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Lipid Research at Rutgers May 2008 ASBMB 2008 ELECTION RESULTS INSIDE Lipid Research at Rutgers May 2008 American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology ),#''' KX^^\[FI=:cfe\j `eZcl[`e^k_\fe\jpflnXek Kil\FI= ]fikX^^\[gifk\`e\ogi\jj`fe E$KX^j :$KX^j $9CB $9KB $9CB $9CB Kil\FI=\eXYc\jk_\\ogi\jj`fef]k_\\eZf[\[kiXejZi`gkXjX ?`j$?8$9CB ?8$9CB DpZ$=C8> DpZ$=C8> :$k\id`eXccpkX^^\[gifk\`en`k_DpZXe[=C8> \g`kfg\j#]XZ`c`kXk`e^ ?`j$=C8> >=G ?8$9CB DpZ$=C8> ?`j$?8$9CB dlck`gc\Xggc`ZXk`fejk_Xklk`c`q\XeXek`$kX^Xek`Yf[p#jlZ_Xj Xek`$?`j gifk\`e[\k\Zk`fe#gifk\`egli`ÔZXk`fe#jlYZ\cclcXicfZXc`qXk`fe#\kZ% Xek`$?8 >\efd\$n`[\Zfm\iX^\ Xek`$DpZ J\hl\eZ\m\i`Ô\[Xe[^lXiXek\\[ K_\:$k\id`eXc[lXckX^f]DpZXe[=C8> Xek`$=cX^ KiXej]\Zk`fe$i\X[p1Gifm`[\[Xj('l^f]gli`Ô\[gcXjd`[ Xek`$9KB <Xjpj_lkkc`e^`ekf)'kX^^\[m\Zkfijlj`e^Gi\Z`j`feJ_lkkc\ jpjk\d Xek`$9CB K_\N\jk\ieYcfkXeXcpj`jf]?<B)0* Z\cccpjXk\fm\i$\ogi\jj`e^9CBfi =C8> `jXi\^`jk\i\[kiX[\dXibf]J`^dX$8c[i`Z_ 9KBkX^^\[n`k_`e[`ZXk\[\g`kfg\j% ($///$)-.$++*-fi`^\e\%Zfd ORG-027-ORFSketchV7.indd 1 1/24/08 4:45:45 PM contents MAY 2008 ON THE COVER: A look at the Rutgers society news Center for Lipid Research and some of the scientists 2 From the Editor who work there. 26 3 President’s Message 5 Washington Update 7 A Facelift for www.ASBMB.org 10 ASBMB 2008 Election Results 12 Special ASBMB Sponsored Symposium: Post-translational Modifications 13 ASBMB Small Meeting on Cellular Lipid Transport and Human Disease 14 A New Sphingolipids Review Series in JLR special interest 15 Presenting… PowerPoint 2007 ASBMB unveils a new Web site. 7 sciencentric 26 The Rutgers Center for Lipid Research science focus 30 Ohara Augusto: Detecting Free Radicals in Biology departments 6 News from the Hill 8 Member Spotlight 17 Education and Training 20 Minority Affairs Free Radicals in Biology. 30 22 Career Insights 24 BioBits resources podcast summary 34 Career Opportunities Download the April ASBMB AudioPhiles MCP News Podcast and hear summaries of some articles 34 For Your Lab that appear in a special section of MCP highlighting some of the research presented this past August 36 Scientific Meeting Calendar at the 8th International Symposium on Mass Spectrometry in the Health and Life Sciences. This and other podcasts are available at: http://www.faseb.org/asbmb/media/media.asp May 2008 ASBMB Today 1 firstsecond from words the editor A monthly publication of The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology A New Science Series Officers BY NICOLE KRESGE Heidi E. Hamm President Gregory A. Petsko President-Elect Mark A. Lemmon Secretary Merle S. Olson Treasurer his month, ASBMB Today is launching a new section to complement Council Members Tour Science Focus stories that profile exciting and innovative ASBMB Alan Hall Kuan-Teh Jeang Suzanne R. Pfeffer Linda J. Pike researchers. Called ScienCentric, this new section will cover research centers John D. Scott Joan A. Steitz and institutes in an effort to better spotlight some of the collaborative, mul- Kevin Struhl James A. Wells tidisciplinary efforts helping answer fundamental questions in biology and Ex-Officio Members pave the way for medical breakthroughs. Ellis Bell Chair, Education and Professional Perhaps fittingly, our first ScienCentric story looks at the Rutgers Center Development Committee for Lipid Research (RCLR) in New Jersey, a new center that was just formed Laurie S. Kaguni this past December following a grassroots initiative undertaken by several Chair, Meeting Committee George Hill faculty members. Chair, Minority Affairs Committee We hope to continue publishing ScienCentric pieces on a semi-regular Kendall J. Blumer basis, and although we have some future centers already in the works, we Anna Marie Pyle Co-chairs, 2008 Program Committee always welcome suggestions and nominations. It doesn’t matter whether the Mary J. C. Hendrix center has 5 members or 50, if it’s in New York City or New South Wales; if Chair, Public Affairs Advisory Committee Robert E. Rhoads you’re part of an academic or private institute that has an interesting history, Chair, Publications Committee is tackling an underappreciated area of research, or just has an amazing col- Herbert Tabor lection of talent that deserves recognition, feel free to email us at asbmbto- Editor, JBC Ralph A. Bradshaw [email protected] if you would like to be included in the series. A. L. Burlingame Co-editors, MCP ASBMB Meetings Edward A. Dennis Editor, JLR Many of you probably attended our Annual Meeting in San Diego this past ASBMB Today April. In the next issue of the magazine we will have extensive coverage of Editorial Advisory Board the events, lectures, and symposia that were held at the meeting. But right Alex Toker now, it’s not too early to begin thinking about the next meeting you’ll be Chair Greg P. Bertenshaw Craig E. Cameron attending. This fall, ASBMB will be supporting the following three special A. Stephen Dahms Irwin Fridovich symposia: Richard W. Hanson Elizabeth A. Komives • Cellular Lipid Transport: Connecting Fundamental Membrane Assembly Bettie Sue Masters Luke A. O’Neill Duanqing Pei Carol C. Shoulders Processes to Human Disease, October 22-26 in Alberta, Canada Robert D. Wells • Post-translational Modifications: Detection and Physiological Evaluation, ASBMB Today October 23-26 in Lake Tahoe, CA Nicole Kresge Editor • Transcriptional Regulation by Chromatin and RNA Polymerase II, [email protected] October 16-20, 2008 in Lake Tahoe, CA Nick Zagorski Science Writer [email protected] Nancy J. Rodnan Director of Publications This issue of ASBMB Today features overviews of the Cellular Lipid [email protected] Transport and Post-translational Modification meetings. To register for the Barbara Gordon Executive Director [email protected] meetings go to www.asbmb.org/meetings. And don’t forget to mark your Magazine design & production: Amy Phifer calendars for the 2009 ASBMB Annual Meeting that will be held in New Orleans from April 18 to 22! For information on advertising contact FASEB AdNet at 800-433-2732 ext. 7157 or 301-634-7157, or E-mail [email protected]. www.asbmb.org 2 ASBMB Today May 2008 president’smessage ASBMB Public Affairs— Two Years of Continued Progress BY HEIDI HAMM or almost 2 years now, I have used of you will have Fthis space to express my concerns the opportunity about the state of federally funded sci- Many of the to meet her between now and then. If ence and have implored our member- you know a newly minted Ph.D. not ship to take an active role in helping pressing past the post-doctoral stage in his or shape the policies that affect biomedical concerns we her career who has shown an inter- researchers. In fact, looking back at my est in public policy and is interested first column, one finds a call for scien- faced 2 years in applying for the fellowship at some tists to get involved and contact their point, please have that individual get legislators in response to the proposed ago are just in touch with Angela or Pete Farnham, flat funding of the National Institutes of our Director of Public Affairs, at the Health (NIH). as relevant ASBMB office in Bethesda. Unfortunately, many of the pressing today and the Regardless of whether our sci- concerns we faced 2 years ago are just ence policy fellows return to research as relevant today—but this does not last couple careers or transition into the policy mean we have not made a difference. field, we should not underestimate the The last couple of years have seen a of years importance of having individuals who significant increase in the public affairs are well versed in the complexities and advocacy activities of ASBMB, and have seen a of biomedical research as well as the I hope we will continue to build on this significant processes by which policies affecting success in the future. research are made, whether they be in In 2007 we initiated a science policy increase in the lab down the hall or in the halls of fellowship program to bring recently Congress. graduated Ph.D.s into the public affairs the public In the area of grass roots advocacy, office in Bethesda for a year to “learn several efforts have been made to the ropes” of federal science policy and affairs and increase the activity and contact with advocacy. The goal of this program is to our Local Advocates Network (LAN), a train young scientists to get involved in advocacy group comprised of ASBMB members science policy issues and possibly even activities of that have volunteered to contact their pursue future careers in policy. Several legislators when critical policy deci- organizations have spoken up about the ASBMB. sions are being made. To keep our LAN importance of bringing more scientists involved and up-to-date, a monthly out of the lab and into the realm of pub- e-newsletter, ASBMB Advocate, was lic service, and we hope this fellowship started and provides brief summa- will provide a mechanism for recruiting young civic- ries of current “hot topics” along with links to more minded scientists into future political engagement. information. We have received several positive com- We have been very fortunate in our selection for our ments regarding this e-newsletter and believe it will be first year’s fellow. Angela Hvitved, a recent Ph.D. from a valuable tool in keeping our members informed and Rice University, has taken the position by storm and is engaged.
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