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UQNEWS, FEBRUARY 2009 ➔ 18CELL SACRIFICEDNA can spell danger, and mayeven drive a cell to suicide,according to new research fromQueensland scientists.A team led by Dr Kate Stacey fromUQ’s Institute for Molecular Biosciencehas discovered how cells sacrificethemselves for the greater good if theyare infected with a virus, with viralDNA being the key to responding toinfection.“Viruses evolve quickly anddetecting viral infection is a challengefor the cell,” Dr Stacey said.The cell is able to recogniseforeign DNA because DNA inmammalian cells is contained within astructure known as the nucleus. Thepresence of DNA outside the nucleusis a sure sign that something iswrong, and may indicate the presenceof a viral invader.By killing itself, the cell canensure that the virus does not spreadthroughout the body.In research published in leadingjournal Science, Dr Stacey and fellowscientists Dr Tara Roberts, ProfessorDavid Hume and PhD student Adi Idrisdiscovered two proteins in mousecells, one of which induced cell suicidein response to foreign DNA, and onethat prevented it.The discovery will improveunderstanding of how cells normallycombat viral infection, and may also berelevant for the disease lupus, wherethe immune system attacks normalcellular proteins.“Lupus is a disease with abnormalresponses to DNA, and we believe thehigh levels of p202 found in mousestrains which develop lupus preventan appropriate response to DNA in thecytoplasm,” Dr Stacey said.The research was funded by theNational Health and Medical ResearchCouncil.STOCK.XCHNGSTOCK.XCHNGIN BRIEFDRUG SURVEYA new study by UQ andthe University of Newcastlehas revealed the most commonlyprescribed medication for Australianwomen is antidepressants.Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme andMedicare data were linked to survey data toexamine claims and costs of medicationsand other health care resources.University of Newcastle studyco-director Professor Julie Byles saideight percent of younger women and14 percent of mid-age women usedantidepressants during the surveyedperiod.Smart STRIKEThe devastation of the severethunderstorms that swept acrossBrisbane’s north-west in Decemberhighlight the importance of reliable,real-time weather forecasting, known as“now-casting”.In a seminar given at the Institute ofElectrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.Queensland Section’s recent Annual GeneralMeeting, UQ Emeritus Professor Mat Darvenizadescribed recent major advances in nowcastingtechniques.Emeritus Professor Daveniza said thatcombining digital weather radar with thelocation of lightning ground flashes couldprovide real-time information about the severityand likely progress of thunderstorms.“Now-casting techniques used by theBureau of Meteorology are improving our abilityto accurately predict the weather in short timeframes,especially severe thunderstorms,” hesaid.Emeritus Professor Darveniza has had adistinguished career at UQ and is internationallyrecognised for his research on thunderstormsand lightning protection.After many years of university work onelectrical engineering education, high voltagetechnology and lightning protection, his presentresearch interests are the reliability of powersystems, particularly to distribution networkoutages caused by storms.He is also a Life Fellow of the IEEE, theworld’s largest technical professional society.TOP RESEARCHERUQ neuroscientist Dr Michael Piper,from the Queensland Brain Institute,has been named Australia’s toppostdoctoral researcher in the field at arecent conference.Dr Piper was presented with theA.W Campbell Award at this year’sAustralian Neuroscience Society.Dr Piper has also received amuch sought-after National Healthand Medical Research Council(NHMRC) Career Development Award– a program which helps early careerscientists find their niche in thecompetitive world of research.