005 School of Biochemistry & Cell Biology Newsletter
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VOLUME 1 ISSUE 5 SCHOOL OF BIOCHEMISTRY AND CELL BIOLOGY NEWSLETTERMARCH 2014 have the potential to offer major opportunities as well as Message from Head of School presenting enormous challenges. In this issue th February 28 was a red-letter day for this School as a Not to be outdone, a number of other PhD students Relay for Life total of 35 students graduated with MSc’s and 4 with have since successfully completed their PhD viva voce Biochemists in a Beautiful World PhD’s at the SEFS conferring ceremony held in Áras examinations and will be graduating next summer. Spring Conferrings na Mac Léinn. This is a testament to the hard work of Upcoming Events the students themselves, and also, their lab mates and I hope you find this Newsletter interesting and that it supervisors who helped them through their project helps keep you in touch with the School of Biochemistry Hot Off the Press work. and Cell Biology. In particular, it is noteworthy that of the 12 students who graduated at this conferring represented the first ever cohort of the MSc in Molecular and Cell Biology with Professor David Sheehan Bioinnovation organised by Dr Maryanne O’Donovan and Dr Kellie Dean. This MSc is a new taught programme that we plan to develop further into the future. The conferring was addressed by Rear Admiral Mark Mellet, the highest-ranking officer in the history of the Naval Service, who delivered a thoughtful and stirring speech around the idea of “constructive disruption”. He proposed that we are living through a time when novel SCHOOL(some as-yet unthought of) “disruptive” technologies PAGE 2 With students and staff from the School of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Team Mad Scientists participated in Donations to sponsor the second Relay for Life UCC, on Friday, 28th February, Team Mad Scientists in 2014, in support of the Irish Cancer Society. Relay for Life UCC can Relay for Life is a 24-hour walking relay, with relays taking be made online at http:// place throughout the year and around the world, to raise funds in the fight against cancer. Despite the cold and www.mycharity.ie/event/ rain, particularly overnight, the team was there for the madscirelay4life2014 full 24 hours! Together they have raised close to €400 TEAMfor the Irish Cancer Society, and you can still support our team either through our online donation site at: http:// www.mycharity.ie/event/madscirelay4life2014 Very well done and thanks to: Caroline Vaughn (PhD student in Dr Justin McCarthy’s group) Ioanna Tzani (PhD Scholars Programme in Cancer MADBiology; Atkins group) Stephen Geary, Chris Hickey, Natasha Leeuwendaal and Rebecca Sheehan (MSc in Molecular Cell Biology with Bioinnovation) Gavin King (3rd-year Biochemistry) Stephen Geary, MSc in Molecular Cell Biology with Bioinnovation and Dr Paul Yound, Dr Kellie Dean (Team Captain) Team Mad Scientists School of Biochemistry and Cell Biology UCC Stephen Geary and Dr Paul Young, School of Biochemistry and Cell Biology SCHOOL OF BIOCHEMISTRY SCIENTISTSNEWSLETTER AND CELL BIOLOGY SCHOOL OF BIOCHEMISTRY AND CELL BIOLOGY BIOCHEMISTS IN A BEAUTIFUL WORLD NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 Lysozyme crystals Homology model of Aquaporin Professor Dave Sheehan and Professor Tommie Compounds project student, Stephanie Carmody. McCarthy of the School of Biochemistry and Cell Biology Protein crystals are the starting point for determining atomic-level structures and 70% of the entries in the had their artistic work included in the ‘It’s a Beautiful protein databank (PDB; www.rcsb.org) originate in X-ray World’ exhibition in the Jennings Gallery at UCC (http:// diffraction patterns from protein crystals. www.ucc.ie/en/jennings-gallery) . This exhibition is a celebration of the beauty of science and of the world The second image is of a homology model of the around us and features a range of scientific images in transmembrane protein, aquaporin, which transports Professor Tommie McCarthy’s exhibition photograph is called “Louis’ Tattoo”. The tattoo is a major work different media including photography, paintings and water selectively into the cell. Water crosses cell of art on the arm of Louis-Charles Rainville, PhD student supervised by Professor Dave Sheehan. drawings from the world of Medicine, Science and the membranes only very slowly under normal conditions Natural Sciences. This exhibition runs until March 27th, but aquaporin facilitates rapid transfer which allows Continuing the transmembrane theme, Professor classical ABC transporter protein sitting in a lipid 2014. cells to quickly respond to changes in their water Tommie McCarthy displayed a photograph called “Louis’ membrane surrounded by water. Louis’ tattoo was requirements. This protein was discovered Tattoo”. The tattoo is a major work of art on the arm created in three parts between 2008 and 2011 over Professor Dave Sheehan and Professor Tommie quite by accident by Peter Agre of Duke of Louis-Charles Rainville. Louis has just completed three tattoo sessions. The total time involved was University who shared the Nobel Prize (2003) his PhD work using redox proteomics to explore the approximately eleven hours. Louis kindly agreed to McCarthy of the School of Biochemistry and impact of pollutants on a small freshwater crustacean, for Chemistry with Roderick MacKinnon allow his amazing tattoo to be photographed and to Cell Biology had their artistic work included of Rockefeller University for his structure- the water flea under the direction of Professor Dave sacrifice a lab coat in the process! The shot was taken PEOPLEfunction work on potassium channels. Water Sheehan and will have his PhD viva shortly. Prior to his in the ‘It’s a Beautiful World’ exhibition in in a decommissioned cell culture hood in the Lee the Jennings Gallery, UCC molecules pass through the hole in the PhD work, Louis completed a masters in Oceanography middle of the structure and it is amazing that at Université du Québec à Rimouski in Canada on ABC Maltings. The tattoo is also used as a strong visual aid a small molecule of just three atoms requires transporters in marine microalgae. The properties (how could you forget it!) in teaching on lipid bilayers Professor Dave Sheehan had two images on display. such a gigantic protein to transport it through the cell of water have always interested Louis as well as the and transporter proteins. Both the aquaporin image One of these is photograph of crystals of the enzyme membrane. Also, this pore protein is highly selective for structure and function of proteins and this passionate and Louis tattoo made the Six One News on RTE1 the INlysozyme grown by a Chemistry of PharmaceuticalTHE water and will not allow other solutes to pass through. interestNEWS inspired Louis to get the tattoo which depicts a day after the opening of the exhibition. news the in People SCHOOL OF BIOCHEMISTRY AND CELL BIOLOGY SPRING CONFERRINGS NEWSLETTER PAGE 4 Three groups of students graduated at the SEFs Spring Conferring on 28th Feb in Aras na Macleinn. Twenty three students graduated with MSc (Biotechnology) degrees in the programme coordinated by Dr Justin McCarthy while twelve graduated with MSc (Molecular Cell Biology with Bioinnovation). This programme was developed in conjunction with the HEA-funded PRTLIV structured PhD programmes in Molecular Cell Biology and the HRB-funded PhD structured programme in Cancer Biology. Courses developed for the first structured year in these PhD programmes were used as a basis for the new MSc, thus supporting the sustainability of these highly successful graduate training programmes. Coordinators of training for these PhD programmes Drs Kellie Dean and Maryanne Donovan developed this Dr Anmol Kiran unique MSc programme as a joint venture between this School, the School of ANMOL KIRAN Microbiology (Dr. John Morrissey), the Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience Dr Justin McCarthy pictured with some MSc in Biotechnology graduates. Thesis Title: Identification (Dr. Aideen Sullivan), and Business Information Systems (Dr. Brian O’Flaherty). of RNA editing in human Students had the opportunity to combine courses in cutting edge molecular cell exom and development of biology with business and MSc in Biotechnology graduates darned database. entrepreneurship as well as Supervisor: Dr Pasha a scientific research project. • Fatimah Alzahrani Baranov The MSc programme • Sai Arojju • Eoghan Collery Coordinator Professor AUDREY MANNION- • Sinead Cremin Rosemary O’Connor MICHEL • Mary Drennan commented; “ We are Thesis Title: Visualising • Alison Hardgrove delighted with the overall ribosome profiling and • Shauna Kearney structure and content of • Avijeet Kumar using it for reading frame • Philip Lecane this new MSc programme. Dr Cora O’Neill, Dr Audrey Mannion-Michel and Professor detection and exploration Dave Sheehan, School of Biochemistry and Cell Biology • Alice McCarthy It has attracted an excellent of eurkapyotic translation • Eoin Moynihan cohort of students, initiation. • Kay Muldowney and importantly, their • Christopher Nash Supervisor: Professor John Atkins and • Matthew O’Riordan Dr Kellie Dean, Dr Cora O’Neill and Dr Maryanne Donovan, feedback to us has been PEOPLESchool of Biochemistry and Cell Biology Dr Pasha Baranov. • Raghu Peddapatla exceptionally positive” • Claire Porter CHRISTINE O’CARROLL • Ciara Reynolds PhD graduates Thesis Title: Investigation of toll-like • Kritarth Seth receptor plasticity in the regulation of • Daniel Sheehan • Cormac Tobin inflammation. DESMOND BRENNAN • Amit Tomar Thesis Title: Integrated genetic analysis systems.