This year marks the 200th birthday of pioneering naturalist Charles Darwin and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his book "The Origin of Species," truly a landmark work that changed the world. Celebrations and tributes, both large and small, are scheduled around the globe this year, and many are already under way.
At The Florida State University, two-time Pulitzer-Prize winning author and world-renowned biologist E.O. Wilson will be among the headliners of a two-week-long celebration of what discoveries in science and the humanities have meant to modern civilization.
Wilson will join acclaimed Harvard cosmologist Lisa Randall; famed anthropologist Don Johanson (co-discoverer of "Lucy," the world's most famous fossil); Sean B. Carroll, noted biologist and author; and Ira Flatow of National Public Radio's "Science Friday," among many others, for the program, which begins March 16 and runs through March 28.
Unlike many tributes scheduled around the nation and the world, Florida State's program, named "Origins '09," is designed to go beyond Darwin's legacy and show how the evolution of ideas in fields ranging from physics to art have shaped what humans know not only about life and nature but what that knowledge poses for the future. The program will culminate in a special tribute to the origins of jazz by a collaboration of musicians and performers from Florida State's College of Music and from Florida A&M University.
"Origins '09" is being sponsored by Florida State's Office of Research and is co-sponsored by Florida State's College of Medicine and the Tallahassee Scientific Society. It's all part of a tribute to 2009 as the Year of Science, a national designation inspired by the 200th birthday of Darwin (Feb. 12).
Major funding for this event is being provided by the Florida Humanities Council. All events are free and open to the public. For the full schedule of events, as well as more information, visit origins.fsu.
Source: Frank Stephenson
Florida State University
четверг, 26 мая 2011 г.
Protein Key To Organ Growth
When amounts of a small protein called TCTP (translationally controlled tumor protein) are reduced in the cells of fruit flies, they are smaller than normal, indicating that the protein plays a major role in the growth and proliferation of cells, said researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in a report in current issue of the journal Nature.
Work in his laboratory shows that TCTP plays a role in regulating Rheb (Ras homologue enriched in brain), a protein controlling growth and differentiation, and may give clues to treatment of a particular benign disease called tuberous sclerosis that is associated with the control exerted through the same pathway, said Dr. Kwang-Wook Choi, associate professor of molecular and cellular biology at BCM and his colleagues.
When flies completely lack the protein, they do not live very long. However, when flies have only a little TCTP in their cells, they are very small, said Choi. Graduate student Ya-Chieh Hsu, through a series of studies that concentrated on the effect of the protein on the eyes and wings, elucidated the role of TCTP in the cell.
"She was able to show genetically and biochemically that TCTP is directly involved in regulating Rheb function so that it regulates cell size as well as cell numbers. We found that in the case of dysfunction, the eyes and wings get smaller," said Choi. "If you completely knock out this function in the eye, they have no eyes."
TCTP was of interest because it is over-expressed or overabundant in cancer cells.
"If you reduce the levels of TCTP, tumor cells revert to normal in the laboratory," said Choi. However, in their studies of fruit flies, Choi and his colleagues found when the protein is lacking, it has a profound effect on flies. However, too much does not cause tumor growth. Choi is also a faculty member of the BCM Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.
Others involved in the research include Drs. Joshua J. Chern of BCM and Yi Cai and Mingyao Liu of the Institute of Biosciences and Technology of Texas A&M University System Health Science Center in Houston.
Funding for this research comes from the National Institutes of Health.
Click here to see the report..
Contact: Laura Madden-Fuentes
Baylor College of Medicine
Work in his laboratory shows that TCTP plays a role in regulating Rheb (Ras homologue enriched in brain), a protein controlling growth and differentiation, and may give clues to treatment of a particular benign disease called tuberous sclerosis that is associated with the control exerted through the same pathway, said Dr. Kwang-Wook Choi, associate professor of molecular and cellular biology at BCM and his colleagues.
When flies completely lack the protein, they do not live very long. However, when flies have only a little TCTP in their cells, they are very small, said Choi. Graduate student Ya-Chieh Hsu, through a series of studies that concentrated on the effect of the protein on the eyes and wings, elucidated the role of TCTP in the cell.
"She was able to show genetically and biochemically that TCTP is directly involved in regulating Rheb function so that it regulates cell size as well as cell numbers. We found that in the case of dysfunction, the eyes and wings get smaller," said Choi. "If you completely knock out this function in the eye, they have no eyes."
TCTP was of interest because it is over-expressed or overabundant in cancer cells.
"If you reduce the levels of TCTP, tumor cells revert to normal in the laboratory," said Choi. However, in their studies of fruit flies, Choi and his colleagues found when the protein is lacking, it has a profound effect on flies. However, too much does not cause tumor growth. Choi is also a faculty member of the BCM Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.
Others involved in the research include Drs. Joshua J. Chern of BCM and Yi Cai and Mingyao Liu of the Institute of Biosciences and Technology of Texas A&M University System Health Science Center in Houston.
Funding for this research comes from the National Institutes of Health.
Click here to see the report..
Contact: Laura Madden-Fuentes
Baylor College of Medicine
Always The Gentleman: CaMKII Opens The Door For Calcium To Enter
Aldosterone has recently been identified as a pathogenic stimulus of heart failure. It is produced by cells of the adrenal gland if their intracellular Ca2+ concentration is elevated, such as occurs after stimulation with angiotensin II. Although Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII) is known to regulate the Ca2+ channels (such as a1H T-type Ca2+ channels) that must be opened to maintain the elevated concentration of intracellular Ca2+ that is required to sustain the production of aldosterone, its mechanism of action had not been determined. Now, in a study appearing online on August 17 in advance of print publication in the September issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Paula Barrett and colleagues from Virginia University School of Medicine have shown that in both activated cells in culture and rats infused with angiotensin II, CaMKII phosphorylates a serine residue of a1H T-type Ca2+ channels, which leads to an increase in the intracellular Ca2+ concentration. Blocking this phosphorylation step in rats decreased the amount of aldosterone produced in response to angiotensin II. This study provides new insight into the molecular mechanisms by which CaMKII regulates a1H T-type Ca2+ channels and might provide new therapeutic approaches to regulating aldosterone production.
TITLE: Molecular basis for the modulation of native T-type Ca2+ channels in vivo by Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II
AUTHOR CONTACT:
Paula Q. Barrett
University of Virginia School of Medicine
Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
View the PDF of this article at: https://the-jci/article.php?id=27918
JCI table of contents: August 17, 2006
Contact: Karen Honey
Journal of Clinical Investigation
TITLE: Molecular basis for the modulation of native T-type Ca2+ channels in vivo by Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II
AUTHOR CONTACT:
Paula Q. Barrett
University of Virginia School of Medicine
Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
View the PDF of this article at: https://the-jci/article.php?id=27918
JCI table of contents: August 17, 2006
Contact: Karen Honey
Journal of Clinical Investigation
Liver Fibrogenesis And The Role Of TSP-1
In rats with diethyl nitrosamine induced cirrhosis, TSP-1 expression has been found to correlate with the progression of fibrosis. Furthermore, TSP-1 expression was higher in rat livers with high vascular density - in other words, angiogenesis. This study, performed by a team led by Dr. Gulsum Ozlem Elpek, is described in a research article published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology.
Thrombospondin 1 (TSP-1) is involved in complex processes including wound healing and angiogenesis. In non-neoplastic diseases of the liver, although the association of TSP-1 with latent transforming growth factor - beta1 (TGF- beta1) has been demonstrated in a few studies, the relationship between TSP-1 and angiogenesis during liver fibrogenesis has not been documented.
TSP-1 expression strongly correlates with fibrogenesis and angiogenesis in experimental cirrhosis.
In the view of the authors, the results of this study suggest TSP-1 might contribute to the wound healing response to liver injury as an inducer of angiogenesis, and could be a potential target in the manipulation of angiogenesis in chronic inflammatory liver diseases ending with cirrhosis.
The fact chronic inflammatory liver diseases respond poorly to immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory therapy shows angiogenesis might be a promising therapeutic target in the prevention of fibrosis. Recently, several antiangiogenic therapeutic strategies have been shown to suppress liver fibrosis development in experimental studies.
Using an experimental model, this research was performed by doctors from the Department of Pathology of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Akdeniz, Antalya, Turkey.
Further research should explain the exact role of TSP-1 in hepatic angiogenesis, and whether this protein could be a potential target in the manipulation of angiogenesis in chronic inflammatory liver diseases ending with cirrhosis.
Reference: Elpek GO, Gökhan GA, Bozova S. Thrombospondin-1 expression correlates with angiogenesis in experimental cirrhosis. World J Gastroenterol 2008; 14(14): 2213-2217 wjgnet/1007-9327/14/2213.asp
Correspondence to: Dr. Güzide Ayºe Gökhan, Akdeniz University, Medical School, Department of Pathology, Antalya 07070, Turkey.
About World Journal of Gastroenterology
World Journal of Gastroenterology (WJG), a leading international journal in gastroenterology and hepatology, has established a reputation for publishing first class research on esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, liver cancer, viral hepatitis, colorectal cancer, and H pylori infection for providing a forum for both clinicians and scientists. WJG has been indexed and abstracted in Current Contents/Clinical Medicine, Science Citation Index Expanded (also known as SciSearch) and Journal Citation Reports/Science Edition, Index Medicus, MEDLINE and PubMed, Chemical Abstracts, EMBASE/Excerpta Medica, Abstracts Journals, Nature Clinical Practice Gastroenterology and Hepatology, CAB Abstracts and Global Health. ISI JCR 2003-2000 IF: 3.318, 2.532, 1.445 and 0.993. WJG is a weekly journal published by WJG Press. The publication dates are the 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th day of every month. The WJG is supported by The National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 30224801 and No. 30424812, and was founded with the name of China National Journal of New Gastroenterology on October 1, 1995, and renamed WJG on January 25, 1998.
About The WJG Press
The WJG Press mainly publishes World Journal of Gastroenterology.
Source: Jing Zhu
World Journal of Gastroenterology
Thrombospondin 1 (TSP-1) is involved in complex processes including wound healing and angiogenesis. In non-neoplastic diseases of the liver, although the association of TSP-1 with latent transforming growth factor - beta1 (TGF- beta1) has been demonstrated in a few studies, the relationship between TSP-1 and angiogenesis during liver fibrogenesis has not been documented.
TSP-1 expression strongly correlates with fibrogenesis and angiogenesis in experimental cirrhosis.
In the view of the authors, the results of this study suggest TSP-1 might contribute to the wound healing response to liver injury as an inducer of angiogenesis, and could be a potential target in the manipulation of angiogenesis in chronic inflammatory liver diseases ending with cirrhosis.
The fact chronic inflammatory liver diseases respond poorly to immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory therapy shows angiogenesis might be a promising therapeutic target in the prevention of fibrosis. Recently, several antiangiogenic therapeutic strategies have been shown to suppress liver fibrosis development in experimental studies.
Using an experimental model, this research was performed by doctors from the Department of Pathology of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Akdeniz, Antalya, Turkey.
Further research should explain the exact role of TSP-1 in hepatic angiogenesis, and whether this protein could be a potential target in the manipulation of angiogenesis in chronic inflammatory liver diseases ending with cirrhosis.
Reference: Elpek GO, Gökhan GA, Bozova S. Thrombospondin-1 expression correlates with angiogenesis in experimental cirrhosis. World J Gastroenterol 2008; 14(14): 2213-2217 wjgnet/1007-9327/14/2213.asp
Correspondence to: Dr. Güzide Ayºe Gökhan, Akdeniz University, Medical School, Department of Pathology, Antalya 07070, Turkey.
About World Journal of Gastroenterology
World Journal of Gastroenterology (WJG), a leading international journal in gastroenterology and hepatology, has established a reputation for publishing first class research on esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, liver cancer, viral hepatitis, colorectal cancer, and H pylori infection for providing a forum for both clinicians and scientists. WJG has been indexed and abstracted in Current Contents/Clinical Medicine, Science Citation Index Expanded (also known as SciSearch) and Journal Citation Reports/Science Edition, Index Medicus, MEDLINE and PubMed, Chemical Abstracts, EMBASE/Excerpta Medica, Abstracts Journals, Nature Clinical Practice Gastroenterology and Hepatology, CAB Abstracts and Global Health. ISI JCR 2003-2000 IF: 3.318, 2.532, 1.445 and 0.993. WJG is a weekly journal published by WJG Press. The publication dates are the 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th day of every month. The WJG is supported by The National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 30224801 and No. 30424812, and was founded with the name of China National Journal of New Gastroenterology on October 1, 1995, and renamed WJG on January 25, 1998.
About The WJG Press
The WJG Press mainly publishes World Journal of Gastroenterology.
Source: Jing Zhu
World Journal of Gastroenterology
11 New Collaborative Research Centers to be established by DFG
Topics range from spontaneous self-organization of soft matter and neuronal systems to the origin of the Milky Way or the effect of calcium ion signals in the body.
The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) will establish eleven new Collaborative Research Centres (CRC) as of 1 January 2011. This decision was made recently by the responsible Grants Committee at its autumn meeting in Bonn. The new CRCs will receive a total of 94.4 million Euros (including a 20 percent programme allowance for indirect project costs) for an initial funding period of four years.
The new centres' research topics will include more efficient lift systems for commercial aircraft and new analysis methods for filtering information from large amounts of data. Other groups are concerned with fundamental questions of astrophysics, immune and cellular biology. One of the new projects is a CRC/Transregio (TRR), which is carried out across several research locations.
In addition, the Grants Committee agreed to extend 15 CRCs for an additional four-year funding period. As of January 2011, the DFG will thus be funding a total of 238 Collaborative Research Centres.
The new CRCs in detail (in order of their host institution):
In dynamic systems in physics, chemistry and biology, temporal, spatial or spatio-temporal structures often form spontaneously and are far from being in thermodynamic equilibrium. The CRC 910 "Control of self-organising non-linear systems: theoretical methods and application of concepts" plans to explore and control the self-organisation of these structures. To do so, new control concepts and methods are to be developed and, in the course of simulations and modelling, applied to selected systems The researchers intend to merge different control concepts from the field of non-linear dynamics and chaos control, classical control and optimisation theory and quantum control. The focal points are semiconductor quantum structures, soft matter and neural systems.
(Host institution: Berlin Institute of Technology, coordinator: Professor Dr. Eckehard Schöll - also involved: Free University of Berlin; Humboldt University of Berlin; Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society; Federal Institute of Physics and Technology; Weierstrass Institute for Applied Analysis and Stochastics, all in Berlin)
The CRC 880 "Fundamentals of high-lift for future commercial aircraft" aims at providing the scientific basis for a new kind of civil, low-noise aircraft. They are to be driven by new, efficient high-lift systems that can not only reduce noise, but also allow taking off and landing on short runways, which would better integrate the aircraft as a transport vehicle in peri-urban areas. The new CRC intends to increase the efficiency of the active high-lift system, particularly by reducing the power required for blowing out air over the high-lift flaps. Through the innovation of a shape-variable aerofoil, the exploration of the synergies between suction and blow-off of a pneumatically-autonomous, active high-lift system and the exploitation of the potentials of flow control, lift coefficients up to twice the values common today are believed to be possible.
(Host institution: Technical University of Brunswick, coordinator: Professor Dr.-Ing. Rolf Radespiel - also involved: the University of Hannover, the German Aerospace Center (DLR), Brunswick)
In science, but also in many other areas such as traffic navigation, more and more data is becoming available. So far, however, there is a lack of efficient methods to gain reliable information from this data - alone the size and quantity of the data mean that data processing in an acceptable time frame is very limited. What is needed therefore are innovative methods for intelligent and resource-efficient data analysis. The CRC 876 "Availability of information through analysis under resource constraints" aims at improving and developing such methods. One one hand, the researchers are focusing on the development and improvement of methods, and on the other, on improving their application in embedded systems.
(Host institution: Technical University of Dortmund, coordinator: Professor Dr. Katharina Morik - also involved: the University of Duisburg-Essen, the Leibniz-Institut fГјr Analytische Wissenschaften e.V., ISAS, Dortmund)
The processing of sensory stimuli is the basis for our interaction with the environment. Specialised signal machinery enables sensory cells and sensory neurons to perform such processing functions - dysfunctions are serious. The CRC 889 "Cellular mechanisms of sensory processing" aims at investigating the mechanisms of synaptic transmission and the function of sensory neural networks on various levels: from the role protein complexes play in sensory processing and their disorders to behaviour. The researchers do so by examining various species - flies, mice, primates - and sensory modalities - sight, hearing, smelling, feeling. This broad foundation is intended to provide access to the investigation of general principles as well as specialised mechanisms of sensory function.
(Host institution: the University of Göttingen, coordinator: Professor Dr. Tobias Moser - also involved: German Primate Centre; Max Planck Institute of Biophysical Chemistry; Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization; Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, all in Göttingen; Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot (Israel))
The study of self-organisation, cooperativity and non-linear dynamics of soft matter is the objective of the CRC 937 "Collective behaviour of soft and biological matter." Examples of objects to be examined are actin networks, biomembranes or cells. In their investigation, the researchers employ the methods and concepts of statistical physics and non-linear dynamics. By examining the adhesion of membranes or the dynamics of cell division, researchers hope to draw a comprehensive picture of the physics of biological matter. Overall, this CRC aims at contributing to a better understanding of the phenomena in polymer networks and biomembranes - an important prerequisite to describing the complex organisation and dynamics of cellular units.
(Host institution: the University of Göttingen, coordinator: Professor Dr. Annette Zippelius - also involved: Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Max Planck Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, both in Göttingen)
The Milky Way is a typical spiral galaxy and thus one of the most common class of massive galaxies in the universe. For the model-based exploration of the astrophysical processes of development it is particularly suitable - not least because of its favourable observation position. On this basis, CRC 881 "The Milky Way system" is devoted to the question of the development and functionality of the Milky Way in order to clarify fundamental principles of galaxy formation. To answer this question, the researchers will use stars as fossil indicators of chemical, dynamic evolution and trace the cosmic cycle of matter.
(Host institution: the University of Heidelberg, coordinator: Professor Dr. Eva K. Grebel; also involved: Max Planck Institute of Astronomy, Heidelberg; Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies)
Immunobiology is the major topic of the CRC 938 "Medium-specific control of immunological reactivity". It focuses on the molecular analysis of immunological processes in different tissues and organs, particularly those of humans as well as those of other model organisms. The main emphasis here is on the functional adaptation processes of immune-competent and highly mobile cells at their current location in the body. With the knowledge of these reactions it is also possible to systematically influence immune processes. The research programme includes both qualitative and quantitative investigations and researchers hope to achieve an introduction to personalised medicine and clinical application.
(Host institution: the University of Heidelberg, coordinator: Professor Dr. Stefan Meuer - also involved: German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ), Heidelberg)
Polynuclear organometallic compounds of different metals often show a collective and cooperative interaction between the metal nuclei. The ability to understand the electronic coupling of such metal atoms is a fundamental concern in the molecular sciences. The CRC/TRR 88 "Cooperative effects in homo-and hetero-metallic complexes (3MET)" based in Kaiserslautern and Karlsruhe aims at examining in particular the interactions in new hetero-metallic complexes with few transition metal atoms. It focuses on the magnetic, catalytic and photonic properties of these complexes. The structure-property relationships of these aggregates are still largely unknown - however, they offer great potential for applications such as switchable molecular magnets, catalysts and optical functional materials.
(Host institution: the Technical University of Kaiserslautern, coordinator: Professor Dr. Gereon Niedner-Schatteburg - additional applicant: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT))
Fundamental processes in interstellar space are the topic of the CRC 956 "Conditions and effects of star formation - astrophysics, instrumentation and laboratory". It is concerned with the hitherto little known physical and chemical conditions causing interstellar matter to cluster together into dense clouds and in the end create new stars. The research programme ranges from large-scale propagation of radiation and shock waves to the microphysics of the reaction processes. Together with researchers in Switzerland and the United States, the spectral signature of these phenomena is now to be examined in the sub-mm and infrared range.
(Host institution: the University of Cologne, coordinator: Professor Dr. JГјrgen Stutzki - also involved: the University of Bonn; the Max Planck Institute of Radio Astronomy, Bonn; the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Switzerland; the University of Michigan, USA)
So far, the concept of micro-compartments is used in molecular biology to describe certain prokaryotic multiprotein complexes with metabolic function. The CRC 944 "Physiology and dynamics of cellular micro-compartments" now extends this definition to apply to all cells and defines micro-compartments as functional units formed by the accumulation of proteins and lipids in a dynamic micro-environment in order to distinguish them from organelles and quaternary protein structures. The researchers are directing their attention to the function, regulation and dynamic composition of selected micro-compartments in order to derive the basic principles of their functioning. At the forefront of their research are e.g. signal transduction, membrane protein complexes or cell contacts.
(Host institution: the University of OsnabrГјck, coordinator: Professor Dr. Christian Ungermann - also involved: the University of MГјnster)
The reception, conversion and transfer of information are among the basic functions of biological systems. Among the most important signalling molecules within this context are calcium ions. They are the focus of the CRC 894 "Ca2+ signals: molecular mechanisms and integrative functions". It aims at clarifying the meaning of sub-cellular Ca2+ signals in cells and in view of the physiological behaviour of whole organs. The spectrum ranges from the molecular mechanisms of signal generation to the signal effect on the entire body. In particular, the origin and the course of elementary Ca2+ signals in cells of the immune system, central nervous system, cardiovascular system, sensory system and neuroendocrine system are to be investigated.
(Host institution: Saarland University, coordinator: Professor Dr. Jens Rettig)
Source:
Marco Finetti
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) will establish eleven new Collaborative Research Centres (CRC) as of 1 January 2011. This decision was made recently by the responsible Grants Committee at its autumn meeting in Bonn. The new CRCs will receive a total of 94.4 million Euros (including a 20 percent programme allowance for indirect project costs) for an initial funding period of four years.
The new centres' research topics will include more efficient lift systems for commercial aircraft and new analysis methods for filtering information from large amounts of data. Other groups are concerned with fundamental questions of astrophysics, immune and cellular biology. One of the new projects is a CRC/Transregio (TRR), which is carried out across several research locations.
In addition, the Grants Committee agreed to extend 15 CRCs for an additional four-year funding period. As of January 2011, the DFG will thus be funding a total of 238 Collaborative Research Centres.
The new CRCs in detail (in order of their host institution):
In dynamic systems in physics, chemistry and biology, temporal, spatial or spatio-temporal structures often form spontaneously and are far from being in thermodynamic equilibrium. The CRC 910 "Control of self-organising non-linear systems: theoretical methods and application of concepts" plans to explore and control the self-organisation of these structures. To do so, new control concepts and methods are to be developed and, in the course of simulations and modelling, applied to selected systems The researchers intend to merge different control concepts from the field of non-linear dynamics and chaos control, classical control and optimisation theory and quantum control. The focal points are semiconductor quantum structures, soft matter and neural systems.
(Host institution: Berlin Institute of Technology, coordinator: Professor Dr. Eckehard Schöll - also involved: Free University of Berlin; Humboldt University of Berlin; Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society; Federal Institute of Physics and Technology; Weierstrass Institute for Applied Analysis and Stochastics, all in Berlin)
The CRC 880 "Fundamentals of high-lift for future commercial aircraft" aims at providing the scientific basis for a new kind of civil, low-noise aircraft. They are to be driven by new, efficient high-lift systems that can not only reduce noise, but also allow taking off and landing on short runways, which would better integrate the aircraft as a transport vehicle in peri-urban areas. The new CRC intends to increase the efficiency of the active high-lift system, particularly by reducing the power required for blowing out air over the high-lift flaps. Through the innovation of a shape-variable aerofoil, the exploration of the synergies between suction and blow-off of a pneumatically-autonomous, active high-lift system and the exploitation of the potentials of flow control, lift coefficients up to twice the values common today are believed to be possible.
(Host institution: Technical University of Brunswick, coordinator: Professor Dr.-Ing. Rolf Radespiel - also involved: the University of Hannover, the German Aerospace Center (DLR), Brunswick)
In science, but also in many other areas such as traffic navigation, more and more data is becoming available. So far, however, there is a lack of efficient methods to gain reliable information from this data - alone the size and quantity of the data mean that data processing in an acceptable time frame is very limited. What is needed therefore are innovative methods for intelligent and resource-efficient data analysis. The CRC 876 "Availability of information through analysis under resource constraints" aims at improving and developing such methods. One one hand, the researchers are focusing on the development and improvement of methods, and on the other, on improving their application in embedded systems.
(Host institution: Technical University of Dortmund, coordinator: Professor Dr. Katharina Morik - also involved: the University of Duisburg-Essen, the Leibniz-Institut fГјr Analytische Wissenschaften e.V., ISAS, Dortmund)
The processing of sensory stimuli is the basis for our interaction with the environment. Specialised signal machinery enables sensory cells and sensory neurons to perform such processing functions - dysfunctions are serious. The CRC 889 "Cellular mechanisms of sensory processing" aims at investigating the mechanisms of synaptic transmission and the function of sensory neural networks on various levels: from the role protein complexes play in sensory processing and their disorders to behaviour. The researchers do so by examining various species - flies, mice, primates - and sensory modalities - sight, hearing, smelling, feeling. This broad foundation is intended to provide access to the investigation of general principles as well as specialised mechanisms of sensory function.
(Host institution: the University of Göttingen, coordinator: Professor Dr. Tobias Moser - also involved: German Primate Centre; Max Planck Institute of Biophysical Chemistry; Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization; Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, all in Göttingen; Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot (Israel))
The study of self-organisation, cooperativity and non-linear dynamics of soft matter is the objective of the CRC 937 "Collective behaviour of soft and biological matter." Examples of objects to be examined are actin networks, biomembranes or cells. In their investigation, the researchers employ the methods and concepts of statistical physics and non-linear dynamics. By examining the adhesion of membranes or the dynamics of cell division, researchers hope to draw a comprehensive picture of the physics of biological matter. Overall, this CRC aims at contributing to a better understanding of the phenomena in polymer networks and biomembranes - an important prerequisite to describing the complex organisation and dynamics of cellular units.
(Host institution: the University of Göttingen, coordinator: Professor Dr. Annette Zippelius - also involved: Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Max Planck Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, both in Göttingen)
The Milky Way is a typical spiral galaxy and thus one of the most common class of massive galaxies in the universe. For the model-based exploration of the astrophysical processes of development it is particularly suitable - not least because of its favourable observation position. On this basis, CRC 881 "The Milky Way system" is devoted to the question of the development and functionality of the Milky Way in order to clarify fundamental principles of galaxy formation. To answer this question, the researchers will use stars as fossil indicators of chemical, dynamic evolution and trace the cosmic cycle of matter.
(Host institution: the University of Heidelberg, coordinator: Professor Dr. Eva K. Grebel; also involved: Max Planck Institute of Astronomy, Heidelberg; Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies)
Immunobiology is the major topic of the CRC 938 "Medium-specific control of immunological reactivity". It focuses on the molecular analysis of immunological processes in different tissues and organs, particularly those of humans as well as those of other model organisms. The main emphasis here is on the functional adaptation processes of immune-competent and highly mobile cells at their current location in the body. With the knowledge of these reactions it is also possible to systematically influence immune processes. The research programme includes both qualitative and quantitative investigations and researchers hope to achieve an introduction to personalised medicine and clinical application.
(Host institution: the University of Heidelberg, coordinator: Professor Dr. Stefan Meuer - also involved: German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ), Heidelberg)
Polynuclear organometallic compounds of different metals often show a collective and cooperative interaction between the metal nuclei. The ability to understand the electronic coupling of such metal atoms is a fundamental concern in the molecular sciences. The CRC/TRR 88 "Cooperative effects in homo-and hetero-metallic complexes (3MET)" based in Kaiserslautern and Karlsruhe aims at examining in particular the interactions in new hetero-metallic complexes with few transition metal atoms. It focuses on the magnetic, catalytic and photonic properties of these complexes. The structure-property relationships of these aggregates are still largely unknown - however, they offer great potential for applications such as switchable molecular magnets, catalysts and optical functional materials.
(Host institution: the Technical University of Kaiserslautern, coordinator: Professor Dr. Gereon Niedner-Schatteburg - additional applicant: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT))
Fundamental processes in interstellar space are the topic of the CRC 956 "Conditions and effects of star formation - astrophysics, instrumentation and laboratory". It is concerned with the hitherto little known physical and chemical conditions causing interstellar matter to cluster together into dense clouds and in the end create new stars. The research programme ranges from large-scale propagation of radiation and shock waves to the microphysics of the reaction processes. Together with researchers in Switzerland and the United States, the spectral signature of these phenomena is now to be examined in the sub-mm and infrared range.
(Host institution: the University of Cologne, coordinator: Professor Dr. JГјrgen Stutzki - also involved: the University of Bonn; the Max Planck Institute of Radio Astronomy, Bonn; the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Switzerland; the University of Michigan, USA)
So far, the concept of micro-compartments is used in molecular biology to describe certain prokaryotic multiprotein complexes with metabolic function. The CRC 944 "Physiology and dynamics of cellular micro-compartments" now extends this definition to apply to all cells and defines micro-compartments as functional units formed by the accumulation of proteins and lipids in a dynamic micro-environment in order to distinguish them from organelles and quaternary protein structures. The researchers are directing their attention to the function, regulation and dynamic composition of selected micro-compartments in order to derive the basic principles of their functioning. At the forefront of their research are e.g. signal transduction, membrane protein complexes or cell contacts.
(Host institution: the University of OsnabrГјck, coordinator: Professor Dr. Christian Ungermann - also involved: the University of MГјnster)
The reception, conversion and transfer of information are among the basic functions of biological systems. Among the most important signalling molecules within this context are calcium ions. They are the focus of the CRC 894 "Ca2+ signals: molecular mechanisms and integrative functions". It aims at clarifying the meaning of sub-cellular Ca2+ signals in cells and in view of the physiological behaviour of whole organs. The spectrum ranges from the molecular mechanisms of signal generation to the signal effect on the entire body. In particular, the origin and the course of elementary Ca2+ signals in cells of the immune system, central nervous system, cardiovascular system, sensory system and neuroendocrine system are to be investigated.
(Host institution: Saarland University, coordinator: Professor Dr. Jens Rettig)
Source:
Marco Finetti
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
Dietary Restriction Early In Prenancy Has Negative Impact On Fetal Brain Development
A research team that includes scientists from the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research (SFBR) reported today that inadequate nutrition during early pregnancy impairs fetal brain development.
The researchers found decreased formation of cell-to-cell connections, cell division and amounts of growth factors in the fetuses of mothers fed a reduced diet during the first half of pregnancy, in baboons located at SFBR's Southwest National Primate Research Center.
The study, published this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and funded by the National Institutes of Health and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, also included scientists from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA) and Friedrich Schiller University in Jena, Germany.
"Our collaboration allowed us to determine that the nutritional environment impacts the fetal brain at both the cellular and molecular levels," said SFBR's Laura Cox, Ph.D. "That is, we found dysregulation of hundreds of genes, many of which are known to be key regulators in cell growth and development, indicating that nutrition plays a major role during fetal development by regulating the basic cellular machinery."
The team compared two groups of baboon mothers, one eating as much as they wanted during the first half of pregnancy and the other receiving 30 percent less food, a level of nutrition similar to what many prospective mothers in the U.S. experience. The nonhuman primate model's brain developmental stages are very close to those of human fetuses, the researchers noted. Most previous research in this area was conducted in rats.
"This study is a further demonstration of the importance of good maternal health and diet," said senior author Thomas McDonald, Ph.D., of UTHSCSA. "It supports the view that poor diets in pregnancy can alter development of fetal organs, in this case the brain, in ways that will have lifetime effects on offspring, potentially lowering I.Q. and predisposing to behavioral problems."
While it is known that marked nutrient restriction, such as in famine conditions, adversely affects development of the fetal brain. McDonald said the study "is the first demonstration of major effects caused by the levels of food insecurity that occur in sections of U.S. society and demonstrates the vulnerability of the fetus to moderate reduction in nutrients."
Researchers now must review the commonly held notion that during pregnancy the mother is able to protect the fetus from dietary challenges such as poor nutrition, McDonald said.
"This is a critical time window when many of the neurons as well as the supporting cells in the brain are born," said Peter Nathanielsz, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Center for Pregnancy and Newborn Research in the Health Science Center School of Medicine.
Nathanielsz noted:
-- In teenage pregnancy, the developing fetus is deprived of nutrients by the needs of the growing mother;
-- In pregnancies late in reproductive life, a woman's arteries are stiffer and the blood supply to the uterus decreases, inevitably affecting nutrient delivery to the fetus;
-- Diseases such as preeclampsia or high blood pressure in pregnancy can lead to decreased function of the placenta with decreased delivery of nutrients to the fetus.
Developmental programming of lifetime health has been shown to play a role in later development of obesity, diabetes and heart disease. This new finding provides impetus for researchers to look into the effects of developmental programming in the context of autism, depression, schizophrenia and other brain disorders.
Source: Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research (SFBR)
The researchers found decreased formation of cell-to-cell connections, cell division and amounts of growth factors in the fetuses of mothers fed a reduced diet during the first half of pregnancy, in baboons located at SFBR's Southwest National Primate Research Center.
The study, published this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and funded by the National Institutes of Health and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, also included scientists from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA) and Friedrich Schiller University in Jena, Germany.
"Our collaboration allowed us to determine that the nutritional environment impacts the fetal brain at both the cellular and molecular levels," said SFBR's Laura Cox, Ph.D. "That is, we found dysregulation of hundreds of genes, many of which are known to be key regulators in cell growth and development, indicating that nutrition plays a major role during fetal development by regulating the basic cellular machinery."
The team compared two groups of baboon mothers, one eating as much as they wanted during the first half of pregnancy and the other receiving 30 percent less food, a level of nutrition similar to what many prospective mothers in the U.S. experience. The nonhuman primate model's brain developmental stages are very close to those of human fetuses, the researchers noted. Most previous research in this area was conducted in rats.
"This study is a further demonstration of the importance of good maternal health and diet," said senior author Thomas McDonald, Ph.D., of UTHSCSA. "It supports the view that poor diets in pregnancy can alter development of fetal organs, in this case the brain, in ways that will have lifetime effects on offspring, potentially lowering I.Q. and predisposing to behavioral problems."
While it is known that marked nutrient restriction, such as in famine conditions, adversely affects development of the fetal brain. McDonald said the study "is the first demonstration of major effects caused by the levels of food insecurity that occur in sections of U.S. society and demonstrates the vulnerability of the fetus to moderate reduction in nutrients."
Researchers now must review the commonly held notion that during pregnancy the mother is able to protect the fetus from dietary challenges such as poor nutrition, McDonald said.
"This is a critical time window when many of the neurons as well as the supporting cells in the brain are born," said Peter Nathanielsz, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Center for Pregnancy and Newborn Research in the Health Science Center School of Medicine.
Nathanielsz noted:
-- In teenage pregnancy, the developing fetus is deprived of nutrients by the needs of the growing mother;
-- In pregnancies late in reproductive life, a woman's arteries are stiffer and the blood supply to the uterus decreases, inevitably affecting nutrient delivery to the fetus;
-- Diseases such as preeclampsia or high blood pressure in pregnancy can lead to decreased function of the placenta with decreased delivery of nutrients to the fetus.
Developmental programming of lifetime health has been shown to play a role in later development of obesity, diabetes and heart disease. This new finding provides impetus for researchers to look into the effects of developmental programming in the context of autism, depression, schizophrenia and other brain disorders.
Source: Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research (SFBR)
Molecular motors cooperate in moving cellular cargo, study shows
Researchers using an extremely fast and accurate imaging technique have shed light on the tiny movements of molecular
motors that shuttle material within living cells. The motors cooperate in a delicate choreography of steps, rather than
engaging in the brute-force tug of war many scientists had imagined.
"We discovered that two molecular motors -- dynein and kinesin -- do not compete for control, even though they want to move
the same cargo in opposite directions," said Paul Selvin, a professor of physics at the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign and corresponding author of a paper to appear in the journal Science, as part of the Science Express Web
site, on April 7. "We also found that multiple motors can work in concert, producing more than 10 times the speed of
individual motors measured outside the cell."
Dynein and kinesin are biomolecular motors that haul cargo from one part of a cell to another. Dynein moves material from the
cell membrane to the nucleus; kinesin moves material from the cell nucleus to the cell membrane. The little cargo
transporters accomplish their task by stepping along filaments called microtubules.
To measure such minuscule motion, Selvin and colleagues at Illinois developed a technique called Fluorescence Imaging with
One Nanometer Accuracy. The technique can locate a fluorescent dye to within 1.5 nanometers (one nanometer is a billionth of
a meter, or about 10,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair). Recent improvements to FIONA now allow scientists to
detect motion with millisecond time resolution.
Selvin's team used FIONA to track fluorescently labeled peroxisomes (organelles that break down toxic substances) inside
specially cultured fruit fly cells. This was the first time the imaging technique had been used inside a living cell.
"Our measurements show that both dynein and kinesin carry the peroxisomes in a step-by-step fashion, moving about 8
nanometers per step," said Selvin, who also is a researcher at the Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory on the
Illinois campus.
"Because we see a fairly constant step size, we don't believe a tug of war is occurring," Selvin said. "If the dynein was
fighting the kinesin, we would expect to see a lot of smaller steps as well."
The researchers also noted that faster movements occurred with the same step size, but with greater rapidity. When measured
outside the cell, kinesin moved about 0.5 microns per second. Inside the cell, the speed increased to 12 microns per second.
"There must be a mechanism that allows the peroxisomes to move by multiple motors much faster than independent, uncoupled
kinesins and dyneins," Selvin said. "It appears that motors are somehow regulated, being turned on or off in a fashion that
prevents them from simultaneously dragging the peroxisome."
In the future, Selvin wants to combine FIONA and an optical trap technique to monitor the speed and direction of a
peroxisome, and the force acting upon it.
"By measuring force we can determine how many molecular motors are working together," Selvin said. "This will help us further
understand these marvelous little machines."
Collaborators on the study included Illinois graduate students Comert Kural and Hwajin Kim (lead authors), Illinois professor
of cell and structural biology Vladimir Gelfand (now at the Northwestern University School of Medicine) and postdoctoral
research associates Sheyum Syed at Illinois and Gohta Goshima at the University of California at San Francisco.
The work was funded by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Energy.
Contact: James E. Kloeppel, Physical Sciences Editor
kloeppeluiuc
217-244-1073
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
uiuc
motors that shuttle material within living cells. The motors cooperate in a delicate choreography of steps, rather than
engaging in the brute-force tug of war many scientists had imagined.
"We discovered that two molecular motors -- dynein and kinesin -- do not compete for control, even though they want to move
the same cargo in opposite directions," said Paul Selvin, a professor of physics at the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign and corresponding author of a paper to appear in the journal Science, as part of the Science Express Web
site, on April 7. "We also found that multiple motors can work in concert, producing more than 10 times the speed of
individual motors measured outside the cell."
Dynein and kinesin are biomolecular motors that haul cargo from one part of a cell to another. Dynein moves material from the
cell membrane to the nucleus; kinesin moves material from the cell nucleus to the cell membrane. The little cargo
transporters accomplish their task by stepping along filaments called microtubules.
To measure such minuscule motion, Selvin and colleagues at Illinois developed a technique called Fluorescence Imaging with
One Nanometer Accuracy. The technique can locate a fluorescent dye to within 1.5 nanometers (one nanometer is a billionth of
a meter, or about 10,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair). Recent improvements to FIONA now allow scientists to
detect motion with millisecond time resolution.
Selvin's team used FIONA to track fluorescently labeled peroxisomes (organelles that break down toxic substances) inside
specially cultured fruit fly cells. This was the first time the imaging technique had been used inside a living cell.
"Our measurements show that both dynein and kinesin carry the peroxisomes in a step-by-step fashion, moving about 8
nanometers per step," said Selvin, who also is a researcher at the Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory on the
Illinois campus.
"Because we see a fairly constant step size, we don't believe a tug of war is occurring," Selvin said. "If the dynein was
fighting the kinesin, we would expect to see a lot of smaller steps as well."
The researchers also noted that faster movements occurred with the same step size, but with greater rapidity. When measured
outside the cell, kinesin moved about 0.5 microns per second. Inside the cell, the speed increased to 12 microns per second.
"There must be a mechanism that allows the peroxisomes to move by multiple motors much faster than independent, uncoupled
kinesins and dyneins," Selvin said. "It appears that motors are somehow regulated, being turned on or off in a fashion that
prevents them from simultaneously dragging the peroxisome."
In the future, Selvin wants to combine FIONA and an optical trap technique to monitor the speed and direction of a
peroxisome, and the force acting upon it.
"By measuring force we can determine how many molecular motors are working together," Selvin said. "This will help us further
understand these marvelous little machines."
Collaborators on the study included Illinois graduate students Comert Kural and Hwajin Kim (lead authors), Illinois professor
of cell and structural biology Vladimir Gelfand (now at the Northwestern University School of Medicine) and postdoctoral
research associates Sheyum Syed at Illinois and Gohta Goshima at the University of California at San Francisco.
The work was funded by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Energy.
Contact: James E. Kloeppel, Physical Sciences Editor
kloeppeluiuc
217-244-1073
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
uiuc
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