Happy Holidays ASBMB Membersbayside Biomolecules

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January 2009

Happy Holidays ASBMB MembersBayside Biomolecules

American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Edited by Ajit Varki, University of California, San Diego, Richard D. Cummings, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Jeffrey D. Esko, University of California, San Diego, Hudson H. Freeze, Burnham Institute for Medical Research, La Jolla, Pamela Stanley, Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, New York, Carolyn R. Bertozzi, University of California, Berkeley, Gerald W. Hart, Johns Hopkins University of School of Medicine, Baltimore, and Marilynn E. Etzler, University of California, Davis he sugar chains of cells—known collectively as glycans—play a variety of impressive, critical, and often Tsurprising roles in biological systems. Glycobiology is the study of the roles of glycans in the growth and development, function, and survival of an organism. Glyco-related processes, described in vivid detail in the text, have become increasingly significant in many areas of basic research as well as biomedicine and biotechnology. This new edition of Essentials of Glycobiology covers the general principles and describes the structure and biosynthesis, diversity, and function of glycans and their relevance to both normal physiologic processes and human disease. Several new chapters present significant advances that have occurred since the publication of the first edition. Three sections of note describe organismal diversity, advances in our understanding of disease states and related therapeutic applications, and the genomic view of glycobiology. “Glycomics,” analogous to genomics and proteomics, is the systematic study of all glycan structures of a given cell type or organism and paves the way for a more thorough understanding of the functions of these ubiquitous molecules. The first edition of Essentials of Glycobiology represented also a notable experiment in publishing, as it became one of the first electronic textbooks. And, now, in recognition of its wide audience and the changing ways in which researchers and students learn and access information, the new edition of Essentials will be made available online simultaneously with the print edition. This novel experiment is the result of the collaborative efforts of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, the National Center for Biotechnology Information, and the editors of the book. Written and edited by glycobiologists with experience in teaching and in research, this volume will be an invaluable resource, both for students and for established investigators in fields such as developmental biology, cell biology, neuroscience, immunology, and biochemistry who require a complete yet concise introduction to this burgeoning field. Published in October 2008, 784 pp., illus., glossary, study guide, index Hardcover $158 ISBN 978-087969770-9 Contents Foreword GENERAL PRINCIPLES METHODS AND APPLICATIONS Preface STRUCTURE AND BIOSYNTHESIS Glossary Books and Monograph Resources ORGANISMAL DIVERSITY Study Guide Abbreviations GLYCAN-BINDING PROTEINS Index GLYCANS IN PHYSIOLOGY AND DISEASE Advance praise for the Second Edition: “The basic principles of glycobiology are clearly articulated in this volume, and the roles of complex carbohydrates in disease are an important read for all biomedical scientists.” —Peter Agre, M.D., Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, 2003 “Essentials of Glycobiology is a major resource for understanding these post-translational biochemical reactions that affect the function and fate of proteins produced by the genes that are profoundly changed by their added sugars.” —Baruch S. Blumberg, Nobel Laureate in Medicine, 1976 “The second edition of Essentials of Glycobiology, superbly printed and illustrated, develops in simple and absolutely precise terms the complicated intricacies of glycobiology.Iwould have killed to get this encyclopedic treatise 40 years ago when I was working my way through this field.” —Edmond H. Fischer, Nobel Laureate in Medicine, 1992

To order or request additional information, please visit our website or: Call: 1-800-843-4388 (Continental US and Canada) 516-422-4100 (All other locations) Fax: 516-422-4097 E-mail: [email protected] Write: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, 500 Sunnyside Blvd., Woodbury, NY 11797-2924 contents January 2009 On the Cover: The crystallography and society news mass spectrometry centers at Stanford and UCSF are 2 From the Editor valuable resources for 4 President’s Message scientists. 30 6 Washington Update 11 Retrospective: Irwin C. Gunsalus (1912-2008) 14 Modifications in the Mountains

special interest 18 ASBMB Roundtable: Osamu Hayaishi

2009 meeting Thematic Overviews 16 The 2009 ASBMB/Schering-Plough Research Institute Award: Phillip Zamore 17 The 2009 the Avanti Award in Lipids: Sarah Spiegel

sciencentric Mass spec meeting in the mountains. 14 30 Browsing Molecules by the Bay

departments 8 News from the Hill 12 Member Spotlight 21 Minority Affairs 22 Education and Training 24 Career Insights Myocardin’s Missense Mutation. 28 27 Sci.Comm 28 BioBits

resources Scientific Meeting Calendar podcast summary (online only) Download the January Journal of Biological Chemistry News podcast to hear JBC Deputy Editor Robert Simoni interview a Paper of the Week author. This and other podcasts are available at: www.asbmb.org/Interactive.aspx.

January 2009 ASBMB Today 1 from the editor A monthly publication of The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2009 Rings Golden for the Officers Gregory A. Petsko President Heidi E. Hamm Past President Journal of Lipid Research Mark A. Lemmon Secretary Merle S. Olson Treasurer BY MARY L. CHANG Council Members Dafna Bar-Sagi Alan Hall John D. Scott Joan A. Steitz Ann M. Stock Kevin Struhl James A. Wells Adrian Whitty Ex-Officio Members Ellis Bell Chair, Education and Professional Development Committee Laurie S. Kaguni Chair, Meetings Committee John D. Scott Chair, Membership Committee George Hill Chair, Minority Affairs Committee Joan W. Conaway James H. Hurley Co-chairs, 2009 Program Committee Ralph A. Bradshaw Chair, Public Affairs Advisory Committee he inaugural issue of the Journal of Lipid Research (JLR) debuted in October Toni M. Antalis T1959. In that edition, the Journal’s first editor-in-chief, Donald B. Zilversmit, Chair, Publications Committee Herbert Tabor announced, “[JLR] will offer to its readers a representative selection of original Editor, JBC work in the chemistry, biochemistry, enzymology, histochemistry, and physiology Ralph A. Bradshaw A. L. Burlingame of the lipids.” Initially intended as a quarterly publication, it quickly expanded to Co-editors, MCP six issues a year in 1966, eight issues in 1978, nine issues in 1982, and finally Edward A. Dennis Joseph L. Witztum became a monthly journal in 1983. Fifty years later, JLR is still going strong and is Co-editors, JLR the most cited journal in lipid research. In 2009, the Journal will be celebrating its ASBMB Today Editorial Advisory Board 50th anniversary with several exciting events throughout the year. Alex Toker Chair A special issue of about 70 short, forward-looking reviews covering the entire Greg P. Bertenshaw Craig E. Cameron breadth of lipid research will be published as a supplement to the April 2009 A. Stephen Dahms Irwin Fridovich Jonathan Gitlin Richard W. Hanson issue. The special issue will be divided into nine sections, including Enzymol- Elizabeth A. Komives Bettie Sue Masters Luke A. O’Neill Duanqing Pei ogy, Metabolism, Lipoprotein Metabolism, Oxidized Lipids, Signaling, Receptors, Carol C. Shoulders Robert D. Wells Membranes and Lipid Domains, Atherogenesis, and Lipids in Health and Disease. ASBMB Today The best lipid researchers were invited to participate in this special anniversary Nicole Kresge Editor project, so this issue will be a useful and informative reference for all in the field, [email protected] Nick Zagorski Science Writer and the reviews are expected to be highly cited for years to come. [email protected] The golden celebration continues in April at the 2009 ASBMB Annual Meet- Nancy J. Rodnan Director of Publications [email protected] ing in New Orleans. On Saturday, Apr. 18, from 8 AM to 1 PM, the LIPID MAPS Barbara Gordon Executive Director Consortium (www.lipidmaps.org) will conduct an open Lipidomics Workshop, [email protected] where experts in the field will discuss methods that have been developed under Magazine design & production: Amy Phifer NIH (National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)) Glue Grant U54 For information on advertising contact GM069338 for analysis of neutral glycerolipids, phospholipids, eicosanoids, Capitol Media Solutions at 800-517-0610 sterols, sphingolipids, prenols, and novel lipids by mass spectrometry as well as or [email protected] related issues such as sample extraction, internal standards, data handling and display, and nomenclature. Attendance is free (registration for FASEB Experimen- tal Biology is not required), but those interested in attending are encouraged to www.asbmb.org contact Workshop Chair Al Merrill, Jr. by email at [email protected] (please use the subject heading “Lipidomics workshop” in your email). The workshop is being presented under the auspices of ASBMB with funding from the LIPID MAPS Glue grant and Avanti Polar Lipids.

2 ASBMB Today January 2009 editor Lipid Signaling and from the Metabolism Meeting Organizers: Suzanne Scarlata, Novel Lipid-Mediated Stony Brook University and Russell Signaling Events In addition to the Lipid Signaling and Metabolism A. DeBose-Boyd, Univ. of Texas Monday, Apr. 20 Southwestern Medical Center 3:30 PM - 5:50 PM Meeting at the Annual Meeting (see sidebar), there will Russell A. DeBose-Boyd, University be a special JLR symposium entitled, “Advances in of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Lipid Metabolism: A Golden (50th) Anniversary Celebra- Role of Membrane Domains Sterol-Accelerated in Cell Signaling Ubiquitination and tion for the Journal of Lipid Research” from 3:30 to 5:50 Degradation of HMG CoA PM on Sunday, Apr. 19th. The invited speakers for this Sunday, Apr. 19 Reductase 9:55 AM - 12:15 PM session will be Michael S. Brown and Joseph L. Gold- Suzanne Scarlata, Stony Brook Jerold Chun, The Scripps Research University Institute stein of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Regulation of G protein Signals New Insights from Center, Jeffrey Gordon of Washington University, and by Membrane Domains Lysophospholipid Receptor- Null Mice Nobuyo Maeda of the University of North Carolina-Cha- Michael Sheetz, Columbia University pel Hill. The session will be chaired by JLR Associate Membrane-Cytoskeleton Susan A. Henry, Cornell University Adhesion; Mechanical The Role of Phospholipid Editor Stephen G. Young of University of California, Los Controls and PIP2 Dynamics Synthesis in Lipid-Mediated Angeles, and will be introduced by JLR Editor-in-Chief Signaling and Regulation in Sergio Grinstein, the Hospital for Yeast Edward A. Dennis of the University of California, San Sick Children Lipids Dictate Surface Charge Diego. All are welcome to attend. The meeting will also and Direct Signaling During Thematic Meeting Reception feature a lecture by Avanti Award in Lipids winner Sarah Phagocytosis for Lipid Signaling and Spiegel, on Sunday, Apr. 19 at 2:10 PM. More details Metabolism on Spiegel and the award lecture can be found on Monday, Apr. 20 Advances in Lipid p. 17 of this issue of ASBMB Today. Metabolism: A Golden (50th) 5:50 PM - 6:30 PM Anniversary Celebration And finally, the Journal will also be sponsoring eight for the Journal of Lipid Phosphatidylinositol special lectureships at lipid-related meetings in 2009. Research Signaling and Metabolism Details can be found in the accompanying table (see Sunday, Apr. 19 Tuesday, Apr. 21 3:30 PM - 5:50 PM 9:55 AM - 12:15 PM box). Edward A. Dennis Shamshad Cockcroft, University Introduction College London Mary L. Chang is managing editor of JLR. She can be Coordination of Vesicle Michael S. Brown and Joseph Delivery and Signaling by reached at [email protected]. L. Goldstein, Univ. of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Phosphatidylinositol Transfer Cholesterol Feedback: A Tale Proteins of Two Membrane Proteins Bertil Hille, University of Washington JLR-sponsored Lectureships and Two Sterol Sensors School of Medicine Dynamics of PIP2 Regulation Benjamin F. Cravatt, Karen Reue, Jeffrey Gordon, Washington of Kv7 (KCNQ)K Channels The Scripps Research Institute University of California, Los Angeles University Deuel Lipid Conference Gordon Conference: The Human Microbiome Peter N. Devreotes, Johns Hopkins Borrego Springs, CA Molecular & Cellular Biology Project: Exploring the University School of Medicine Mar. 3–6, 2009 of Lipids Microbial Side of Ourselves Signaling Networks in Takao Shimizu, Waterville Valley, NH Chemotaxis and Cytokinesis University of Tokyo Jul. 19–24, 2009 Nobuyo Maeda, University of North Carolina Keystone Symposium: Gerrit van Meer, Genetic Variations in Mechanisms for Lipid Complex Lipids in Biology University of Utrecht Olympic Valley, CA FASEB Conference of Protein Atherosclerosis: “Humans to Storage and Transport Apr. 22–27, 2009 Mice” and “Mice to Humans” Lipidation, Signaling, and Wednesday, Apr. 22 Jay D. Horton, Membrane Domains 12:50 PM - 3:10 PM UT-Southwestern Medical Center, Saxtons River, VT Avanti Award in Lipids Karen Reue, David Geffen School of Dallas Jul. 26–31, 2009 Medicine at UCLA Arteriosclerosis, Christopher K. Glass, Sunday, Apr. 19 The Role of Lipin Proteins in University of California, San Diego 2:10 – 3:10 PM Thrombosis, and Vascular Lipid Storage and Metabolism Biology Annual Conference Kern Aspen Lipid Sarah Spiegel, Virginia Washington, D.C. Conference Commonwealth University School of Dawn Brasaemle, Rutgers University Apr. 29–May 1, 2009 Medicine Aspen, CO Control of Triacylglycerol Stanley L. Hazen, Aug. 22–25, 2009 The Outs and the Ins of the Metabolism by Lipid Droplet Cleveland Clinic Joseph L. Witztum, Pleiotropic Lipid Mediator Proteins Sphingosine-1-Phosphate Atherosclerosis Gordon University of California, San Diego John M. Dietschy, University of Texas Conference Bioactive Lipids in Cancer, Southwestern Medical Center Tilton, NH Inflammation, and Related Mutations in NPC1 and Jun. 21–26, 2009 Diseases Cholesterol Metabolism in the Cancun, Mexico Brain Oct. 25–28, 2009

January 2009 ASBMB Today 3 president’smessage The Gift That Keeps On Giving BY GREG PETSKO

Kris Kringle C/O Toy Shop The North Pole

Dear Santa, Sorry this is a bit late this year; there’s been quite a lot going on, as I’m sure you know. If you’ve read the letters we’ve been getting at ASBMB Today, you’ve seen that there are some people who would claim that I haven’t been a very good boy this year, but since you have a great sense of humor (that whole “right jolly old elf” thing), I’m hoping you won’t be as hard on me as they are. Besides, being elected president of the ASBMB was enough of a lump of coal for anybody’s stocking. So let’s get right to it: my gift list. As usual, I’ll start by telling you what I’d like you to bring to some other people, and then I’ll let you know what I’m hoping to find under my tree on December 25th. For President-elect Barack Obama: a better economy, quickly, so that he can implement some of his important objectives, including doubling funding for scientific research, across the board, over a ten-year period. For new Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Daschle: a terrific director of the NIH, so he can concentrate on health care reform and leave the science to scientists. For the scientific community: a presidential science advisor with stature and vision, and, ideally, cabinet-rank. For the ASBMB staff: stockings filled with all the things they wish for, and one thing they probably didn’t, but will have anyway, namely, my deep gratitude for putting up with me and for jobs well done. For Sarah Palin: a long and happy life—in Alaska. If you can’t manage that, Santa, then please, for all our sakes, give her the ability to put subject, verb, and object together in a sentence in the appropriate order, and, if you’re feeling generous, the ability to string two sentences together that actually make sense. For all my local friends and neighbors: another shot at the Super Bowl for the New England Patriots (and for those of you out there who feel differently, well, when you write your own letters to Santa, you can ask for something for your own team). And now for my list. You’ll be surprised, I know, Santa, to learn that I have only one wish this year. Before I tell you what it is, let me explain where it came from. We did a survey recently of our membership here at the ASBMB, and for the most part, it was very gratifying. We learned that members in general are pretty satisfied with the benefits of belonging to the Society: they love the Journal of Biological Chemistry, despite the fact that each issue is starting to resemble the Manhattan phone directory in size, and they enjoy the chance to go to our meetings. Some of them even professed to really like ASBMB Today. We also found out that people who join the Society usually remain members for their whole career and even beyond. That suggests we’re doing a number of things right, because once someone becomes a member, they find it worthwhile to continue being one. We don’t lose too many people. In addition, we were surprised, and delighted, to find out that our international membership is growing rapidly—faster, in fact, than our American rolls. That means, of course, that we need to

4 ASBMB Today January 2009 president’smessage

examine what we do in that light and make sure that we deliver benefits to foreign members too, and we will. It may even mean that some day we might want to consider changing our name to reflect our global reach, but that’s another topic for another day. But there was one thing that we learned from our survey that wasn’t so good, and it’s the reason for my wish this year. We learned that our membership is top-heavy: we have a lot more senior scientists than junior ones, a lot more people around my age than the age of the people who work in my lab. If we really want to represent biochemistry and molecular biology properly, we need input from all age groups, which means we need more young members. That’s what I want in my stocking this year. Of course, I realize that’s a pretty tall order for you to fill, what with delivering all those toys and all, and I’m not sure that a couple thousand young scientists would fit on your sled, either. So I reckon you’re going to need some help, and I’ve got an idea where it could come from: our existing members. If each current member of the ASBMB who has an active research group would, during this coming year, nominate at least one young person in their group for membership, I bet we would get all the new young members that I’m wishing for. To make it easier for them to do that, we here at the Society have included an application form in this issue of ASBMB Today so that in just a few minutes, a member can sponsor a graduate student or postdoctoral fellow for membership, and we will do the rest. Now, Santa, I also realize that you may be worried that, with the economy in such bad shape, it’s not exactly trivial to expect a young person to spend his or her own money on membership dues, even with the deep discount we give to people who don’t have an independent position yet. We’re worried about that too, and we have an idea that may help: we’re going to make membership in the ASBMB dues-free for the first year for any graduate student or postdoctoral fellow who joins as the result of being nominated by a member through our new young-membership drive. Frankly, Santa, this isn’t our only membership wish; we’d also love to see more industrial members—the Society is weighted rather heavily towards academic biochemists, and that probably doesn’t reflect the occupational distribution in our science any more. But since, as you’ve seen, people who join the ASBMB usually remain in it, I think if we get a big influx of young members, we’ll also solve that problem, because a large number of young biochemists now go into industry (typically biotech and pharma), so if they are already members when they do, our industrial membership ranks will grow. I hope you’ll use your powers to persuade our members to help you fulfill my wish this holiday sea- son. Starting in January 2009, we’d like for each of them to nominate at least one person from their lab for membership—and teachers could do the same, of course, for one or more of their best students. Then, it will be up to us to make sure that the services and benefits we deliver will meet the needs of this bolus of young biochemists. But since we will have lots of them to tell us what they want and to help us establish a community of scholars in which they feel comfortable and have their needs looked after, I’m confident we will learn how to serve them well. That’s pretty much it for this year, Santa. The milk and cookies will be in their usual place by the tree, and I’ll make sure the dogs expect you, so there won’t be a repetition of that unfortunate inci- dent of a few years ago. Oh, and one more thing: if you could park the reindeer on the lawn this time, instead of landing on the roof, I’d sure appreciate it. Those prancing and pawing little hooves really tore up the shingles. Thanks for listening. Your friend,

January 2009 ASBMB Today 5 washington update The Elections: and the Winner Is… Science? BY JENNIFER ZEITZER

he Society for Neuroscience recently hosted T a special forum to discuss the impact of the 2008 election on science issues. A condensed Kelner mentioned that summary of the event appears below. John Morrison, chair of the SfN Government and Pub- lic Affairs Committee began the briefing by mentioning there is a sense of that science brings us not only new knowledge and new treatments, but also additional jobs. He also referenced former House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s advocacy on optimism about the behalf of increased funding for science and noted that all scientists have a responsibility to become new administration’s advocates due to their unique ability to explain how science improves lives. He announced that SfN will build a grassroots commitment to science, advocates network over the next several years, sponsor Capitol Hill lobby days, and community and the efforts of former Congressman John provide resources for scientists to host lab tours for Porter made the case for a long range investment in sci- members of Congress. ence which eventually led to the doubling of NIH’s budget Katrina Kelner, deputy editor, Life Sciences, at Science over five years. He mentioned the lack of significant magazine summarized the outcome of the Congres- funding increases for NIH over the last six years, warning sional elections, noting that the Democrats will control that a failure to make sustained investments in science is the House of Representatives 255-174 after gaining 22 a threat to America’s competitiveness. He also said that seats. Democrats also picked up six Senate seats and insufficient funding for NIH is beginning to dismantle the 1 will control the chamber 57-40 . Kelner mentioned that multi-disciplinary teams of scientists that were one of the there is a sense of optimism about the new administra- hallmarks of the doubling. Varmus encouraged all scien- tion’s commitment to science, despite the uncertain fund- tists to make an effort to educate their elected officials ing situation created by the current financial crisis. and the general public about the value of science and the Former NIH director Harold Varmus was the first panel need for steady, predictable increases in federal fund- speaker and provided various perspectives on where ing for science agencies. He advocated for a doubling of th science funding issues will land on the 111 Congress’ NIH’s budget over ten years, which represents the typical agenda, and what the research advocacy community growth pattern for NIH over history. He urged advocates can do to ensure that science funding is a top priority to emphasize that investing in science stimulates the for the Obama administration. He noted that the current economy through the creation of jobs and purchases of situation is very similar to the environment in 1993, when lab equipment and supplies. he was confirmed as NIH director. Then, as now, the sci- Wendell Primus, senior policy advisor to Speaker entific community was demoralized due to low grant suc- Nancy Pelosi, mentioned that Pelosi is an enthusiastic cess rates, a rising budget deficit, a lack of enthusiasm supporter of science funding. He predicted that Congress for NIH in Congress and animosity toward the intramural would not pass a second economic stimulus bill until program, and the fact that several NIH-funded scientists early 2009. Furthermore, Primus noted that the Congres- were facing charges of misconduct. sional Budget Office will release a new budget estimate However, a combination of advocacy by the scientific in mid-January that will project a $7 to $9 trillion budget

6 ASBMB Today January 2009 washington update FASEB

deficit. He urged advocates to make the case that invest- • Look for a strong commitment to sustained ments in science have a long term payoff and pointed science funding in the first Obama budget. Porter out that more emphasis should be placed on translating recommended a three percent plus biomedical research findings into clinical practice. Other national pri- research inflation increase for NIH annually over the orities, Primus commented, such as the economic crisis, next five years. energy independence, and homeland security will impact Additionally, Porter encouraged the biomedical and funding for science. physical science communities to coordinate advocacy Primus also gave an overview of the anticipated leg- efforts to ensure the consistency of their message. islative agenda for next year. The first bill introduced by He urged scientists to explain how scientific advances the House Democratic leadership will focus on economic benefit members of Congress’ constituents and what recovery. The House will then resume debate on the role local research facilities play in advancing research Fiscal Year 2009 appropriations bills. He predicted that breakthroughs, reminding the audience that the science funding for NIH, CDC, and other public health agencies community has a good opportunity to affect change will be increased but would not speculate about specific because Obama “believes in science.” He also noted that funding levels. Instead, Primus indicated that the House scientist advocates must impact not only policymakers will probably “multi-task” on other issues, including but also the general public in order to inspire individuals improving the nation’s infrastructure, promoting energy to take action. independence, and initiating health care reform. Next Several additional points were made during a question and answer session following the panel presentation: despite the uncertain • Funding to train young scientists is critically important. Some believe that doubling NIH’s budget was a mistake because it funding situation advanced the careers of older scientists without helping younger investigators. The doubling was not the problem, however; the created by the current problem was the lack of a “post-doubling” plan. Policymakers need to develop and adopt a five-to-ten year science funding financial crisis. plan. • Scientists should contact their members of Congress year, Primus noted, controversial issues such as compar- and offer to create a “Science Advisory Committee” of local experts who are available to brief members of ative effectiveness and health care payment reform would Congress and their staff about key science issues. likely be under debate. Former Congressman John Porter described the last • The NIH reauthorization, adopted in 2006, expires six years as a “disaster” for science funding and noted in 2009, but Congress is not expected to deal with that change will not happen unless the entire scientific it next year. The 2006 reauthorization accomplished community gets involved in advocacy. He offered several several good things, some of which haven’t been fully implemented yet. Structural changes to NIH that have suggestions for steps the community can take to ensure been adopted in prior reauthorizations have led to that science issues are a high priority for the Obama several positive developments, such as the creation administration: of the Foundation for NIH in the 1993 reauthorization • Watch for how quickly Obama names a science legislation. advisor and if it is a cabinet-level position with an office in the Old Executive Office Building. Jennifer Zeitzer is Director of Federal Relations at FASEB. She • Listen to President Obama’s first State of the can be reached at [email protected]. Union address which should note that a sustained investment in basic and translational research drives Footnote: 1. On November 19th, Ted Stevens conceded the contested Alaska Senate seat the U.S. economic engine. to Mark Begich, giving the Democrats a 58-seat majority.

January 2009 ASBMB Today 7 news from the hill PAAC Reorganization By Ralph A. Bradshaw, William Merrick, Mary Hendrix, And Peter Farnham

here are many complex and vexing issues that it defined the size of the committee, the terms of the Tconfront science today, ranging from diminishing members, and how they are to be appointed. In keep- research support to regulatory burdens and societal ing with earlier by-law changes, the PAAC was reduced issues, such as the teaching of intelligent design as to 15 members, with each member serving a three-year science and limits on stem cell research. These issues term. This was accomplished by retiring a few long term impact the membership of ASBMB and its ability to members whose terms were actually over this year. pursue the scientific enterprise. Within the society, the The remaining members were reorganized into three responsibility of the Public Affairs Advisory Committee ‘classes,’ staggered over the next three years so that the (PAAC) is to address these problems, prepare responses committee will have an orderly turnover (with no more for the ASBMB president and Council, keep the member- than a third of the members going off in any one year). ship informed, and conduct advocacy activities with the New members will be added each year by a combination view of increasing public awareness of the importance of of presidential appointments (3) and general membership biomedical research and its support. Over the past year, election (2). The latter slate will be prepared by the PAAC the committee has undergone significant changes to Executive Committee (four individuals will be nominated improve its efficiency and generate greater involvement for the two places) and placed on the general Society of both the society as a whole and committee members. ballot. Members may be elected or appointed for a sec- This article gives a brief description of the “new” PAAC ond term. and its plans. The chair of the committee will be appointed (as The organizational changes that have been introduced chair-elect) by the president from those who have already required significant alterations in the by-laws and con- been members for one year and will serve one year in verted the PAAC to a standing committee of the council this capacity before becoming chair. The term for the (as is the case for similar entities such as the Finance chair is two years, requiring that the chair be automati- and Publications Committees). Importantly, in doing so, cally appointed for a second term. Retiring chairs will then serve a year as past-chair. One of the important innovations introduced into PAAC (before the by-law changes) was to subdivide the committee into three working groups: advocacy issues, funding agencies, and regulatory and societal matters. Although not specified in the by-laws, the chairs of these three groups along with the chair and chair-elect (or past-chair) form an executive committee, with the president of the Society and the president-elect (or past-president) serving ad hoc (both on the full PAAC and the executive committee). This group is assigned the task of reviewing issues as they arise and preparing them for presentation to the whole committee for discus-

8 ASBMB Today January 2009 news from the hill

sion and vote. The full roster of the PAAC, including the for joining with coalitions and organizations in the future. executive committee and their terms of office, can be An executive summary of this document can be found found on the ASBMB web site. following this article. Importantly, the evaluation process Following the adoption of the by-law changes in July, a proposed has already been used to consider the invita- retreat was scheduled at the beginning of October in San tion from the Coalition for the Life Sciences, and its posi- Francisco to review the role of PAAC and to formulate a tive recommendation was forwarded to the council (who five-year strategic plan. The council felt, at the time they has since voted to join). were deliberating on the proposed by-law changes, that The new organization of PAAC promises to allow (even public affairs had become quite complex, and that it was demand) greater time of the Committee members, and important to assess and plan what the Society’s agenda there will be increasing pressure for greater involvement should be and how this coincided with the agendas of of new and interested people from the membership of other groups with which the Society has an affiliation. the Society. Over the next several months, this urgency Since many of these associations involve fiscal commit- will become more evident as the new challenges offered ments, the Council felt it was particularly important not to by the change in administration manifest themselves. duplicate efforts needlessly. It also felt that PAAC should Apropos of this, at a second Council retreat in Tucson, opine on invitations to join other groups that might arise AZ, several weeks after the PAAC retreat, a task force in the future and provide assessments on the pros and to increase the involvement of members in advocacy cons of these possible arrangements to the Council to issues was formed under the leadership of past-president aid in their decision-making processes. The group that Heidi Hamm. PAAC will work closely with this group to assembled in San Francisco consisted of several past help facilitate its goals. It is, of course, our hope that the and present members of PAAC as well as several guests. considerable efforts that went into making these changes The final document that was prepared by the PAAC and plans will not have been for naught, and that PAAC, and ASBMB Public Affairs Office staff focused on the in its new form, will galvanize the membership to greater three subgroups and their agendas, with a fourth group involvement while providing important and timely informa- charged with developing a plan for evaluating proposals tion to the leadership and membership of the ASBMB.

Executive Summary, Public Affairs Advisory Committee Strategic Plan BY PETER FARNHAM

he Society’s Public Affairs retreat occurred in early distribution of research and training funds, and generally TOctober in San Francisco, CA. The plan that came out consider and formulate recommendations and responses of that retreat will be posted on the ASBMB website in the to issues related to science and society. The committee near future. For now, what follows is an executive summary. will also evaluate requests for Society participation in other The mission of the Public Affairs Advisory Committee like-minded organizations, with respect to both short and (PAAC) is to monitor the relationship of the Society to the long term interactions, and make recommendations to the general public and to serve and advise the Society and officers and Council on their merits. its leadership on issues in which the membership has an The PAAC will be divided into three equal subgroups for interest. managing the preliminary discussions on advocacy, fund- In particular, it will organize and coordinate the advocacy ing, and other issues. Consideration of outside requests efforts of the Society for increased support for research in will be initially reviewed by the Executive Committee. All the areas of interest to the membership, monitor the poli- major decisions will be formulated by the full committee cies and regulations of government agencies with regard and presented to the Council for its consideration and to their research priorities and mechanisms affecting the possible adoption. continued on page 10

January 2009 ASBMB Today 9 news from the hill continued

continued from the bottom of page 9 science education, defending the need for animals in research, the growing issue of financial conflicts of Legislative Issues Subcommittee interest in research funding, and support for embry- The Legislative Issues Subcommittee will focus on onic stem cell research. monitoring legislation of interest to the Society and Relationships with Outside Groups supporting or opposing such legislation through advo- The PAAC will evaluate requests for ASBMB to join or cacy activities, including regular meetings with mem- endorse outside organizations and coalitions. Such bers of Congress and their staffs, both in Washington, proposals will be circulated to the full committee for D.C. and in the states and congressional districts. comment. The PAAC executive committee will then The Subcommittee will plan visits by member make a recommendation to the full committee, and scientists—both faculty and students—to Capitol the final decision of the full PAAC will be forwarded to Hill, in order to advocate for science. These visits will the Council as a formal recommendation. target key members of Congress and their staffs to The full report, in addition to greater detail of the maximize their impact. One weakness in previous Hill functions and activities of the PAAC and its sub- visits has been that mid-career scientists usually do committees, also contains a history of the PAAC, a not participate. PAAC plans to make a strong effort summary of U.S. political conditions at the time of to increase participation from mid-career scientists in the retreat, from which the plan was formulated (prior advocacy. to the 2008 elections), a discussion of the Society’s PAAC members are unanimous in their view that demographics, and a basic description of the PAAC’s Hill visits were a very useful and appropriate activ- organizational structure. ity for the ASBMB to engage in, and the Legislative A lengthy list of action items was prepared at Issues Subcommittee is charged with coordinating a the retreat, which serves as a guide for committee schedule of events that reflects the importance of this action and interest over the next five years. These activity. This will ensure that ASBMB continues to be a items include maintaining the ASBMB Science Policy regular presence on Capitol Hill. Fellowship and Local Advocates Network programs; Research Funding Agencies Subcommittee arranging and coordinating regular visits to Capitol Hill for ASBMB members, students, and postdocs; focus- The Research Funding Agencies Subcommittee will ing on peer review and training issues as we continue ensure that the mechanisms for distributing available to monitor NIH, as well as increasing our advocacy on funds protect the excellence and future of biochemis- infrastructure issues; increasing our efforts to monitor try and molecular biology. and comment on activities at other science agencies; Topics of present importance are peer review of drafting proactive position statements on issues such grant applications and the ongoing push at NIH for as evolution education, use of animals in research, increased funding of translational research—often at stem cell research, conflict of interest, misconduct in the expense of basic research budgets. However, it is science, and indirect cost reimbursement of research envisioned that the areas of focus may well change, conducted at academic institutions; and focusing possibly in the immediate future due to the change in increased attention to issues relevant to ASBMB’s administrations, and this group will have a continu- growing foreign membership. ally changing agenda. In addition, the programs of This is by no means a complete list of committee other research funding agencies are also important, intentions, and as with all five-year plans, the plan and the subcommittee wishes to monitor all agencies itself will evolve over time. However, it does represent and departments that support ASBMB members’ a start. Of course, we strongly encourage all ASBMB research. members to participate in committee endeavors by Special Issues Subcommittee providing us with feedback on public issues of interest The Special Issues Subcommittee will monitor, and to you: by volunteering to join our Local Advocates act as needed, on topics of interest to biochemists Network, by participating in a Hill Day if asked, and and molecular biologists that are at the interface of life even by volunteering to serve on a committee task sciences and society. It will address topics that are not force when formed. necessarily specific to pending legislation or regulation. Please contact our director of public affairs, Pete Foremost among the present items under con- Farnham, at [email protected], if interested in sideration are the need to advocate for evolution in getting more involved in Society public affairs.

10 ASBMB Today January 2009 asbmb news Retrospective: Irwin C. Gunsalus (1912-2008)

ormer ASBMB President Irwin Clyde Gunsalus tors, he discovered pyridoxal phosphate and lipoic acid Fpassed away at his home in Andalusia, Alabama on (the active form of vitamin B-6) and showed how they Oct. 25th. He was 96. each function in their co-enzyme forms to partner with In a career spanning nearly eight decades, Gunsa- enzymes during catalysis. During his time in Illinois, lus, also known as “Gunny,” conducted research that Gunsalus developed a genetic system for the study of led to many important discoveries on biological cataly- Pseudomonas, dissected the 11-step pathway for ter- sis and regulation, the formation of essential metabo- pene breakdown, discovered the first three-component lites, and mechanisms of chemical transformations and microbial cytochrome P-450 system involved in this energy transfer critical to central metabolic reactions. pathway, and purified and crystallized the hemoprotein His work drew upon many fields, including organic component of cytochrome P-450. Later, Gunsalus and chemistry, physics, and genetics. his colleagues published the sequence of bacterial Gunsalus was born in South Dakota in 1912. After cytochrome P-450 and solved its three-dimensional spending two years as a chemistry major at South structure. Dakota State College, he transferred to Cornell Uni- Gunsalus also held deep convictions about human versity and received his B.S. in 1935. Intrigued by his rights, peace, and justice, as well as an ideal of global undergraduate exposure to the sciences, Gunsalus scientific cooperation. In 1967, he was one of four stayed at Cornell to pursue graduate study in bacte- scientists who hand-delivered to President Lyndon B. riology with J. M. Sherman. He was awarded a Ph.D. Johnson a petition to halt the use of chemical and bio- in 1940 for a thesis titled, “The Chemical Nature of logical weapons in Vietnam. The petition was signed Enterococcus Group Antigen.” Gunsalus was then by 5,000 scientists, including 17 Nobel Prize-winners invited to join the faculty of the department, where he and 127 members of the National Academy of Sci- remained for seven years. ences. In 1947, Gunsalus moved to Indiana University to “Gunny was a charismatic leader of American sci- become a professor of bacteriology. Three years later, ence, being so obviously admirable that he provided an he was enticed to move yet again. This time, he joined example that others felt inspired to follow,” said Bruce the newly developing Department of Microbiology at Alberts, editor-in-chief of Science magazine and a the University of Illinois in Urbana. In 1955, he became former president of the National Academy of Sciences. head of the Biochemistry Division in the Department of “A born detective, he devoted his life to unraveling the Chemistry at the university. After his mandatory retire- chemical mysteries that make life possible. His pio- ment from Illinois at the age of 65, Gunsalus became neering, interdisciplinary approaches to deciphering the an assistant secretary general of the United Nations, details of bacterial metabolism have helped to produce where he was the first director of the International Cen- the vitality of modern biochemistry.” tre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB). Greg Petsko, current president of the ASBMB, Following that term of service, he became a senior had this to add: “On many occasions, he committed scientist at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s small acts of kindness that meant a great deal to the National Health and Environmental Effects Laboratory, recipient—usually a young scientist. I was the benefi- Gulf Ecology Division, where he studied the microbio- ciary of several of these over the years, despite our logical bioremediation of coastal ecosystems. not knowing each other very well. I never forgot his Gunsalus was a prime figure in the movement of generosity. His work on P-450 is a paradigm of micro- bacteriology into modern microbiology using biochem- bial enzymology and biochemistry, and his record of istry, the physical sciences, molecular biology, and service to the scientific and world communities is an genetics. In his early research on bacterial growth fac- example to us all.”

January 2009 ASBMB Today 11 asbmb member spotlight Bissell Awarded Cancer Kahn Named Manpei Suzuki Society Medal of Honor International Prize Winner The American Cancer Society presented its C. Ronald Kahn, head of the Joslin highest honor, the Medal of Honor for Basic Diabetes Center Section on Obesity and Research, to Mina J. Bissell this past fall. Hormone Action and the Mary K. Iacocca The Medal of Honor, originally called the professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical American Cancer Society Award, was first School, has been named the first winner of given in 1949. The award honors Americans the Manpei Suzuki International Prize for who have made outstanding contributions Diabetes Research. to the fight against cancer. Other winners According to the Manpei Suzuki of the 2008 Medal of Honor were Sen. Diabetes Foundation, Kahn was selected Edward M. Kennedy, Susan Band Horwitz, and Jon M. Huntsman. to receive the inaugural award in recognition of his many contribu- Bissell, a distinguished scientist in the Life Sciences Division tions to diabetes research over the past three decades—from the of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, is a pioneer in under- discovery of the basic mechanism of how insulin receptors pro- standing the role of the microenvironment in cancer. For years, it duce a signal in cells to increase their metabolism, to alterations in was believed that gene mutation was the central cause of cancer this signaling process in diabetes and other disease states. He has until Bissell’s work proved that a cell’s environment plays a critical also generated multiple strains of transgenic mice with alterations role in cancer formation. in insulin signaling in order to analyze insulin action, one tissue and Her current research focuses on the role of extracellular pathway at a time. matrix, its receptors, and its degrading enzymes as central Kahn will be formally presented with the award, which includes modulators of tissue-specific gene expression, signal transduc- $150,000, at a ceremony in Tokyo in March 2009. He will also tion, apoptosis, and cancer. Using mammary glands from mice deliver a commemorative lecture at the event. and humans, she and her colleagues study the above processes The newly established award, the largest for diabetes research in breasts and breast cancer. and one of the largest in medicine, commemorates the 15th anniversary of the Manpei Suzuki Diabetes Foundation, which supports diabetes research through both grants and fellowships. Ginsburg Receives AHA Distinguished Scientist Award David Ginsburg, the James V. Neel Mann Honored with Distinguished distinguished university professor of Achievement Award Internal Medicine and Human Genetics at Matthias Mann of the Max Planck Institute the University of Michigan Medical School, of Biochemistry received the Human received a Distinguished Scientist Award Proteome Organization’s (HUPO) from the American Heart Association at its Distinguished Achievement Award in 2008 annual meeting. Proteomic Sciences at the 2008 annual Ginsburg, who is also the Human HUPO World Congress. The award was Genetics Warner-Lambert/Parke-Davis given to Mann in recognition of distin- professor of Medicine and an investigator at Howard Hughes guished scientific achievements in the field Medical Institute, studies the components of the blood-clotting of proteomic science. system and how disturbances in their function lead to human Mann leads the Department of Proteomics and Signal bleeding and blood-clotting disorders. Transduction at the Max Planck Institute. His research focuses on Specifically, he and his colleagues are looking at the blood- developing mass spectrometric methods to characterize protein clotting protein von Willebrand factor (VWF) and how molecu- modification with ubiquitin and small ubiquitin-like modifiers. In par- lar defects in the protein are responsible for many of the less ticular, he is analyzing the ubiquitin-modified proteome using stable common subtypes of von Willebrand Disease. He also studies isotope-labeling by amino acids in cell culture (SILAC). Using this diseases involving coagulation factor V, a central regulator in the method, Mann and his colleagues are quantitatively comparing the early phases of blood clot formation and plasminogen activator ubiquitination of total cellular protein following perturbations such inhibitor-1 (PAI1) and PAI2, both of which regulate the fibrinolytic as DNA damage. Mann is also developing streamlined methods to system that breaks down blood clots. map ubiquitination sites on single, purified proteins present in small amounts detectable by Coomassie staining. Mann also serves on the editorial board of Molecular and Cellular Proteomics.

12 ASBMB Today January 2009 asbmb member spotlight Please submit member-related news to [email protected] Tabak Named NIH Principal Four ASBMB Members Acting Deputy Director Elected to IOM Lawrence A. Tabak was appointed This past October, the Institute of Medicine principal acting deputy director of NIH in (IOM) announced the names of 65 new November 2008. While serving in this members and five foreign associates, four of capacity, Tabak will continue to serve as whom are ASBMB members. Election to the the director of the National Institute of IOM is considered one of the highest honors Dental and Craniofacial Research, a in the fields of health and medicine and rec- position he has held since 2000. ognizes individuals who have demonstrated As director of the National Institute of outstanding professional achievement and Dental and Craniofacial Research Institute, commitment to service. Tabak steered the Institute towards funding research on ways of Horwich The ASBMB members newly preventing tooth decay, the use of adult stem cells to heal bone elected to the IOM are: fractures and defects, the transfer of replacement genes into the salivary glands for therapeutic purposes, periodontal disease as a Arthur Horwich, investigator, Howard possible risk factor in premature birth, and pain management. Hughes Medical Institute; and Sterling Tabak has published extensively on the structure, biosyn- professor of Genetics and Pediatrics, thesis, and function of salivary mucins, the pathogenesis of Department of Genetics, Yale School of salivary gland disease and dysfunction, and the use of saliva as Medicine, New Haven, CT; a diagnostic fluid. His current research focuses on how mucin- Raju S. Kucherlapati, Paul C. Cabot profes- glycoproteins—sugars that are essential for normal embryonic Kucherlapati sor of Genetics, Harvard Medical School; development—play significant roles in both innate and acquired and scientific director, Harvard Partners immunity and also play important structural roles in membrane- Center for Genetics and Genomics, Brigham bound proteins. and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA; Juanita L. Merchant, professor of Internal Medicine and Molecular and Integrative Valentine Awarded Physiology, Division of Gastroenterology, Glenn T. Seaborg Medal University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI; and Joan Selverstone Valentine, professor of Marsha A. Moses, professor of Surgery, Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University Harvard Medical School; and interim direc- of California, Los Angeles, received the 2008 Merchant tor, Vascular Biology Program, Children’s Glenn T. Seaborg Medal for her outstanding Hospital Boston, Boston, MA. contributions to chemistry. The Seaborg Medal was established The IOM was established in 1970 by in 1987 by the UCLA Department of the National Academy of Sciences. It has Chemistry and Biochemistry to honor indi- become recognized as a national resource viduals for their significant contributions to for independent, scientifically informed chemistry and biochemistry. The medal is awarded annually, and analysis and recommendations on human the recipient is chosen by the UCLA Department of Chemistry & health issues. With their election, members Biochemistry Executive Committee. make a commitment to volunteer a signifi- Valentine’s research centers on transition metals, metal- Moses cant amount of time as members of IOM loenzymes, and oxidative stress. She is currently looking at the committees, which engage in a broad range properties and biological functions of wild type copper-zinc of studies on health policy issues. superoxide dismutases (CuZn-SOD) in hopes of understanding A diversity of talent among IOM’s membership is assured by why mutant human CuZn-SOD proteins cause familial amyo- the Institute’s charter, which stipulates that at least one-quarter of trophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease). She is also the membership is selected from outside the health professions, studying the roles of superoxide, hydrogen peroxide, metal ions, for example, from such fields as the natural, social, and behavioral and small molecule antioxidants in Saccharomyces cerevisiae in sciences; law; engineering; and the humanities. Current active order to study learn how redox balance is maintained in healthy members elect new members from among candidates nominated eukaryotic cells. for their outstanding accomplishments. The newly elected members raise IOM’s total active membership to 1,576 and the number of foreign associates to 89. With another 71 members holding emeritus status, IOM’s total membership is now 1,736.

January 2009 ASBMB Today 13 asbmb news Modifications in the Mountains BY RALPH A. BRADSHAW AND KATI F. MEDZIHRADSZKY

gainst the majestic backdrop of the Sierra Nevadas illustrations of extensive applications of mass spectrom- Aand the deep blue of Lake Tahoe, the ASBMB hosted etry to the determination of PTMs. This was followed by some 70 scientists at the Granlibakken Resort for three sessions on glycosylation (featuring invited talks by Jim days of presentations and discussions on the nuances of Paulson, Scripps Institute, La Jolla, and Jerry Hart, Johns the post-translational modifications (PTMs) of proteins. Hopkins, Baltimore), phosphorylation (Pierre Thibault, The focus of the meeting was two-fold: 1) technologi- Universite de Montreal), and oxidation (Cathy Costello, cal advances in the determination of both old and new Boston University, and Judy Klinman, University of Cali- alterations, and 2) the evaluation of related physiological fornia, Berkeley) interspersed with sessions devoted to responses. unusual modifications (Kati Medzihradszky, UCSF, and The meeting, organized by Kati Medzihradszky and Jeff Gorman, Queensland Institute for Medical Research, Ralph Bradshaw of the University of California, San Brisbane) and complex modifications (Yingming Zhao, Francisco, was opened with a plenary lecture by Matthias University of Chicago) with one session on methodology Mann (Max Planck Institute, Martinsried), who provided (Andrew Alpert, PolyLC, Columbia, Josh Coon, University a broad overview of the state-of-the-art, with many of Wisconsin, Madison, and Pavel Pevzner, University

14 ASBMB Today January 2009 asbmb news The success of the meeting was evident from the enthusiasm of the participants and the rigor of the discussions.

cussions. Indeed, there was Left: Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe general agreement that it Above: Afternoon hike to Eagle Lake. Back row (L to R): Thomas Ringer (Innsbruck, Austria), Cathy Costello (Boston, MA), Kati Medzihradszky (San Francisco, CA), Eva Klement (Szeged, should be repeated, prefer- Hungary). Front row: Andy Alpert (Columbia, MO), Zsuzsa Darula (Szeged, Hungary), Eva ably in the same locale, in two Hunyadi-Gulyas (Szeged, Hungary), Jordane Biarc (San Francisco, CA), Patricia Ruperez (San years’ time, as the ambience Francisco, CA). and location were quite con- ducive to additional discus- of California, San Diego). The invited speakers were sions and exchanges of information. These took place at rounded out by Frank Eisenhaber (A*STAR, Singapore), breaks, during meals, and certainly during the two open who discussed the state of in silico predictions of PTMs. afternoons scheduled for hiking and relaxing (see accom- The five sessions were equally divided between these panying pictures). There was (and is) no concern that the invited speakers and presenters selected from the sub- topic will not remain timely or current; indeed, the number mitted abstracts that expanded each of the sessions to of different modifications discussed was truly impressive. include many additional paradigms and modifications. However, it was clear that all of the known modifications There were also a few dozen posters that were given in weren’t covered, and it is equally clear that there are still a two evening sessions. All told, there were representatives significant number of modifications to be defined, as was from over a dozen countries. evidenced by the number of unidentified additional masses This meeting, organized as a part of the revitalized seen in MS/MS experiments. Of course, not all of these ASBMB small meeting program, was also planned to changes will prove to be either of physiological origin and/ emphasize an increased effort of the Society to expand or significance, which is one reason why continued discus- its activities in the area of proteomics that has been sions of this topic are essential. anchored by the success of Molecular & Cellular Pro- teomics, which was launched in 2001. ASBMB also sup- Ralph A. Bradshaw is a Professor of Chemistry and ports the now biannual Symposium on Mass Spectrom- Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Deputy Director of the Mass etry in the Health and Life Sciences held in San Francisco Spectrometry Facility at the University of California, San and plans to expand the small meetings agenda in the off Francisco. He can be reached at [email protected]. Kati F. year are under discussion. Medzihradszky is a Professional Research Chemist/Adjunct The success of the meeting was evident from the Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at UCSF and can be enthusiasm of the participants and the rigor of the dis- reached at [email protected].

January 2009 ASBMB Today 15 2009 annual meeting The 2009 ASBMB/Schering-Plough Research Institute Award: Phillip Zamore

he 2009 Schering-Plough Research Institute Award will guides to ensure that the appropriate gene is silenced. Tbe presented to Phillip Zamore, Howard Hughes Medical Since then, Zamore has used biochemistry, quantitative Institute investigator and professor at the University of Mas- enzymology, genetics, and bioinformatics to learn how sachusetts Medical School, at the ASBMB annual meeting. RNA silences genes. He and his colleagues provided the The Schering Plough Award was established to recognize first evidence that small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) were young investigators for outstanding research at an early stage produced by endonucleolytic cleavage of long, double- of their careers. Zamore will present his award lecture on stranded RNA. This led to Zamore’s proposal that siRNAs Monday, Apr. 20 at 8:30 a.m. could be used to silence genes in mammals and as human Zamore did his graduate research with Michael R. Green therapeutics. at Harvard University and received his Ph.D. Zamore also showed that siRNAs guide in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in Zamore’s protein complexes that slice their target 1992. He then did a postdoctoral fellowship mRNAs in two and that these small RNA- at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical laboratory has guided protein complexes are assembled Research with Ruth Lehmann, also collabo- by a complex, ATP-dependent pathway rating with David P. Bartel of the Whitehead played a role that sorts small RNAs into distinct func- Institute and James R. Williamson of the in nearly all tional pathways. Additionally, he united Scripps Research Institute. In 1999, he joined the RNAi and microRNAs pathways when the faculty of University of Massachusetts of the major he discovered that they are both made Medical School as an assistant professor. He by the enzyme, Dicer. Subsequently, he is currently the Gretchen Stone Cook profes- breakthroughs developed siRNAs capable of distinguish- sor of Biomedical Sciences at the University in the study of ing between two mRNAs that differ by of Massachusetts Medical School, a position only a single nucleotide, which has aided he has held since 2005. RNA silencing in the development of siRNA-based A pioneer in the study of RNA silencing therapies for several prominent neuro- in eukaryotes, Zamore’s laboratory has played a role in nearly degenerative diseases, such as Huntington Disease. More all of the major breakthroughs in the study of RNA silencing. recently, Zamore and his colleagues have discovered that “Phil literally invented the study of the molecular mechanism Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs)—siRNA-like molecules of RNA interference (RNAi) when he and his collaborators that protect the animal germ line from transposons—form a developed in 1999 the first cell-free system that recapitulated distinct RNA silencing pathway that does not require Dicer. RNAi in a test tube,” says C. Robert Matthews, professor “Zamore is one of the most brilliant biologists of his gen- and chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular eration,” says Victor Ambros, professor in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Massachusetts Medical Molecular Medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medi- School. cal School. “Beginning almost immediately after becoming This cell-free system was the result of a friendly an independent scientist in 1999, he has consistently led the argument between Zamore and fellow postdoc Tom extremely competitive field of small RNA biochemistry and Tuschl, who were debating how to recreate a type of molecular biology. Zamore is unique; he is a gifted biochem- double-stranded RNA gene regulation just discovered in ist who thinks with the subtlety and rigor of a geneticist. flatworms. The pair decided to use components from fly The Zamore lab is remarkably productive, and even more cells to find out whether double-stranded RNA molecules remarkably, every one of his papers is important. It is fair to could silence a gene in a test tube the way they did in say that over the past six years, no other single scientist has worms. The experiment worked, and Zamore and Tuschl contributed more than has Zamore to our understanding went on to show how short segments of RNA act as RNAi mechanisms.”

16 ASBMB Today January 2009 2009 annual meeting The 2009 the Avanti Award in Lipids: Sarah Spiegel

arah Spiegel of the Virginia Commonwealth Uni- ganglioside GM1 can cluster and signal—a concept that Sversity School of Medicine will be presented with now has relevance for signaling through lipid rafts. As the 2009 Avanti Award in Lipids at the ASBMB Annual an independent researcher, she began to explore whether meeting in New Orleans. This award honors outstanding sphingosine might be a mediator of biological behaviors. scientists whose research interests are in the field of lipids. In a series of experiments, she showed that sphingosine is Spiegel will present her award lecture on Sunday, Apr. 19 rapidly converted to S1P and that S1P is a potent mitogen. at 2:10 p.m. She also worked out assays for the enzyme that produces Spiegel is one of the founders of the paradigm that S1P, sphingosine kinase, purified the kinase, and identified sphingolipid metabolites serve as signaling molecules, and its gene. And finally, she discovered that not only is there the sphingolipid signal that she discov- an intracellular signaling pathway ered, sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P), is involving S1P, but there are also cell now the most thoroughly characterized Spiegel is one surface receptors for S1P. Hence, she mediator in the field. of the founders proposed that S1P is not only an intra- She received her B.S. in Chemistry and cellular “second messenger” but is also Biochemistry from Hebrew University of the paradigm secreted by cells as a “first messenger.” in Jerusalem, Israel, and then went to the Speigel later demonstrated that Weizmann Institute of Science in Reho- that sphingolipid S1P can suppress apoptosis, which led vot, Israel to do graduate work with Meir to her theory that the dynamic bal- Wilchek. After earning her Ph.D. in 1983, metabolites ance between S1P and its precursors, Spiegel moved to Bethesda, MD, to do serve as sphingosine and ceramide, functions a postdoctoral fellowship with Peter H. as a cellular rheostat that determines Fishman in the Membrane Biochemistry signaling whether a cell survives or dies. This Section of the National Institute of Neuro- was followed by several reports by logical and Communicative Disorders and molecules her lab and many others that S1P Stroke at NIH. controls important physiological and In 1987, Spiegel joined the faculty of Georgetown pathophysiological processes, including cancer, vascular University Medical School as an assistant professor in maturation, angiogenesis, cardiac development, cardiovas- the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. cular function, wound healing, atherosclerosis, immunity, In 1992, she became director of the graduate program in and asthma. Speigel was also was the first to draw atten- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Georgetown, and tion to S1P receptors as master regulators of cell motility. in 1996, she was promoted to professor in the Depart- “I have followed Sarah’s work for two decades because ment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Spiegel left of its relationship to my own interests in sphingolipid Georgetown in 2002 to become professor and chair of the metabolism, and I have collaborated with her on many Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the studies, which have given me the opportunity to see how Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, a she thinks, and deal forthrightly with findings that agree position she continues to hold today. She is also currently or disagree with her original hypothesis,” says Alfred H. director of the Cancer Cell Biology Program at the Massey Merrill Jr., Professor of Biology, Chemistry, and Bio- Cancer Center in Richmond, VA. chemistry, and Smithgall Institute Chair of Molecular Speigel began working on sphingolipids as a gradu- Cell Biology at the Georgia Institute of Technology. “In ate student, studying the role of gangliosides and other every instance, I have been consistently impressed by her glycoconjugates in signaling. She continued working on integrity, the high quality of her research, her concern for gangliosides as a postdoctoral fellow and showed that others, and her skill at leadership and organization.”

January 2009 ASBMB Today 17 special interest ASBMB Roundtable:

OsamuBY NICKHayaishi ZAGORSKI

ack in 1945, Osamu Hayaishi may not have dreamed these and other great friends, I had no problem at all to get Bof the great recognition he would achieve in science. adjusted to the American way of life, scientifically, socially, The recent medical graduate had just made his fateful or otherwise. decision to pursue academic research at Osaka University, instead of going into clinical medicine, and now found ASBMB: Obviously, with today’s interconnected world, himself working in a lab that had virtually no equipment, traveling cross-country to study is a more common and less chemicals, or funds. It would be difficult enough to get challenging task; given your experiences, have you encour- even one experiment done, let alone try and start a career. aged your students to look across the ocean, and what But through perseverance, excellent colleagues, and a little advice do you give them? luck, Hayaishi began to build up his scientific legacy, one Hayaishi: I have always encouraged my graduate students that started with his discovery and characterization of to go abroad for post-doctoral studies. I tell them it’s oxygenase enzymes and later shifted to understanding the important to have different training and the opportunity to have new experiences and meet different people. Inter- molecular mechanisms of sleep.1 Born in Stockton, Cali- estingly, though, it has long been a tradition in Japan to fornia in 1920—although he would spend most of his for- be associated with the same school your whole career, and mative years in Japan—Hayaishi’s scientific journey would academic promotion was like riding on the escalator. For see him continue his travels across the Pacific, from Osaka example, when I was appointed as chairman and professor to Wisconsin, to Maryland, and back to Japan again. of Medical Chemistry at the prestigious Kyoto University Considering this dual perspective, ASBMB Today decided School of Medicine in 1958, I was the only non-Kyoto to sit down with Hayaishi, currently director emeritus and graduate among all the faculty members. Even today, chairman of the Board of Trustees at the Osaka Bioscience many people still are hesitant to move to other laborato- Institute, and get some insight into the scientific life of ries either in Japan or abroad. However, the professor’s each country and how they compare. appointment system in Japan has gradually been improving, so the trend has been slowly changing. Incidentally, the sabbatical leave system does not exist ASBMB: Relocating has been a big part of your career, both in Japanese academia, and senior people have fewer within and between Japan and the U.S. Which of your opportunities to go abroad unless they are invited to for- moves would you characterize as the most difficult? How eign universities or institutes as visiting professors; that’s did you manage to adjust? another reason I encourage my students to go abroad if Hayaishi: My return to the U.S. in 1949 was, thankfully, they can. not so difficult for me, considering the conditions at this time right after the Second World War—most of my mentors and friends told me that I should have waited until ASBMB: While young Japanese scientists may see the U.S. the official peace treaty was signed and that Americans no as the epicenter of biological research, there is no deny- longer thought of Japanese as enemies. I was initially dis- ing that Japan’s scientific enterprise has gone from almost couraged after I arrived in San Francisco and stayed with non-existent to premier over the past 60 years. Having seen my uncle’s family for a couple of days, where I heard about this progression, first-hand, to what do you attribute Japan’s their sad experiences in a relocation camp during the success in building up their research starting from such dif- war. However, I was so lucky to have met two American ficult times? post-doctoral fellows, Bernard Katchman and Ephraim Hayaishi: I think Japan’s enormous progress is due in part Kaplan, when I landed at Madison. They were extremely to Japan embracing the American research and medical kind and treated me as their own brother, and thanks to systems. Before the Second World War, Japanese science,

18 ASBMB Today January 2009 special interest

teenth of my salary at NIH (Though this was an improvement over my first salary a decade earlier at Osaka University, which was not enough to even buy a bottle of Coca-Cola!). Since then, I believe a combination of internal commitment and external support has helped spur progress. The Japanese government made a special effort to provide me with grants, and many Japanese foundations and pharmaceutical companies offered me generous support. In addition, NIH, the Jane Coffin Memo- rial Fund, the Rockefeller Foundation, the China Medical Board, and even several U.S. pharmaceutical companies contributed significant amounts of money to both research and to refurnish old build- ings at the University; they even helped build a new library and building for radioactive experiments.

ASBMB: Earlier, you mentioned Japan’s lack of sabbaticals. With your perspective of academia in both the U.S. and Japan, what would you say are some other major differences in the sphere of research (i.e. obtaining grants, teaching responsibilities) between the two countries? Hayaishi: It can be somewhat difficult to compare academic research in the U.S. and Japan because despite our progress, research funding, especially in the basic sciences, still lags in Japan compared to U.S. research. I have often talked to people at the Ministry of Education and explained the American system but in Japan, it takes time to improve or change as well as industry and military, were copied mostly from some old traditional systems for various reasons, which European models. For example, when I was a medical are rather complicated to explain here. student, most of the professors had gone to study in Ger- For example, to review NIH grants in the United States, many, and most of the text books were in German as well. the so-called “study section” is a wonderful system. In However, after the Second World War, Japanese science Japan, only three reviewers review one application inde- became more influenced by the United States’ system. pendently. This system has gradually been improved but Of course, it is also true that because of the war, is still not quite as good as the American system, partly scientific growth in Japan was rather slow during the because we don’t have as many senior scientists who are subsequent two decades or so, mostly due to economical qualified to review applications. reasons; when I came back to Japan in 1958, the general standard of living as well as science research was still far ASBMB: On the other side of the coin, are there some behind the U.S. My salary as a young professor at the most aspects to being a researcher in Japan that are quite similar prestigious Kyoto University was only about one-thir- to the U.S. that people may not realize?

January 2009 ASBMB Today 19 special interest

Hayaishi: One similarity, which I hope will change, is that Japan “…the harder does place too much emphasis on publications in the top the problem, journals just like in the U.S. the more Sometimes, this even occurs in the selection interesting of professors in clinical fields, rather than it looks.” focusing on their clinical experience or ability.

ASBMB: What are some of the big biomedical issues on the minds of Japanese today? Do they mirror questions /concerns in the U.S.? For example, is stem cell research as controversial in Japan as it is in the States? Hayaishi: Naturally, there will be social, racial, and his- controlled?” Also, the causes of most of the 88 known torical differences in Japanese science, especially in the sleep disorders in the textbooks have not been scientifi- field of clinical medicine. However, as the world has been cally elucidated. The World Sleep Congress is coming getting “smaller,” I do believe all countries share many to Kyoto in October 2011, and we are eager to hear the major problems and should collaborate more closely. hottest discussion in the most tranquil city in the world. As to stem cells, there are some people who are concerned about their use on the grounds of ethical and ASBMB: Why do you think sleep and related research religious views, but my guess is that, percentage-wise, still has so many unanswered questions? Is it a matter the number of these people in Japan is probably much of deficiencies in funding or eager scientists carrying out smaller than that in the U.S. And the Japanese govern- research in this area? ment has also allocated a large amount of special funds Hayaishi: The brain is the most complicated organ for stem cell research. Personally, I believe that the in the body, both structurally and functionally; other entire stem cell controversy will begin to fade away over organs and tissues are relatively simple in comparison. the next several years, and progress made along stem And sleep is probably the most unique, global, and cells will contribute enormously to the better treatment complex function of the brain, so adding that together of many so-called “incurable diseases” in the very near makes it extremely difficult to understand its mecha- future. nisms of action, at this time. Not only sleep, but also other functions and dysfunctions of the brain such as ASBMB: What are your thoughts on where Japanese science memory, emotion, mental diseases, etc. still remain is headed in the next 10 to 15 years? Are there any specific unsolved. I am afraid it might take a long time until fields that have become “hot” recently that you think will we discover a big breakthrough. But, we scientists are a lead to major discoveries in Japan down the road? curious species, and the harder the problem, the more interesting it looks. I am confident more and more Hayaishi: I don’t mean to be selfish when discussing young ambitious scientists will challenge these formida- this question but neuroscience is certainly one field in ble problems and hopefully, we will find some answers which Japan might be able to accomplish something in the near future. new, because brain science is such a complicated area that we need new ideas and fresh approaches from an entirely unexpected origin. For example, sleep is one of Nick Zagorski is a science writer at ASBMB. He can be the most important and yet least understood physiolog- reached at [email protected]. ical functions of the brain. We still cannot even answer Footnote: simple questions such as, “What is sleep?,” “Why do we 1. For more information about Hayaishi’s career, see his JBC Reflection (2008 need to sleep?,” and “How are sleep and wakefulness 283, 19165-19175).

20 ASBMB Today January 2009 minorityaffairs A Color-blind Crisis BY MARCOS E. MILLA

y all accounts, we are living in exceptional times. The How do we do that, exactly? Every crisis brings with Beconomic expansion of the second half of the 20th it innovative solutions, just as any wildfire brings new century had a tremendous impact on science that, com- life. This one may bring a dramatic redefinition of how bined with major victories for the cause of social equality, biomedical research is approached by both academia created a landscape of professional opportunities for an and industry. The current model of basic research used unprecedented number of scientists regardless of race, gen- in academia and drug discovery in industry may be dis- der, creed, or nationality. Through a ripple effect, the U.S. carded for a new model, in which pre-clinical and early attracted scientists and trainees from multiple countries. clinical research and development occurs at the interface Even for individuals not interested in a long term stay in of academia and biotechnology companies; and late America, the likelihood of securing strong independent clinical research, development, and commercialization careers in their own countries was much improved with will be the turf of “Big Pharma.” The government will scientific training in the United States. All those factors likely retain a role in funding basic research, and perhaps were critical in establishing cultural attitudes towards in sparingly placing “earmarks” for programs of special diversity ranging from tolerance to proactive affirmation. interest to selected diseases/populations. Fast forwarding to the close of the first decade of this In a way, this change is already underway, with many 21st century, the U.S. stands at a very difficult junction pharmaceutical industry giants establishing incubator in almost every sector of the economy. In the biomedical facilities for companies offering new, bold approaches to sciences, several signs make for a bleak outlook over the target identification, validation, and hit-to-lead activi- next years; one of the most unsettling: NIH suffers from a ties. Several academic institutions are also sprouting deep crisis both in funding resources and best practices for drug discovery centers with diverse disease foci, with the grant proposal evaluation and prioritization. Not surpris- objective of pushing home-grown therapeutic programs ingly, less established faculty have taken the worst of the all the way from the bench to phase II trials to profitable hit, as evidenced by the continuing upward trend in the deals with industrial partners. A few of those centers age of first R01 awards. Even with a new government as are already in operation, thanks to a variety of fund- well as new leadership at NIH, this trend will be difficult ing sources including private donors, many of whom to revert any time soon. The situation is not any better in are openly interested in addressing diseases deeply pharmaceutical industry, which is experiencing its biggest entrenched in underserved and minority populations. job losses in a generation. The ever-increasing costs of This approach adds a new and interesting ingredient to launching new drugs, combined with approaching patent the mix: drug development for diseases lacking a profit- expirations and pressures for price control, do not bear able market, either because they are viewed as “Third well for the future of the drug industry, unless something World” indications with markets that cannot afford dramatic happens. brand prescriptions, or due to a very limited number Where do we go from here? I call this a “color-blind of patients likely to benefit from the therapy (“orphan” crisis” because the present challenges of the whole scien- diseases). With time, these emerging, alternative ventures tific community go beyond any perceived or actual label. will hopefully become a substantial presence in the job To put forward any preferred treatment in such times market and, because of their roots and areas of interest, runs the danger of approaching the “what’s in it for me” may actually aid in maintaining the diversity in biomedi- mentality that is in part to blame for the vast economic cine. downturn that we are witnessing. Yet, we do need to keep on the radar opportunities for all and a research focus that includes the underserved, in order to protect what we have Marcos Milla is director of Biochemical Pharmacology in the accomplished with regard to the inclusion of minorities in Inflammation Disease Biology Area at Roche Palo Alto. He can science. be reached at [email protected].

January 2009 ASBMB Today 21 education and training Vision and Change in Biology Undergraduate Education BY J. ELLIS BELL

uring the past 18 months, the National Science Foun- tion meetings, and sponsor an award specific to education. Ddation has sponsored a series of “conversations” about Additionally, most societies publish articles on education in biology education. The final step in this process was a sum- newsletters or society research journals, and some publish mit meeting this past November about the roles scientific journals dedicated to education. Most have assembled open societies play in undergraduate biology education. access teaching resources (images, videos, podcasts, labora- The two-day meeting was held at the Howard Hughes tory modules, and curricula) that are available on society Medical Institute in Chevy Chase, MD and was hosted by websites and/or through the BEN (BiosciEdNet) portal. the American Association for the Advancement of Science, J. Ellis Bell, chair of the ASBMB Education and Profes- the National Science Foundation and HHMI. Representa- sional Development Committee, summarized ASBMB tives from 14 societies (see sidebar), including ASBMB, as activities that promote undergraduate research and active well as the National Research Council, Project Kaleido- learning such as the undergraduate poster competition and scope, NIH, and the hosting organizations attended the platform talks at the annual meeting, the undergraduate summit. affiliates network, and the ΧΩΛ Biochemistry & Molecular At the beginning of the November meeting, Bruce Biology Honor Society. He also described ASBMB activi- Alberts, editor-in-chief of Science magazine, gave a presen- ties aimed at promoting best practices in undergraduate tation emphasizing the need for change in the undergradu- education including curriculum recommendations for ate biology experience and the importance of inquiry-based undergraduate biochemistry degrees, the ASBMB Award for science education. He summarized some of the key findings Exemplary Contributions to Education, sessions on educa- and diverse resources available from previous studies and tion at the annual meeting, articles on education in ASBMB ongoing programs including the Boyer Commission Report Today, and the Teagle Report which examined undergradu- Reinventing Undergraduate Education, the National Science ate programs in biochemistry and molecular biology. Education Standards, the Bio 2010 Project, the National Small group sessions were also held at the summit and Academies Summer Institutes on Undergraduate Education focused on how the community of biological science societ- in Biology at the University of Wisconsin, and a NAS web- ies could collectively further improvement in undergradu- site for children on women’s adventures in science. Despite ate biology education. There was uniform consensus on broad recognition of the need for change and recommenda- a need to revitalize and refocus the introductory biology tions for best practices and numerous web-based resources, experience for science and non-science majors, emphasiz- widespread implementation of inquiry-based undergradu- ing process rather than content through inquiry-based ate biology education has not occurred. However, through learning that imparts the skills and core knowledge that a variety of means, scientific societies can be an important underpin all of biology. There was dissatisfaction with force in promoting this change. traditional teaching methods based on current textbooks Next, each society presented a brief summary of their and lectures, and there was a perceived need for a new or current activities in undergraduate education. Most societ- revamped, rigorously curated web portal for peer-reviewed ies have committees on education and sponsor a variety of resources with feedback from users. There was also discus- activities spanning “K-to-gray” science education. Many sion of strategies for altering academic culture, to ascribe societies encourage participation of undergraduates at their more value to educational activities, as well as means to annual meetings (through special sessions, reduced rates, encourage faculty to adopt student-centered active learning and travel awards), have undergraduate summer research pedagogy. Additionally, there was agreement that increased fellowship programs, run programs for minority undergrad- communication and collaboration between societies, as well uate students, include sessions or workshops on education as among members within societies, will facilitate progress at their annual meetings and/or convene special educa- on the above issues.

22 ASBMB Today January 2009 education and training

Teams from each society also developed and presented initiatives that could be implemented within their individ- Societies Represented at ual societies. The outcome reflected the extensive sharing of the NSF Education Summit ideas that occurred during the summit, with most societies • American Institute for Biological planning to broaden their activities to incorporate some of Sciences the strategies currently used by other societies. A couple of new themes emerged, specifically, strategies to more tightly • American Physiology Society integrate educational and research activities, and the intent • American Society for Biochemistry and of many societies to define a set of core concepts for their Molecular Biology individual disciplines that might subsequently be used to • American Society for Cell Biology develop a first-year biology experience for both science and non-science majors. • American Society for Microbiology In the next several months ASBMB will introduce the • American Society for Plant Biologists following initiatives to assist teaching faculty: • Biophysical Society 1. Changing how we teach. • Botanical Society of America The Society will provide help to educators at various levels. We will organize a workshop at the annual • Ecological Society of America meeting which will focus on designing a course and • Genetics Society of America using “best practices” in teaching students. We are also considering developing an accreditation program • National Association of Biology that puts emphasis on effective (i.e. evidence-based Teachers outcomes) teaching and undergraduate research and • Society for Integrative and Comparative outreach activities. As part of this initiative, some Biology samples of “courses that work” will be posted on the education web site and we will show how they fit with • Society for Neuroscience the recommended ASBMB undergraduate curriculum. • Society for the Study of Evolution Finally, the Society will create a cadre of ASBMB Master Educators who will be available as mentors to those new to (or wanting to refocus) their teaching. 2. Changing what we teach. colleges with the hope that this will facilitate transitions As part of a national discussion on introductory for students from two-year colleges to four-year degree science courses, the EPD will focus on courses that granting programs. In terms of formal education, the teach about what research is and how it is done with Society has already announced plans for enhanced K-12 minimal factual content required. Such courses fit with outreach through its Undergraduate Affiliates Network. early introduction of the skills from our recommended Finally, through our education web page, we will focus curriculum. In terms of the fundamental knowledge on best practices in outreach to non-college learners to that students should have, the Society is already working help foster life-long learning and interest in the sciences. with various groups to assist in the development of core concepts and concept inventories which will allow Together, these initiatives will offer increased support faculty to be more explicit about what students should to those already involved in teaching biochemistry and know and be able to do at various points in their degree molecular biology and proved guidelines and mentors for program. graduate students and postdoctoral fellows interested in developing their teaching portfolios. 3. Changing who we teach. For a number of years, the Society has worked to Ellis Bell is currently Professor of Chemistry and Chair of the increase the number of under-represented minorities Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Program at the University in biochemistry and molecular biology and we will continue such collaboration to ensure best practices for of Richmond. He is also Chair of the ASBMB Education and institutions serving under represented minorities. These Professional Development Committee. He can be reached at types of collaborations will also be extended to two-year [email protected].

January 2009 ASBMB Today 23 careerinsights A Backwards Career in Biotechnology: From Law to Human Embryonic Stem Cell Science BY ELIZABETH L. R. DONLEY

Donley enry David Thoreau once said, in advertising and public relations. I H“We must walk consciously started my career in banking, work- Elizabeth L. R. Donley is chief execu- only part of the way toward our goal ing for a large Midwest-based bank. tive officer of Stemina Biomarker and then leap in the darkness to I worked my way up through the Discovery. She is a patent attorney our success.” In late 2006, this state- management training program into a who served as general counsel and ment inspired me to leave a well paid commercial lending position making director of business development and prestigious position as general loans to small businesses. Eventually, I for the Wisconsin Alumni Research counsel and director of business began pursuing an MBA in finance at Foundation for more than eight years. development of the Wisconsin Alumni night and obtained my securities and During her tenure at WARF, she also Research Foundation (WARF) for the insurance licenses. But as I learned served as Managing Director of the unknowns of founding and running more about banking, investments, and WARF subsidiaries WiSys Technol- a biotech company with my scientific finance, I found myself increasingly ogy Foundation (WiSys) and WiCell partner and co-founder, Dr. Gabriela interested in the legal aspects of these Research Institute (WiCell). Prior to Cezar. transactions. After four years in bank- joining WARF in 1998, Donley prac- Looking back upon the series ing, I decided to apply to law school. ticed law with the law firm of Quarles of career choices and educational After completing my law degree & Brady in the areas of intellectual opportunities that led me to my cur- and finishing my MBA in the com- property law, business transactions, rent position as chief executive officer bined degree program at the Univer- securities, and corporate law. of Stemina Biomarker Discovery, one sity of Wisconsin, I began practicing might conclude that I had no idea business and securities law at a large what I wanted to be when I grew up. Midwestern law firm. I had been with the only thing one could say to any That may be partly true, but upon the firm for less than a year when a request was “Yes, I’d love to. What do closer examination, the somewhat senior associate who was in charge of you need me to do?” The next week, circuitous route of my career path drafting patent license agreements for I was on a plane to Washington, D.C. provides me with a wide variety of WARF, the patent and licensing orga- to take a three-day course on patent skills that I use every day. However, nization for the University of Wiscon- licensing. unlike many scientists who decide to sin, left the firm. The partner in charge I began visiting WARF twice a leave the lab to pursue a career in law of the client relationship with WARF week, meeting with the licensing staff or business, I began my career as a asked whether I would be willing to and taking their requests for license businesswoman and lawyer and then take over the patent license drafting. agreements. Over the course of four became a scientist. I didn’t realize it then, but this was a years, I learned about patents, trade- I didn’t study science as an under- career-defining moment. Of course, marks, copyrights, and an enormous graduate; instead, I pursued a B.A. as a first year associate in a law firm, variety of technology. I listened care-

24 ASBMB Today January 2009 careerinsights

fully to the inventors describing their my job, I really needed to be able to cally set off for my first two classes inventions and to the licensing staff speak the language of science. This led along with the undergrads since I had talking about the products and mar- to my decision to investigate the pos- only studied biology and chemistry as kets from which they hoped to capture sibility of obtaining a degree in some part of the breadth requirements for royalties on intellectual property aspect of the biological sciences. my B.A. I soon learned that this was filed to cover those inventions. I was When I was accepted into the not going to be a walk in the park for fascinated by both, but I realized that masters program in bacteriology in someone who hadn’t taken a science I didn’t have a three-dimensional view the fall of 2000, I thought I knew what class since 1984. of either from my perch as a scrivener I would do with the degree, but I never I have to credit my father with hired from the law firm to memorial- could have guessed where it would getting me through that first year. I ize these transactions. lead me. I had chosen the bacteriol- spent a lot of time studying, and I was In 1998, I was offered the general ogy department at the University of struggling. My husband was very sup- counsel position at WARF. This was Wisconsin for several reasons. Firstly, portive as we juggled two careers, two another career-defining moment, but the department offered a part-time kids, as well as my course load. One this time, I realized it. I was excited all-course-work-based masters of particularly bad day, after failing a bio- about the prospect of chemistry exam, I began working in the tower weighing my options. I located at the western wondered whether I had edge of the University …the somewhat made a mistake, when I of Wisconsin campus, “ remembered something at the very crossroads of circuitous route my father had said. As a science and industry. In high school student or an this new position, I not undergrad, whenever I only continued to draft all of my career path would come to him and of the patent licenses but make my case for drop- I also became a member provides me with ping a class, he would of the licensing team and listen and then tell me, became involved in struc- “We’re not quitters in turing and negotiating the a wide variety of this family—redouble business deals. After I was your efforts!” I used asked to join the manage- skills that I use to get angry with him ment team, I began to for his never-give-up guide WARF from a busi- attitude, but apparently, ness perspective. every day. he made his mark on During my career at ” me; as I struggled with WARF, I was also a member of the science program, and this fit my classes for which I had not taken the committee that reviewed and accepted full-time work schedule. Secondly, I required prerequisites, I knew I could invention disclosures submitted each wanted to take the patent bar and in not quit—it just wasn’t a choice. So, I month by scientists on campus for order to accomplish this, I needed 30 redoubled my efforts. I dropped bio- intellectual property protection and or so credits in specific course work. chemistry, went backwards, and took commercialization. I studied these Basically, I figured that if I was going organic chemistry. I took the prerequi- disclosures and listened to the discus- to take 30 or more credits, I ought to sites and then I went forward. It took sion by scientific staff. During these get a degree rather than just take the me four and half years, taking one or discussions, I often felt like a person classes. Thirdly, I wanted to become two classes at a time year-round to traveling in a country where I only had fluent in the language of science, and finally finish that masters degree, but I a limited grasp of the language. I loved the course-work approach offered me learned the language of science, and I learning about science, but I knew that a chance to learn about a lot of differ- fell in love with it. to be more effective in all aspects of ent scientific disciplines. I optimisti- During my final summer in the

January 2009 ASBMB Today 25 firstcareersecondinsights continued continued

masters program, I worked a couple combining hES cells and metabolo- but I haven’t regretted it for a minute. of hours a week in a lab growing mics to identify biomarkers of drug We built our business plan, obtained human embryonic stem (hES) cells. toxicity, efficacy, and human disease. a $1 million start-up package from At WARF, I had the dubious privi- In mid 2006, Wisconsin’s Gov. the state of Wisconsin under Gov. lege of managing the patent port- Jim Doyle announced an initia- Doyle’s initiative, raised $1.6 million folio covering the hES cells. WARF tive to provide funding to stem cell in angel capital, built our facility at had taken a lot of criticism for the companies located in Wisconsin. the UW Research Park, and opened management of these patents, and I This was an economic development our doors on Nov. 1, 2007. was grateful for the opportunity to initiative designed to leverage the With our one-year anniversary think about the amazing scientific significant scientific expertise in the now behind us, I can truthfully say potential of these cells, rather than Wisconsin stem cell research com- that I have never done anything that fight another battle over them. I did munity in response to California’s I enjoy more. Our scientific team not know it then, but is tremendous, and I’m working in the lab that proud to say that I not summer turned out to only attend the science be yet another career- I was eager to meetings every Friday, defining moment. “ but I participate fully I finished my directed lead a business in the discussion of our research, wrapped up results and planning our my degree, and passed next experiments. Mean- the patent bar. I had based on while, I run the business planned to use these and legal aspects of the tools to take over the science using company every day. managing director’s I never would have position at WARF when anticipated that I would my boss retired. I was the experience run a hES cell research eager to lead a business company one day, but based on science using I had gained in looking back, it seems the experience I had that every stop along the gained in banking, law, banking, law, way in my career and and technology. It was at education was specifically this time, however, that designed to prepare me I was asked to serve as and technology. for this opportunity. I use interim managing direc- the financial knowledge tor of WiCell Research ” I learned from bank- Institute (WiCell), WARF’s stem cell $3 billion Proposition 71. Dr. Cezar ing and my MBA to monitor our research subsidiary. and I met again and decided the time finances and maximize our funding. I was continuing to learn a lot was right to build the business plan I use the legal knowledge in business, from the stem cell research com- for Stemina Biomarker Discovery securities, and intellectual property munity when I met Dr. Cezar, an around her technology. At our next law gleaned from my experience in assistant professor at the University meeting, we decided that I would private practice and at WARF to set of Wisconsin. She had developed take the business leadership role and up our company, draft our financing an interesting technology using leave WARF and WiCell. Dr. Cezar documents and stock option plan, hES cells and metabolomics to test would stay at the University and negotiate our licenses from WARF, whether drugs would cause birth take the scientific leadership role at and prosecute our patents. And defects in the developing human Stemina as chief scientific officer. finally, I use my scientific knowledge embryo. I was intrigued by both In October 2006, I gave notice to help plan experiments. Career- her technology and her energy. We that I would be resigning my posi- defining moments are difficult to talked about forming a company tions at WARF and WiCell. It was a recognize, but in hindsight, they are together around her technology, leap of faith, as Thoreau would say, hard to miss.

26 ASBMB Today January 2009 sci.com Mastering Media Matters BY SARAH CRESPI

our science is good, but what about your PR skills? implications of your research. How will it really affect YAlthough most scientists sigh and look heavenward people’s lives? at the mere mention of networking and The journalist will be looking to include glad-handing, there are several com- this information whether you supply it or pelling reasons to let others know what “Try to not. Try to provide some perspective on the you’re up to in the lab. human impact of your work. Why participate? One very good provide And lastly, ask to review the accuracy reason: your institution will be pleased of the science included in the piece, even with the thought of receiving good if the journalist has a science editor. press and a higher profile. The some However, don’t expect to get to journal publishing your work will rework your quotes or overhaul the be very happy with the positive perspective entire article. What’s most important attention as well. And probably is the accuracy of the science. the most rewarding reason: your on the What are your peeves and family will clip it out. praises when it comes to journalists More substantially, communicat- human and science writing? Let us know at ing research, especially the fruit [email protected]. of government grants, is the duty of all members of the scientific impact of Sarah Crespi is a Multimedia community. It also demonstrates Communications Specialist at ASBMB. She to the paying public the impor- your work” can be reached at [email protected]. tance of funding scientific research.

Getting it Done Science Journalists Speak Out* OK, so now you’ve signed up for an interview. Here are Peeves • “Everyone has deadlines. Sometimes a swift ‘no’ from you a few things to think about: who is the target audience? will allow the journalist to move on to another source. Be Other scientists, specialists, or the general public? The honest about your time and your interest in participation.” first two types of readers may make your life easier, in • “Scientists who lapse into jargon. We’re writing for a terms of not having to define a protein, but be prepared general audience and need to know about their research in for complex questions; ask if the journalist can send the most basic and understandable terms possible.” some in advance. • “One word answers to questions.” During the interview, feel free to interrupt yourself and start a quote over. You don’t need to speak in Praises complete paragraphs. Take a breath; the journalist isn’t • “A good interview is one that flows like a casual always waiting for you to talk more—they might have to conversation and is one in which you can hear the scientist’s enthusiasm about their research.” take notes or compose a question. • “A researcher who has thought about their subject from An interview aimed at the last group, the general a number of different perspectives—as a scientist, as a public, requires a different kind of preparation. citizen, and as a human—and helps convey that broad Think about metaphors for the specifics you work view to the public.” with; is there something you can compare it to that will • “I love anecdotes that bring readers into the lab or thought help non-scientists understand? Make numbers easy by process of the researcher.” using reference points in laymen’s terms, like pennies, *From an informal poll of science journalists and communication officers. pin heads, inches, and pounds. Provide the practical

January 2009 ASBMB Today 27 biobits asbmb journal science

Active and Myocardin’s Always ERKing Missense Mutation Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are highly Myocardin (MYOCD) is a transcriptional co- conserved signaling proteins that require dual phos- activator that binds to myocyte-enhancing factor phorylation of a threonine and tyrosine residue for their (MEF2) or serum response factor (SRF) to activate activation. Multiple MAPK proteins and isoforms are cardiac or smooth muscle gene programs. The present in all eukaryotic cells and are typically activat- MYOCD smooth muscle isoform, however, lacks ed concomitantly in response to a given stimulus. As the amino-terminal MYOCD homology domain such, it can be difficult to pinpoint the role of individual (MHD) and as a result has higher activity. In this MAPKs. Creating mutant, constitutively active forms of MAPKs is one approach to delineate individual function, but this strategy is problematic as phosphorylated tyrosines cannot be mimicked accurately. In this paper, the authors used yeast genetics to develop intrinsically active forms of the Erk MAPK family. They first identified six variants of the yeast Mpk1/Erk enzyme that were active despite the absence of the upstream

MAPK kinase; one variant altered a conserved argin- Comparison of the cardiac and smooth muscle isoforms of ine residue, which they then mutated in mammalian myocardin. Erk1 and Erk2. Both mutant mammalian Erk kinases displayed high intrinsic activity in vitro, and the Erk2 study, the researchers explore the role of MHD in mutants were also active in human embryonic kidney regulating activity with the aid of a rare missense cells; this activity was a result of acquired autophos- mutation they identified: MYOCD K259R, a variant phorylation and could be increased even further by with impaired SRF binding in cardiac cells but the sevenmaker normal smooth muscle activity. The researchers mutation that assayed MYOCD along with MHD and found that prolongs kinase the amino terminus exerts an autoinhibitory effect activity. As these by binding to MYOCD; this binding disrupts SRF arginine residues activation and could inhibit the conversion of fi- are conserved in broblasts into smooth muscle cells. The inhibitory multiple MAPKs, effect was exaggerated with the K259R variant, they should point indicating that this is a gain of function mutant the way toward that leads to cardiac hypotrophy. These elegant The R84S Erk1 mutant displays in generating other findings should provide fresh insight into the biol- vitro activity even in the absence of its activator (MEK1). active mutants. ogy of myocardin.

Isolation of Intrinsically Active (MEK- A Rare Human Sequence Variant independent) Variants of the ERK Reveals Myocardin Autoinhibition Family of MAP Kinases Joshua F. Ransom, Isabelle N. King, Vered Levin-Salomon, Konstantin Kogan, Vidu Garg, and Deepak Srivastava Natalie G. Ahn, Oded Livnah, and David Engelberg J. Biol. Chem. 2008 283, 35845–35852 J. Biol. Chem. 2008 283, 34500–34510

28 ASBMB Today January 2009 biobits asbmb journal science For more ASBMB journal highlights go to www.asbmb.org/Interactive.aspx

Warburg Revisited An Eye for Over 75 years ago, Otto Warburg first proposed that Modifications cancer originated from irreversible injury to mitochon- Most proteins un- drial respiration. Since then, however, the structural dergo a variety of basis for impaired respiration has remained elusive, post-translational and much controversy remains surrounding the War- modifications burg effect. In this study, the researchers evaluated (PTMs) that can the composition of cardiolipin (CL), a phospholipid significantly affect found almost exclusively in the inner mitochondrial their cellular func- membrane that is intimately involved in maintaining MODi uncovers an uncharacterized tions. Procedures mitochondrial integrity and function. They used shot- mass of 12 Da at the N terminus of for identifying the 67LVINGNPITIFQER80 peptide of gun lipidomics to analyze CL content in purified brain GAPDH, which may represent a novel PTMs, such as mitochondria from mice, as well as several subcuta- modification. mass spectrom- neously grown brain tumors etry, are therefore critical to understanding protein derived from those strains, biology. However, because examining all possible including an astrocytoma, PTM combinations can be exhaustive, most exist- ependymoblastoma, a stem ing search tools for MS analysis are restrictive and cell tumor, and two micro- only take a few types of PTMs as input, which might gliomas. Major abnormalities overlook important modifications. In this study, the in CL were observed in all of researchers describe a new algorithm, called MODi the diverse tumor samples; (“mod eye”), which rapidly searches for all known the compositional abnormali- types of PTMs at once without limiting the number of ties involved an abundance possible modified sites in a peptide. MODi does so of immature lipid species and by introducing the notion of a tag chain, a structure lack of mature CL molecules, made from multiple sequence tags that effectively suggesting major defects in localizes modified regions within a spectrum and CL synthesis and remodel- overcomes de novo sequencing errors common in ing. The tumor abnormalities tag-based approaches. With this creative approach, were also associated with MODi effectively manages the computational com- significant reductions in both plexity of peptides with multiple PTMs and can even Structure of 1,1’,2,2’- individual and linked electron identify novel PTMs. As a proof of principle, the tetraoleyl cardiolipin, transport chain activities, thus one of the over 100 researchers tested MODi performance in an analysis providing an evidentiary link CL molecular species of PTM-rich proteins such as glyceraldehyde-3-phos- present in mouse brain between mitochondrial defects mitochondria. phate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) and lens protein. and cancer.

Cardiolipin and Electron Transport Chain Unrestrictive Identification of Multiple Post- Abnormalities in Mouse Brain Tumor translational Modifications from Tandem Mass Mitochondria: Lipidomic Evidence Spectrometry Using an Error-tolerant Supporting the Warburg Theory of Algorithm Based on an Extended Cancer Sequence Tag Approach Michael A. Kiebish, Xianlin Han, Hua Cheng, Seungjin Na, Jaeho Jeong, Heejin Park, Jeffrey H. Chuang, and Thomas N. Seyfried Kong-Joo Lee, and Eunok Paek J. Lipid Res. 2008 49, 2545–2556 Mol. Cell. Proteomics 2008 7, 2452–2463

January 2009 ASBMB Today 29 sciencentric Browsing Molecules by the Bay BY NICK ZAGORSKI

ever judge a book “N by its cover.” It’s an old saying but often an apt one. That’s certainly the case with the complex that houses the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL). Standing in front of the nondescript aluminum-sided building and nearby trailer where the offices are housed, nestled among some of California’s picturesque golden-brown hills just The nondescript building housing the SSRL belies the impressive technology contained within. west of the main Stanford campus, one gets the feel- cally as an electron-positron collider MX group has six beam lines at their ing of being at an industrial warehouse for particle physics experiments, but disposal, with a seventh in construc- or construction site, as opposed to in the early 1970s, some enterpris- tion, that serve around 1,000 scientific one of the world’s leading scientific ing Stanford faculty realized that they users from academia, national labs, resource centers. could leech off the radiation produced and industry each year in experiments While wandering the interior of by accelerating the electrons for other that span from understanding the the building, accented with a maze applications, including X-ray crystal- relationship of biological structure and of pipes and instrumentation that lography. Thus, many beam lines, function to designing new drugs. surrounds the circular core of the radiating out like spokes on a wheel, Then, as Smith proceeds to one of synchrotron, a visitor may start to have been constructed around the the workstations, the wonder starts wonder why Clyde Smith, a jovial Kiwi synchrotron over the years to harness to sink in. And it’s not just the giant who has been a staff scientist with the energy and make it available for automated X-ray beam, which is SSRL’s Macromolecular Crystallogra- scientific discovery. reminiscent of many a laser present phy (MX) group since 2003, seems so With funding from NIH’s National in the lairs of Bond villains. For in the excited about the place. “I first visited Center of Research Resources (NCRR), middle of this device, affixed to a thin here 10 years ago, and ever since then, the first instruments aimed at biol- fiber loop and continually blasted by I’ve wanted to work here,” he says. ogy studies were developed at SSRL in super-cool nitrogen gas, is the object Smith then explains that the some- 1980, and today, NCRR, with addi- of the machine’s affection. It’s a tiny what haphazard appearance of the tional support from NIGMS and the crystal, no bigger than a pinhead, synchrotron enclosure stems from its DOE’s Office of Biology and Energy which holds within it the structural place in history—the SSRL happens to Research, supports SSRL’s structural secrets of a protein—that is, the precise be the oldest synchrotron X-ray scien- biology enterprise. Currently, the location of every one of its thousands tific user facility in the world, having SSRL houses 13 operational beam of individual atoms. And for the dedi- started operations in 1973. Initially, lines, although quite a few branch out cated staff of the MX group, their job this large, electromagnetic donut (80 further, resulting in nearly 30 actual is to make sure those secrets become yards in diameter) was built specifi- experimental stations. Of these, the unlocked.

30 ASBMB Today January 2009 sciencentric

A Man and a Mission such as the presence of modifications fornia, Berkeley, where Burlingame Approximately 35 miles up Highway like phosphorylations or identify the was a research chemist, then relocated 280, the new Mission Bay campus of individual components of complex to nearby UCSF in 1978, where prom- the University of California, San Fran- protein samples, making mass spec an inent scientists like Bruce Alberts, cisco, located right near the waterfront, intimate necessity for proteomics. Stan Prusiner, and J. Michael Bishop offers up a different aesthetic perspec- As Al Burlingame, a professor of offered a strong biology presence to tive. Distributed around a spacious pharmaceutical chemistry and direc- support this fledgling operation. tree-lined quad, the newly built build- tor of this Mass Spec facility, points Initially, the Resource’s work ings of Mission Bay provide a sense of out some of the different spectrom- was primitive, by Burlingame’s own urban luxury—well exemplified by the eters available for use, he recounts the account: “We analyzed DNA adducts, modern, fully equipped fitness room somewhat unusual origin of this facility. oligosaccharides, small molecules in Mission Bay’s community center Back in 1970, he was quite removed like that.” In the 1980s, though, mass (named for William J. Rutter, former from biology, instead working on the spec entered the big time. “Back then, chair of Biochemistry and one of the organic geochemistry of moon rocks; everyone was working on two-dimen- prime movers in creating the Mission with the lunar programs winding down, sional gels and Edman degradation to Bay campus). though, Burlingame needed a new identify proteins,” Burlingame says, And inside one such building, research direction and found one while “and I knew that tandem mass spec Genentech Hall, there is a workroom studying biomedical mass spectrometry could beat the snot out of Edman that houses its own share of impres- on a Guggenheim fellowship in Sweden degradation.” And, he was right. Bur- sive equipment used in protein (see sidebar story). lingame recalls getting a sample of rat analysis. Known by monikers such Realizing the immense potential of sialyltransferase required for synthesis as MALDI and Orbitrap, the 10 this application, Burlingame wrote up of Sialyl Lewis X antigen from UCLA machines present here are mass spec- his own grant to NIH’s, NCRR to set colleague Jim Paulson, who had spent trometers, instruments that offer their up a mass spec resource back in the nearly 15 years trying to sequence own take on structural determination. U.S. The grant was approved in 1973, it. “We obtained about 25 percent of By separating and fragmenting pro- the same year crystallography began the sequence within a week. That set tein samples, mass spectrometers can at the SSRL. The Mass Spec resource the stage for what would eventually yield insights into individual proteins, was initiated at the University of Cali- emerge as proteomics.”

Members of the Mass Spectrometry Facility. Back row (L to R): Katalin Medzihradszky, Feixia Chu, Ana Gago Martinez, Al Burlingame, Ralph Bradshaw, Ralf Schoepfer, Yi Guo, Nancy Wang. Front row (L to R): Gigi Knudsen, Sam Myers, Mike Trnka, Jordane Biarc, Paty Salas Castillo, Patricia Ruperez, Ronde Stephens-Pitts, Robert Chalkely, Kris Casler, Shenheng Guan, Frank Li, David Maltby, Kathy Li. Photograph courtesy of Aenoch Lynn.

January 2009 ASBMB Today 31 sciencentric continued Two of a Kind as identical as possible While the SSRL MX Group and UCSF to avoid long queues Mass Spec Resource may differ a bit on customer favorites), in style, their substance is much alike. one requires different As National Research Resources, methods of fragmenting both centers share the common goal and analyzing protein of providing their technologies as a samples, depending on service to researchers from across the their strategy. Therefore, world (these services are generally free, it may be more econom- although at SSRL, users who do private ical for a research group sector research are charged full cost to use a shared central recovery, around $250/hr). These facili- resource that always ties on the San Francisco peninsula are has the top-of-the-line An Orbitrap mass spectrometer with electron transfer just two of about 60 such NCRR-sup- equipment, instead of dissociation (ETD) connected to a high pressure liquid ported U.S. resource centers nation- continually recycling chromatography system from Waters, one of UCSF’s new machines that will tackle post-translational modifications wide, which include other crystallog- their spectrometers. in histones and chromatin. raphy and mass spectrometry centers, As for crystallog- as well as centers for other technologies raphy, the SSRL does 96-well cylinders, so each beam can such as NMR, cryo-electron micros- offer quite a bit more than the norm. run 288 crystal samples in one run, copy, and computational biology. Having a giant synchrotron as a radia- which is ideal for screening large data Of course, while X-ray macromo- tion source allows for much higher- sets to identify crystals that provide lecular crystallography and mass spec resolution structure determination, the best resolution. can be expensive (a state-of-the-art and in cases where the protein crystals In fact, the whole workstation is spectrometer runs for over $1 million are small (well, small for a crystal) or fully automated, and with the aid of a while a complete X-ray workstation scatter X-rays poorly, this additional computer program called Blu-Ice and can be over $5 million) and techni- brightness is a must. control and video that are network cally demanding, these applications “The majority of structural chal- distributed, beam line users can access are not beyond the reach of individual lenges being undertaken today, the machines from the comfort of their research institutions. Says Burlingame, like large complexes or molecular own lab, home, or favorite internet “The commercial mass spec instru- machines, can only be done with the café. All they have to do is send their mentation is pretty easy to use these brightness available at a synchrotron; materials over to the SSRL, then log on days; scientists only need minimal it’s why the demand is so great, not during their scheduled beam time, and training to undertake most standard just here, but at all 45 MX beam sta- collect data remotely. The Mass Spec applications.” Likewise, relatively tions spanning the six operational U.S. Resource offers a similar no-hassle routine structures can be done by synchrotrons,” notes Keith Hodgson, system; researchers can send their in-house X-ray sets. So why, then, do Stanford Professor and creator of the protein samples over to UCSF and into scientists from all corners of the globe structural biology program at SSRL. the capable hands of facility manager still apply in droves—Burlingame As testament, he highlights that 82 David Maltby, and then sit back until typically works with around 100 percent of all new structures depos- they receive an email with their results. collaborators at any given time, with ited in the Protein Data Bank (PDB) That convenience certainly topics spanning plant biology to stem in 2007 were done using synchrotron increases the appeal of these resources, cells—to utilize these resources? radiation. though it may not be so exciting for On the mass spec side of things, a And then there’s the automation. the staff. “Back in the day we would resource hub like UCSF helps counter “It’s an area of immense pride for us,” have visitors from all over come to the rapid cycle time of spectrometer Smith says, pointing to the robotic arm the building and work with us,” Smith technology. “Right now, the time that a attached to the workstation. “We’ve set says, “but now hardly anyone comes in certain machine remains ‘cutting edge’ up our robot to load crystals almost anymore.” is two years or less,” Burlingame notes. exactly like a human would. They were It’s a shame too, because remote While X-ray beam lines are somewhat a bit temperamental in the past, but users are missing out, and it’s not universal (the MX Group has tweaked now are extremely efficient and even just the generally fantastic Bay Area their six stations to try and make them self-correcting.” The robot holds three weather—“Our previous location on

32 ASBMB Today January 2009 sciencentric continued Parnassus Hill in the center of the Currently, this living encyclopedia notes Chalkley, who works exten- city could get a bit foggy,” says Robert comprises 18 people, headed by Bur- sively on a sugar modification known Chalkley, an assistant professor at the lingame and Deputy Director Ralph as O-GlcNAc. “With other approaches, mass spec facility, “but at Mission Bay, Bradshaw (the two are also co-editors you have to make assumptions as to not only are we less isolated from our of Molecular & Cellular Proteomics), where a modification might be.” Mass colleagues than before, but it’s always who moved to the Bay Area a couple spectrometry also proves its worth sunny.”—No, the real loss is that of years ago after 25 years at UC when studying combinatorial modifi- despite their speed and power, these Irvine. The remaining team consists of cations like histones, where multiple high-tech machines are still just pieces four junior faculty members, assorted side chains can be modified by several of equipment. The true heart of these postdocs, and specialists (the UCSF different chemical groups. The UCSF two resources, and the real reason nomenclature for non-tenure track center has, in fact, just received its first behind their success, is the people. research scientists), who work on both instrument that uses electron transfer independent projects and group efforts dissociation (ETD) technology. “It’s Covering a Full Spectrum with external collaborators. the next wave in terms of defining Shannon Eliuk had heard many great While the projects run a wide epigenetic changes,” says Burlingame. things about the UCSF Mass Spec- path, and include areas like neu- But even the most sophisticated trometry resource while a graduate robiology and parasitology, the spectrometer can be rendered use- student at the University of Alabama main thrust of the UCSF Mass Spec less if one cannot properly prepare at Birmingham. “Dr. Burlingame is Resource is post-translational issues, and interpret the data. “People don’t regarded as a leader in the field, and particularly phosphorylation and appreciate how sensitive and universal his center is pretty well known,” she chromatin remodeling. (Bradshaw a mass spec is,” Burlingame says. “It’s says. “It was definitely one of my top and Kati Medzihradszky, another not like identifying a protein with choices for a postdoc and I’m excited professor at the facility, recently co- antibodies, where it doesn’t matter to have been offered the position.” organized an ASBMB meeting on this that there are 1,000 other molecules And in the three months since topic at Granlibakken in the Sierra around the protein of interest. Con- joining the UCSF group, Eliuk, Nevada (see story on p.14)). This taminants like cytokeratins,” he says whose main project focus is analyz- specialization helps UCSF carve out as he rubs his hair, “ionize perfectly ing changes in histone modifications a unique niche to draw in interested well. It just takes a tiny bit of dust and during stem cell differentiation, has investigators; Burlingame points hair to settle on a sample to produce been more impressed. “Everyone here out that there are several NIH Mass a spectrum of total garbage. And that is really bright, and among them we Spectrometry Resources across the leads to another common issue; many have experts in every aspect of mass U.S., each one with a slightly different people do not know the difference spectrometry, be it the chemistry, bent. For example, Catherine Costello between a good spectrum and bad biology, or programming,” she says. leads a resource at Boston University spectrum.” “It’s almost like having an encyclope- that concentrates on glycobiology, Fortunately, this resource shines at dia around you.” while the resource at Washington training. For the past 15 years, Burl- University at St. ingame has offered a yearly (formerly Louis, a noted every two years) hands-on course on medical institu- proper mass spectrometry use. The tion, focuses on course includes a series of lectures that clinical applica- discuss the latest buzz-words in the tions. field, as well as a laboratory portion “Mass spec- where participants can bring their own trometry becomes biological samples and learn about invaluable in this sample handling, extracting protein area because it’s from gels, and data analysis. At the really the only end, everyone presents a lecture on unbiased method their project so everyone in the group to analyze post- can be filled in. A protein crystal (affixed to the fiber loop, (center) prepares to be translational For scientists who know a little blasted by an X-ray beam. modifications,” more about what they’re doing,

January 2009 ASBMB Today 33 sciencentric continued the UCSF Resource still has much Prospector looks to make that version available for public use (pros- to offer. Most notable is a software final and most important portion pector2.ucsf.edu), which they believe package called Protein Prospector. more bearable. This research suite, is the best spectrum analysis software As Aenoch Lynn, a specialist whose first developed at UCSF in 1996 by out there. expertise lies with computer pro- programmer Peter Baker and gradu- gramming and data management, ate student Karl Clauser (now at the As Cool as Ice notes, data analysis is still the name Broad Institute), features numerous When it comes to X-ray crystal- of the game. “For a given experiment, aids, most notably protein database lography, data analysis is a serious you’re most likely looking at one week search programs that allow you to eas- business as well. “It would be great if of preparation, one day of running ily identify your protein samples. Lynn a researcher could just place a crystal the sample through the machine, and and Chalkley have been continually into a beam line, press ‘Start’ and get then one month of looking over the modifying and updating Prospector a nice PDB image sent to them a few results.” over the years and have a brand new hours later,” says SSRL staff scientist Ana Gonzalez, “but that’s not the case.” Well, at least not yet; Gonzalez, head Ahead with Axel of the MX group’s User Support Team, Photon Science faculty member Axel Brunger (who happens to be a former protégé has been using her programming skills of current society president Gregory Petsko), has always been forward thinking; his to make interpreting all that X-ray knack for seeing emerging problems and trends in structural biology helped him devise scattering data less painful. the widely used X-PLOR and CNS programs that refine atomic models to match the Her most recent endeavor observed diffraction data and led him to be one of the first researchers to integrate has been developing a program both computation and “wet-lab” biology in his work. That foresight would make Brunger, also a professor in the Departments of called Web-Ice that integrates data Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Neurology and Neurological Science, and Structural analysis into the data collection Biology (by courtesy) at Stanford University as well as an HHMI investigator, an ideal process. Web-Ice calculates some person to ask about the current and future challenges facing crystallography. Interest- basic parameters of an X-ray scatter ingly, though, the answer he gives is timeless. plot and then produces a score that “Getting good crystals remains the biggest obstacle, especially with some of the determines whether that plot is worth trickier biological systems like large protein complexes or membrane proteins,” he looking at. This program works great says. “Due to mobility, these proteins simply won’t produce crystals that diffract to for individuals interested in large-scale high-resolution.” crystal screenings, as they can quickly Solving this ‘low-resolution challenge’ will require both direct and indirect strategies, identify their best samples. “You still he notes. The direct approach involves new microcrystal beam lines (SSRL is com- have to make some decisions about missioning one right now) that will raise the bar on diffraction. “On conventional beam the sample, but we definitely make the lines, the beam diameter is often larger than some of the crystals being studied,” he says, rendering small crystals essentially useless due to background noise and radia- screening process as easy as possible,” tion damage. But, while previously a crystal size of several hundred microns would be Gonzalez says. considered ‘good,’ new microcrystal beam lines allow high-resolution structure deter- “I think our efforts at improv- mination for crystals as small as 10 microns. ing the user experience provide a That number might get even smaller. “Eventually, you’re going to run out of unit great example of why we believe that, cells, but I’m curious as to how far we can push it.” support-wise, our beam lines are the Brunger himself is exploring the possibility of side-stepping low-resolution prob- best in the country,” states Irimpan lems by means of ‘super-resolution,’ a computational approach that takes advantage Mathews, another MX staff scientist. of the more than 30,000 available structures of individual domains in the PDB. “After In his case, Mathews aims to improve we acquire a low-resolution image of a structure, we plan to use this vast resource to the pre-beam line portion of crys- enhance the structure and exceed the nominal diffraction limit of the crystal.” tallography, namely generating the Of course, in the future, crystals may be removed from the equation entirely. crystal. He notes that crystallization Brunger notes that the SLAC (where SSRL is housed) is constructing a new, extremely intense beam called the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS). This powerful laser will is easier now than in the past due to act like a high-speed molecular camera and could have several macromolecular appli- the availability of numerous pre-made cations, like time-resolved studies of cellular reactions. “And though it’s still an open solutions, but the process remains question, in theory, the LCLS could allow the time-resolved imaging of proteins in a tricky and time-consuming (see side- non-crystalline state.” bar). “For example, we still don’t have an easy way of mounting crystals,” he

34 ASBMB Today January 2009 sciencentric continued says, “so I’ve been looking at methods to directly crystallize a protein on Back with Burlingame the mounting loop to save time and Looking back, all the researchers who have benefitted from the UCSF Mass Spectrom- resources.” Another area of concern etry Resource during the 35 years it’s been running should be thankful Al Burlingame is radiation damage from the X-rays didn’t have as much exuberance for the space program as some of his peers. that eventually wears down a crystal, Back in 1968, Burlingame became involved in the project to analyze the lunar and Mathews has been looking at ways samples that were going to be brought back from the Apollo missions. “There was a lot to reduce radiation damage while still of initial excitement in that,” he says. “Some people thought that the moon would be retaining resolution. composed of carbonaceous meteorites, though it became clear after first material was studied that this was not the case.” And though his group carried out some valuable It’s all in a days work for the tireless experiments, like analyzing solar wind chemistry, by 1970, Burlingame knew that the staff in the SSRL MX Group. Under program was quickly coming to an end—he notes that President Nixon had tried to the guidance of group leader Michael shut it down once already. Soltis, the 30-odd team members “And while some of my colleagues began looking forward to the forthcoming Mars keep the workstations in tip-top shape missions, I had become fed up with the space sciences by then,” he says. And that led and provide assistance in the set-up, him to his fateful sabbatical at the Karolinska Institute in Solna, Sweden. running, and analysis of all crystals “The use of mass spectrometry in biomedicine is really intertwined with Sweden, (the facility is up and running nine from work at both the Karolinska and the University of Gothenburg,” Burlingame says, months of the year, 24-7, while the citing the pioneering mass spec analysis of tuberculosis lipids in the 1950s and as part summers are reserved for maintenance of the Nobel-winning studies of prostaglandins carried out by Bengt Samuelsson and and improvements to the synchrotron Sune Bergstrom in 1959–1962. “I grew up on the other side of the fence, having used and instruments). The staff are divided mass spectrometry in natural product research and drug development, but after seeing the Swede’s perspective on this technology I reached a turning point in my career.” into two principal groups, beam line scientists who primarily work in user support and maintenance and staff scientists like Gonzalez, Mathews, and of running a sample, whether locally Upon Further Review Smith who split time between support or remotely, such as how to prepare On second glance, it appears the duties and independent research proj- and ship samples, run large sample SSRL MX Group and UCSF Mass ects (though as staff they often don’t sets with the automated robot, and Spec Resource may not be so different write up their own grants and instead use interface programs like Blu-Ice after all. Sure, one center gives you collaborate with other investigators). and Web-Ice. In addition, Mathews the chance to irradiate proteins in the So, when he’s not helping a Japa- and other staff participate in a sum- quiet California countryside, while nese researcher figure out why his mer internship program that provides the other lets you vaporize them crystal isn’t diffracting well, Smith is enterprising high school or college amidst the hustle and bustle of down- solving structures of antibiotic deac- students a thorough introduction town San Francisco, but both house tivating enzymes like aminoglycoside to the wonders of crystallography top of the line equipment, excellent phosphotransferases. “I’m fascinated (Mathew’s most recent student has support staff, and abundant training by the continual evolutionary battle been helping him work out new crys- opportunities for applications that are between bacteria and antibiotics,” he tal mounting applications). becoming more and more essential says, adding that he could go on all With such dedicated and knowl- for almost any biochemical, molecu- day talking about this topic. “But to edgeable staff, it’s no surprise the MX lar, and cell biologist out there. So, think, we haven’t been using beta- group receives its own share of acco- if you need to conduct some protein lactam drugs like penicillin very long, lades. “The facility is outstanding,” says crystallography or mass spectrometry and we’re already on the fourth gen- noted biologist and biophysicist Axel in your research, you can’t go wrong eration of these antibiotics. It’s a fight Brunger, a member of the Stanford paying either place a visit… or a vir- we can’t win, but I’m going to do my faculty who works with the team on tual one at least. part to try and keep up.” development issues, from his office on The MX group also runs training the main campus of Stanford. “It’s one workshops a few times each year to of the main reasons I took a position familiarize users with all the intrica- at Stanford, since I had the ability to Nick Zagorski is a science writer cies of the SSRL beam line environ- be right next door to such a tremen- at ASBMB. He can be reached at ment. These courses cover all aspects dous resource.” [email protected].

January 2009 ASBMB Today 35 ASBMB welcomes the following new members who joined the Society in 2008

Antonio Abeyta Delisa Belk Ernesto Casillas Kiyya Davis Wolfgang Fischer Monica Gvio Jamie Howard Ameeta Kelekar Melat Abiye Paula Belloni Lawrence Castellani Christopher Davis Richard Fishel Hyunjung Ha Benny Howard Brian Keller Stephan Abramson Vittorio Bellotti Jorge Castellanos Raffaele De Francesco Christopher Fisher Caroline Habliston Benjamin Howard Jeffrey Keller Edsel Abud Robert Belton Ana Castillo Roberto De Guzman Michael Fiske Mariem Hafez Rhonda Howard Mike Kelly Vanesa Acevedo Jennifer Beltran Veronica Castro Andrea de la Garza Jamie Fitzgerald Marie-Jo Halaby Christine Hrycyna Jennifer Kennedy Ligia Acosta-Sampson Natallia Beluvina Benoit Chabot Francesco De Luca David Flores Affan Haleem Jingping Hu Genevieve Kerr Zenith Acosta-Torres Rym Benayed Ernestine Chaco Matthew de Miranda Kelly Foley John Haley Liping Huang Lauren Kerr Christopher Adams Krisztina Bencze Dhyan Chandra Edwin De Pauw Steven Foltz J. Perry Hall Canhua Huang Adam Kerrigan Tyisha Adderly Chloe Benson Hwan You Chang Allyson Degrassi Elizabeth Fontes Metica Hall Li-shin Huang Almas Khan Ayodele Adesanya Brittany Benson Yu-fang Chang Robert Dekker Danielle Fortune Kevin Halloran Sui Huang Roya Khosravi-Far Adetayo Adewolu Rebecca Bentley Tong-shin Chang Angel Del Valle- Monique Foster Michael Halstead Hsien-Bin Huang Clara Kielkopf Solomon Adeyemi Penny Berger Jeffrey Chao Echevarria Daniel Frailey Jasmine Hamilton Jie Huang Akio Kihara Rebecca Aghoruche Tomas Berl Alexandra Charron Shuang Deng Sander Frank John Hammer Adriana Huertas Kyung Ho Kim Brian Agnew Steffen Bernard Pankaj Chaudhary Umesh Desai Adam Frankel Brian Hampton Turkesha Huggins Yun Cheol Kim Abby Agosto Veronica Berrlos Linda Chelico Jerome Deval S. Courtney Frasch Jihong Han Turkesha Huggins Soo-A Kim Christian Aguilera Valerie Berthelier Jing Chen Angela Devlin Wilma Friedman Christine Hancock Christina Hull Helen Kim Akwasi Agyeman Nakitende Betty Yan Chen Sylvia Dewilde Clifford Froelich Andrea Hanick Sabine Hunke Mansu Kim Moulay Hicham Alaoui- Eleonore Beurel Chiyuan Chen Vera Diaz Shu-Ling Fu Oliver Hankinson Yixin Huo Stephen Kingsmore Ismaili Klaus Beyer Yan Chen Pedro Diaz Mingui Fu Jonathan Hannan Yasuo Ido Ryan Kinloch Stephen Alexander Suresh Bhamidi Desheng Chen Myriam Diaz-Martinez Doug Fuchs Philipp Hannan Hiroko Ikushiro Gideon Kipyakwai Adanna Alexander Rehana Bhuiyan Hong Cheng Laura Diaz-Martinez Tohru Fukai Markos Hannan Sin-hyeog Im Keith Kirkwood Asma Al-Habsi Piero Bianco Yury Chernoff Evan Dickerson Maki Fukami Kirk Hansen Masayoshi Imagawa Sandra Kirsch Yohance Allette Matthew Biedron Dane Chetkovich Lara Dickey Audrey Fulwiler Hiroko Hanzawa Julita Imperial Christine Kiruthu Rami Alsaber Hugh Bigg Lang-ming Chi Patrick DiCosino Teiichi Furuichi Feng Hao Osamu Inoue Josef Kittler Johana Alvarado Davida Bines Taurai Chiku Marc Dieu Lauren Gaines Takahiko Hara Harry Ischiropoulos Kelly Knee Alexandra Amaro-Ortiz Raymond Birge Mark Chin Katherine Diffenderfer Luciano Galdieri Kevin Hardwick Yoshizumi Ishino Peter Knight Elianna Amin Roger Biringer Jude Chinyere Yoana Dimitrova Andrew Gale Richard Harkewicz Tohru Itoh Makoto Kobayashi Olawale Amubieya David Birk Leilani Chirino Huangen Ding Jonathan Galeano Wase Harper Stephen Ivory Yoshiharu Kobayashi Hindupur Kylie Birnbaum Thang Chiu Michelle Dinh Melanie Galles Mary-Ellen Harper Kazuhiro Iwai William Kobertz Nandatheerthavarada Tamika Black Maria Chloupkova Amanda Dishler Katelyn Gallier Todd Harris Nobuhisa Iwata Nicholas Kohles Mary Anangfac Kwesi Blackman Jennifer Chmielowski Alexander Dizhoor Angela Gallo Stacy Harris Kosaku Iwatsubo Rajan Kombu Peggi Angel Greg Block Yun Sang Cho Sarra Djemil Rajkumar Ganesan Valerie Harris Evelyn Jabri Stephan Konig Mireille Ansaldi Cherissre Boateng Sangwoo Cho Julianne Djordjevic Latha Ganesan Brittany Harris Pascale Jackers Thomas Kornberg Zubair Ansari Ravindra Boddu Hack Sun Choi Mark Dockrell Shawn Garcia Michael Hartenstine Milton Jackson, Jr. Tilman Kottke C. Antonuk Caleb Boeve Ray Choi Marina Dolzhanskaya Karla Garcia Jonathan Harton Melissa Jahangiri Rhett Kovall Hiroyuki Arai Kenneth Boheler Hahneul Choi Mark Donowitz Ivan Garcia-Bassets Antony Harvey Amit Jain Leah Kramer Genet Aranide Kelsey Bohn Salem Chouaib Patricia Dos Santos Wilfredo Garcia Beltran Mohammad Hasan Varuni Jamburuthugoda Matthew Krasowski Trevor Archer Wendy Bollag Jayne Christen Andrea Doseff Rafael Garesse Koji Hasegawa Patrice Jamerson Brian Krause Hossein Ardehali Samantha Bond Christina Christoffersen Victor Drover Ashley Gathers Hamdy Hassanain Ayorinde James Bridget Kreger Cassandra Arendt Lisa Boone Roger Chung Jennifer Dubis Steven Gauthier James Hassell Jamie Jansen Lumir Krejci Timothy Argeroplos Halima Bori Myung-Chul Chung Claire Dubois Angie Gelli Seisuke Hattori Armando Jardim Rachel Kroencke Rebecca Armenta Frederick Bornancin Bruce Citron Daniel Duckworth Jacques Genest Stefanie Hauck Paul Jarvis Lee Kroos Diana Arnett Maxime Bouchard Tavina Claiborne Lauren Duffee Elyza Genilo Derek Hawkins Petr Jedelsky Raju Kucherlapati Adrianna Artega Luc Boudreau Robert Clark Xavier Duportet Gary Gerlach Brian Hawkins Jaime Jensen Kirsten Kulcsar Harold Arvidson Erin Bowers Danielle Clark Michael Dustin Robert Gerszten Hidetoshi Hayashi Da Jia Raman Kumar Kinji Asahina Joseph Boyd Kehvon Clark Robert Duszynski Sarah Getter Brenee Hayden Yonghua Jiang Natasha Kumar Afua Asante Ineke Braakman Melissa Clark Randolph Duverna Saghi Ghaffari Andrew Hayhurst Lubin Jiang Tsutomu Kume Lena Aslund Duane Brandau Enrique Claro Aleksey Dvorzhinskiy Jon Gibbins Sarah Hayton Antonella Jimenez Stefan Kunz Berhanegebriel Assefa Paul Brennan Juan Claros-Sorto Jason Dyck Vasudeva Ginjala Rhashanda Haywood Hongjun Jin Reya Kurishingal Mohammed Au Jarryd Brennan Paul Cobine Rebecca Earl Kevin Glenn Amy Heaton Naihe Jing Kaitlin Kurrilla Orly Avni Earl Brewley, Jr. Sage Coe Smith Lars Eckmann Jason Gokey Sarita Hebbar Sheba John Martin Kussmann Sanjay Awasthi Molly Broderick Licio Collavin Christina Edgerly Dasantila Golemi-Kotra Ruth Hedima Leslie Johnson Jessica LaFolletle Alexandra Ayala John Brognard Shanika Collins Frank Edlich John Golin Ahmed Heikal Mary Johnson Melissa Laird Abdussalam Azem Jurgen Brojatsch Daisy Colon-Lopez Iris Edwards Kristen Gonzales Lindsey Heldt Ashley Jones Sajani Lakka Chad Baer Seth Brooks Terry Combs Andem Effiong Norah Gonzalez Leon Heller Janay Jones Neeraj Lal Ivet Bahar Anthony Brooks Yao Cong Spiros Efthymiopoulos Manuel Gonzalez- Eva Helmerhorst Lashana Jones Danielle Lalimar Candice Bailey Peter Bross Erin Connolly Niloufar Ehsani Guerrero Sarah Hemauer Richard Jope Pratik Lalit William Baker Nicole Brossier Sarah Connor Brandt Eichman Rhecia Goodley Ryne Hendrickson Sachindra Joshi Ralf Langen Kuberan Balagurunathan Ivy Brown Jerfiz Constanzo Jessica Ellis Karthik Gopal Brian Hendrickson Claude Jourdan Le Saux Tyler Larsen Krishnakumar Shaadi Elswaifi Sandhya Gopalakrishnan Balasubramanian Connie Brown Jeanette Cook Adelina Hendrixlynn Xiaoxi Ju Alan Lau Chris Brubaker Paige Cooper Amir Emran Indiwari Gopallawa Timothy Herdendorf Cynthia June Tannia Lau Mukundh Chris England Balasubramanian So Young Bu John Copeland Tyler Goralski Rebecca Hermann Juhi Juneja Leanne Lawwell Ernesto Enrique Kavita Balkaran Danielle Buck Ronald Copeland William Gordon Hector Hernandez Myung Gu Jung Kristine Lay Robert Eoff Lauren Ball Thomas Bugge Jeffrey Copps Yves Gorin Manuel Hernandez Murray Junop Jean-Jacques Lebrun Hyungjin Eoh Jessica Ball Eric Bugglin-Borer Zuleika Corales Tirado Jeane Govan Jose Herrera Kellie Jurado Sean Lee Jorge Erosa Sanjita Banerjee Dominique Bulls Casey Corbott Eric Graf Christopher Herzog Charissa Kahue Duck-Yeon Lee Celso Espinoza Ela Banerjee Meriandrys Burgos Jose Cordero Todd Graham Bernard Heymann Shweta Kailasan Seung-Jae Lee Candice Espinoza Allison Barbaglia Melisa Burgos Cruz Estelle Cormet-Boyaka Anthony Gramolini Matthew Higgins Satish Kumar Kalari Tony Lefebvre Jeffrey Estella Jose Barral Monica Burney Aurora Costache Zachary Graves Herbert Hildebrandt Dimitrios Kalpaxis Glen Legge Alicia Evans Ralf Bartenschlager Carrie Butler Pierre Coulombe Peter Gray Amelia Hilgart Jesse Kalugendo Mary Leick Rudgie Fadael Jorg Bartsch Janelle Butler Valerie Cousins Michelle Greeley R. Hill Lauren Kanaskie Stephane Lemaire Silviu Faitar Susan Baserga Melissa Cadet Manon Couture Preston Greico Joseph Hill Michael Kane David Leonard Oluwafemi Fakayode Monique Bastidas Catherine Cahill Monica Covio Sara Gremillion Gerard Hills Karina Kangas Lawrence Leung Zhanmin Fan Indranil Basu Jean Calderon James Cowan Christof Grewer Daryle Hinton-Hardin Cheng Kao Jennifer Levia Charles Farber Ryan Batangan Christopher Calderone Rolf Craven Matthew Griffin Kyeisha Hodge Joseph Kaplan Stephanne Levin Sasha Fari Marianne Bauer Amanda Caldwell William Cressman Matthew Grimes Darren Hodgson Jessica Karr Jackie Levin Gianrico Farrugia James Baumgartner Maricelis Camacho Annette Cronin Shanqing Gu Charles Hoeffer Barbara Karten Alisha Lewis Walter Fast Carolina Bautista Melissa Candelaria- John Crow Bingnan Gu Kyle Hoerger Balakuntalam Kasinath Donghui Li Thomas Fazio Shannon Baxter Lyons Oriana Cruz Lei Gu Kelsey Hohol Allison Kasmari Ling Li Sophie Feldblum Ron Bean Shellese Cannonier Erika Cuellar Smitha Gudipan Isaac Holeman Geetha Kassam Runzhao Li Timothy Feliciano Daniel Beard Deliang Cao Luz Cumba Garcia Aileen Guerrero Peter Hollenhorst George Kassavetis Lin Li Xia Feng Michael Beck David Carling Jan Czyzyk Christophe Guilhot Gregory Hollis Sean Kassim Min Li Catherine Fenselau Russell Becker Eric Carlson Angela Dang Sanjeev Gumber Yi-Ren Hong Yasuyuki Kato-Yamada Hoi-Yeung Li Gabriel Fenteany Michael Becker Jeffrey Carlson Lisa Danowski Peter Gunning Song Hong Darcy Kaufman Qingnan Li Orielyz Fernandez Dorothy Beckett Ryan Carn Bryant Darnay Liang Guo John Hooper Surinder Kaur Wei Li Aileen Fernandez Jeremy Beckford Leidy Carrasco Bhaskar Das Wen Guo Hisanori Horiuchi Shigetada Kawabata Hong Liao Alice Ferng Matthew Beckman Maria Teresa Carri Prolay Das Narita Gurung Ibolya Horvath Mignon Keaton Vince LiCata Emer Ferro Almas Begdullayev Edward Carroll Madhumita Das Soraya Gutierrez Tiffany Hosten Kristen Kee Amanda Liggett Michael Cascio Tim Daughenbaugh Erin Fields Maria Gutierrez Timothy Houghton Brian Keefer Marie Lin

36 ASBMB Today January 2009 ASBMB welcomes the following new members who joined the Society in 2008

Lan Lin Bradley McConnell Terrencia Nichols Tullio Pozzan Betsy Ruiz-Alvarado Marcus Smolka Amy Trojanowski Siew Heng Wong Maurizio Lin Casey McCormick Davia Nickelson Ambra Pozzi Marschall Runge Neil Smyth Marie Trujillo Kit Wong Justin Linteris Chris McCullough Michael Niederweis K. Sandeep Prabhu Sanjeewa Rupasinghe Inseok Song Yuan-Chin Tsai Cara Wons Elizabeth Liu Nigeria McHellon Tommy Nilsson Sriharsa Pradhan Maria Sabbatini Anil Sood Francis Tsai Matthew Wood Jian Liu Martin McIntosh Riko Nishimura Anand Prasad Maria Sacta Sara Sowko Koji Tsumagari Bryon Wood Xuan Liu Blein McIntyre Kunihiko Nishino Nagendra Prasad Prabodh Sadana Maria Spies Noriyuki Tsumaki Millicent Woodruff Zhengyu Liu C. James McKnight Tanyo Nixon Michael Pratt Gunisha Sagar George Sprague ShengJiang Tu Qingyu Wu Xinyu Liu JoAnne McLaurin Benjamin Nixon Sharon Prince Lauren Sager Stephen Sprang Michelle Tucker Jennifer Wu Yi Liu MaryAlice McNamara B. Tracy Nixon Kirkwood Pritchard Bobby Sahachartsiri Radhika Sreedhar Alexei Tulin Heng Wu Jiang Liu Annie McPherson Maria Norako Bethany Prudner Mak Saito Norma Srerin-Speziale Jacob Uhazie Lei Xiao Jinsong Liu Brenthol McPherson Jared Nordman Robert Qi Caroline Salaman Farah Srichandra James Uhlich Luzhou Xing Adrian Lloyd Robert Medcalf Brittany Norris Jun Qin Sylvia Salas Renu Srivastava Chinweike Ukomadu Shiqin Xiong Alessandra Lof Diego Mejia Ekeoma Nwadibia Hanjun Qin Enrique Salas Igor Stagljar Sarah Ullah Ying Xiong Brenden LoGiurato Stephen Melvin Ngabo Nzigira Krystle Quan Nicole Salazar Stefan Stamm Dale Umetsu Wei Xu Tiha Long Alejandra Mendoza Thomas Ochoa Rashanique Quarels Carolina Salguero Sarah Stamm Ryan Unruh Yunjian Xu Adam Long Jeannine Mendrola Yoshiya Oda Evette Radisky Aminat Saliu Ashley Steere Damian Urena Taixiang Xu Peter LoPristi Anming Meng Olubanke Ogunlana Rachel Radnor Anne Samland Olaf Stemmann Elena Uribe Tao Xu Denver Lough Jianmin Meng Jason Ohlstein Tracey Rae Natalie Sampson James Stephenson Maria Vaccaro Jiake Xu Maggie Louie Donald Menick Evelyn Ojo Emily Ragan Dahniel Samuel Danielle Stewart Manuel Valdes Xueqing Xu David Love Maria Merkulova Uzoma Okafor Mohammad Rahman Joseph San Filippo Justin Stewart Carla Valenzuela Takeshi Yabu Jose Lozano Joris Messens Adepeju Olasokan Ponni Rajagopal Natalie Sanaee David Stillman Maximiliano Vallejos Mahesh Yadav Hua Lu Isha Metzger Polina Olivera Martina Ralle Joseph Sanchez Daniela Stock Aarnoud van der Spoel Kamlesh Yadav Luo Lu Kassondra Meyer Hunter Oliver-Allen Vasudev RaMachandra Ralph Sanderson Valerie Storozuk Travis Van Der Steen Sina Yadegarynia Barbara Lubyova Jessica Michaels Fiona O’Mahony Rao Roger Sandhoff Stephen Strittmatter Jean-Marc Vanacker Teruhide Yamaguchi Hector Lucero Peter Michaely Ozozoma Omoluabi Kota RaMana Ashely Sandy David Strugatsky Melissa VanZee Masakatsu Yamashita Phillip Lucero Marina Mighore Omolola Omotosho Komal Ramani Veronica Santana Yasushi Sugano Olena Vatamaniuk Toshihide Yamashita Isabelle Lucet Paolo Mignatti Blessing Onyegeme- Sitharam Ramaswami Anael Santos Yukihiko Sugimoto Purva Vats Zhen Yan Benjamin Lundgren Ivonne Milian Okerenta Christina Ramirez Sherilyn Sasa Masahiko Sugita Jesus Maria Vazquez Da-Qing Yang Michael Lung Russell Miller Okemdi Oparaeke Alissa Ramirez Borrero Karla Satchell Segun Sulaimon Cobos Chunhong Yang Wen-i Luo Leah Miller Adeyanju Ope Caleen Ramsook Michael Sattler Richardd Sun Melvin Velasquez Huidong Yang Ruibai Luo Amy Miller Leah Oppy Lennart Randau Michael Schaeffer Zhen Sun Megan Venegas Xiaolong Yang Kelly Lyons Gregory Miller Luis Oquendo Galarza Rajpal Ranjet Leasha Schaub Surachai Supattapone Amanda Vent Xuebiao Yao Zhongcai Ma Ishara Mills-Henry John Oram Satish Rao Michael Scheid Guy Surpris Anna Vestling Huili Yao Jin-Biao Ma Irene Min Roxana Ordonez Adam Rashid Michael Schillaci- Kazuo Suzuki Craig Vierra Kwok-ming Yao Rui Ma Ardalan Minokadeh Valeriy Ostapchenko Estella Raulfs Schofield Saoud Swafiri Diana Villegas Hongjie Yao Yongjie Ma Carlos Miranda Artur Osyczka Nenoo Rawal Wendy Schluchter Subramanyam Vinayak Vittal Anna Yap John MacDonald Suniti Misra Jing-Hsiung Ou Laurie Read Gunther Schmalzing Swaminathan Stephan Void Stephen Yarwood Sonia Maciejewski Andrew Moczula Kevin Ouma Carlos Regalado Adam Schmucker Michael Sykes Juergen Voigt Jiro Yasuhara James Maclean Pierre Moffatt Jamiu Oyedele Rachel Regn Celestina Schober Susan Szathmary Niels Volkmann Mona Yates Muniswamy Madesh Megan Monteen Yoav Paas Whitney Reinhold Melissa Schramm Elizabeth Tafoya Gerrit Volkmann Frances Yen Koji Maemura William Montfort Stela Palii Adam Remick Karen Schuerenberg Shigeru Takahashi Michael Waalkes Hye-Jeong Yeo Jansi Maganti Leticia Montoya Dedrick Pallanes Ashley Remmick Ann Schufreider Hiroshi Takahashi Jennifer Wadeson Raymond Yeow Olubunmi MaGbagbeola Melissa Moore Arthur Palmer Jihui Ren Brenda Schulman Jenise Takai Kathryn Wagner Tingfang Yi Tu Mai Regis Moreau Kana Panchmatia Pingping Ren Thomas Schwartz Kiyoshi Takeda Joshua Wahlstrom Haiqing Yi Amber Majid Megan Moriarty Ravi Pandey Tomas Rentas Kelly Schwartz Kazunori Takemoto Tomas Wald Helen Yin Paul Maldonado Violeta Morin Symeon Papadopoulos Gary Reyes Daniel Schwartz Apana Agha Takwi Johnnie Walker Anastasia Yocum Michael Malkowski Ryuichi Morishita Ronald Paranal Geun Bae Rha Elisabeth Schwarz Hilmarie Talavera John Wallace Jennifer Yong Leonger Malpica May Morris Jongsun Park Katie Rice Katherine Scott Hisanori Tamaki Cornelia Wallace Rosa Yoon Pradeep Mammen Elizabeth Morse Sunghyouk Park Clarice Richardson John Scott Raija Tammi Fengyi Wan Daniel York Patricia Maness James Morton Seung-Kiel Park Katherine Ridinger Celeste Scott Niclas Tan Megan Wanek Makoto Yoshino Santhosh Mani Linda Morton Dario Pasalic Melissa Riegle Samantha Seaberg Mei-Chyi Tan Jihong Wang Allison Young D. Mani Stephen Moss Elena Pasquale Wayne Riekhof Carl Seguin Makoto Tanaka Qiuwei Wang Jun Yu Danny Manor Monique Mounce Mehul Patel William Rigby Michael Seidman Samvit Tandan Yu Wang Beatrice Yue Elaine Manzanilla Lisa Mowry Janki Patel Michael Ritchie Jason Sello Masayuki Tanemoto Yuxin Wang Renee Yura Yingwei Mao Bryan Moyer Nia Patel Benjamin Ritchie Rita Serda Yitai Tang Yingxiao Wang Keisuke Yusa Xicheng Mao Seid Muhie Kinal Patel Sharon Rivera Puneet Seth Jun Tang Hong-Gang Wang Majd Zayzafoon Eric Maranda Ben Mullins Suresh Patil Rocio Rivera Christopher Severyn Tao Tang Suping Wang Pamela Zeitlin Andrew Marcus Sophia Mundle Gentry Patrick Lorangelly Rivera Joseph Shapiro Julian Tang Da Wang Abel Zemichael David Margulies Marisa Muniak Jodine Patterson Coral Rivera Thomas Sharkey Weiguo Tao Wayne Warner Roy Zent Maja Maric Andrew Munro Laszlo Patthy Carmen Rivera Garcia Chandan Sharma Sina Tashakkori Claus Wasternack Guofang Zhang Maxwell Marino Eric Murphy Megan Paul Tania Riveros Stephanie Sharp Ron Taussig Renecia Watkins Quiyang Zhang Michael Marks Artur Muszynski Valerie Paul Raed Rizkallah Renee Shaw Felicia Tawan Colin Watson Liguo Zhang Ruth Marquez Baby-periyanayaki Mats Paulsson John Robbins Ashley Shay G. D. Tayfun Steve Watson Na Zhang John Marshall Muthusamy Francois Payen Lynne Roberts Craig Sheedy Garry Taylor Stephen Waxman Luwen Zhang Brent Martin Soren Naaby-Hansen Alexander Payumo Hernan Roca Noula Shembade Merritt Taylor Frank Weber Zhongtao Zhang Jenny Martin Jane Naberhuis Marina Pazin Marcelo Rocha Yin Shen Christopher Taylor Joachim Weber Baolin Zhang Leona Martin Jeffrey Nadel ERic Pearlman Angelina Rodriguez Yun-Bo Shi Renee Tehrani Shuo Wei Jinjin Zhang Viviannette Martinez Adam Nadelson Lindsey Peller Carol Rodriguez Yixin Shi Ross Tellam Shawn Weissenfluh Dehua Zhao Endry Martinez Shingo Nagano Laura Pentassuglia Nearco Rodriguez Dashuang Shi Gerald Thiel Michael Welsh Xinyu Zhao Hector Martinez Cynthia Nagle Yuliya Pepelyayeva Adaris Rodriguez-Cortes Takeshi Shibata Takeila Thomas Courtney Westby Zhixing Zhao Chioniso Masamha Zaher Nahle Justin Percival Norma Rodriguiz-Malave Perpetua Shillingford Caasy Thomas-Porch Rashida Whitener Wei-qin Zhao Monica Masearenos Julia Nahm Teresa Pereira Cecilia Rodriques Toru Shimada Lauren Thompson Sheila Wicks Yu Zhong Satish Nair Perpetua Peter-Ogu Megan Rogers Akiko Shiotani Hui Tian Rik Wierenga Hao Zhou Bassem Masri Jessica Napolitano Quinn Peterson Joseph Rohr Ibrahim Shodunke Wuroh Timbo Brian Wigdahl Jiang Feng Zhou Kendall Massengill Michael Napolitano Stacey Peterson Elizabeth Romero Varda Shoshan-Barmatz Vladimir Titorenko Christian Wigley Shanggen Zhou Wanda Massey Janaki Narahari Ruben Petreala Matthew Romeyn Weinian Shou Joanne Tobacman Sybren Wijmenga Jiyong Zhou Ramiro Massol Thomas Neill Robin Petrizzo Octavio Romo-Fewell Ryan Shuck Robert Tombes Erich Wilkerson Yubin Zhou Tomohiro Masuda Rosemary Nejin Kimberly Petro Denis Rontein Jeffrey Shupp Suzanne Tomlinson Wayne Wilkie Yizhou Zhou Stephanie Matejka Kimberly Nelson George Phillips Latoya Roper Hasan Siddiqui Nelson Tordilla Francis Willard Jiliang Zhou Lijoy Mathew Ashely Nelson Andrew Piefer Helene Rosenberg Jillian Silva Silvia Tornaletti E. Eugene Williams Xiaoming Zhou Rosalie Matico Raquel Nelson Cynthia Pierre Ashley Rosenberg Kaneatra Simmons Katalin Torok Michelle Williams Li Zhu Eduardo Matos Alain Nepveu Andrew Pinkham Andrew Roth Tomas Simonsson Amaris Torres-Delgado Tahirah Wilson Margaret Zimmerman Takashi Matozaki Jasmine Newman Paola Piovanetti Daniel Roubik Tyana Singeltary Chris Tossing La’Tisha Wilson Anna Zolkiewska Kevin Maupin Ka Yan Ng Yvette Pittman Eboni Rousell Satpal Singh Eric Toth James Wilson Robert Zorec Caitlin May Vivian Nguyen Yury Polikanov Jonathan Roussey Mikiko Siomi Jeremy Toyn Amber Wimsatt Guozhang Zou Kenny McBride Ngoc Nguyen Geyanni Polk Tapasree Roy Sarkar Danielle Smith Nel Trasybule Annika Windon Nicole McCallum Toan Nguyen Alyssa Polso Hans Royer Calen Smith Joanne Trgovcich Laura Winkler Roxana McCloskey Collin Nguyen Alastair Poole Kristofer Rubin Harriett Smith Jonathan Trinidad Jennifer Winslow David McConkey Linh Nguyen Curtis Powell James Ruble Martin Smith Daniel Trobare Ashley Wohler scientific meeting calendar

Pacific Lipid Association JaNUARY 2009 3rd Annual Scientific Forum APRIL 2009 FEBRUARY 20–22, 2009 Gordon Research SALT LAKE CITY, UT 3rd International Congress Conference: Glycobiology www.lipid.org on Prediabetes and the JANUARY 18–23, 2009 Metabolic Syndrome— VENTURA, CA US HUPO 5th Annual Epidemiology, Management, www.grc.org/programs.aspx?year= Conference and Prevention of Diabetes 2009&program=glycobio FEBRUARY 22–25, 2009 and Cardiovascular Disease SAN DIEGO, CA APRIL 1–4, 2009 Keystone Symposium– www.ushupo.org NICE, FRANCE Obesity: Novel Aspects of E-mail: [email protected] www.kenes.com/prediabetes the Regulation of Body Weight Tel.: 505-989-4876 JANUARY 20–25, 2009 ASBMB Annual Meeting BANFF, ALBERTA, CANADA Keystone Symposium– APRIL 18–22, 2009 www.keystonesymposia.org/Meetings/ Complications of ViewMeetings.cfm?MeetingID=997 NEW ORLEANS, LA Diabetes and Obesity www.asbmb.org/meetings.aspx FEBRUARY 24–MARCH 1, 2009 Sanibel Conference VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA Keystone Symposium— on Mass Spectrometry: www.keystonesymposia.org/Meetings/ Lipidomics and Lipids ViewMeetings.cfm?MeetingID=998 Complex Lipids in in Mass Spectrometry Biology: Signaling, JANUARY 23–26, 2009 2nd International Compartmentalization, ST. PETERSBURG BEACH, FL Conference on Advanced and Disease www.asms.org/Default.aspx?tabid=70 Technologies & Treatments APRIL 22–27, 2009 for Diabetes (ATTD) OLYMPIC VALLEY, CA The 22nd Biennial www.keystonesymposia.org/Meetings/ FEBRUARY 25–28, 2009 ViewMeetings.cfm?MeetingID=961 Conference of the Australian ATHENS, GREECE & New Zealand Society www.2.kenes.com/attd/Pages/home.aspx for Mass Spectrometry Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, JANUARY 27–30, 2009 and Vascular Biology Annual Biophysical Society Conference SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA 53rd Annual Meeting www.mmb.usyd.edu.au/ANZSMS22 APRIL 29–MAY 1, 2009 FEBRUARY 28–MARCH 4, 2009 WASHINGTON, D.C. BOSTON, MA www.americanheart.org/presenter. www.biophysics.org/2009meeting jhtml?identifier=3057022 February 2009 2009 NLA Scientific Sessions Gordon Research MARCH 2009 APRIL 30–MAY 3, 2009 Conference—Plant Lipids: MIAMI, FL Structure, Metabolism, & Deuel Lipid Conference www.lipid.org Function MARCH 3–6, 2009 FEBRUARY 1–6, 2009 BORREGO SPRINGS, CA GALVESTON, TX www.deuelconference.org www.grc.org/programs.aspx?year=2009 MAY 2009 &program=plantlipid Enabling Technologies American Thoracic Society for Structural Biology Molecular Targets for Cancer International Conference MARCH 4–6, 2009 MAY 15–20, 2009 Prevention Conference BETHESDA, MD FEBRUARY 4–5, 2009 SAN DIEGO, CA meetings.nigms.nih.gov/?id=4931 www.thoracic.org BETHESDA, MD http://web.ncifcrf.gov/events/ Gordon Conference on cancerprevention/2009/default.asp 57th ASMS Conference Oxidative Stress & Disease on Mass Spectrometry MARCH 8–13, 2009 MAY 31–JUNE 4, 2009 The 14th Annual TUSCANY, ITALY Proteomics Symposium PHILADELPHIA, PA www.grc.org/programs. www.asms.org FEBRUARY 6–8, 2009 aspx?year=2009&program=oxidat LORNE, AUSTRALIA E-mail: [email protected] Tel.: 505-989-4517 www.australasianproteomics.org ACS Spring National Meeting & Exposition MARCH 22–26, 2009 SALT LAKE CITY, UT www.acs.org/meetings scientific meeting calendar

JUNE 2009 JULY 2009 OCTOBER 2009

VIII European Symposium Gordon Research 3rd ESF Functional of the Protein Society Conference: Molecular & Genomics Conference JUNE 7–11, 2009 Cellular Biology of Lipids OCTOBER 1–4, 2009 ZURICH, SWITZERLAND JULY 19–24, 2009 INNSBRUCK, AUSTRIA Organizer: Andreas Plückthun WATERVILLE VALLEY, NH www.esffg2008.org (University of Zurich) www.grc.org/programs. www.proteinsociety.org aspx?year=2009&program=lipids Bioactive Lipids in Cancer, Inflammation, 21st American Peptide 23rd Annual Symposium and Related Diseases Society Symposium of the Protein Society (11th International JUNE 7–12, 2009 JULY 25–29, 2009 Conference) BLOOMINGTON, IN BOSTON, MA OCTOBER 25–28, 2009 www.21staps.org www.proteinsociety.org CANCUN, MEXICO www.bioactivelipidsconf.wayne.edu Cancer Proteomics 2009 Protein Lipidation, JUNE 8–12, 2009 Signaling, and DUBLIN, IRELAND Membrane Domains APRIL 2010 www.selectbiosciencies.com/conferences/ JULY 26–31, 2009 files/Agendas2009/CP2009_Agenda.pdf SAXTONS RIVER, VT src.faseb.org 3rd EuPA Meeting— ASBMB Annual Meeting Clinical Proteomics APRIL 24–28, 2010 June 14–17, 2009 AUGUST 2009 Anaheim, CA Stockholm, Sweden www.asbmb.org/meetings.aspx www.lakemedelsakademin.se/templates/ LMAstandard.aspx?id=2529 ACS Fall 2009 National Meeting & Exposition VII European Symposium AUGUST 16–20, 2009 JUNE 2010 of the Protein Society WASHINGTON, D.C. www.acs.org/meetings JUNE 14–18, 2009 8th International Conference ZURICH, SWITZERLAND on Hyaluronan of the www.proteinsociety.org Kern Aspen Lipid International Society for Conference Hyaluronan Sciences AUGUST 22–25, 2009 XV International Symposium JUNE 6–11, 2010 ASPEN, CO on Atherosclerosis KYOTO, JAPAN www.uchsc.edu/kernconference JUNE 14–18, 2009 www.ISHAS.org BOSTON, MA www.isa2009.org 18th International Mass Spectrometry Conference AUGUST 2010 International Conference AUGUST 30–SEPTEMBER 4, 2009 on Cytochrome P450 BREMEN, GERMANY www.imsc-bremen-2009.de 14th International JUNE 21–25, 2009 Congress of Immunology OKINAWA, JAPAN AUGUST 22–27, 2010 www.p450meetings.com KOBE, JAPAN SEPTEMBER 2009 www.ici2010.org Gordon Research Conference: Atherosclerosis World Congress on Oils and JUNE 21–26, 2009 Fats and 28th ISF Congress TILTON, NH SEPTEMBER 27–30, 2009 www.grc.org/programs. SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA aspx?year=2009&program=athero www.isfsydney2009.com

SEB at Glasgow 2009 JUNE 28–JULY 1, 2009 GLASGOW, SCOTLAND www.sebiology.org/meetings/Glasgow/ glasgow.html