Volume 18 WV-INBRE NEWSLETTER Spring, 2014

INBRE/HSTA Intern Chosen American Physiological Society Fellow

Gavin Washing- summer, after his INBRE/HSTA intern- ton is one of 4 ship is completed. Health Science Staring five years ago, the WV- Technology INBRE program offered biomedical re- Academy search internships to HSTA scholars to (HSTA) Scholars work with INBRE-funded faculty at the attending West partner institutions during the academic Virginia Univer- year. This past academic year, this op- sity, who were portunity was extended to HSTA scholars

selected as bio- at University and Marshall medical research University to work with research faculty Gavin Washington Network Partners interns to work at these institutions. of the WV-INBRE in an INBRE-funded lab from October Washington is originally from

2013 through April 2014. Washington Martinsburg WV and attended Martins- Lead Universities was recently selected as an Undergraduate burg High School, where he completed Research Fellow with the American Phys- the HSTA program. The title of his IN- iological Society (APS), in their Short- BRE-funded research project is “Adipose Term Research Education Program to In- Tissue Capillarity in Adipocyte-specific Predominantly Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs) crease Diversity in Health-Related Re- VEGF Deficient Mice”. He worked with search (STRIDE) for 2014. With funding Nicole Zachwieja, Dr. Linda Vona-Davis Alderson-Broaddus College Bethany College through this fellowship, Gavin will con- and Dr. Mark Olfert on this project in the tinue to work with Dr. Mark Olfert and West Virginia University School of Medi- Davis & Elkins College Dr. Linda Vona-Davis throughout the cine Departments of Exercise Physiology Fairmont State University and Surgery, the Mary Babb Randolph Mountain State University Inside this issue: Cancer Center (MBRCC), and the Center Salem International University Shepherd University for Cardiovascular and Respiratory Sci- Principal Investigator Message 2 ences (CCRS). West Virginia State University Washington plans to graduate in WV-INBRE Summer Symposium 3 West Virginia Wesleyan College December 2014, with his B.S. degree in Wheeling Jesuit University WV-INBRE Equipment Awards 4 Exercise Physiology. He plans to enter a Goodner Speaks at Symposium 5 Radiology program in the Fall semester of 2015, and he plans to become involved in 2013 Summer Interns 6 Radiology therapy in the treatment of can- cer patients. Summer Students in the Labs 7-8 The other HSTA scholars working WV-INBRE Symposium Posters 9-10 with West Virginia University research faculty are: Chandra Dunn with Dr. Pat- 5th Biennial NIGMS Symposium 11 rick Callery; Katie Rollins with Dr. Julie Brefczynski-Lewis; and Jacob Tyo with In Memoriam: Goran Boskovic 11 Dr. Peter Stoilov.

Page 2 Message from the WV-INBRE Principal Investigator - Gary O. Rankin, Ph.D. -

We are finally beginning to activities will be new. We will again learning experience spring weather! It hasn’t have major research awards at the part- more about snowed for a couple of weeks and the ner institutions, and the competition biomedical cherry and Bradford pear trees are for these three-year awards starting in research is starting to bloom in Huntington. I cer- Y14 (the first year of Phase III) is well at the Na- tainly don’t mind having winter behind underway. The applications that were tional IDeA us and look forward to warmer weather received have been reviewed by exter- Symposium and sunny skies. Spring is a time of nal reviewers and scored. Following of Biomedi- renewal and the beginning of a new review by the External Advisory Com- cal Research cycle of life. This concept certainly mittee and NIH approval, announce- Excellence applies to WV-INBRE as well this ments of the applications funded will (NISBRE) year. be made. In addition to our continuing meeting. Faculty Research Development This year, the NISBRE meeting will be Last June 19th, we submitted Awards (FRDAs), Genomic Core Re- held in Washington, D.C. on June 16- the competitive renewal application for search Pilot Grants and Center for Nat- 18, 2014, at the Omni Shoreham Hotel. the WV-INBRE program to the Na- ural Products Research (CNPR) Award The meeting details, with abstract, tional Institutes of Health. The submis- programs, Phase III will include a housing and registration information, sion was a true team effort with all Chronic Disease Pilot Project Award can be found at https://www.mpi- Administrative Core members and program. These developmental pilot evv.com/2014idea/researchpath/ Core Directors contributing. In spite of awards will fund meritorious pilot pro- default.htm . The deadline for abstract all the issues with the government shut jects that focus on chronic diseases and submission is April 18, and the regis- down over budget debates and re- conditions (e.g. cancer, cardiovascular tration deadline is May 2 for early-bird scheduling of Study Sections, our ap- disease, diabetes, obesity) that are registration. Travel awards for research plication was finally reviewed on De- prevalent in West Virginia. This new presenters will be available from WV- cember 16, 2013. I am extremely program will be open to all biomedical INBRE (contact Robert Griffith; rgrif- pleased to let everyone know that we research investigators in the WV- [email protected] for more infor- got an outstanding score and anticipate INBRE network. mation,) and travel awards are also funding for another five years. To that available from the NISBRE program end, we have extended the current year It’s always important to look (check the meeting website for details). of funding (Y13) to July 31, 2014 with for opportunities to present your re- the anticipated start of our new award search. This year the WV-INBRE Another piece of good news is being August 1, 2014. This means that Summer Research Symposium will be that Dr. Krishan Arora, who was the all current research and other sub- held on Monday, July 28, 2014 at West Director of the INBRE program when awards will be extended to a new end Virginia University in Morgantown, it was located at the National Center date of July 31, 2014. We have submit- WV. Each year this symposium pro- for Research Resources, has moved to ted a Carryover Request to the Nation- vides a venue for the summer research the National Institute for General Med- al Institute of General Medical Scienc- interns, summer research fellows, ical Sciences as of February 24, 2014, es (NIGMS) to use our unspent funds HSTA high school science educators, and he will again be heading up the from previous years to cover most of major research awardees and FRDA INBRE program. It was a pleasure the costs of extending Y13 to the end researchers (and their students) to pre- working with Dr. Arora in the past, of July, including funding for our sum- sent their research progress. This year and we look forward to working with mer research program, and also to pur- we are extremely pleased that our Key- him again. chase new equipment for network in- note Speaker will be Dr. Larry Walker, So, there is a lot of activity stitutions. We hope to get approval of Director of the National Center for surrounding WV-INBRE as we close our Carryover Request in the very near Natural Products Research at the Uni- Phase II and begin Phase III. I am ex- future. versity of Mississippi. Dr. Walker is an tremely pleased that this program will internationally recognized expert in be able to continue helping to build the With Phase III of WV-INBRE, natural products research, and I’m sure biomedical research infrastructure in there will be some activities that re- everyone will want to meet and talk West Virginia for the next five years, main essentially the same, such as the with him during the meeting. Another and I look forward to seeing our pro- summer research program, while other opportunity for presenting research and gram continue to grow in the future. Page 3 12th Annual WV-INBRE Summer Symposium

The 2013 WV-INBRE Summer Research Program run from May 28 till July 29. Twenty-four talented under- graduate students participated in the WV-INBRE Summer Research Internship Program at West Virginia Uni- versity and Marshall University. Nine interns were located at Marshall University and fifteen conducted their internship at WVU. Thirty-eight applications were reviewed to fill the twenty-four positions. Interns came from eleven of the thirteen Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs) in the WV-INBRE network. In addi- tion, one intern from the new Bioinformatics Internships for Undergraduate Students in the Southeast INBRE Region participated in the summer program at Marshall University. Interns conducted biomedical research projects under the direction of faculty mentors. Over the summer, the interns gained valuable, hands-on experi- ence doing graduate-level research in the labs of their mentors. The interns worked in state-of-the-art facilities on research projects related to cancer, cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes, neuroscience, toxicology and environmental health, infectious diseases and bioinformatics. They also learn how to share their findings at a scientific meeting and to network, all of which will help them build academic competitiveness for graduate school. The Summer Research Program promotes awareness of graduate degree programs and careers in bio- medical research.

WV-INBRE Summer Research Internship Program Participants at West Virginia University

Interns Mentors Morgan Johnson - Shepherd University Dr. Alexey Ivanov Danielle Stankus - Shepherd University Dr. John Hollander Alexander DelGiorno - Bethany College Dr. Julie Brefczynski-Lewis Ryan Finnegan - Davis and Elkins College Dr. William Petros Rachel Justus - Bluefield State College Dr. Joan Olson Colin Winkie - WV Wesleyan College Dr. Bingyun Li Bina Malapur - Shepherd University Dr. Robert Goodman Brandon Kirby - Bluefield State College Dr. Gregory Konat Sricharan Mahavadi - Shepherd University Dr. Elena Pugacheva Jeffrey Adams - Davis and Elkins College Dr. Joan Olson Andrew Abrahamian - Shepherd University Dr. William Wonderlin Katherine Simmons - Alderson Broaddus University Dr. Stephanie Frisbee Seth Findling - Bethany College Dr. Patrick Callery Kayla Sisson - Fairmont State University Dr. Stephen Alway Jessica Allen - Concord University Dr. Linda Vona-Davis

WV-INBRE Summer Research Internship Program Participants at Marshall University

Interns Mentors Joshua Easterling - University of Charleston Dr. Elaine Hardman Rishi Reddy - West Virginia State University Dr. Larry Grover Hajer Mazagri - University of Charleston Dr. Richard Egleton Anthony Schenelle - Wheeling Jesuit University Dr. Monica Valentovic Noah Mitchell - Bluefield State College Dr. Nalini Santanam Linh Vu - University of Charleston Dr. Gary Rankin Rebecca Martin - Davis and Elkins College Dr. Piyali Dasgupta Jaya Ale - University of Charleston Dr. Eric Blough Alnairouz Katrib - WV State University Dr. Beverly Delidow

Continued on page 5 Page 4 Core Facilities Equipment Awards Enhance Technology of WV-INBRE Network

The WV-INBRE program responsible for the acquisition and ness and resolution, while retaining has recently applied funds for the cost of all supplies and reagents the working distance and wide field purchase of two major equipment used in experimentation. of view of stereo microscopes. It items housed in the core facilities at also ensures easy observation of the two lead institutions, Marshall dynamic processes over time. University and West Virginia Uni- versity, to enhance the technical Attributes of the system include: capabilities of the overall network.  Brightfield and multichannel The Luminex LX200, at Marshall fluorescence, encompassing the University in Huntington, is a flow visual spectrum from blues to cytometry-based analyzer. The far red. Olympus MVX10 Macro Zoom  High fluorescence efficiency Fluorescence Microscope is housed combined with stereo observa- in the Microscope Imaging Facility tion at West Virginia University in Mor- Richard Egleton PhD and Carla  Specimen observation from 4x gantown. Cook in the Department of Phar- to 125x, allowing macro- to mi- The Luminex LX200 ana- macology, Physiology and Toxi- cro- observation of the same lyzer is designed to quantitate mul- cology (Joan C. Edwards School specimen tiple proteins (such as cytokines) of Medicine, Marshall University)  Long working distance for ob- using bead-based, ELISA-like as- will oversee use of the new Lu- servation at optimal magnifica- says. It can process up to 100 pro- minex LX200. tion teins per well of a 96-well micro-  Short exposure times result in titer plate with as little as 25 µL of maximum protection for your sample volume, using either mag- The Olympus MVX10 Mac- ro Zoom Fluorescence Microscope specimen. netic bead or non-magnetic bead immunoassays. It can be pro- is housed in the Microscope Imag- ing Facility at the Robert C. Byrd grammed for protein or nucleic acid analyses through a selection of on- Health Sciences Center, West Vir- board functions. The Luminex LX ginia University. This instrument 200 replaces an outdated, ten year enhances the ability to observe old Luminex 100 which could only fluorescence in intact organisms by process non-magnetic bead assays. fulfilling the need for both maxi- Both Millipore and BioRad, the mum detection sensitivity at low principal providers of the non- magnification as well as a large magnetic bead immunoassays, dis- zoom range. Unlike standard stereo continued sales of their nonmagnet- microscopes with two optical paths, ic bead assays in early 2014, there- the MVX10 is a mono-zoom micro- scope, which uses a single, large- The MVX10 Macro by limiting the applicability and Zoom Fluorescence usefulness of the Luminex LX100 diameter optical path to collect the instrument. The LX200 is located weak light generated by in the Analytical Core Facility fluorescence at all magni- (room 429) of the Byrd Biotech fications. This optical Science Center at Marshall Univer- path, with specially de- sity. WV-INBRE investigators may signed lenses, provides contact Dr. Nalini Santanam (304- exceptionally high nu- 696-7321) to request training or merical apertures (NAs), sign up for a run. Investigators are enabling increased bright- High resolution, multichannel image of a whole brain slice (left) and a zoomed-in section (right). Page 5 12th Annual WV-INBRE Summer Symposium (continued)

Bioinformatics Internships Program for Undergraduate Students in the Southeast INBRE Region - Participant at Marshall University

Intern Mentors Bishnu Kafley - Berea College, KY Dr. Travis Salisbury/Dr. Jim Denvir

*************************************************** Two faculty members from PUIs also spent their summer conducting biomedical research as part of the WV- INBRE Summer Research Fellowship Program. Dr. Jennifer Franko, Assistant Professor of Biology at Betha- ny College, worked at WVU under the mentorship of Dr. Rosana Schafer. Dr. Sobha Goraguntula, Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Alderson Broaddus University worked at Marshall University under the mentorship of Dr. Travis Salisbury.

Goodner Speaks on Bioinformatics and Genomics at 12th Annual WV-INBRE Symposium

The 12th Annual WV-INBRE Sum- Summer Research Program Interns, ence teachers supported by the WV mer Research Symposium featured Dr. Jennifer Franko, Biology Pro- -INBRE/HSTA initiative. keynote speaker Brad Goodner, fessor at Bethany College, Summer Ph.D., Professor of Biology at Hi- Research Program Fellow, and ram College in Ohio. His talk was Kathy Loughman, high school sci- entitled: "Beyond Your Textbook: ence teacher at John Marshall High Using Genomics and Bioinformat- School in Glen Dale, WV, WV ics to Test the Role of Model Or- -INBRE/HSTA Fellow. ganisms" Following a luncheon, the symposi- The student Interns and faculty fel- um continued with afternoon infor- lows also presented the results of mation sessions on bioinformatics their research at the 12th Annual and on applying to graduate school. WV-INBRE Summer Research To complete the afternoon, students Symposium on July 29 at Marshall and faculty presented their posters. University. The morning session of There were a total of 58 posters, the symposium began with oral and participants presenting posters presentations by the following par- included: undergraduate student ticipants: interns and faculty fellows from the Brad Goodner, Ph.D. (above) is a Pro- Dr. Cara Halldin, alumnus of the PUIs who conducted research at fessor of Biology, Edward J. Smerek WV-INBRE program and currently WVU and Marshall University dur- Chair of Mathematics, the Sciences, & Epidemiologist at CDC, NIOSH in ing the 9-week summer research Technology, and Director of the Center Morgantown , WV, program, students and faculty con- for Deciphering Life's Languages, Hi- Jessica Allen, Rebecca Martin and ducting research at their home insti- ram College. Sricharan Mahavadi, WV-INBRE tutions, as well as high school sci- Page 6 Student Intern Participants in the WV-INBRE Biomedical Research Summer Program

2013 Student Interns at Marshall University Front Row Left to Right: Jaya Ale (University of Charleston), Hajer Mazagri (University of Charleston), Becca Martin (Davis and Elkins College), Linh Vu (University of Charleston)

Back Row left to right: Rishi Reddy (West Virginia State University), Nairouz Katrib (West Virginia State University), Noah Mitchell (Bluefield State College), Joshua Easterling (University of Charles- ton), Anthony Schenelle (Wheeling Jesuit University).

2013 Student Interns at West Virginia University

Front Row Left to Right: Kayla Sisson (Fairmont State University), Danielle Stankus (Shepherd University), Bina Malapur (Shepherd University ), Andy Abrahamian (Shepherd University).

Second Row Left to Right: Jessica Al- len (Concord University), Rachel Justus (Bluefield State College), Alex- ander DelGiorno (Bethany College).

Third Row Left to Right: Katherine Simmons (Alderson-Broaddus Col- lege), Jeffrey Adams (Davis and Elkins College), Morgan Johnson (Shepherd University ), Sricharan Mahavadi (Shepherd University)

Back Row Left to Right: Colin Winkie (West Virginia Wesleyan College), Ryan Finnegan ( Davis and Elkins Col- lege), Brandon Kirby (Bluefield State College) Seth Findling (Bethany Col- lege). Page 7

Student Interns Working In The Labs

Rebecca Martin worked in Dr. Dasgupta’s lab at Rishi Reddy worked in Dr. Grover’s lab at Marshall University. Marshall University.

Brandon Kirby, Bluefield State College, worked in Dr. Konat’s lab at West Virginia University. Jaya Ale worked in Dr. Blough’s lab at Marshall University. Page 8

Student Interns Working In The Labs (continued)

Joshua Easterling worked in Dr. Linh Vu worked in Dr. Rankin’s Hardman’s lab at Marshall Uni- lab at Marshall university. versity.

Jeffrey Adams, Davis and Elkins College and Ra- Bina Malapur, Shepherd University, worked in chel Justus, Bluefield State College both worked in Dr. Goodman’s lab at West Virginia University. Dr. Olson’s lab at West Virginia University. Page 9

Summer Participants Present Posters at WV-INBRE Symposium

Dr. Jennifer Franko, a Faculty Fellow from Bethany College presents her poster on “The role of XX vs. XY sex chromosome complement in the regulation of innate immune responses.“

Jaya Ale and Linh Vu, student interns from the Uni- Ryan Finnegan, a student intern from Davis and versity of Charleston present their poster on Elkins College presents his poster on “Development “Therapeutic applications of nanoceria in treatment of a Method for Quantification of Platinum-bound of sepsis induced liver injury.” Metallothionein in Human Blood Plasma.” Page 10

WV-INBRE Symposium Presentations (continued)

Sricharan Mahavadi, a student intern from Jessica Allen, a student intern from Concord Shepherd University, was selected for an oral University, was selected for an oral presenta- presentation on “Metastatic Activity of breast tion on “Investigating the Role of Vascular En- Cancer Cells in the Presence of NEDD9.” dothelial Growth Factor in Adipocyte Specific VEGF Deficient Mice.”

Katherine Simmons, Alderson-Broaddus College presents her poster “Improving Cardiovascular Health of Communi- ties in Appalachia: The Role of Tobacco Policy.” Page 11

NIGMS to Host 5th Biennial National IDEA Symposium

The 5th Biennial NIGMS National The deadline for abstract submis- Travel awards are also available IDeA Symposium of Biomedical sion is April 18, 2014 and the ear- from the NISBRE organizing Research Excellence (NISBRE) ly bird registration deadline is committee on a competitive basis. will be held in Washington, D.C. May 2, 2014. at the Omni Shoreham Hotel on If you haven’t already submitted June 16-18, 2014. More infor- WV-INBRE has set aside funds to an abstract to present your re- mation can be found on the meet- provide a number of travel awards search at this very important IDeA ing website: for faculty and students who are meeting, please consider doing so. presenting their research at the It is important for WV-INBRE (www.mpi-evv.com/2014idea/ meeting; additional information supported research to be well rep- researchpath/default.htm ) will be made available concerning resented at the NISBRE meeting.

these awards in the near future.

In Memoriam: Goran Dragan Boskovic, Ph.D.

Goran Dragan Boskovic, Ph.D., the Genomic Core facility, where PLoS One. The Marshall Univer- manager of the MU Next Genera- he served as the manager of both sity Biomedical Science First Year tion Sequencing and Microarray the Microarray and the Next Gen- Academic Achievement Award has Core Facilities passed away unex- eration Sequencing Core Facilities. been named in Goran’s honor. pectedly on July 14 2013. Born in Goran was very much the “go to” Nis, Serbia in 1963, he received a guy for designing and executing Goran is survived by his wife and B.Sc. in Chemistry from the Uni- gene expression profiling, whole four children. Memorial contribu- versity of Nis. In 1990, Goran genome and whole exome studies, tions may be made to a college traveled to the United States to en- and RNA-Seq analyses. He collab- saving accounts for Luka Boskovic ter graduate school. In 1996 he orated on genomic and tran- (Goran’s son). To make a contri- earned a Ph.D. in Biochemistry scriptomic studies with Dick Niles, bution, you may send checks to from the Medical College of Wis- Laura Gibson, Don Primerano, Jim College Advantage, PO Box consin. Goran came to Marshall in Denvir and other WV-INBRE in- 932348, Cleveland OH 44193 and 1996 to work as a postdoctoral fel- vestigators. He published his find- reference account #2484338. For low in the laboratory of Richard ings in Molecular Cancer, Molecu- additional information please con- Niles, Chair of the Department of lar Immunology, Cancer Investiga- tact College Advantage at 1-800- Biochemistry. In 2004 he joined tion, Investigative Genetics and 233-6734. WV-INBRE West Virginia University Health Sciences Center North PO Box 9177, Room 2113 Morgantown, WV 26506-9177 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

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