October 2, 2001, NIH Record, Vol. LIII, No. 20
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R Still The Second Best Thing About Payday Translating the Histone Code: A H G H L 1,G H T, S Tale of Tails at Stetten Talk Attacks on U.S. Change Life at NIH By Rich McManus By Alison Davis Security Beefed Up News stories appearing over the last year he transition from peacetime's reliable routine to wartime On Campus would have everyone believe that scientists anxiety took place in only minutes as NTH employees came have-once and for all~racked the human Tto work on an otherwise spectacular late summer morning genetic code. Indeed, two teams of 50th Anniversary Sept. 11 and scientists have already published a draft For NINOS, NIMH discovered by 9:45- sequence of our 3-billion-unit jumble of via office televisions, DNA "letters." But t he task of thoroughly radio, the web, deciphering the code's protein-making phone calls and Grantees Win hallway conversa instructions-something our bodies do Lasker Award SEE STETTEN LECTURE, PAGE 2 tions-that terror ism on an almost unimaginable scale Kolb To Give was taking place in Pittman Lecture New York City and in the heart of Washington, D.C. Fall Computer The workday froze Courses Offered as workers tuned in to the news-the World Trade Center towers in flames, Flag flies at half-mast in tragedy's wake. Outdoor Film and smoke rising from behind the Old Executive Office buiJding Dr. C. David Allis to give Stetten Lecture. Festival a Big Hit near the White House. Summer Jobs into Permanent Posts In the OD Office of Communications and Public Liaison in Bldg. 31, there was a silent and unofficial suspension of activities as NIH Seizes Opportunity To SEE ATTACKS, PAGE 6 Boost Minority Employment NINDS. NIMH Mark 50 Years of Neuroscience NIH often is so pleased with the work of its Research with Symposium, Oct. 9-10 summer employees from the Hispanic By Shannon E. Garnett Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), the National Association for Equal 'Tocommemorate their 50th anniversaries, NINDS and NIMH Opportunity in Higher Education {NAFEO), will cosponsor a 2-day scientific symposium- Celebrating 50 and Washington Internships for Native Years of Brain Research: New Discoveries, New Hope- bringing Students (WINS) that many are offered together leading scientists and noted researchers whose work repeat internships, fellowships and spans a diverse spectrum of basic, clinical and translational permanent staff positions. research on neurological and psychiatric disorders. The confer U.S. Department ence, which will be held on Oct. 9-10, in the Natcher auditorium, Such was the experience this past summer of Health and represents 50 years of advances in brain research and treatments of Cyrus Salazar, who recently received a Human Services for brain disorders. master's of public administration degree N:itional Institutes Many of the profound gains in our knowledge of the brain and from New Mexico State University. He has of l lealth treatments for brain diseases over the past 50 years are due largely accepted a position with NIAMS as a to research sponsored by NINDS and NIMH. This symposium human resources specialist, under the October 2, 2001 will be a celebration of the remarkable progress that has been SEE INTERNS, PAGE 8 Vol. LIii, No. 20 SEE A NNIVERSARIES, PAGE 4 Outdoor Film Festival Draws Thousands he fifth annual Outdoor Film Festival at NIH Tdrew perhaps as many as 60,000 attendees over its 9-night run (Hitchcock's The Birds was rained out), raised more than $18,000 for three NIH charities, provided the venue for innumerable birthdays and other anniversaries, and even made the front page of the New York Times on July 30; a feature story about the national resurgence of al fresco moviegoing prominently featured the NIH event. "Everything else (but the rainout) went really hunkydory," said R&W President Randy Schools. "People really enjoy it." He said that, drawn by the Times article, guests arrived by shuttle from New York City to Ahhh, a moonlit night, a film projector, and thee... view films here, and that several ----. businessmen from Long Beach, ..., Calif., came out to see the series in order to plan a similar event for the Los Angeles/Long Beach area. "The film series also made all the local television news broadcasts," Schools added. ~ He noted one mishap that was 1 funny only in retrospect: a late- Crowds gather arriving guest, thinking the event before dusk to was a real drive-in, pulled her car into the parking claim p,·ime real lot between Stone House and Bldg. 16A, and estate in the proceeded to hop the curb and head down the grass viewing amphithe before police and organizers halted her vehicle. ater. "The location is great, plus the movies are good choices," said Seth Coppock. "It's nice to have the vendors-we'll buy dessert. But it's also nice that we can bring in our own food too if we want." "It's different, a unique alternative to everyday life," said Cory Kenworthy. "It's outside, free, relaxing and a great way to spend a summer evening." Added Carole Berman, "It's fun, conve nient, and a great atmosphere. You see all different Clutching theil' teddy bears (above) before the movie one night are guests who gathered to celebrate the 10th types of people here." Guest Ellen Mennie said, birthday of Laura Sheys (second from /). They are (from " It's something the whole l) Lacy Leibovitz, 9, of Bethesda, Kristen Rupp, 8, Karen family can do together." Sheys (kneeling), 7, and Lil-y Oyler, 9. Below, a picnick Three NIH-related charities ing group poses for a shot from their encampme1-:t on the the Friends of the Clinical lawn behind Natcher Bldg. Center, Special Love, Inc., and the Children's Inn-split proceeds raised from donations and from sales by vendors ringing the grassy amphitheater where the screen was erected. Sponsors of the event included The lights from Comcast, Geico, KSI Realty vendor row and Bethesda Court Hotel. illuminate the Despite daunting expenses for the giant screen, guests at the sound system, a projectionist/projector and movie Outdoor Film rental ($400 per film), Schools said the annual Festival. filmfest is so successful that it will likely remain a summer staple on campus. Iii STETTEN LECTURE, CONTIJIIIJED FROM PAGE 1 with ease all the time-is a complicated puzzle that another NlGMS grantee, Dr. Thomas Cech of the will keep researchecs busy for decades to come. Dr. University of Colorado at Boulder and the Howard C. David Allis of the University of Virginia will be Hughes Medical Institute, the 1989 Nobel prize in narrating the latest chapter on how our cells trans chemistry-for figuring out that the genetic material late pieces of DNA into a meaningful message at this RNA can work as an enzyme. year's DeWitt Stetten Jr. Lecture. Allis will describe Scientists like Allis, Cech and countless others use his research untangling the functions of chromatin, so-called lower organisms like Tetrahymena to structures inside our cells that package genes. The address fundamental questions that pervade biology. talk will be held oo Wednesday, Oct. 17 at 3 p.m. in Such systems are simple, but they retain important Dr. Martin H. Masur Auditorium, Bldg. 10. Goldrosen was similarities to the workings of animal and human recently appointed Allis is a pioneer in research that aims to clarify cells. chief of the Office how cells contain and protect their most precious "Forget about what you do in the lab, look at what of Scientific cargo, DNA, in protein-rich assemblies that are nature did," says Allis, citing the molecules and Review at the collectively called chromatin. In a sense, chromatin cellular processes that recur over and over again National Center acts as a gatekeeper for our genes, regulating access throughout the biological kingdom. for Complemen to DNA by cellular equipment that decodes genes. He says he is extremely grateful for years of NIH tary and Alterna His groundbreaking studies have begun to reveal funding to work with "offbeat" model organisms. tive Medicine. that a key step in how cells interpret their genetic "The implications for human biology and disease The office is code involves actually finding certain genes inside are far-reaching," he says. responsible for the chromatin. A cell's gene-decoding machinery is peer review ofall Allis earned a bachelor's degree in biology from the grant applications drawn to proteins in chromatin that have been University of Cincinnati io 1973 and a doctorate in assigned to "marked" with a variety of natural chemical tags. biology from Indiana University in 1978. He was NCCAM. He will Putting on these tags and taking them off, Allis has on the faculty at Baylor College of Medicine from help ensure found, is a critical aspect of targeting a cell's gene 1981 to 1990, at Syracuse University from 1990 to quality, objectivity reading activities. 1995, and at the University of Rochester from 1995 and accountability In recent years, Allis' lab has helped to discover to 1998. Since 1998, he has been the Harry F. Byrd, in the grants and several of the cellular systems that careflilly balance Jr. professor of biochemistry and molecular genetics, contracts peer the chromatin-marking chemical tags, called acetyl, professor of microbiology, and member of the review process. phosphate and methyl groups. These units get Center for Cell Signaling at the University of He will also attached to histones, the principal protein building Virginia Health Sciences Center. He has won several coordinate blocks of chromatin that wind DNA into a protec activities to awards for both teaching and research, and is an evaluate the tive spool.