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Cell Biology News Vol.4 (1) April 2011

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Cell Biology News Vol.4 (1) April 2011 Cell Biology News Vol.4 (1) April 2011 IN THIS ISSUE A Tribute to Barry and Judi Shur New Faces in Cell Biology Notable Articles and Commentaries Books and Websites Opus Cellula (Publications) Cell Biology: Under the Lens Graduate Student Corner Life in the Department A tribute to Barry and Judi Shur – Atlanta, Emory University and the De- partment of Cell Biology 1996 – 2010. We will all deeply miss Judi and Barry Shur who have been our friends, mentors and colleagues for the last 14 years. These were very special years due to Judi’s and Barry’s care for the Department and for each of us. Barry set a very high stand of scholarly achievement and professionalism, leading by example and treating everyone with dignity. Barry is a wise and enthusiastic mentor and generous leader with a great sense of humor. We will miss Judi and Barry, look forward to meeting again and wish them the best in their new Colorado home. Thank you Judi and Barry. New Faces in Cell Biology Alexa Mattheyses PhD. Instructor in Cell Biology Director of the ENNCF Micros- copy and Image Analysis Core The focus of my research is to develop novel fluorescence microscopy and data analysis techniques to answer questions in cell biology. I am espe- cially interested in exploiting basic properties of light and fluorescence to investigate the dynamics and func- tions of proteins inside living cells. My background is very interdisciplinary, encompassing the development and application of novel and advanced mi- croscopy techniques to a variety of bi- ological questions including dynamics in endocytosis, mitochondrial mem- brane permeability in apoptosis, and the structure and function of the nucle- ar pore complex. Select examples of techniques and their applications from my work include: polarized FRET to detect fast protein-protein interactions, fluorescence anisotropy to study orientation and organization of protein domains relative to a larger structure, and variants of TIRF microscopy to differentiate between protein dynamics and plasma membrane/vesicle dynam- ics. I plan to continue developing novel techniques to shed light on difficult biological problems. In addition, I am the technical director of the ENNCF Microscopy and Image Analysis Core located on the 4th and 5th floors of the Whitehead building. In this role I strive to provide researchers with the tools and knowledge they need to successfully conduct fluorescence microscopy experiments. This includes providing consulting, one-on-one trainings, and educational seminars. I am also spearheading efforts to bring new imaging technology to Emory with a special focus on TIRF and super resolution microscopy. New Faces in Cell Biology Maureen Wirschell PhD. Research Assistant Professor My research focus is to un- derstand the regulation and assembly of cilia and the dynein motors using the model experimental system Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. In particular, studies of cilia in Chlamydomonas has pio- neered our current under- standing of human diseases/ syndromes that are caused by ciliary defects; these pa- thologies are collectively called “ciliopathies” and in- clude obesity, cardiovascular defects (developmental heart looping and left-right pat- terning defects), polycystic kidney disease and cell pro- liferation defects including cancer just to name a few. Thus, studies conducted us- ing model organisms, like Chlamydomonas, can elucidate fundamental mechanisms for important biological processes; highlighting the importance of basic science in discoveries related to human health and diseases. My focus on cilia and the dynein motors began in graduate school when I worked with Dr. George B. Witman on assembly of the outer dynein arm—an impor- tant ciliary dynein that provides much of the power for ciliary move- ment. I continued my studies with Dr. Winfield S. Sale to study cili- ary dynein assembly and regulation for my postdoctoral training. With Win, I continued my training as a scientist at the bench, but also Win helped craft my impression of what a mentor should be. These strengths will serve me well in my independent position here in Cell Biology. My home life revolves around my son, Ryan Lawrence, who is now almost 4 years old and my husband (and other child!), Roberto—who is not 4 years old but wishes he was! They both love cars, trucks, tractors and trains. New Faces in Cell Biology David Katz PhD. Assistant Professor Going back to the earliest days of biology, scientists have been aware of the extensive epigenetic reprogramming that must occur during the transition from gametes to the em- bryo. Recently, the field has even been able to marginally recapitulate this process; deriv- ing stem cells from adult fibroblasts using the induced pluripotent stem cell process (iPS). However, the mechanisms of this reprogram- ming remain almost a complete mystery. As graduate student in Shirley Tilghman’s lab at Princeton University, I studied the role of chromatin in regulating genomic imprint- ing. During these studies I became intrigued by how epigenetic mechanisms could func- tion to completely reverse the transcriptional states of imprinted genes during each pas- sage through the germline. This fascination pushed me towards postdoctoral work in the lab of Bill Kelly where we generated, in the worm C. elegans, the first direct evidence for an epigenetic reprogramming mechanism at fertilization. Today, my lab is broadening these stud- ies in both C. elegans and mouse to try and understand the function of epigenetics dur- ing changes in cell fate. We are interested in the idea that histone modifications can serve as a heritable transcription memory and we would like to understand how this memory is regulated in vivo and during stem cell thera- peutics. We are also interested in the possi- bility that human disease could result from the inappropriate transmission of epigenetic memory. Since its inception last September, the labo- ratory has quickly grown to 5 members. We have enjoyed getting to know the Cell Biol- ogy Department and are particularly proud to boast that we recently annihilated the Moberg Lab in the NCAA March Madness pool. Outside of the Cell Biology Department (but not too far) I am married to Tamara Cas- pary in the Human Genetics Department. We spend most of our time with our soon to be 4 year old twins, Simon and Anna, who enjoy encouraging me to score goals during my other passion, playing soccer. New Faces in Cell Biology Wilfried Rossol PhD. Research Assistant Professor I was first introduced to real bench work at the Research Institute of Molecular Patholo- gy (IMP), where I did my graduate research on the cell cycle of the yeast Saccharomy- ces cerevisiae. After I received my PhD in Genetics from the University of Vienna, I felt the desire to work on something more directly disease-related. I chose the Institute for Clinical Neurobiology of the University of Würzburg for my postdoctoral training, where I developed a keen interest in how deficiencies in neuronal mRNA processing may underlie the development of several devastating neurodegenerative diseases. I took the opportunity to move to Emory to work as Instructor and now Research As- sistant Professor with Gary Bassell, who has been always been a great mentor for my transition into an independent research posi- tion with my own research funding. Gary and I share an interest in the role of mRNA transport and local translation in neurons and their dysfunction in neurological diseases. One of my main projects is to study the biological role of the spinal muscu- lar atrophy (SMA) disease protein SMN in the development and maintenance of motor neurons. More recently, I have also started a research program on the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) disease protein TDP-43. These disor- ders are characterized by a very selective degeneration of motor neurons. It is one of the great unsolved mysteries in the field, how mutations in ubiquitous housekeeping genes can lead to the loss of a very specific subtype of neurons. Since I believe that the answer to this question lies in unique properties and requirements of this cell type, I have dedicated a lot of effort into establishing primary motor neuron cultures and compartmentalized cultures of stem cell- derived motor neurons. Together with my colleagues, I am also working on the development of high content screens to address the urgent need for effective drugs for the treatment for SMA. Notable Articles and Commentaries Advocating for the Cell Sequences and consequences. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2010 365(1537):207-12. This article by Sidney Brenner, 2002 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, discusses the concept that the right organization level to understand modern biology is the cell instead of systems biol- ogy , a novel discipline. ...”The genome must therefore form the kernel of any theory we construct but since trans- forming the information in a genome into the final living organism involves many compli- cated processes mediated by molecules specified in the genome, all of this will need to be known in considerable detail before we can read and understand genomes. There is no simple way to map organisms onto their genomes once they have reached a certain level of complex- ity. Thus while the genome sequence is central, it is a level of abstraction which is too cryptic to be used for the organization of data and the derivation of theoretical models. Proposals to base everything on the genome sequence by annotating it with additional data will only increase its opacity. The correct level of abstraction is the cell. The cell is the fundamental unit of structure, function and organization of living systems— something we have known for 180 years. This is the key feature of what I have called Cellmap, a design for a biological information system that will allow us not only to handle the vast accumulation of data but also to generate and test hypotheses.
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