breast cancer research • mcb as pre-med - The School of Molecular ...

More documents

Recommendations

Info

u P g r a d e s a n d renoVatIons uPdates As a premier biomedical research community, the School of Molecular and Cellular Biology requires state-of-the-art facilities to support research by current faculty, attract new faculty, and provide exemplary learning environments for undergraduates who aspire to careers in the biological sciences, medicine, and the health professions. The newest addition to the research facilities of MCB, the Chemical and Life Sciences Laboratory, was completed in the early 1990s, adding 50,000 square feet of high-quality laboratory research space and administrative spaces for two departments. Currently this space is divided between the Departments of Microbiology and Cell and Developmental Biology. This past year has produced significant steps forward in improvements to our historic molecular and cellular biology facilities. Projects have included the completion of an initial phase of laboratory upgrades in Roger Adams Lab (see sidebar), the renovation of space in Burrill Hall to support the hiring of two new faculty (Professors Bolton and Chung — see page 16) in the Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, as well as improved accessibility, energy efficiency, and safety features in Morrill Hall. In the next year, work will begin on improvements to the basic infrastructure in Burrill Hall in line with phase two of the master plan for that facility. The work done in this cycle will serve as the underpinning for later phases that will have a direct impact on faculty research. Funding for the upcoming Burrill Hall project originates from federal stimulus funds administered at the campus level. While these changes are exciting and demonstrate clear progress, much work remains. Future plans, for which funding has not yet been identified, include the next phases of both the Roger Adams Lab and Burrill Hall master plans, as well as the re-purposing and reconfiguration of spaces in Burrill Hall for enhanced instructional delivery. There are several paths forward. Opportunities abound for both focused, medium-scale remodeling (similar to the recent work done to prepare space for Drs. Bolton and Chung, averaging about $150 thousand per project) and large-scale renovation in keeping with the master plan for Roger Adams Lab (next phase estimated at $6.6 million). Though the cost of this effort can be daunting, the benefits to students interested in a medical or healthrelated career, to the state, and to the medical community and society at large are invaluable. With state support for higher education diminishing, the future of Molecular and Cellular Biology will depend increasingly on the participation and support of alumni and friends. We welcome participation from those who know best the value of our endeavors. • 12 . mcb r o g e r a d a M s l a b rIbbon cuttIng cereMonY A ribbon cutting ceremony was held October 9th to celebrate the completion of phase one of the renovations of historic university building Roger Adams Laboratory. These upgrades, sponsored by the campus and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, took two years and $8 million to complete, and include massive infrastructure updates throughout two floors and the addition of new biomedical research laboratories. The ceremony, held at the beginning of Homecoming weekend, featured comments from Harry E. Preble Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences Ruth Watkins; I. C. Gunsalus Professor of Biochemistry and Director of the School of Molecular and Cellular Biology Stephen Sligar; Mrs. Mary Wraight — speaking on behalf of former Biochemistry Department Head Professor Colin Wraight — and Interim Head of the Department of Biochemistry Professor Susan Martinis. Also in attendance were honored alumni guests Keith Westcott, Janice Turner, and Mary Jane and Norman Beasley. Biochemistry professors Raven Huang and Satish Nair then gave a tour of a new facility built to house the department’s X-ray diffractometer, which is used to analyze the three-dimensional structure of biological macromolecules. As former Biochemistry Department Head Colin Wraight — instrumental in making the $8 million project a reality — observed in his speech, “…completion on this phase opens up further possibilities for restoring a true core to the department’s being. It is a signal moment for us, and bodes well for the future.”
s Y n t h e t I c b I o l o g Y o f cellular sYsteMs emergent behaviors of Integrated cellular systems center at Illinois While the behaviors of individual cells and the functions and properties of tissues and organs have been studied extensively, the complex interactions of cell clusters are not as well understood. School of Molecular & Cellular Biology (MCB) researchers are members of a team that will investigate the behaviors of interacting clusters of cells with different functionalities. The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded $25 million to establish the Emergent Behaviors of Integrated Cellular Systems (EBICS) Center at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the Georgia Institute of Technology. The EBICS Center is one of five Science & Technology Centers (STC) approved by NSF in a nationwide competition. The goal is to create biological modules — sensors, processors and actuators — that can be used to build working biological machines. This next step in synthetic biology will build upon the complexity and richness of biology — from regenerative medicine to developmental biology — to engineer new applications. University researchers from many different disciplines, including biology, engineering, and physical sciences, will contribute to the development of the knowledge, tools, and technologies necessary to create these highly sophisticated biological machines. The list of participants includes three MCB faculty. Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology Fei Wang will develop new technologies to induce efficient differentiation of embryonic stem cells into neurons, myocytes, and endothelial cells. Production of the differentiated cells is a critical first step towards the establishment of interactions of cell clusters and the creation of cellular machines. The Wang lab already developed conditions for efficient neural conversion from human embryonic stem cells to neural progenitors, and will continue to derive fully differentiated neurons. The Wang lab will also collaborate with other members of the STC to generate large-scale functional myocytes and endothelial cells from embryonic stem cells. Affiliate Professor of Molecular and Integrative Physiology YingXiao (Peter) Wang, will develop genetically encoded reporters based on fluorescent resonance energy transfer to visualize and quantify signaling transduction in live cells with high tempo-spatial resolution. These tools will be specifically designed and applied to monitor the intracellular molecular activities when cells interact with their neighbors and with the surrounding mechanical/physical/chemical environment. The results should provide spatio-temporal maps of molecular activities and hierarchies governing the cell-cell and cell-environment interactions. Alumni Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology Martha Gillette, co-director of research for the project, will study clusters of neurons with genetically engineered properties that control clusters of myocyte and endothelial cells in micro-environments. The Center aims to advance research in complex biological systems, create new educational programs based on this research, and demonstrate leadership in its involvement of groups traditionally underrepresented in biology, physical science, and engineering. • Neurons will serve as sensors in the biological machine, but they will also need to be able to control the muscle cells to pump chemicals through vessels. Image of neurons by Larry Millet and Janet Sinn-Hanlon, Visualization Laboratory of the Imaging Technology Group. SCHOOL OF MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOLOGY . 13
Page 1 and 2: mcb ISSUE 4: SPRING 2010 A Magazine
Page 3 and 4: table of contents Letter from the D
Page 5 and 6: to medical school and a degree in M
Page 7 and 8: enIta Katzenellenbogen “We now un
Page 9 and 10: “...the most beneficial aspect of
Page 11 and 12: “the thing I’ve come to value a
Page 13: Mcb major angela bizzarri’s achie
Page 17 and 18: Select receNt PuBlicAtioNS Book ANN
Page 19 and 20: MCB GRADUAtES graduate degrees Bioc

breast cancer research • mcb as pre-med - The School of Molecular ...

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?