meeting from the University of Malaya the WICB Committee selected to receive a childcare award from in Malaysia last December. She said, “The Subcommittee on WICB. It made it financially childcare award allowed me to possible for both [my wife and bring along my six-month-old Childcare... realized me] to attend the meeting, baby, who completely relies on that two elements reducing the additional cost “[T]he childcare breast milk. It would not be possible for me to attend the would be critical of traveling with our new award is the only daughter. Moreover, it allowed conference without the financial reason I was able to to optimizing the us to concentrate fully on the aid.” cost–benefit of the meeting.” go to the meeting Parents (especially early- career investigators) who have Another 2009 awardee, this past year.” awards: coverage University of California, San dependent children, are ASCB of reasonable Francisco, postdoc Laurie members, are submitting an Littlepage, said, “This year abstract to the 50th Annual costs and ease was an important year for me to present ASCB Meeting, and will incur extra expense to of application. my research to other scientists at the ASCB attend the meeting are encouraged to apply for Annual Meeting. However, the childcare an ASCB WICB Childcare Grant. award is the only reason I was able to go to Applications are at www.ascb.org/meetings/ the meeting this past year. My baby is very WICB/wicbgrant.cfm. The application deadline young, and I haven’t spent much time away is September 1, 2010. n from him. By having the childcare award, I —Elizabeth Marincola for the Women in Cell was able to bring my mother along to care Biology Committee

Some Recipients ASCB Grants for of 2009 ASCB Childcare Costs Childcare The ASCB Women in Cell Biology (WICB) Committee, with funding Grants from Elsevier Foundation and private donations, is accepting applications for grant support to help offset the cost of childcare. ASCB grants enable scientists with dependent children to attend the ASCB meeting. Applicants must be ASCB members and are required to present a talk and/or poster at the meeting and Yee Ling Lau Laurie to submit receipts. Only one parent of Littlepage a child or children may apply. Priority will be given to students and early-stage scientists. Please visit www.ascb.org/ meetings to complete the application. Application deadline: September 1, 2010.

Zhiqing Zhu

12 ASCB NEWSLETTER JULY 2010 PUBLIC POLICY Briefing Red Herrings Delay NSF Authorization What do a Supreme Court nomination and on their work computers and would have online pornography have to do with federally prohibited the federal government from funded science? The answer is everything if you providing funds to institutions of higher are a U.S. Congressperson in an election year. learning if they denied or restricted campus A motion offered by Republicans in the access by Reserve Officer Training Corps U.S. House of Representatives delayed (ROTC) or military recruiters. reauthorization of the America Creating Both provisions were political red herrings. Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote The pornography provision was the result Excellence in Technology, Education, and of news reports that employees at the U.S. Science (COMPETES) Act, which first became Securities and Exchange Commission had been law in 2007. (See September 2007 ASCB viewing pornography at work. A review of Newsletter.) U.S. Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan’s The legislation, if passed and signed into record as dean of Harvard Law School inspired law, would reauthorize spending for the U.S. the military recruiting provision. Members of National Science Foundation (NSF), the U.S. the House could have been forced to vote for National Institute of Standards and Technology, the funding cuts to avoid voting against the and the Office of Science at the U.S. politically sensitive pornography and recruiting Department of Energy. Programs to support provisions. education and training in science, technology, Ultimately, the original bill was passed engineering, and mathematics would also be under a procedure normally reserved for voting authorized. on appropriations bills and in impeachment But the motion offered by Republicans proceedings. Under that procedure, Members shortly before the anticipated passage of the of Congress could vote separately on the various legislation would have frozen funding at provisions of the Republican motion, including FY10 levels and reduced the length of the the pornography and military recruiting reauthorization. It also would have barred the provisions. The final vote on the COMPETES federal government from paying government Act was 262–150. n employees disciplined for viewing pornography —Kevin M. Wilson

Obama Nominates Next NSF Head

On June 8, 2010, President Obama nominated Suresh has served as dean of MIT’s School of Subra Suresh of the Massachusetts Institute of Engineering since 2007. Before joining the MIT Technology (MIT) to serve as the next head of faculty in 1993, he taught at Brown University. the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). Unlike previous nominees, Suresh If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Suresh will maintains his own lab, which focuses on the replace Arden Bement, who served as head of nanomechanics of biomaterials. n the NSF since 2004. —Kevin M. Wilson

JULY 2010 ASCB NEWSLETTER 13 U.S. Measures Impact of Federally Funded Research One of the few things scientists and politicians The first phase of the STAR METRICS can agree on is the power of data. Scientific program will measure the impact of the research depends on it, and politicians use it as American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The either a sword or a shield. second phase will gauge the impact of science In an effort to document the impact of funding on four specific areas: U.S. government investment in research and n Economic growth development, the U.S. National Institutes of n Workforce outcomes Health, the U.S. National Science Foundation, and n Scientific knowledge the White House Office of Science and Technology n Social outcomes Policy have created the Science and Technology The STAR METRICS program results will for America’s Reinvestment: Measuring the Effect be based on data collected from federal funding of Research on Innovation, Competitiveness and agencies and research institutions that volunteer Science (STAR METRICS) program. to participate in the program. Sixty agencies and In the beginning the program will measure institutions have volunteered so far. the impact of federal money on jobs. In the long For more information about STAR term, it is hoped that it will also be able to track METRICS, go to http://nrc59.nas.edu/star_ patents received, publications, citations, and info2.cfm. n business start-ups. —Kevin M. Wilson

Congress Hears from ASCB Council

Seven members of the ASCB Council spent May 26, 2010, on Capitol Hill meeting with Members of Congress and their staff. They talked about the importance of federal funding for basic research. ASCB Council members Ray Deshaies, Holly Goodson, Kathy Green, Brigid Hogan, Tim Mitchison, Sandy Schmid, and JoAnn Trejo had meetings with 12 Congressional offices. The offices represented California, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, and North Carolina. Along with meeting with congressional staff, the Council members met with Representative Brian Bilbray (R-CA), newly elected Senator Scott Brown (R-MA), and Representative David Price (D-NC). n —Kevin M. Wilson

Left to right: ASCB President-Elect Sandy Schmid, Left to right: Ray Deshaies, ASCB Past President U.S. Representative Brian Bilbray (R-CA), Ray Brigid Hogan, U.S. Representative David Price (D- Deshaies, JoAnn Trejo, and ASCB President Tim NC), ASCB President-Elect Sandy Schmid, and ASCB Mitchison President Tim Mitchison

14 ASCB NEWSLETTER JULY 2010 ASCB Needs U.S. Members Help!

A congressional resolution congratulating the ASCB on its 50 years of service has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. (See June 2010 ASCB Newsletter.) For H.Res. 1296 to be passed by the House of Representatives, 100 members of the House must agree to cosponsor the resolution. ASCB asks U.S. members to take a few minutes to call or email their Representatives and ask them to cosponsor the resolution.

Not sure how to contact your Member of Congress? Go to http://capwiz.com/jscpp/officials/ and enter your Zip Code to get the appropriate contact information. You may live and work in different congressional districts, so be sure to use both your home and work Zip Codes and contact all who are relevant.

Messages for Calls/Emails n Please cosponsor H.RES. 1296, a resolution congratulating the American Society for Cell Biology on its 50 years of service to the basic biomedical research community in the United States and around the world, as well as to the public. n I’m a member of the ASCB and the ASCB plays a critical role in advancing cell biology through its publications, scientific meetings, and leadership in developing the next generation of cell biologists. n

CLS Congressional Biomedical Research Caucuses Held

Robert DeRubeis, from the University of Pennsylvania, Mina Bissell is a former President Daniel Silver from the Dana- recently presented a briefing to the Congressional and long-time member of the ASCB. Farber Cancer Institute addressed Biomedical Research Caucus (CBRC) on “The Bissell is shown here presenting attendees at the Congressional Treatment of Depression: What Works, When, and to the Congressional Biomedical Biomedical Research Caucus Why.” Research Caucus on May 26, on June 9, 2010. He spoke on The Coalition for the Life Sciences, with a generous 2010. She presented a briefing “PARP Inhibitors: A Breakthrough grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, entitled “Cancer Cells and Their in Cancer Research” at his well- sponsors the CBRC briefings. The briefings are Neighborhoods.” attended briefing on Capitol Hill in organized by and for Members of the United States Washington, DC. Congress.

JULY 2010 ASCB NEWSLETTER 15 HIGHLIGHTS from MBoC

The Editorial Board of Molecular Biology of the Cell has highlighted the following articles from the June 1 and June 15, 2010, issues. From among the many fine articles in the journal, the Board selects for these Highlights articles that are of broad interest and significantly advance knowledge or provide new concepts or approaches that extend our understanding.

O-GlcNAc Cycling Enzymes Associate with the Translational Machinery and Modify Core Ribosomal Proteins Quira Zeidan, Zihao Wang, Antonio De Maio, and Gerald W. Hart At least 20 core ribosome proteins are modified byO -GlcNAc. O-GlcNAcase is localized to the nucleolus and O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) is excluded from the nucleolus. Both enzymes associate with active polysomes. Overexpression of OGT disrupts ribosomal subunit homeostasis. Data suggest that O-GlcNAc regulates translation and ribosome biogenesis. Mol. Biol. Cell 21 (12), 1922–1936 Trehalose Is a Key Determinant of the Quiescent Metabolic State That Fuels Cell Cycle Progression upon Return to Growth Lei Shi, Benjamin M. Sutter, Xinyue Ye, and Benjamin P. Tu The disaccharide trehalose accumulates as yeast cells enter quiescence. Glucose equivalents in the form of trehalose and glycogen lead to an increase in the apparent density of the cell. Upon exit from quiescence, trehalose stores are initially metabolized preferentially over other energy sources to help drive cell cycle progression. Mol. Biol. Cell 21 (12), 1982–1990 Neuralized Promotes Basal to Apical Transcytosis of Delta in Epithelial Cells Najate Benhra, Françoise Vignaux, Aurore Dussert, François Schweisguth, and Roland Le Borgne It is shown that a pool of Delta localizes at the basolateral membrane of sensory organ precursor cells of Drosophila and of polarized MDCK cells. Delta is endocytosed in a Neuralized-dependent manner from this basolateral membrane to allow for relocalization to the apical domain, where it can bind and activate Notch. Mol. Biol. Cell 21 (12), 2078–2086 n

Confocal Z-sections of polarized MDCK cells expressing murine Delta-like 1 (red) alone (left panels) or together with Neuralized (green, right panels). Actin staining (blue) highlights the shape of the cells. The E3 ubiquitin ligase Neuralized promotes the basal-to-apical transcytosis of the Notch ligand Delta in polarized epithelial cells. (Image: Roland Le Borgne, Université de Rennes, France)

16 ASCB NEWSLETTER JULY 2010 ASCB “50 in Photos” In recognition of our 50th Anniversary, the ASCB is seeking photographs from the past 50 years to display at the 50th ASCB Annual Meeting, December 11–15, 2010, in Philadelphia, PA. The ASCB will present a nostalgic visual timeline from 1960–2010, so we’re hoping for a good mix of old, new, and in-between photos.

What We’re Looking for: 1. Photos depicting cell biologists working in their labs 2. Photos of cell biologists in a classroom setting 3. Photos of lab equipment (being used by someone or stand-alone) 4. Photos from past ASCB Annual Meetings

Submission Guidelines n Digital images or digital scans of original images, color or black & white n Acceptable image formats: .jpg and .tiff (multiple photo submissions can be zipped) n Images must be at least 3,000 × 2,400 pixels at 300 dpi

How to Submit Please indicate who is pictured and when and where the photo was taken, if known. Submit online at www.ascb.org/meetings/ascb50photos/step1.cfm. Print submissions will not be accepted.

Submission Deadline Thursday, September 30, 2010

We look forward to receiving your contributions to this exciting project. If you have any questions, please contact the ASCB at 301-347-9300 or [email protected]. n

Upcoming Special Issue of CBE—Life Sciences Education: Quantitative Biology and Biomathematics

On September 1, CBE—Life Sciences Education (CBE-LSE) will publish a special issue (available at www.lifescied.org) that examines progress in incorporating quantitative reasoning into biology courses and integrating biological modeling into mathematics courses. This topic is of great interest to the U.S. scientific and academic community, which has called for revisions to college biology curricula and the mathematical and computational preparation for future life scientists to reflect the tools and practices of science. Readers will find examples of: n Collaborations that have emerged between biologists and mathematicians n Undergraduate research programs that offer students dual mentoring or individual mentors who incorporate both biology and quantitative elements n Undergraduate research programs that have catalyzed curriculum reform n Strategies to overcome key barriers to full integration of quantitative methods n

JULY 2010 ASCB NEWSLETTER 17 DEAR Labby

Dear Labby, I love your column and hope you can help me. My supervisor is moving very slowly in publishing my data, and I badly need to publish. I am an eighth-year postdoc, in the fifth year of my second postdoctoral position. My training has been at several reasonably good research institutions. However, my publication record is only OK. I have one first- author paper in a reasonable journal from my graduate work and two papers in good journals from my first postdoc (one as first author and the other as one of only three authors). Unfortunately, I still do not have any publications from my current position. This is partly due to reaching dead ends in the research project that I started here. However, it is also partly due to my supervisor’s inability or unwillingness to focus on my work. When I switched projects midway through my time here, my boss agreed to publish a minimal paper with the little bit of good data that I had generated. It has now been a year and a half since I first presented a complete manuscript draft to him. We have submitted the paper twice to mid-tier journals without success. Based on the reviews that we received, I did a couple of additional key experiments that significantly strengthen the paper. I am now waiting, yet again, for my supervisor to find the time to focus on the manuscript. If his past behavior is any indication, it will be at least one or two more months before he gets around to it. In the meantime, the project that I switched to has proved difficult, and it is likely to take at least another year, and a good dose of luck, to generate enough data for a manuscript. In other words, the twice-reviewed manuscript is my only real publication possibility while I look for a permanent job. My lack of publications, particularly from my current position, has effectively killed my research career. I am not very upset about this because I have discovered how much I love, and am good at, teaching. The problem is, even though publications do not receive as much attention at teaching- oriented institutions, they are still considered evidence of productivity. In addition, most teaching institutions still want their faculty to engage in research that could involve undergraduates. Again, my record looks unproductive. Everything else on my CV looks great. I have asked, pleaded, and even nagged my boss to deal with my paper and send it out for review. Labby It’s not as if my boss doesn’t also need the publication: He is a mid-career investigator with a small lab who has been criticized for not publishing enough. And yet, there my paper sits. Do you have any suggestions for how I should handle this situation, both in terms of dealing with my boss and in Wants terms of my job search? Am I being unrealistic to expect my boss to handle this more quickly? Your perspective is appreciated. to Hear —Trying to Get Out

from You! Dear Trying to Get Out, Labby has had similar queries in the past, but yours is the most vexing. Five years in a total Direct your questions to postdoctoral span of eight is a huge part of your formative career. Because this is your second [email protected]. Authors postdoc, your lab head might have granted you some independence in recognition of your career of questions chosen for stage and previous accomplishments. But his total indifference is mystifying. The fact that he is not publication may indicate well established makes the situation all the more puzzling. There are scientists who desperately want whether or not they wish to their lab members to fail. But this trait is quite rare (and is usually linked to a more serious underlying be identified. Submissions emotional or psychiatric disorder). may be edited for space As discussed in a past column, postdoc associations can be an avenue for resolving issues with and style. lab heads (see the April 2009 issue of the ASCB Newsletter). It is probably too late for your postdoc association to assist with the broader issues in your situation, but perhaps it could help with the very specific matter of getting your boss to submit—or agree to allow you to submit—your finished manuscript. If necessary, you could appeal to your department chair and/or dean. Your zeal for teaching is the obvious silver (or maybe gold or even platinum) lining of this dark cloud. You are right that many teaching-intensive institutions want to see research accomplishments. (And the best want to see some research going forward. There are some top scientists at small teaching institutions.) Labby would advise you to emphasize the research from your graduate work and first postdoc when applying for jobs. Perhaps you should also retain the services of a consultant to help you express your teaching passion and skill in powerful prose in your application letters and CV. A final note of encouragement: Labby’s most inspiring biology teachers in college, and the ones who catalyzed an interest in a research career, were not the most active researchers on campus. You obviously have the ability for high-quality research—the only issue is how much and how fast. Meanwhile, if you craft your job search properly, you may get a faculty position in which you will have an opportunity to influence a whole generation of biologists. Labby detects your passion. Bring it on!n —Labby

18 ASCB NEWSLETTER JULY 2010 ASCB Profile David J. Asai

David Asai’s “Mr. Sperm” lecture was intended what we do at lower levels, launching students to be memorable, and Kathy Foltz recalls it with good training and an understanding of the vividly. Foltz is now an associate professor at the scientific process. And he’s put his money where University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). his mouth is on that.” But in the mid-1980s, she was a green graduate student in Asai’s lab at Purdue University in Hanging Up Lafayette, IN, and the teaching assistant for his In August 2008, Asai hung up his Mr. Sperm cell biology lecture course. suit, ending a nearly 24-year faculty career of First, says Foltz, you have to understand teaching and research, first at Purdue and then that Asai always stood out at Harvey Mudd College in at Purdue. There was his Claremont, CA, to become hard-driving, motor protein “David has never the Director of the Precollege research lab, his passion for cared for what and Undergraduate Science undergraduate teaching, and his Education Program at the David J. Asai natural skills as a lab mentor. other people think. Howard Hughes Medical And there was his wardrobe, He just wants to Institute (HHMI) in Chevy says Foltz. Asai was a California Chase, MD. The HHMI guy, she explains, always in do the right thing,” program that Asai now directs shorts, t-shirt, and flip flops. says Foltz. “He’s is the largest private funding His only concessions to Indiana source behind the reform of convinced that the winters were tennis shoes and America’s creaky undergraduate a parka that came down below health of science teaching apparatus. HHMI his shorts. Once in the lab, he is completely demonstrated its leadership changed to his usual attire. again in May with the Then came his lecture on dependent on what announcement of $79 million flagellar motility, Foltz recalls, we do at lower in new grants, running the tab “He walks into the classroom for HHMI support of science with 200 undergraduates levels, launching education reform to $1.6 and he’s dressed as a sperm.” students with billion since 1985. Actually, Asai was costumed as For those who know Asai, good training and a sperm cell with a 10-foot-long the HHMI post sounds like a flagellum trailing him to the an understanding dream job, the perfect match lectern. “He would never crack of the scientific for a research scientist who a smile,” Foltz remembers. “He never shied away from teaching was totally serious. His students process.” and mentoring. Only half in didn’t know what to think.” jest, Carol Greider of Johns Discussing the axoneme, the Hopkins University School structural core of the flagellum, of Medicine offers herself as Asai reeled in his own tail to demonstrate. “He an illustration of Asai’s talents as a mentor. had this cross-section to scale where he could With Liz Blackburn, Greider won the 2009 crack it open and show them the axoneme Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for with the 9+2 [arrangement of microtubules] their work on telomeres. In 1983, Greider structure,” Foltz explains. “It was just an was an undergraduate at UCSB and the first awesome teaching tool. David can come across student ever officially mentored by Asai. as very reserved, but the guy was nuts when it They were in Les Wilson’s biochemistry lab. came to this sort of thing.” Asai was a postdoc and Greider a senior just The reason is simple, says Foltz. “David has back from a year in Germany. It was Greider’s never cared for what other people think. He just second undergrad tour in the Wilson lab wants to do the right thing. He’s convinced that (as a sophomore, she’d worked with grad the health of science is completely dependent on student Kevin F. Sullivan, now at the National

JULY 2010 ASCB NEWSLETTER 19 University of Ireland, Galway). Today Asai His personal scientific turning point came laughs off any notion that he steered Greider to through a National Science Foundation (NSF)– Stockholm, but Greider insists that interacting funded program that brought high school in a research environment with collegial guides students to Oahu for a summer research like Asai and Sullivan was important. It brought program at the University of Hawaii. Oahu her to the sense that, “Hey, this is where I was the big city after Maui. Living in a dorm, belong. Also getting into biochemistry there working into the night at the bench, and showed me the mechanistic way that my mind hanging out with grad students at all hours was worked.” intoxicating. After that, the lab life was the only Those Santa Barbara days came alive for way to go. Greider at a recent meeting in the Washington, When Asai moved to the mainland to DC, area where Asai turned up with her 1983 enroll at Stanford, he headed for the research lab notebook. Greider shook her head at buildings, securing lab placements straight the sight. “I was surprised that I could keep through four years and three summers. Outside a laboratory notebook back when I was an the lab, Asai says he was a “lousy student” who undergraduate,” she reports. The notebook also rarely studied and devoted himself to campus brought back memories of working with Asai. politics. Fortunately his GRE scores and his There was his uniform of shorts and flip flops. long résumé of lab experience persuaded the [W]hat stands out “I mean, even at Santa Barbara, it gets cool California Institute of Technology’s Biology once in a while.” But what stands out most for Division to take him as a graduate student. His most for Greider Greider was Asai’s way of taking undergrads 1979 thesis on the use of antibodies to dissect was Asai’s way of seriously. “Plus his sense of humor made it a lot flagellar motors combined the approaches of his of fun. He showed me that you could joke about two mentors, Charles Brokaw’s cell biology and taking undergrads science. That was infectious.” Ray Owen’s immunology. seriously. “Plus his His California dude image aside, David Asai By the time Asai arrived in Santa Barbara sense of humor was actually born in Chicago. He was adopted as for a postdoc in the Wilson lab, the postdoc a baby by Sadaichi and Marian Asai, Japanese- in the lab next door recalls, “David was a cell made it a lot of Americans from southern California whose lives biologist before I even knew what a cell biologist fun. He showed me were torn up by internment during World War was.” That postdoc was Kerry Bloom, now at II. They met in a camp in Poston, AZ, securing the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, that you could joke their release by agreeing to relocate to Albion, who remembers that Asai was always known as about science. That MI. There his father, who had a degree from someone who took undergraduate mentoring the University of California, Berkeley, became seriously. was infectious.” a janitor in a children’s home. After the war, his But Asai was also a first-rate researcher, says father enrolled in a Congregationalist seminary Bloom. Later at Purdue, the Asai lab pioneered just outside Boston to pursue his vocation as a new methods and new model organisms for minister. “By the time I caught up with them,” motor protein research. Even at Harvey Mudd, a Asai recalls, “they were living in Vermont,” small science and engineering college where his where his father had his first small rural church. lab was staffed completely by undergrads, Asai transformed Tetrahymena into a tractable model Looking Like Us system for studying dynein. “As much as I tout Other pulpit jobs took the family, which now yeast as a system,” Bloom explains, “it’s no good included his adopted younger brother, Paul, to if you’re interested in all the isoforms of dynein Kansas and finally to Hawaii. From the sixth because there’s only one form in yeast.” The Asai grade through high school, Asai lived on what lab demonstrated that Tetrahymena expresses was then the very rural and remote island of 25 different dynein heavy chain isoforms. But Maui (which Asai is careful to point out gives building a model system with reagents and him no claims to being a “kama’aina,” one who solid genetics takes work, says Bloom. “It’s a is born and raised in Hawaii). “Until we moved major slog,” says Bloom “but the work is hugely to Maui, my brother and I had been the only important in a system if you want to knock two non-whites in the whole school. Suddenly down different ones and study Tetrahymena in on Maui a lot of people looked like us. At first, a knowledgeable way. David was doing all the it felt like a foreign country.” Those memories of biochemistry and all the genome stuff.” being out of place and of his parents’ struggles against ethnic prejudice shaped Asai’s belief that Labs and Labs full minority participation in American science Asai admits that moving from a California is critical to its future. campus to a Maryland headquarters required

20 ASCB NEWSLETTER JULY 2010 adjustments. Today he and his black Labrador HHMI has to pick the best and provide enough Cleo live near Rock Creek Park within walking resources to have an impact. “I think it’s also distance of HHMI. He had forgotten the frigid important that we have the potential to be more Eastern climate until this winter’s nimble in putting resources on DC blizzards reminded him. problems more quickly than Still, what he misses most is the “HHMI has always any other institution or even direct contact with students. a small college,” Asai explains. Shutting down a lab—or in this been about “Besides, from time to time, case transferring its reagents, supporting the best we get to do some pretty cool cell lines, equipment, and stuff.” NSF grant to a former postdoc science and the Back at UCSB, Les David Wilkes, now at Indiana best scientists. Wilson brushes off any credit University, South Bend—was Our program whatsoever for Greider’s Nobel hard. Your lab is your identity or Asai’s HHMI eminence. as a scientist, says Asai, and the aims to support Greider was clearly headed daily hub of your life. Asai says the best science for great things, Wilson says, he also misses the competitive and Asai’s educational focus side of science—the race to get education and the was always evident. Wilson results, to publish first, and to best educators.” even has a citation to support get grants renewed. “I guess I’m his statement. Asai edited a on the other side now, helping 1993 volume of Methods in to decide who gets their grant Cell Biology on monoclonal funded.” antibodies. He dedicated it to two of his His new post at HHMI gives him a singular mentors at Caltech, Ray and June Owen. vantage point on American science. “HHMI has Wilson reads Asai’s dedication aloud, “Ray always been about supporting the best science conveyed to me the wonder of the immune and the best scientists. Our program aims to response. June provided valuable perspectives on support the best science education and the best life and science. And together they convinced educators.” Hard economic times have forced me that work such as what went into the editing cuts even at HHMI, says Asai, yet HHMI has of this volume is only worthwhile if it benefits never had the luxury of spreading its resources young people.” n across every worthy program in the country. —John Fleischman

2010 E.E. Just Lecturer Is Tyrone Hayes

The ASCB Minorities Affairs Committee has named Tyrone B. Hayes to present the 17th annual E.E. Just Lecture on December 12, 2010, at the ASCB Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, PA. Hayes is a professor in the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of California, Berkeley. Hayes’s research focuses on the role of steroid hormones in amphibian development. He conducts both laboratory and field studies in the U.S. Tyrone B. Hayes and Africa. His two main areas of interest are metamorphosis and sex differentiation, but Hayes is also interested in growth (larval and adult) and hormonal regulation of aggressive behavior. Hayes’s work addresses problems on ecological, organismal, and molecular levels. Committed to the professional development of each student in his laboratory, Hayes works tirelessly to ensure that each student is trained to conduct the highest caliber science. He is also the recipient of the Distinguished Teaching Award from University of California, Berkeley. n

JULY 2010 ASCB NEWSLETTER 21 Treasurer’s Report, continued from page 7 survey data and Council input on the Society’s Society’s goals and endeavor to align realistic most pressing questions. These include who resource footings proportional to the rankings. the ASCB should serve and include, what cell The Finance & Audit Committee met twice biology encompasses, why members join the by conference call in May to review the Society’s Society and remain members, and how the 2009 audit report and year-to-date financials. Society is perceived. Following these discussions It also considered an analysis by staff of trends by the Committee, these issues were discussed and implications, and joined in an unusually again in depth at the above-mentioned Council frank discussion of the challenges that stand Retreat. This unprecedented level of interactivity before us. The Committee, consisting of Susan between the Council and the Finance & W. Craig, Gary Gorbsky, Frank Nicolai, Vassie Audit Committee is both a healthy sign of full Ware, and myself, was joined by Executive engagement and a reflection of the challenges Director Joan R. Goldberg, ASCB Director standing before us. of Finance and Administration Cynthia I want to close by thanking the Finance & Godes, Accounting Manager Kate Kelly, and Audit Committee members for their exceptional ex officio members ASCB President Timothy commitment and work over the past year, and Mitchison and President-Elect Sandra Schmid. by appreciatively acknowledging the ASCB staff The Committee also met with the Society’s for their successful implementation of many key auditor and investment advisors and considered refinements, in a spirit of shared purpose and modifications to ASCB internal accounting and collaboration. n investment policies. —Thoru Pederson, ASCB Treasurer and Chair, The Committee also considered member Finance & Audit Committee

MEMBERS in the News 2010 Half-Century Fund Brian J. Druker of the Oregon Health & Science University, an ASCB member since 2003, won the 2010 Robert J. Donors and Claire Pasarow Foundation Annual Medical Research Award. The ASCB is grateful to the following donors* whose contributions support Society activities:

Gold Szecheng Lo Sarah C.R. Elgin of Washington University in St. Louis, Ueli Aebi Constance Oliver an ASCB member since 1974, was a recipient of the David Drubin & Georjana Barnes Suzie Scales Midstates Consortium for Math and Science’s Janet Craig Blackstone Ruth Schmitter Andersen Lecture Award. The award is given each year Cyril Challice Jonathan Scholey to two faculty members, one in the biological sciences Marilyn Farquhar or psychology and one in the physical sciences, Sustainer Joan R. Goldberg mathematics, or computer science. Patrick Brennwald David Kirk Alfred Chaet Thomas Pollard Margaret Clarke Thomas D. Pollard, an ASCB member since 1970 and Jean Sanger Gohta Goshima 1987–88 ASCB President, was appointed Dean of the Joseph Sanger Wally Ip Graduate School of Arts and Sciences of Yale University. Sandra Schmid Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz Mitsotoshi Setou Vincent Marchesi Zena Werb John Macauley Kenneth Yamada Tim Stearns James E. Rothman of Yale University, an ASCB member Bronze Joel Swanson since 1982, and Richard H. Scheller (photo not Anthony Bretscher Ken Teter available) of Genentech, an ASCB member since 1992, Julie Brill Ora Weisz are two of the three recipients of the Norwegian Academy Trisha Davis & Eric Muller Helen Piwnica-Worms of Science and Letters’ 2010 Kavli Prize in neuroscience. Alfred Goldberg

James E. Rothman *As of June 28, 2010

22 ASCB NEWSLETTER JULY 2010 Haka to Receive MBoC Paper of the Year Award

Abigail S. Haka, of the Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, was named by the Molecular Biology of the Cell (MBoC) Editorial Board as recipient of the 19th annual MBoC Paper of the Year Award. As a postdoc in Frederick Abigail S. Haka R. Maxfield’s laboratory, Haka co-authored the article “Macrophages Create an Acidic Extracellular Hydrolytic Compartment to Digest Aggregated Lipoproteins” (Mol. Biol. Cell 20, 4932–4940) with Inna Grosheva, Ethan Chiang, Adina R. Buxbaum, Barbara A. Baird, Lynda M. Pierini, and Maxfield. Haka will present her research at a Minisymposium at the ASCB Annual Meeting in Philadelphia this December. n

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JULY 2010 ASCB NEWSLETTER 23 INTERNATIONAL Affairs atio rn na te l Building Human and Institutional In A f

f Capacity by Modernizing Cell a

i r

s Biology Teaching and Research in Ghana

Our understanding of how living systems place in Ghana and Tanzania. Partnering with work at a cellular level has undoubtedly the universities in these countries, the ASCB grown a great deal during the past 40 to 50 has provided two weeks of intensive instruction years. Technological breakthroughs such as in aspects of cell biology for about 25 young the sequencing and analysis of the human African scientists in each course so far. Funding genome and those of many pathogens, and was provided by The Carnegie Foundation of the application of a wide range of information New York. (See November 2009 and June 2010 and methodologies from different scientific ASCB Newsletters.) disciplines, have heralded the modern era The courses emphasized modern cell biology, in the study of cell biology. Each day our the methods used, and ways to teach this lives are affected by the development of material effectively. Thus the young student- new medications, medical diagnostics, and instructors learned to teach their own students treatments that result from studies of cells. about modern cell biology. They learned to In Ghana, cell biology is taught as part of use Web-based resources and other material to our science curriculum from primary education enrich whatever textbook material is available. through high school. However, its serious With these trained faculty, and others in the practice is mainly at the tertiary level and future, we hope to be able to do in-depth mostly in universities and national research work in the various cell biology disciplines in institutions. Though there are public and Ghana. Providing training and development private universities in Ghana, it is only the opportunities for our students and young public universities (namely, the University of investigators will ensure the future of basic cell Ghana in Accra, the capital of Ghana; Kwame biology research. Nkrumah University of Science and Technology These initiatives and others help develop in Kumasi; University of Cape Coast in Cape training and career development opportunities Coast; and the University of Development for our future cell biologists and faculty. They Studies in Tamale) that have facilities that can also enable our students to engage in hands-on, train clinicians, medical scientists, biomedical community-based, and problem-based science, scientists, and technologists in many aspects of clinical education, and biomedical research the study of cell biology. Often these facilities training. This approach will create an enabling are woefully inadequate for meaningful scientific academic environment. It also promotes research. locally driven research and includes equal opportunities for women students and faculty. ASCB Courses Build Future With such training activities, mentorships, and Capacity long-term collaboration with international and As a result, these tertiary institutions and regional organizations, the trained African cell universities are not always able to provide biologists will be able to use the knowledge independent research experiences for the and the skills they have acquired to establish majority of their students. The cost of themselves at their various institutions and in equipment, supplies, laboratory space, and research. n support for trained faculty are beyond the —Patrick F. Ayeh-Kumi, Department of operational budgets of the institutions in Ghana. Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical This is the case in most African countries. It School, and Richard H. Asmah, Department of is thus gratifying to note that courses on cell Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Allied biology sponsored by the ASCB have taken Health Sciences, University of Ghana

24 ASCB NEWSLETTER JULY 2010 New ASCB Members The ASCB Council admitted 277 new members and granted Emeritus status to seven members of the Society between December 1, 2009, and May 7, 2010:

Shakila Abdul-Majeed Elizabeth Engle Masashi Kishi Pierre Neuenschwander Vu Thai Safanah Abdulsalam Shervin Esfahani Komal Kothari Duylinh Nguyen Nathan Tholl Allan Acab Dwight Evard Cecilia Krona Ambe Ngwa Kavitha Thyagarajan Giselles Acevedo Sarah Ewing Sharmistha Kundu Nelson Nunez Rodriguez Tonya Train Sabal Adhikari James Faust Nick Kushiro Olatunde Okediji Tuyen Tran Shoeb Ahmed Mariana Fiori Amy Lancaster Samuel Olukole Justin Tse Sergei Aleshkov Eri Fujita Lee Landeen Alison Ostendorf Ryota Uehara Ritu Aneja Hui Gai Al LaSpada Thales Papagiannakopoulos Corey Ungaro Nadia Anikeeva Jayasri Ghosedastidar Thomas John Last Sang-Hyun Park Tamara Vartanian Carla Araujo Hava Gil-Henn Roland Le Borgne Padmanabhan Paranji Sascha Vega Alvarez Abul Arif Chen Glait-Santar Gil Lee Pattabiraman Paul Vesely Rachele Arrigoni-Restrepo George Gomez Junghyun Lee Shuyu Piao Eric Vick Gregory Bailey Juan Gomez Cavazos Richard Lehner Tamar Plitt John Victoriano Daniel Balkin David Graham Melanie Lenahan Shaadi Fatemeh Pooyaei K Vijayraghavan Tiffany Barsotti Melissa Greco David Levin Mehr Ludovic Vincent Heather Bartlett Neil Grimsey Richard Lewis Gerald Prager Laura Vineyard Rusheena Bartlett Edgar Gutierrez Yong Li Tomasz Proszynski Bingyan Wang Adriana Bassini Kimberly Hall Song Liang K. Leo Pullin Haibo Wang Basudha Basu Melissa Hancock Diane Lidke Marija Puric-lally Xiaobo Wang Sylvain Berlemont Md. Haque Sarah Liljegren Gabriele Putz Yuchi Wang Sandip Bhattacharyya Iswar Hariharan Catherine Liloia Hongyu Qiu Zhibo Wang Kajal Biswas Sarah Hayat Jianfeng Lin Beatrice Radu Eric Washington Batbileg Bor David Haycraft Shyr-Yeu Lin Timothy Raines Shaun Weller Michael Braun Sebastian Hayes Yi-Fan Lin Amy Rasson Jordan Wesolowski David Breslow Nolan Hoffman Yi-Ling Lin Aparna Ratheesh Samantha Nicole Whitaker Ashley Brown Elizabeth Joan Hogan Chang Liu Gina Razidlo Doris Wiener John Buchan Andrew Holle Kaimao Liu Wei Ren Patricia Wilson Sean Burn Stephen Howell X. Johne Liu Kathleen Richter Lid Wong Lacy Butler Qirui Hu Xiaoping Liu Hollie Rinaldo Gus Wright Amnon Buxboim Lisa Huhalov S Livesay Frauke Rininsland Kevin Wright Silvia Carrasco Alistair Hume Susan Lovett Efrain Rivera-Serrano Cunle Wu Bulent Cetin Carol Huseby Yenny Lozano Jimenez Leonardo Rodriguez Paul Xu Mahmoud Chawsheen Joji Iida Hua Lu Pia Rodriguez Masaya Yamamoto Mohan Chellani Prachi Jain Douglas Lutz Yanett Roman Petersen Deborah Yelon Jiayi Chen Richa Jaiswal Christopher Lynch Anthony Rosenzweig Kentaro Yoshimura Xiaowei Chen Shulamit Jaron Dmitry Lyumkis Elizabeth Roth Tao Yu Hui-Chun Cheng Sang-Geun Jo Haiting Ma Alexandra Samal Bogeon Yun Cheryl Chia Yoshikazu Johmura Hui Ma Leonel Santibanez David Zahniser Beat Christen Jayme Johnson Clara Mamone Luis Santos Rabaab Zahra Hyun Chun Eugenia Jones Hua Mao George Joseph Schulte Tatiana Zaitseva Laura Clavijo Ivan Jozic Rose Mauro David Scott Alberta Zallone Joseph Clayton Gabor Juhasz Jasma McDonald Michael Sheller Hongjun Zhang James Collins Kuniko Kadoya Bala Medicherla Jingshi Shen Weiqiang Zhang Matthew Cook Joshua Kaiser Jaime Melendez Harold Shepard Zi Zhang Kate Cooper Daichi Kamiyama Jason Meyers Eleen Shum Tingyi Zhou Michael Courtney Prasanthi Karna Gary Miller Shahzad A. Siddiqi Jiyue Zhu Utpal Das Mihoko Kato Sarah Miller Nadezda Sinitsyna Xuewei Zhu Mariella De Biasi Nevzat Kazgan Jack Mills Tattika Soreta Kirk Deitsch Yuehai Ke Beverly Mitchell Marcos Sotomayor Members Granted Karen D. Dell Natasha Kennedy Susan Molina Martin Spiess Emeritus Status Qing Deng Elizabeth Kerrigan Gladis Montoya Ortiz Judith Steen Kermit L. Carraway Bradley Arlen Didion Viktor Kharazia Kevin Morano Kate Steeper Linda Chapman Lea Dixon Mahin Khatami Yoshiko Morita Bernhard Strauss Lesley Coggins Erin Dolan Reza Khayat Viachkeslav Morozov Shannon Strong Marian Johnson-Thompson Christopher Dorey Ashwani Khurana Joseph Mosley Yuri Sykulev Gottfried Schatz Vincent Dorn Stacey Kigar Scott Moye-Rowley Sarah Szarowicz June Wencel-Drake Philip Duffy Mina Kim Perihan Nalbant Yong Tang Josef H. Wissler Sunit Dutta Farnoosh Kimiaei Paul Neeb Yong Teng, Sr.

JULY 2010 ASCB NEWSLETTER 25 GRANTS & OPPORTUNITIES

Assay Development for High-Throughput Molecular Screening (R21). This National Institutes of Health funding opportunity is intended to facilitate the discovery of new molecular probes for investigating biological function by funding the development and adaptation of biological assays for use in automated high-throughput screening projects. Applications due: October 29, 2010. http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-10-182.html

Educational Opportunity Administrative Supplements. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced that $21 million of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding for administrative supplements to existing NIH grants over two years has been allocated for educational opportunities in NIH-funded laboratories for summer students and science educators. Applications may be submitted throughout FY10, but some NIH Institutes and Centers may have specific deadlines. http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-09-060.html.

Mentored Quantitative Research Development Award (K25). The purpose of these National Institutes of Health (NIH) awards is to attract to NIH-relevant research those investigators whose quantitative science and engineering research has thus far not been focused primarily on questions of health and disease. Expiration: January 8, 2012. http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-09-039.html.

Minority Access to Research Careers Undergraduate Student Training in Academic Research National Research Service Award Institutional Research Training Grant (T34). The National Institute of General Medical Sciences will award these grants to eligible institutions as a means of supporting undergraduate academic and research training for students underrepresented in the biomedical and behavioral sciences. Applications due: May 25, 2011 and 2012. http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-10-119.html.

The National Academies’ Research Associateship Programs administer postdoctoral (within five years of the doctorate) and senior (normally five years or more beyond the doctorate) research awards sponsored by federal laboratories at over 100 locations in the U.S. and overseas. Quarterly application deadlines. www7.nationalacademies.org/rap.

National Centers for Biomedical Computing (R01). This funding opportunity is for projects from individual investigators or small groups to collaborate with the National Institutes of Health Roadmap for Medical Research National Centers for Biomedical Computing (NCBCs). Collaborating projects are intended to engage researchers in building an excellent biomedical computing environment, using the computational tools and biological and behavioral application drivers of the funded NCBCs as foundation stones. Expiration: September 8, 2011. http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-08-184.html.

National Centers for Systems Biology (P50). The National Institute of General Medical Sciences invites grant applications from institutions / organizations proposing to establish Centers of Excellence in Systems Biology. Letters of intent due: September 28, 2010, or September 28, 2011. Applications due: October 27, 2010, or October 27, 2011. http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-10-200.html.

NIGMS Grants. The National Institute of General Medical Sciences is accepting applications for funding research in which several interdependent projects offer significant advantages over support of these same projects as individual research. Standard NIH application dates apply. http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-07-030.html.

Pathway to Independence Award. The primary purpose of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00) program is to increase and maintain a strong cohort of new and talented NIH- supported independent investigators. The program is designed to facilitate a timely transition from a mentored postdoctoral research position to a stable independent research position with independent NIH or other independent research support at an earlier stage than is currently the norm. Expiration: January 8, 2012. http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-09-036.html.

Research Supplements to Promote Diversity in Health-related Research. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have announced to PIs holding specific types of NIH research grants that funds are available for administrative supplements to improve the diversity of the research workforce by supporting and recruiting students, postdoctoral researchers, and eligible investigators from groups that have been shown to be underrepresented. http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-08-190.html.

Research Supplements to Promote Re-entry into Biomedical and Behavioral Research Careers. These supplements are intended to encourage individuals to re-enter research careers within the missions of all National Institutes of Health (NIH) program areas. This program will provide administrative supplements to existing NIH research grants to support full-time or part-time research by individuals in a program geared to bring their existing research skills and knowledge up-to-date. Expiration: September 30, 2011. http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-08-191.html.

26 ASCB NEWSLETTER JULY 2010 GRANTS & OPPORTUNITIES

Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards for Individual Predoctoral Fellows in PharmD/PhD Programs. The objective of this National Institutes of Health funding opportunity announcement is to help ensure that highly trained PharmD/PhD graduates will be available in adequate numbers and in appropriate research areas to carry out the U.S. biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research agenda. Expiration: January 8, 2012. http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-09-029.html.

SHIFT Awards: Small Businesses Helping Investigators to Fuel the Translation of Scientific Discoveries (SBIR: R43/R44). These National Institutes of Health awards are intended to foster research that is translational in nature and to transform academic scientific discoveries into commercial products and services. They require that an investigator who is primarily employed by a U.S. research institution at the time of application transition to a small business concern (SBC) and be primarily employed (more than 50% time) by the SBC by or at the time of the award. http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-10-122.html#SectionIV3A.

Supplements for Functional Studies Based on High-resolution Structures Obtained in the Protein Structure Initiative. The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) announces the availability of administrative supplements to provide funds to enable investigators interested in protein function to capitalize on the information and material products of the Protein Structure Initiative (PSI). These supplements are available for 1) NIGMS-funded research grants (R01, R37, and P01) as well as 2) investigators with peer-reviewed research grants not funded by NIGMS, through the PSI research centers. www.nigms.nih.gov/initiatives/PSI/supplements. n

MEETINGS International Calendar Authors Wanted A complete list of upcoming meetings can be The ASCB International Affairs found at http://ascb.org/othermeetings.psp. Committee (IAC) is seeking to serve ASCB The following meeting was added since the last international members better and inform issue of the Newsletter: all members about the opportunities and August 31–September 3, 2011. Cambridge, UK challenges in cell biology around the world. Fifth Strategies for Engineered Negligible The ASCB Newsletter IAC column focuses Senescence Conference. www.sens.org/conferences. on international issues. As one part of this effort, the IAC seeks members’ submissions about the state of cell ASCB Annual Meetings biology research in their countries/regions. Articles of approximately 600–650 words December 11–15, 2010. Philadelphia should address: 1. The approximate size, infrastructure, December 3–7, 2011. Denver resources, strengths, concerns, and future hopes of the cell biology community December 15–19, 2012. San Francisco there 2. Opportunities for collaboration, noting December 14–18, 2013. New Orleans approximate number of students, size of labs, and types of collaboration December 6–10, 2014. Philadelphia possible (e.g., postgraduate fellowships, residencies for senior scientists) December 12–16, 2015. San Diego Columns should not focus on an individual’s own research, but might note “hot areas” of study and provide resources for more information. If interested, please write or submit to [email protected]. n

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