November 2017 Asbmb Today 1 President’S Message
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CONTENTS NEWS FEATURES PERSPECTIVES 2 18 31 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE A MODEL IN THE WILD DUE DILIGENCE Keep your data safe 3 28 NEWS FROM THE HILL ANNUAL MEETING 32 Thinking about the future of funding How mentoring moments are made CAREER INSIGHTS Transitioning from science to science writing 4 18 MEMBER UPDATE The tiny mouse 34 lemur is one of RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT Madagascar’s most 7 abundant species Becoming a scientist-educator NEWS and a promising model for the Ph.D. student wins Tabor award study of human for long-distance factor work lung disease. 32 8 JOURNAL NEWS 8 The path of Parkinson’s proteins 28 9 New insights into bacterial toxins 10 Solo project on insulinlike growth factors 12 Obesity and cholesterol in teen boys 13 We shall know thine enemy, honey bee 14 From the journals 34 12 13 31 NOVEMBER 2017 ASBMB TODAY 1 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE THE MEMBER MAGAZINE OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY It’s time for advocacy OFFICERS COUNCIL MEMBERS By Natalie Ahn Natalie Ahn Squire J. Booker President Victoria J. DeRose Wayne Fairbrother try to not be vexed by what’s in undermining his ability to concentrate Gerald Hart Rachel Green President Elect Blake Hill the news, but some days I just can- and be creative. Jennifer DuBois Susan Marqusee I not help myself. The White House The ASBMB takes a forceful stand Secretary Celia A. Shiffer decision to end the Deferred Action in this debate, with public statements Takita Felder Sumter Toni M. Antalis JoAnn Trejo for Childhood Arrivals program, or and visits to Congress by the Pub- Treasurer DACA, followed by a 70-point plan lic Affairs Advisory Committee, or ASBMB TODAY EDITORIAL for tightening immigration, was a PAAC, to explain the impact of hard- EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS ADVISORY BOARD worrying addition to an increasingly line immigration and DACA policies Jin Zhang Rajini Rao Wilfred van der Donk Chair nativist tone from our government on science. Stay abreast at the ASBMB Co-chairs, 2018 Annual Charles Brenner and undue harassment and detention Policy Blotter (policy.asbmb.org). Meeting Program Past Chair National policies affect all of us Committee of individuals trying to travel. Ana Maria Barral who care about maintaining a well- Cheryl Bailey Floyd “Ski” Chilton I take this personally; my father is Chair, Education and Henrik Dohlman an immigrant, as were my mother’s trained scientific workforce and a fer- Professional Development Peter J. Kennelly parents. The proposed plans discount tile environment for discovery. There Committee Beronda Montgomery the contributions by foreign-born is a need for scientists to unify voices, Daniel Raben A. Maureen Rouhi stand up and be heard on issues that Chair, Meetings Committee Melissa Vaught residents to U.S. prosperity. In 2016, Binks W. Wattenberg their economic impact was $2 trillion, will impact the future. Therefore, as Sonia Flores we did in April when we marched in Chair, Minority Affairs as estimated by the National Acad- Committee ASBMB TODAY many cities, we must all contribute as Angela Hopp emy of Sciences. The Cato Institute, Susannna Greer advocates for science. Executive Editor, a libertarian think tank, predicts that Chair, Public Outreach [email protected] The PAAC has developed tools to Committee deportation of DACA recipients — Comfort Dorn teach us how to do this. They host Matthew S. Gentry who tend to be better educated, with Managing Editor, webinars to provide us with informa- Chair, Public Affairs [email protected] 17 percent pursuing advanced degrees Advisory Committee tion and training. They mobilize and John Arnst — would reduce economic growth Amnon Kohen Science Writer, teach us how to engage with our own Chair, Publications [email protected] by $280 billion over 10 years. A hard congressional leaders via phone calls, Committee Valery Masterson line on immigration policy impacts letters and/or personal meetings, Designer, Lila M. Gierasch every enterprise, including the life which is the most effective way to Editor-in-chief, JBC [email protected] Ed Marklin sciences, where nearly 60 percent of inform policy leaders about the impact A. L. Burlingame Web Editor, postdoctoral fellows are temporary Editor, MCP of their decisions. Additionally, they [email protected] U.S. residents. The advances that Edward A. Dennis Allison Frick monitor, research and respond to Editor-in-chief, JLR Media Specialist, we enjoy have always been fueled by political and funding policies, and [email protected] William L. Smith the work of individuals from around engage with legislative groups as well Editor-in-chief, JLR Barbara Gordon the world, and the U.S. has been a Executive Director, as federal funding agencies. I urge [email protected] training destination for decades. It is everyone to sign up now for the Grass- hard to see the logic of policies that roots Advocacy Network (asbmb.org/ jeopardize our ability to attract the Advocacy). Get involved to sustain the For information on advertising, contact Pharmaceutical Media Inc. at 212-904-0374 or [email protected]. best and brightest. future of scientific research. Beyond economic impact is the loss And if you’re not an ASBMB of dignity. At a recent American Soci- member, please join. If you’re already ety for Biochemistry and Molecular a member, enlist a colleague. Help the Biology Student Chapters Committee society represent you — and work for www.asbmb.org/asbmbtoday meeting, members told of undergrad- you — by joining our community. PRINT ISSN 2372-0409 uates whose morale and confidence have been wrecked by a menacing Natalie Ahn political atmosphere. I see this in my ([email protected]) of the Articles published in ASBMB Today reflect solely the authors’ views and not the University of Colorado, Boulder, is official positions of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology own lab. Apprehension has stoked or the institutions with which the authors are affiliated. Mentions of products or president of the ASBMB. services are not endorsements. fear and anger in one of my trainees, 2 ASBMB TODAY NOVEMBER 2017 NEWS FROM THE HILL We’re thinking about the future of funding — and looking for your two cents By Benjamin Corb he National Institutes of Health investigators within the 25th percen- NIH with feedback on the NGRI as has issued not one but two pro- tile of scored proposals. Additionally, the plan develops — representing the T posals this year aimed at funding more emphasis would be placed on needs of our community and work- as many grants and as many investi- existing programs to support early- ing to see that NIH actions support gators as possible, even if the pot of and mid-career investigators, such young scientists but that the support money for grants is not increasing. as the NIH Common Fund’s New is balanced and ensures a sustain- Specifically, NIH leaders are con- Innovator Awards. The NIH also able future. In fact, the PAAC cares cerned about how to ensure that the would develop and test metrics to so greatly about this issue that it has research enterprise is taking the steps assess and ensure that the initiative created a working group charged with necessary to support the next genera- meets its goals. The NIH will develop proposing innovative ideas to support tion of researchers. NGRI implementation plans over the the next generation of scientists. In the spring, the NIH announced next year. This is where you fit in! We invite a plan for spreading funding more When introducing the NGRI, NIH you to help develop a proposal from widely among funded investigators, Director Francis S. Collins wrote, the ground floor. Imagine you have a the Grant Support Index, or GSI. Its “We are shifting toward a bold, more blank piece of paper: goal was to cap the number of dollars focused approach to bolster support • What are the largest issues facing an investigator could receive so as to to early- and mid-career investiga- the community today? ensure maximum productivity. The tors while we continue to work with • What policies should be re-evalu- proposal received significant commu- experts on approaches to evaluate our ated when it comes to supporting the nity comment, both supporting and research portfolio.” next generation? opposing, and ultimately was aban- As we wrote in the ASBMB Policy • What initiatives work in other doned by NIH leaders. Blotter this summer, the NGRI places that the NIH should consider? Out of the failed GSI came a new addresses the difficulties that early- The PAAC urges you to reach out idea, the NIH’s Next Generation and mid-career investigators face in to us and share your thoughts. They Researcher Initiative, or NGRI, a plan getting funding for their research and can be as detailed or as broad as you to increase success rates for early-stage aims to achieve long-term stability for like — a one-sentence comment or investigators and for investigators those developing independent research a 10-page proposal. We’ll share and about to lose all their funding. The careers. exchange ideas in this space and NIH would rearrange priorities to The American Society for Bio- online. Together, we can build a case free up at least $210 million per year, chemistry and Molecular Biology for where the NIH should focus its ramping up eventually to $1.1 billion public affairs staff and Public Affairs attention, assuming its intention is to per year, to fund grants by early-career Advisory Committee are providing the support the next generation. Post your comments under the topic “The future of funding” at Interested in science policy? asbmbtoday.submittable.com/submit. Follow our blog for news, analysis and commentary on policy issues affecting Benjamin Corb ([email protected]) is director of scientists, research funding and society.