ASCB
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S E P T E M B EP R nu 2 0 1 1
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NEWSLETTER
VOLUME
The Joys of
Meeting in
Denver
34,
NUMBER
8
Exploring Biological Complexity at
the ASCB Annual Meeting in Denver
Page 25 The direction of the scientific program at the ASCB 2011 Annual Meeting will be steadily upward,
Maintaining Your
Professional
Website
Page 31
Help for
Research in
Kenya
climbing scales of cellular complexity and following threads of increasing biological organization.
A series of seven interconnected morning Symposia conducted by today’s top cell-based
researchers will offer sweeping views of a new integrated cell biology, rising from single molecule
interactions through multicomponent machines to self-organizing structures and signaling
networks. From there, the Symposia talks will press upwards through biological information
processing and multicellular organization. They’ll reveal new ways of thinking about cell biology,
including network biology and quantitative theoretical methods that generate mechanistic and
predictive models.
The 29 Minisymposia programs will cover cell biology’s core topics as well as reach into new
disciplines. The Minisympsosia are tied together by the overarching theme that cell biology is the
de facto hub for modern biomedical research and the arena where models of how living systems
actually work will first be tested. See page 8 for the scientific program. n
—John Fleischman
Page 35
Inside
President’s Column
3
Bernfield, Gilula Awardees
7
MAC Poster Judges Wanted
7
Annual Meeting Program
8
Education Programs/Events 13
Career/Networking Programs 14
Planning for Annual Meeting 19
Poster Information
21
Discovery/Conversations
22
Celldance
22
Exhibit Hall
23
Why Denver?
25
CBE-LSE Table of Contents 28
Annual Meeting Supporters 29
Dear Labby
30
WICB Column
31
French Society Awards
32
Letter to the Editor
33
International Affairs
35
Public Policy Briefing
37
Highlights from MBoC
39
ASCB Profile
41
Member Gifts
45
ASCB Corporate Members
45
2011 Half-Century Fund Donors 45
Calendar
45
Grants & Opportunities
46
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PRESIDENT’S Column
ASCB’s Business: Raising
Awareness and Discussing Issues
Exciting details about the upcoming Annual
Meeting in Denver this December are unveiled
throughout this issue. As always, our members
have risen to the occasion, and the meeting
will be jump-started with 16 timely MemberOrganized Subgroups on Saturday afternoon.
Mark Kirschner’s Keynote address promises
to be inspiring. The abstracts
submitted for Minisymposia
and posters describe important
new findings you’ll want to hear
about. Look for the clear threads
that indicate sessions within
the meeting more focused on
specific areas of cell biology.
At each morning
Symposium, top scientists will
deliver highlights from their
research and their vision of cell
biology at progressive scales.
Sandra Schmid
You’ll be further inspired by the
scientific and leadership accomplishments of our
E.B. Wilson, Porter, E.E. Just, Bruce Alberts,
and Public Policy Awardees/Lecturers. The
number of networking opportunities and venues
has been increased, facilitated by the unique
design features of Denver’s new convention
center. This is a meeting you won’t want to miss!
Buried in the busy, science-centric program
is an often poorly attended, “ASCB Business
Meeting and Town Hall,” mandated by the
ASCB Bylaws. I hope that many of you will
break with tradition and attend this session;
we’ll quickly dispense with the necessary
business (most importantly, passing the
President’s gavel on to Ron Vale). We’ll use the
bulk of this session to hold a “conversation”
around issues important to all of us. I hope
that we can also generate ideas that can help to
strengthen our community and our scientific
enterprise. Here are three such issues we could
discuss. Let me know if you have others.
How Can We Ensure That Equal
Contributions Are Equally
Recognized?
As science becomes increasingly interdisciplinary
and team-oriented, the number of co-first
author papers is increasing. For example,
SEPTEMBER 2011 ASCB NEWSLETTER
work in my lab frequently involves close
collaborations between a cell biologist (Smith)
and a mathematician/computational biologist
(Jones). The resulting paper could not have been
produced without equal contributions from
both, and yet, despite this, one author must be
listed first. The decision of order can become
a matter of contention and a
barrier to collaboration. Our
postdocs and students believe
that, regardless of the asterisks
indicating equal contributions,
the person listed first will get
more credit. And, sadly, they are
justified in this belief because
the paper will be cited as Smith
et al., rather than Smith, Jones,
et al. in subsequent publications.
The running title will also only
list the first author. Moreover,
whereas on our CV an asterisk
clearly indicates equal contributions, no such
asterisk currently appears in the bibliography
section at the end of published papers or in
PubMed citations. Identification of co-first
authors can only be gleaned from the full html
or pdf. So is “equal contribution” being equally
recognized in publications? The answer, sadly,
is no! The first rule for building effective teams
is to ensure shared credit; thus, this situation is
antagonistic to collaborative research, especially
among young scientists.
One would think that the problem could
be easily remedied in this age of metadata and
computer scripts. For example, might it be
possible to include information regarding cofirst authorships and perhaps co-corresponding
authorships in the metadata during the
submission/publication process? Couldn’t the
Style Outputs of citation managers like Endnote
be changed to automatically recognize this
metadata to cite co-first author papers as Smith,
Jones, et al. and add asterisks to the bibliography
list?
I have discussed the issue with the
administrators of PubMed, who in turn took
the matter to the International Committee
of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJC). Their
search of approximately 10,000 PubMed
The American Society
for Cell Biology
8120 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 750
Bethesda, MD 20814-2762, USA
Tel: 301-347-9300
Fax: 301-347-9310
ascbinfo@ascb.org, www.ascb.org
Joan R. Goldberg
Executive Director
Officers
Sandra L. Schmid
President
Ronald Vale
President-Elect
Timothy J. Mitchison Past President
Thoru Pederson
Treasurer
Jean E. Schwarzbauer Secretary
Council
David Botstein
Raymond J. Deshaies
Joan R. Goldberg, ex officio
Akihiro Kusumi
Inke Näthke
James H. Sabry
David L. Spector
Elizabeth Sztul
JoAnn Trejo
Fiona M. Watt
Susan M. Wick
Virginia A. Zakian
Yixian Zheng
The ASCB Newsletter
is published 11 times per year
by The American Society
for Cell Biology.
Joan R. Goldberg Editor
W. Mark Leader
Editor
Elizabeth M. Rich Production Manager
Kevin Wilson Public Policy Director
John Fleischman
Science Writer
Thea Clarke
Editorial Manager
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The deadline for advertising is the
first day of the month preceding the
cover date. For information contact
Advertising Manager Ed Newman,
enewman@ascb.org.
ASCB Newsletter
ISSN 1060-8982
Volume 34, Number 8
September 2011
© 2011 The American Society for Cell
Biology. Copyright to the articles is held
by the author or, for staff-written articles,
by the ASCB. The content of the ASCB
Newsletter is available to the public under
an Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike
Unported Creative Commons License
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by-nc-sa/3.0).
Postmaster: Send change of address to:
ASCB Newsletter
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3
NIH directors
will need to look
carefully at every
dime spent and shift
funds from lesseffective programs
to increase the
funding levels of
R01 grants, the
proven mainstay of
innovative research.
4
the funding levels of R01 grants, the proven
Central references identified only 0.8% as
mainstay of innovative research.
having co-first authors. Thus, at this point they
In the meantime, grants proposing basic
did not perceive a need for action. However,
research (or as Paul Nurse
the PubMed administrators
better describes it, “discovery
had difficulty defining this
research”) in cell biology are
parameter, and I wonder
[W]hereas on our
largely being funneled into
whether these statistics
one of only three NIH Study
underestimate the magnitude
CV an asterisk
Sections: Membrane Biology
of the problem, especially in
clearly
indicates
and Protein Processing,
specific areas of research such as
Nuclear and Cytoplasmic
cell biology. In my own work,
equal contributions,
Structure/Function and
five of my last 20 papers have
no such asterisk
Dynamics, and Cell Signaling
required co-first authored,
and Regulatory Systems.
collaborative efforts, and I see
currently appears
Hence the best cell biology
this percentage increasing.
in the bibliography
discovery research competes
Therefore, in the meantime,
section
at
the
head-to-head with itself.
I’m careful to be specific
At the same time there are
when I discuss our work and
end of published
individual Study Sections
write recommendation letters,
papers or in
focused, for example, on
making sure that equal credit
specific aspects of cell biology,
is given to collaborative team
PubMed citations.
including “Cell and Molecular
members.
Biology of Glia,” “Cell and
What’s your opinion? How
Molecular Biology of the
much of a problem is this?
Kidney,” “Cell and Molecular
How can or should the ASCB
Biology of Neurodegeneration,” “Cellular
contribute to a solution?
Mechanisms of Aging,” “Molecular and
Cellular Endocrinolgy,” and “Molecular and
NIH Study Sections: Should Cell
Cellular Hematology.” There are also five
Biologists Play the Numbers
Study Sections on “Macromolecular Structure
and Function.” How are these distributions
Game?
determined? The answer is: by the number of
To its credit, the U.S. National Institutes of
grants submitted. As cell biologists, we tend
Health (NIH) Center for Scientific Review is
constantly evaluating Study Sections in an effort to focus on our cherished projects, diligently
collecting preliminary data, polishing our
to ensure fair peer review and the equitable
submissions and then, almost inevitably, doing
distribution of submitted applications. NIH
additional experiments to shore up our revised
peer review is a thankless task. We should be
proposals. I spent three months working on my
grateful to the NIH administrators and our
colleagues who serve on Study Sections. And I’d last grant proposal. Many of our colleagues in
other fields simply submit more grants. I know
like to acknowledge the work of Toni Scarpa,
several who submit two or three grants in each
CSR’s director, upon his retirement from that
round, letting the referees decide which project
position.
they’ll ultimately pursue. Shorter grants and
Unfortunately, with paylines in the 10-15%
modular R01 budgets are amenable to more
range or lower, the meritocratic system of peer
focused, circumscribed proposals, making this
review cannot succeed. It is simply impossible
an even more attractive strategy. More grants,
to distinguish between “exceptional’ and
more Study Sections. Of course, there are
“outstanding” applications, and many in the
latter class will fall outside the payline. Based on unintended consequences from this strategy.
Writing more grants puts additional burden on
the recent U.S. congressional and White House
the peer-review system. Without an increase in
battle over budget deficits and debt ceilings, it
funds, the percentage of grants funded would
seems unlikely that needed increases in NIH
be driven down even further. Perhaps the NIH
funding are imminent. NIH directors will need
should track, and maybe limit, the number of
to look carefully at every dime spent and shift
applications/PI.
funds from less-effective programs to increase
ASCB NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2011
In the meantime, we (the ASCB) and others
population, and Cell Press journals do so
are advocating for more cell biology Study
only after one year. However, recently both
Sections. We have further argued that the
have launched open-access journals. Nature
situation and science would be
Communications and Cell
improved by including basic
Reports are online only, opencell biologists on other review
access journals that will publish
Many of our
panels and incorporating more
high-quality papers across all
basic cell biology research
scientific disciplines. I may
colleagues in other
into clinically oriented Study
be cynical, but it seems to me
fields
simply
submit
Sections. Take a look at the
that this decision might be
scope of grants reviewed in
based more on the prosperity
more grants…
these other Study Sections and
of PLoS One and a desire to
letting the referees
their composition. If you’re
capture some of that market,
submitting an application
decide which project than a sudden change in heart
to NIH, you need to make
regarding the merits of open
they’ll ultimately
strategic decisions as to where
access. Moreover, the cost of
pursue....
Perhaps
best to target your research and
publishing in these two onlineapplication.
only journals is $5,000 per
the NIH should
article! By contrast, the cost
of publishing in Molecular
Open Access Isn’t Free track, and maybe
Biology of the Cell, which is also
PLoS One has revolutionized the limit, the number
online only, and open access
business model of open-access
of
applications/PI.
after two months, is $140/
publication. It will publish
page (ASCB members pay 20%
papers in all areas of science
less). In these times of fiscal
and medicine provided that
austerity, is it responsible to pay $5,000 for
they are judged technically sound. According
open access, which should be the norm? That
to the PLoS Editorial Policy “Judgments about
represents more than one-third of my average
the importance of any particular paper are then
annual supply budget per person. We frequently
made after publication by the readership (who
pay more for brand-name products than their
are the most qualified to determine what is
generic counterparts, not because they’re
of interest to them).” The cost of publication
necessarily better, but because of “branding.”
in the PLoS online-only journal is a flat fee of
Are scientists paying too much for the Cell and
$1,350. According to the Web of Knowledge,
Nature “brands?”
in 2010, the journal published nearly 14,000
I hope you’ll drop by the ASCB Business
articles. If you do the math, you’ll see that
Meeting
and Town Hall in Denver, held
PLoS is making good money, used, in part, to
Tuesday, December 6, 2011, at Noon. Bring
support other, more selective, open-access PLoS
your ideas and concerns, and let’s have a
journals. My hat’s off to PLoS for creating this
discussion about these or other issues important
new business model, for facilitating scientific
to our community of cell biologists. n
communication in this way, and for continued
leadership in open-access publication.
Comments are welcome and should be sent to
By contrast, Nature and its sister journals
president@ascb.org.
refuse to open their contents to the general
SEPTEMBER 2011 ASCB NEWSLETTER
[D]rop by the ASCB
Business Meeting
and Town Hall in
Denver… and let’s
have a discussion
about these or other
issues important
to our community
of cell biologists.
5
Allow us
to shed
some
light
on
superresolution
Super-resolution
Microscopy
Enlighten.
1mm
Left image: Confocal: distribution of Fts-Z protein in bacillus subtilis. Courtesy of L. Harry, P. Peters and G. Cox, University of Sydney, Australia.
Right image: STED: distribution of Fts-Z protein in bacillus subtilis. Courtesy of L. Harry, P. Peters and G. Cox, University of Sydney, Australia.
© Leica Microsystems, Inc. 08/2011 BNA#632
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Living up to Life
iBioSeminars, continued from page 1
about the people who make them?
Or about the role of science in
society or unusual career options?
Then take a look at iBioMagazine
at www.ibiomagazine.org. The
Susan Desmond-Hellman
quarterly, online magazine features Jennifer Frazier
short talks (less than 15 minutes) on people, opinions, and discoveries.
Recent videos include:
n Jennifer Frazier tells us why she loves her job as a science museum curator.
n Susan Desmond-Hellman discusses the development of the targeted breast cancer drug
Herceptin. n
Bernfield, Gilula Awardees Named
Dylan Burnette, a postdoctoral fellow at the U.S. National
Institute for Child Health and Human Development,
National Institutes of Health, was named the 11th annual
ASCB Merton Bernfield Memorial Award recipient. He
was recognized for his work related to actin dynamics at
the leading edge of cells, and for introducing a novel form
Dylan Burnette
Shijing Luo
of single-molecule-based, super-resolution imaging. Both
projects represent major breakthroughs. Burnette will receive
free meeting registration, airfare, complimentary hotel accommodations, a per diem, plaque,
and $1,000 honorarium.
Shijing Luo, a graduate student at Princeton University, will receive the 11th annual ASCB
Norton B. Gilula Memorial Award. She was recognized for her excellent work in the study of
reproductive aging in Caenorhabditis elegans. Luo will receive free meeting registration, airfare,
complimentary hotel accommodations, a per diem, and a plaque.
The Bernfield Award honors a postdoctoral fellow or graduate student who has excelled in
research. Burnette will speak at a 2011 ASCB Annual Meeting Minisymposium to be named
later. The Gilula Award is supported by The Rockefeller University Press and recognizes an
outstanding graduate or undergraduate student who has excelled in research.
The ASCB congratulates the awardees and thanks the many nominators. More nominations
were received this year than ever before, a testament to ASCB members’ belief in the value of
recognition, noted ASCB Executive Director Joan Goldberg. ASCB thanks the Bernfield/Gilula
Awards Joint Selection Committee Chair and Committee members. Nominating others for
ASCB awards is a privilege of ASCB membership. n
—Cheryl Lehr
Volunteer to Be a MAC Poster
Judge
The ASCB Minorities Affairs Committee (MAC) is looking for judges for its annual MAC
Poster Competition during the ASCB Annual Meeting on December 3, 2011, from 2:00 pm–
4:00 pm. There will be 70–80 posters to judge, but no more than two to three per judge.
If interested, please go to www. ascb.org and complete the judge request form.
If you have questions, please contact Deborah McCall at dmccall@ascb.org. n
SEPTEMBER 2011 ASCB NEWSLETTER
7
THE AMERICAN SOCIETY
FOR CELL BIOLOGY
December 3–7, 2011 l Sandra Schmid, President l Jan Ellenberg, Program Chair
Annual Meeting Schedule By Day
SATURDAY, DEC. 3
Special Interest Subgroups
12:30 pm–5:00 pm
Note: You must be registered for the ASCB
Annual Meeting to attend these sessions.
A. 3D Architecture: From Genome to Tissue
and Back
Organizers: Nastaran Zahir Kuhn, National Cancer
Institute, NIH; and Sean Hanlon, National Cancer
Institute, NIH
B. A Mile-High View of Mitotic Assembly
Organizers: Kevin Vaughan, University of Notre
Dame; and Edward Hinchcliffe, Hormel Institute,
University of Minnesota
Visit the ASCB website
at www.ascb.org/
meetings/subgroup/
subgroup.cfm to view
full descriptions,
speaker lists, and
schedules for each of
these exciting
Subgroup sessions.
C. Building the Cell
Organizers: Wallace Marshall, University of
California, San Francisco
D. Clathrin-Independent Endocytosis
Organizers: Ivan Robert Nabi, University of British
Columbia, Canada; and Radu V. Stan, Dartmouth
Medical School
E. Endocytic Recycling Pathways and
Compartments—Many Guises, Many
Functions
Organizers: Jennifer Stow, University of Queensland,
Australia; and Julie Donaldson, National Heart, Lung,
and Blood Institute, NIH
F. Extracellular Matrix Regulation of
Programmed Cell Death
Organizers: Jayanta Debnath, University of
California, San Francisco; and Mike Overholtzer,
Sloan-Kettering Institute
G. Function of Intermediate Filaments:
Mechanics and Signal Transduction
Organizers: Karen M. Ridge, Northwestern
University; and Harald Herrmann, DFKZ- University
of Heidelberg, Germany
H. Genetic and Epigenetic Regulatory
Networks in Biology and Pathology
Organizers: Gary Stein, University of Massachusetts
Medical School; Jane Lian, University of
Massachusetts Medical School; and Masaki Noda,
Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan
8
I. Mechanisms for Rapid Cell Migration—
Results of the First World Cell Race Will Be
Presented
Organizers: Manuel Thery, French Alternative
Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA),
France; and Ana-Maria Lennon-Dumenil, Institute
Curie, France
J. Microtubules in Cell Migration
Organizers: Gregg Gundersen, Columbia University;
Gaudenz Danuser, Harvard University; and Torsten
Wittmann, University of California, San Francisco
K. Muscle Cytoskeletal Protein Assembly in
Normal and Diseased Muscles
Organizers: Joseph W. Sanger, SUNY Upstate
Medical University; and Carol Gregorio, University of
Arizona College of Medicine
L. Nonconventional Functions of Molecular
Motors
Organizers: Virgil Muresan, UMDNJ, New Jersey
Medical School
M. Nuclear Envelope Adhesions and the
Nucleoskeleton
Organizers: Katherine Wilson, Johns Hopkins School
of Medicine; and Yixian Zheng, Carnegie Institution
for Science
N. Posttranslational Regulation of the
Cytoskeleton
Organizers: Anna Kashina, University of
Pennsylvania; and Jeannette Chloë Bulinski,
Columbia University
O. Protein Balance and the Regulation of Cell
Mass
Organizers: Jon Yewdell, National Institute of Allergy
and Infectious Diseases, NIH; and Denys Wheatley,
BioMedES, UK
P. Rab and Arf GTPases: Trafficking, Disease,
and Therapeutic Targets
Organizers: Angela Wandinger-Ness, University of
New Mexico HSC; and Elizabeth Sztul, University of
Alabama at Birmingham
Keynote Symposium
6:00 pm
Molecules and Systems: Our Quest for a
Physiology of the Cell
Marc Kirschner, Harvard Medical School
ASCB NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2011
THE AMERICAN SOCIETY
FOR CELL BIOLOGY
Complete details at www.ascb.org/meetings
SUNDAY, DEC. 4
Minisymposia
Molecular Mechanisms
8:00 am–9:30 am
Actin Dynamics
Symposia
Chair: Robert Singer, Albert Einstein College of
Medicine
Dicing and Beyond: Regulatory RNA in Humans
and Bacteria. Jennifer A. Doudna, University of
California, Berkeley/HHMI
Molecular Origami: Chaperone-Assisted Protein
Folding and Misfolding in Health and Disease.
Judith Frydman, Stanford University
Quantitative Systems Biochemistry of Microtubule
Cytoskeleton Organisation and Function. Thomas
Surrey, Cancer Research UK London Research
Institute
Function of Multi-Molecular Machines
10:30 am–12:00 Noon
Chair: Jan Ellenberg, European Molecular Biology
Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
Single Molecule Microscopy of Macromolecular
Machines: The Spliceosome. Melissa Moore,
University of Massachusetts Medical School/
HHMI
Mechanisms and Regulation of Cullin-RING Ubiquitin
Ligation Machines. Raymond Deshaies, California
Institute of Technology/HHMI
Spatio-Dynamics of Clathrin-Mediated Endocytosis
in Yeast and Mammals. David Drubin, University
of California, Berkeley
4:30 pm–6:35 pm
Co-Chairs: Marie-France Carlier, French National
Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), Gif-surYvette, France; and Rong Li, Stowers Institute for
Medical Research
Cell-Cell and Cell-Matrix Interactions
Co-Chairs: Josephine Adams, University of Bristol,
UK; and Kris DeMali, University of Iowa
Chemical Biology: Probes and Therapeutics
Co-Chairs: Lisa Belmont, Genentech, Inc.; and Alice
Ting, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Innovations in Cell Biology Graduate
Education
Co-Chairs: Caroline Kane, University of California,
Berkeley; and Susan Wick, University of Minnesota
Membrane Fission and Fusion
Co-Chairs: Marko Kaksonen, European Molecular
Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany; and Alex
Merz, University of Washington School of Medicine
Synthetic Cell Biology
Co-Chairs: Pamela Silver, Harvard Medical School;
and Ron Weiss, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology
The Nuclear Periphery
Microscopy Workshop
Co-Chairs: Brian Burke, Institute of Medical Biology,
Singapore; and Valérie Doye, Institute Jacques
Monod, France
Presenters: Khuloud Jaqaman, Harvard Medical School,
and Jennifer Waters, Harvard Medical School
Working Group: Learning from Heterogeneity
and Stochastic Cell Behavior
Quantitative Live Cell Microscopy
2:00 pm–4:00 pm
Translational Research Session
Bench to the Patient through Cell Biology:
Managing Protein Folding in Human Disease
2:30 pm-4:00 pm
Co-Chairs: Johan Paulsson, Harvard Medical School;
and Lucas Pelkmans, Swiss Federal Institute of
Technology Zurich (ETH)
Moderator: William E. Balch, The Scripps Research
Institute
Speakers:
Discovery and Development of CFTR Correctors for the
Treatment of Cystic Fibrosis. Frederick Van Goor,
Vertex Pharmaceuticals
Chemical and Biological Strategies for Ameliorating
Neurodegenerative Diseases. Jeffrey Kelly, The
Scripps Research Institute
Targeting the Proteasome: A Research Tool Becomes
a Powerful Cancer Therapeutic. Alfred Goldberg,
Harvard Medical School
SEPTEMBER 2011 ASCB NEWSLETTER
9
THE AMERICAN SOCIETY
FOR CELL BIOLOGY
December 3–7, 2011 l Sandra Schmid, President l Jan Ellenberg, Program Chair
MONDAY, DEC. 5
Symposia
Cellular Networks and Information Processing
8:00 am–9:30 am
Chair: John Tyson, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and
State University
Rho GTPase Signaling Modules in Tumour Cell
Migration and Invasion. Chris Marshall, Institute of
Cancer Research, London, UK
Organizing Genetic Information and Its Processing
without Membrane Compartmentalization.
Christine Jacobs-Wagner, Yale University/HHMI
Cell Signaling at the Single-Cell Level. Michael
Elowitz, California Institute of Technology/HHMI
Acknowledgement
The ASCB
appreciates the
creativity and
hard work of the
following members
who put together an
outstanding program
for the 2011 ASCB
Annual Meeting: Jan
Ellenberg (Program
Chair), Andrew
Belmont, Velia
Fowler, Scott Fraser,
Benjamin Geiger,
Klaus Hahn, Rebecca
Heald, Jodi Nunnari,
ASCB President
Sandra Schmid,
Robert Singer, and
John Tyson.
Self-Organization of Cellular Structures
10:30 am–12:00 pm
Chair: Rebecca Heald, University of California,
Berkeley
Self-Organization of Secretory Compartments.
Benjamin Glick, University of Chicago
Spatiotemporal Integration of Chemical and
Mechanical Signals in Cell Migration. Gaudenz
Danuser, Harvard Medical School
Modeling Cytoskeletal Structures with Cytosim.
Francois Nedelec, European Molecular Biology
Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
Minisymposia
4:30 pm–6:35 pm
Bioengineering and Mechanobiology
Co-Chairs: Adam J. Engler, University of California,
San Diego; and Celeste Nelson, Princeton University
Cell Polarity
Co-Chairs: Thomas Lecuit, Institut de Biologie du
Développement de Marseille-Luminy (IBDML),
France; and Lesilee Rose, University of California,
Davis
Cellular Functions of Ubiquitin and Ubrelated Proteins
Co-Chairs: Claudio Joazeiro, The Scripps Research
Institute; and Frauke Melchior, ZMBH, University of
Heidelberg, DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, Germany
Chromosome Structure and Epigenetics
Co-Chairs: Sue Biggins, Fred Hutchinson Cancer
Research Center; and Job Dekker, University of
Massachusetts School of Medicine
Meiosis and Oogenesis
Co-Chairs: Laurinda A. Jaffe, University of
Connecticut Health Center; and Marie Verlhac,
Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology,
CNRS/INSERM, Collège de France, Paris, France
Modeling and Simulation of Cellular
Functions
Co-Chairs: Hana El-Samad, University of California,
San Francisco; and Ewa Paluch, Max Planck Institute
of Molecular Cell Biology, Dresden, Germany
Motors and Microtubule Dynamics
Co-Chairs: Jonathon (Joe) Howard, Max Planck
Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics,
Dresden, Germany; and Patricia Wadsworth,
University of Massachusetts
Working Group: Using Large Data Sets as
Tools to Understand Cell Biology
Co-Chairs: Lani Wu, University of Texas
Southwestern Medical Center; and Wolfgang Huber,
European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg,
Germany
TUESDAY, DEC. 6
Symposia
Complex Cellular Functions: Linking
Networks and Structures
8:00 am–9:30 am
Chair: Andrew Belmont, University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign
Virtual Movement of a Signaling Network Translated
into Real Movement of a Motility Network.
William Bement, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Evolution of Epithelial Organization and the
Cadherin-Catenin Complex. W. James Nelson,
Stanford University
Smell and the Single Neuron: Three-dimensional
Reconstructions of Olfactory Neurons Offer
Insights into Neuronal Morphologic Diversity
and Odor Coding. Kristin Baldwin, The Scripps
Research Institute
Mechanism of Multicellular Functions
10:30 am–12:00 Noon
Chair: Scott Fraser, California Institute of Technology
The Costs of Control: Strategies and Tradeoffs in
Robust Tissue Pattern Formation. Arthur Lander,
University of California, Irvine
Shaping the Embryo: Cellular Dynamics in
Development. Jennifer A. Zallen, Sloan-Kettering
Institute/HHMI
Generating Multicellular Architecture through
Collective Migration. Darren Gilmour, European
Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg,
Germany
Minisymposia
4:30 pm–6:35 pm
Cell Biology of Micro-Organisms and the
Evolution of the Eukaryotic Cell
Co-Chairs: Sean Crosson, The University of Chicago;
and Joel B. Dacks, University of Alberta, Canada
10
ASCB NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2011
THE AMERICAN SOCIETY
FOR CELL BIOLOGY
Complete details at www.ascb.org/meetings
Cell Migration
Cell Cycle Dynamics and Checkpoints
Cellular Mechanism of Disease and Aging
Cell-Pathogen Interactions (Viruses and
Bacteria)
Co-Chairs: Diane Barber, University of California, San
Francisco; and Alex Mogilner, University of California,
Davis
Co-Chairs: Craig Blackstone, National Institute of
Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH; and Coleen
Murphy, Princeton University
Cilia and Centrosomes
Co-Chairs: Ingrid Hoffmann, German Cancer
Research Center (DKFZ), Germany; and Meng-Fu
Bryan Tsou, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Intracellular Sorting and Trafficking
Co-Chairs: Federica Brandizzi, Michigan State
University; and Rainer Pepperkok, European
Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
Mitosis
Co-Chairs: Tarun Kapoor, The Rockefeller University;
and Béla Novák, University of Oxford, UK
Nuclear Organization and Control of Gene
Expression
Co-Chairs: Orna Cohen-Fix, National Institute of
Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, NIH;
and Yaron Shav-Tal, Bar-Ilan University, Israel
Stem Cells and Pluripotency
Co-Chairs: Frederick Cross, The Rockefeller
University; and Silke Hauf, Friedrich Miescher
Laboratory of the Max Planck Society, Germany
Co-Chairs: Nihal Altan-Bonnet, Rutgers University;
and Olivia Steele-Mortimer, Rocky Mountain
Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and
Infectious Diseases, NIH
Collective Cell Behavior and Morphogenesis
in Development
IMPORTANT
DATES
Organelle Biogenesis and Autophagy
Meeting registration,
abstract submission, and
hotel reservations are
available at www.ascb.
meetings/meetings.
Co-Chairs: Ryoichiro Kageyama, Kyoto University;
and Denise Montell, Johns Hopkins University School
of Medicine
Co-Chairs: Anne Simonsen, University of Oslo,
Norway; and Gia Voeltz, University of Colorado,
Boulder
Signal Transduction Networks
Co-Chairs: Philippe Bastiaens, Max Planck Institute
of Molecular Physiology, Germany; and Wendell Lim,
University of California, San Francisco/HHMI
Working Group: Imaging Cellular Structure
across Scales
Co-Chairs: Fernando Camargo, Children’s Hospital
Boston and Harvard University; and Leanne Jones,
Salk Institute for Biological Studies
Co-Chairs: John Briggs, European Molecular Biology
Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany; and Melike
Lakadamyali, Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO),
Spain
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 7
Symposium
8:30 am–10:35 am
Chair: Velia Fowler, The Scripps Research Institute
Inside of the Cell, Meet the Extracellular Universe:
Merging Tissue Engineering and Systems
Biology. Linda Griffith, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology
The Flagellar Length Control System. Wallace
Marshall, University of California, San Francisco
Minisymposia
Cancer Cell Biology
Co-Chairs: Franziska Michor, Dana-Farber Cancer
Institute; and Michael Yaffe, Massachusetts Institute
of Technology
Cell Biology of RNA
DEADLINES
October 3
Discounted Early
Registration
October 13
Late Abstracts
(for poster consideration
only)
October 13
Hotel Registration
(for guaranteed low ASCB
rates—reserve early!)
Design Principles of Cells and Tissues
11:00 am–12:15 pm
Co-Chairs: Xavier Darzacq, Ecole Normale
Superieure, France; and Leemor Joshua-Tor, Cold
Spring Harbor Laboratory/HHMI
SEPTEMBER 2011 ASCB NEWSLETTER
11
Microtron
The Microtron is the first large
capacity incubated shaker optimized
for microplate formats.
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• Stackable up to three units
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available for cell culture
Call 800.827.5931 to speak with a representative or visit www.atrbiotech.com today.
ANNUAL Meeting
Education Programs/Events
Saturday, Dec. 3
Education Workshop—2020 Vision: Using
Scientific Teaching to Address the Challenges
of the NRC’s BIO2010
1:30 pm–4:00 pm
Organized by Justin Hines, Lafayette College, and
Sara Miller, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Speakers: Justin Hines; Bill Wood, University
of Colorado, Boulder; Jennifer Frederick, Yale
University; Jay Labov, Center for Education,
National Research Council
Want to learn highlights and best practices
from U.S.-renowned programs and apply
them to instructional materials development?
Join presenters from the National Academies
Summer Institute on Undergraduate Education
in Biology, the Science Education Initiative, and
the Wisconsin Program for Scientific Teaching
in this workshop designed to help current and
future faculty improve undergraduate biology
education through scientific teaching. Topics
will include backward design, active learning,
assessment, diversity, Bloom’s taxonomy, and
inquiry-based learning.
Graduate School Fair
1:30 pm–3:30 pm
All undergraduate students are invited to attend
this informal event to get information about
graduate cell biology programs around the U.S.
Departments and schools can register for a
table at https://www.ascb.org/meetings/Forms/
graduate/graduate1.cfm.
Undergraduate Program—Of Mice and Men
(and Yeast and Flies): The Ongoing Evolution
of a Scientist
3:30 pm–4:30 pm
Anita Corbett, Emory University
You never know where science will take you
next, but it will always be exciting! In this
presentation geared toward undergraduates,
Corbett will discuss how recent developments
stemming from her interest in basic cell
biological questions have led to her current
work studying brain function using a singlecelled organism together with several other
models. She will also discuss why it is critical to
SEPTEMBER 2011 ASCB NEWSLETTER
think about the strengths of your experimental
model as you design your experiments and how
flexibility in thought and action is one key to
pursuing your scientific passion. Time will be
allotted for Q&A.
Undergraduate Poster Session
4:45 pm–5:45 pm
All undergraduate students who submit an
abstract by October 13 will be invited (via email
later in the year) to take part in a separate poster
session to give them an additional opportunity
to discuss their science with peers at the
meeting. Faculty and scientists are encouraged
to stop by this special poster session to talk to
ASCB’s young scientists about their research
questions and conclusions.
Sunday, Dec. 4
BioBus
9:00 am–4:30 pm (Sun–Tues)
Experience the Cell Motion BioBus, a mobile
science laboratory that will be open to all in the
Exhibit Hall. It is a carbon-neutral, functional
wet-lab, outfitted with three state-of-the-art
microscopes and computers. The bus allows
students to explore the world around them and
make their own discoveries under the guidance
of professional scientists. The program focuses
on students who normally do not have access
to high-tech laboratory equipment. For more
information, visit http://biobus.org.
Bruce Alberts Award Presentation
9:45 am–10:15 am
Come celebrate the presentation of the Bruce
Alberts Award for Excellence in Science
Education to Peter Bruns, recognized for his
leadership in catalyzing revolutionary changes in
biology education.
K–12 Science Education Workshop: I Know
What It Is, But How Do I DO It?! A Howto Workshop on Inquiry Science Instruction:
Structures, Norms, and Classroom Culture
12:00 Noon–2:00 pm
Susan Nicholson-Dykstra, Northglenn High
School; Sara Severance, Mapleton Expeditionary
School of the Arts; Shelly Belleau, Mapleton
Expeditionary School of the Arts; Emily Quinty,
Mapleton Expeditionary School of the Arts
13
ANNUAL Meeting
What do the buzz-words—”inquiry-based,”
“student-guided,” “authentic experience”—
actually look like in a K–12 science classroom?
Experience hands-on, guided inquiry lessons in
biology. They will be followed by a debriefing
discussion with science teachers from the
University of Colorado’s Streamline to Mastery
Professional Development Program. Teachers
will collaboratively brainstorm ideas on how
to adapt traditional labs to make them more
inquiry-based. Participants will also be provided
materials to implement lessons from the
workshop in their own classrooms. Denverarea high school teachers are invited to attend
this program. Free registration is available for all
high school teachers.
High School Program: The Sense of Taste—
From Tongues to Lungs
2:00 pm–3:00 pm
Thomas Finger, University of Colorado, Denver
Finger will describe how the molecular
machinery used by the taste system for reporting
tastes is also used by other organs to carry out
a variety of physiological responses, raising
the question of “what is taste?” Denver area
high school teachers are invited to bring their
students. Free registration is provided.
Education Minisymposium: Innovations in
Cell Biology Graduate Education
4:30 pm–6:35 pm
Chaired by Caroline Kane, University of
California, Berkeley, and Sue Wick, University of
Minnesota
Speakers will be invited as well as chosen from
submitted Science Education abstracts. This
year’s Minisymposium will include talks about
programs that are taking graduate students in
innovative directions.
Monday, Dec. 5
Science Education Poster Session
12:30 pm–3:30 pm
Posters on novel approaches to cell biology
education at the K–12, undergraduate, graduate,
and medical school levels will be presented
during this poster session in the Exhibit Hall.
Education Initiative Forum
9:45 am–10:15 am (Mon and Tues)
Novel approaches to cell biology education will
be selected from submitted Science Education
abstracts for presentation during this time slot
between major scientific Symposia. n
Career/Networking Programs/Events
Saturday, Dec. 3
Career Center (Sat–Tues)
Sat 8:00 am–6:00 pm; Sun–Tues 8:00 am–8:00 pm
Searching for a postdoc or a job? Need your
CV critiqued? Want to attend a networking
reception or career development session?
Come to the Career Center and advance your
career! Career Center resources will include:
“Position Available” posting areas (free,
unlimited postings for exhibitors); a message
center for applicants and employees; onsite
interview facilities; access to the ASCB Online
Job Board; Networking Sessions by scientific
topic; Science Discussion Tables; professional
development programs; and the Graduate
School Fair.
Educational Resources/Minorities Affairs
Committee Booth (Sat–Tues)
9:00 am–5:00 pm
Join us at the booth that is shared by the ASCB
Minorities Affairs and Education Committees.
Peruse recent educational and career materials,
attend informal presentations, and speak with
Committee members and ASCB staff. The booth
is also a “networking home” for Minorities Affairs
Committee (MAC) members, travel awardees,
Linkage Fellows, and Visiting Professors.
Minorities Affairs Committee (MAC)
Mentoring Keynote
9:00 am–10:15 am
James H. Wyche, Provost and Chief Academic
Officer, Howard University
This talk will focus on diversity in biomedical
research and professional development.
14
ASCB NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2011
ANNUAL Meeting
MAC Workshop: Writing for Publication
10:30 am–12:30 pm
David Asai, Howard Hughes Medical Institute;
Michael Leibowitz, UMDNJ, Graduate School
of Biomedical Sciences
This workshop, geared toward postdocs and
junior faculty, will focus on writing to get
published.
MAC Panel Presentation: New Challenges
and Old Obstacles 101
10:30 am–12:30 pm
Franklin Carrero-Martinez, University of
Puerto Rico, Mayaguez; Anthony DePass,
Long Island University; Deborah Harmon
Hines, University of Massachusetts Medical
School; Veronica Lopez, The Pennsylvania State
University
This presentation, geared toward undergraduate
and graduate students, is aimed at motivating
students to maximize and take proprietorship
of their graduate school experiences by
highlighting the trials and tribulations
underlying the various stages of the academic
pipeline. Distinguished panelists at different
stages of their academic careers (postdoc,
assistant professor, full professor, and alternative
science career professional) will share their
experiences.
Women in Cell Biology (WICB) Workshop:
Biotechnology—Careers for Cell Biologists?
2:00 pm–3:30 pm
Moderator: Harvey Lodish, Whitehead Institute
for Biomedical Research
A panel of five cell biologists working in
different areas of biotech and pharma will share
their experiences in a nonacademic world. The
session will be followed by a Q&A session.
MAC Poster Session Competition and
Reception
2:00 pm–4:00 pm
This session allows minority students to
practice presenting their posters before their
main poster presentation in the Exhibit Hall.
This poster session is also a competition; the
winners will receive cash awards, and feedback
from judges.
SEPTEMBER 2011 ASCB NEWSLETTER
First-Time Attendee, Meet the Leadership
Reception
5:00 pm–5:45 pm
Is this your first ASCB Annual Meeting, or are
you a new ASCB member? If so, please attend
this event to learn more about the Society. Meet
the leadership, and learn how you can translate
your commitment to science research and
education into advocacy and involvement.
International Affairs Committee (IAC)
International Research & Training Exchange
Fair
Opening Night Reception
The fair will allow attendees to learn about
research, training, and other opportunities in
countries around the world; encourage students
and postdocs to think about possibilities in
other countries; and open up exchanges between
labs for international collaboration. Tables will
be set up displaying information from various
regions around the world, and representatives
will be available to answer questions. For more
information or questions, contact Cheryl Lehr
at clehr@ascb.org.
Sunday, Dec. 4
Science Discussion Tables (Sun–Tues)
9:30 am–10:30 am
Whether you’re a student, postdoc, or PI, ASCB
will again offer special networking opportunities
with senior scientists and peers. Select your
interest area and bring your questions to the
ASCB Career Center. More information on
scientists and topics is forthcoming.
Getting Out of the Box: Transitioning to a
Career Outside of Academic Research
10:00 am–12:00 Noon
Moderator: Sarah E. Szarowicz, USAMRIID,
Fort Detrick
Panelists: Parag Chitnis, Deputy Director,
Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences,
National Science Foundation; Richard C. Duke,
Founder and Chief Scientific Officer, Colorado
Institute for Drug Device and Diagnostic
Development; Jennifer Hobin, Director of Science
Policy, Federation of American Societies for
Experimental Biology; Sharon Schendel, Journal
Editor, Biology of the Cell; Timothy Worrall, Patent
Law, Dorsey and Whiteny; Fintan Steele, Science
Writer, Director of Science Communications,
Colorado Initiative in Molecular Biology
15
ANNUAL Meeting
This program is organized by the Subcommittee
on Postdoctoral Training for graduate
students, postdocs, and early career scientists.
Panelists representing careers in scientific
entrepreneurship, science editing, public policy,
patent law, science funding, and science writing
will discuss their professions and offer career
advice. Time will be allotted for a Q&A period.
After the session, panelists will remain for breakout sessions.
Networking Sessions (Sun–Tues)
3:30 pm–4:15 pm
Interested in new ideas in your area of
research… or another topic? Separate,
concurrent, networking sessions will be held in
the ASCB’s newly expanded Career Center on
the topics listed below:
n Cytoskeleton and Molecular Motors
n Cell Motility and Cell-Cell and Cell-Matrix
Interactions
n Membrane Trafficking and Organelle
Dynamics
n The Nucleus and the Genome: Structure,
Function, and Dynamics
n Signaling Networks, Cell Cycle Regulation,
and Cell Stress Responses
n Cellular Differentiation (in Health and
Disease), Development, and Tissue
Morphogenesis
n Teaching Cell Biology (K–12,
Undergraduate, and Graduate Education)
WICB Network Reception
2:30 pm–3:30 pm
Members of the ASCB Women in Cell Biology
Committee’s Network and people interested
in learning more about the Network and the
Committee’s activities—and meeting one
another—are cordially invited to attend the
WICB Network Reception.
Monday, Dec. 5
Advocacy Toolbox: How to Be a Year-Round
Science Advocate
New!
9:30 am–10:30 am
Discuss the importance of
science advocacy, and learn how YOU can be
an advocate, with experienced science policy
advocates. You’ll also get tips for assembling your
own most important advocacy tool, the “twominute pitch.”
16
Open Forum Sponsored by the Subcommittee
on Postdoctoral Training
10:00 am–11:00 am
Come discuss issues with other postdocs,
graduate students, early-career scientists, and
members of the ASCB Council.
European Research Council (ERC): Funding
Opportunities in Europe for Creative Minds
from Anywhere in the World
New!
1:00 pm–2:30 pm
ERC scientific officers will
present the ERC’s funding schemes and provide
answers to practical questions on the application
and selection process. ERC grantees will share
their experiences with these funding initiatives
and answer questions from the audience.
National Science Foundation (NSF) Funding
Opportunities
2:30 pm–3:30 pm
What’s on tap? Learn about new program
initiatives and important changes in NSF
proposal submissions; learn about the NSF
review process and a few practical tips for
preparing a successful application; understand
the NSF review criteria and what “broader
impacts” mean; and meet with program
directors from the Directorate for Biological
Sciences and the Directorate for Education and
Human Resources.
WICB Career Discussion and Mentoring
Roundtables
3:00 pm–4:30 pm
Participants meet informally for roundtable
discussions on issues of importance to cell
biologists at various stages of their careers.
Conversations are moderated by individuals
who have experience in various professional
areas or with particular issues. The organizers
envision this session as an excellent way to
disseminate practical information on career
choices, to discuss strategies for effectively
developing a career, and to network with others
who share career interests and concerns. Sign up
to participate when you register for the meeting.
Meet the Editor of Molecular Biology of the
Cell
3:15 pm–4:00 pm
Stop by for an informal discussion about the
journal with Editor-in-Chief David Drubin.
ASCB NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2011
ANNUAL Meeting
Meet the Editor of CBE—Life Sciences
Education
3:30 pm-4:15 pm
Stop by for an informal discussion about the
journal with Editor-in-Chief Erin Dolan.
Tuesday, Dec. 6
Face-to-Face with the National Institutes of
Health (NIH): FY2012 Hot Topics, Trends,
and Tips
1:30 pm–3:00 pm
The NIH is always eager to share new and
exciting information regarding trends in
biomedical research funding and grants
opportunities. At this face-to-face session,
Sally J. Rockey, NIH Director for Extramural
Research, will provide the latest NIH news
affecting the extramural research community
(including NCATS and FCOI), as well
as updated grants policy information and
funding trends. Following her presentation,
join discussion groups with NIH program and
review officials as they discuss in more detail
various aspects of the NIH grants process,
including peer review, career development
opportunities, new investigator policies,
workforce diversity, locating the right funding
opportunity, and more.
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender
Session
1:30 pm–2:30 pm
What does visibility mean to you, and how does
it affect your career in science? To be an effective
leader in the GLBT community and an effective
scientist, it is important to be visible in the
community. How can being visible help others
and/or your own career?
Politicians Don’t Bite
3:00 pm–4:00 pm
Hear science policy advocates discuss their
experiences in educating officials about the
importance of federally funded biology research
and how you can become a science advocate.
SEPTEMBER 2011 ASCB NEWSLETTER
WICB Mentoring Theater: Creative
Responses to the Current Economic Climate
3:30 pm–4:30 pm
A scientist’s anxiety rises in direct proportion
to the fall in grant application paylines. During
such times in the economic roller coaster of
basic research, one can still work through
positive strategies to keep one’s research on
the move and personnel in one’s research
group on the payroll. This session will focus
on these issues that impact science in such a
broad and long-term way. ASCB Thespians
will find humor in the issue to share with the
audience and then form a panel to discuss
practical strategies to help ride out this shortfall.
Questions and comments from the audience will
complete the session.
Planning Ahead as a Student/Postdoc: What
You Can and Should Be Doing Now to
Ensure Success on the Job Market in a Few
Years
3:30 pm–5:00 pm
Moderator: Tony Koleske, Yale University
Panelists: Malcolm Campbell, Davidson College;
Jenny Frederick, McDougal Graduate Career
Center, Yale University; Ann Miller, University
of Michigan; James Sabry, Genentech; Katie
Ullman, University of Utah
Want to plan ahead? Experts from both
academia and industry will lead a discussion of
what qualifications, skills, and strategies current
postdocs (even those just beginning) should
develop and adopt to position them to enter the
academic or industrial job market and garner
those coveted interviews in a few years’ time.
They will also offer advice on how to prepare
for and conduct oneself during a job interview,
including preparing a research statement,
job talk, teaching a mock class, and doing
homework before the visit. n
17
© Leica Microsystems, Inc. 07/2011 BNA#630
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Living up to Life
ANNUAL Meeting
Planning for the 2011 Annual
Meeting
Come Early, Stay Late!
Now is the time to begin planning your trip to
the ASCB Annual Meeting.
The ASCB has a new single sign-on system
for the Annual Meeting. With one login you
can:
n Register for the Annual Meeting (early
registration deadline is October 3).
n Submit an abstract by October 13.
n Make your hotel reservation.
n Make changes to your meeting registration
and pay your annual dues.
Visit www.ascb.org/meetings today!
Interested in Skiing?
Specially priced ski packages are available. Visit
Denver is also offering discount shuttle services
to get to and from skiing destinations—visit
www.ascb.org/meetings and click “Denver
Information.”
Hotel Reservations
It is best to reserve your room early. onPeak (the
ASCB’s official housing partner) offers multiple
ways to reserve your hotel room:
n Online: www.ascb.org/meetings
n Phone: 800-220-9540 (U.S. toll-free) or 312527-7300 (international); open 8:00 am–
5:00 pm CT, Monday–Friday
n Email: ascb@onpeakevents.com
Hotel Contest!
Reserve your hotel room by October 13,
2011, and you will automatically be entered
in a drawing for a chance to win one night’s
room and tax and other discounts from
these official ASCB hotels:
n Courtyard Denver Downtown
n Hampton Inn & Suites
n Marriott
n Sheraton Denver
n The Curtis
n Westin Denver Downtown n
SEPTEMBER 2011 ASCB NEWSLETTER
With onPeak
You get the lowest available room rates in the
ASCB room block.
n ASCB rates are renegotiated if necessary, and
the lower rates are applied to already reserved
rooms.
n You receive additional cost savings with
complimentary hotel extras offered by select
ASCB official hotels: from breakfast to
Internet access and special discounts.
n You have an advocate to provide support if
any issues arise with your hotel reservation.
n It’s simple to reserve
a single room or
manage multiple
Want to Know Who’s
rooms with ease.
Attending the
New!
Fully flexible policies
minimize cancellation
Meeting?
fees and, in most
cases, you can book
The ASCB is providing a list of those
now and pay later
who have registered for the meeting. The
with no upfront costs.
Attendee Lookup list is searchable by name,
n You are protected
affiliation, and area of research interest. To
from unauthorized
search the list, visit www.ascb.org/meetings
booking companies
and click “Rates/Registration Information.”
that often make
Note: This list may not be used for
promises and don’t
marketing or promotional purposes, and
deliver.
attendees who register for the meeting can
n You assist the ASCB
opt out of being listed. n
in future hotel
negotiations to secure
lower rates and better
hotel extras for our meeting attendees and
exhibitors.
Hotel Payment Guarantee: No charges are
incurred at the time of your reservation; however,
a payment guarantee is required to hold your
reservation in the amount of one night’s stay
at the confirmed hotel rate plus current tax of
14.85% (subject to change). The hotel will
charge payment to the credit card provided upon
check-in. Please refer to your confirmation for
full details, which may vary by hotel.
Hotel Cancellations: Reservations cancelled
less than 72 hours from the confirmed check-in
date or not cancelled at all (no-show) are subject
to loss of deposit. Please refer to your reservation
confirmation for full policy details, which may
vary by hotel.
n
19
ANNUAL Meeting
Travel Information
Want to save 5%–7% off your airfare?
Take advantage of a specially negotiated
discount on United Airlines. Visit www.
ascb.org/meetings and click “Hotel/Travel
Information,” or visit www.united.com. Use
Code 588GS.
Looking for Other Ways to Save
Money?
n
n
n
Share a room. Visit www.ascb.org/meetings/
roomshare/roomshare.cfm.
Carpool or share a taxi.
Take the SuperShuttle (discount available
at www.supershuttle.com/Sales/ASCB%20
2011.html).
You’ve Submitted an Abstract…
but Did You Register for the
Meeting?
Reminder: Abstract submission and payment are
separate from meeting registration and payment.
To register and pay for the Annual Meeting, visit
www.ascb.org/meetings. Register by October
3, 2011, to take advantage of discounted
registration rates. n
Attention: International
Annual Meeting
Attendees
Have you applied for your visa? Because the
application process may take three or more
months, please register immediately at www.
ascb.org/meetings. On the registration form,
please request a letter of invitation for use in
your visa application. Visit www.ascb.org/
meetings and click “Hotel/Travel Information”
for more visa and passport information. n
ASCB Annual Meeting
Program
The ASCB does not mail the Annual
Meeting Program. A fully searchable online
Program will be available one month prior
to the meeting; the print version will
be available for pick up at the Colorado
Convention Center. n
Help Us Promote the 2011 ASCB Annual Meeting
Are you presenting at another meeting or to your colleagues or teaching this fall? Help promote
the great science and networking being offered at the 2011 ASCB Annual Meeting. Go to www.
ascb.org/meetings and click “Marketing Material” to download slides, a poster, and a video
featuring ASCB President Sandra Schmid, as well as information about the scientific program
and Denver. n
Attention All PIs, Lab Heads, and Search
Committees
Interested in recruiting postdocs for your lab or conducting a different search? We invite you to
post your positions in the newly expanded Career Center at the ASCB Annual Meeting. What
better place to begin your search? And it’s all free! Just post the position on one of our poster
boards in the Career Center. Those interested in the position can leave their CVs in a folder on
the same board. After you make contact with a potential postdoc, set up an interview in one of
our private interview rooms at the rear of the Career Center. For information, visit www.ascb.
org/meetings and click on “Career Resources.”
Note: you can also take advantage of the ASCB Online Job Board (visit http://jobboard.ascb.
org) and advertise in the ASCB Newsletter (email Ed Newman at enewman@ascb.org for more
information). n
20
ASCB NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2011
ANNUAL Meeting
Poster Information
Poster Set-Up, Tear-Down, and
Presentation Dates/Times
All accepted abstracts will be available online
only. Abstracts may be viewed one month before
the meeting online at www.ascb.org/meetings,
onsite at the Colorado Convention Center via
complimentary wireless Internet access, or via
one of the five abstract look-up kiosks located at
the entrance of the Exhibit Hall.
Poster Sessions (early and late)
Exhibit Halls A/B/E/F
Posters Available for Viewing
Saturday, Dec. 3
5:30 pm–8:00 pm
Sunday, Dec. 4
7:30 am–8:00 pm
Monday, Dec. 5
7:30 am–8:00 pm
Tuesday, Dec. 6* 7:30 am–4:00 pm
Wednesday, Dec. 7
CLOSED
Poster Sessions (Author Presentations)
Sunday, Dec. 4 12:30 pm–3:30 pm
Monday, Dec. 5 12:30 pm–3:30 pm
Tuesday, Dec. 6 12:30 pm–3:30 pm
Odd-numbered Poster Presentations
12:30 pm–2:00 pm
Even-numbered Poster Presentations
2:00 pm–3:30 pm
Poster Set Up
For Sunday viewing
Saturday, Dec. 3
5:30 pm–6:00 pm
For Monday and Tuesday viewing
Sunday, Dec. 4
6:00 pm–6:30 pm
Poster Tear Down
Sunday, Dec. 4
Monday, Dec. 5
Tuesday, Dec. 6*
5:30 pm–6:00 pm
5:30 pm–6:00 pm
4:00 pm–4:30 pm
The ASCB is not responsible for posters, containers,
and other personal items left in the Exhibit Hall at
any time during the meeting.
Need a Table, Electricity, DVD
Player, VCR, or Computer for Your
Poster Presentation?
Projection Presentation Technology and
Freeman are offering bundled discounted rental
rates to poster presenters. To place your order,
visit https://www.ascb.org/meetings and click
“Abstracts/Posters.”
Avoid Carrying Your Poster to the
Meeting
Mira is offering a poster printing service for
accepted poster presenters. You will receive
details on how to access this service in your
abstract acceptance notice, which will be emailed
on October 3, 2011 (or November 1 in the
case of late abstracts). The poster service costs
$75 and includes gloss printing, packaging, and
shipping directly to the Colorado Convention
Center. Posters will be available for pick up at
a designated counter in the Registration area
beginning at 8:00 am on Saturday, December
3, 2011. The deadline to upload files and
receive the $75 rate is November 18, 2011.
Presenters will still be able to use this service after
November 18, 2011, but rush fees will apply
(price depends on submission date). n
*IMPORTANT!
On Tuesday, Dec. 6, ALL posters must be removed from boards between 4:00 pm and 4:30 pm.
Posters left on boards after 4:30 pm on Tuesday, December 6, will not be returned to presenters.
PLEASE NOTE: Meeting attendees and poster presenters are not allowed access to the Exhibit
Hall after 4:30 pm on Tuesday, December 6. No exceptions.
SEPTEMBER 2011 ASCB NEWSLETTER
21
ANNUAL Meeting
“Eureka,” They Cried: Annual
Meeting “Talk Show” Explores
Career-Launching Bench Hits
Discovery is the name of the game in cell
biology, but what is it like to make a significant
breakthrough at the bench early in your career?
Three ASCB members who had such a “Eureka”
moment as young postdocs or newly minted
junior faculty will explore the “inner game” of
scientific discovery in a conversation to be taped
before a live audience on Monday, December 5,
2011, at the ASCB Annual Meeting in Denver.
Former Public Information Committee (PIC)
chair Katherine L. Wilson, Johns Hopkins
School of Medicine, will moderate the “talk
show” to be called “Discovery/Conversations.”
Her three guests will include:
n Magdalena Bezanilla, University of
Massachusetts, Amherst, who devised a
reverse engineering protocol for the moss,
Physcomitrella patens, establishing a powerful
new model organism for plant cytoskeletal
proteins
n Christine Jacobs-Wagner, Yale University
and Howard Hughes Medical Institute,
who found the missing third element of the
prokaryotic cytoskeleton, an IF-like protein
that she dubbed crescentin
n Dyche Mullins, University of California, San
Francisco, who recognized the importance
of the characteristic 70-degree angle of the
Arp2/3 protein complex at the leading edge
for cell motility
Discovery/Conversations is an experiment
in video outreach for the PIC. The program
will follow the classic “talk show” format—
comfortable chairs, a low table, and two video
cameras. Segments of the show, edited into
short, free-standing videos, will be posted on
YouTube and similar outlets. All are aimed at
young researchers, students at all levels, and
members of the general public curious about
how lab research science really works. Those on
hand in Denver will have a ringside seat. n
—John Fleischman
2011 Celldance Contest—ASCB’s Cell Biology
Film Contest
ASCB is now accepting entries to the world’s leading cell biology film festival.
Celldance seeks to open the eyes of the world to the best video and animated
images that illuminate the wonders of cell biology.
In 2011, Celldance returns to its roots as a cell biology film contest, welcoming
live videos, reset classic films (resetting 16mm black and white microscope films
from—1960s and 1970s—into modern formats), and new animations. Under the
auspices of the ASCB’s Public Information Committee, the Celldance judges are
looking for the best videos, films, animations, and other dynamic imaging processes
that illuminate the structure and function of cells. Entries can be descriptive or
experimental, newly created video, or classic 8- or 16-mm films remastered on
video. Animations, cartoons, and dynamic sequences from electron microscopy
are also welcome. (We’re dropping the still image competition this year.) Show
your support for cell biology and the beauty and inspiration that cells can offer.
Submit your entry by September 27, 2011, at www.ascb.org/meetings—click on
“Celldance.” n
—John Fleischman
22
ASCB NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2011
ANNUAL Meeting
Exhibit Hall
Interested in learning about the latest technology
and products for use in your lab? Want to see the
latest products, books, and journals? Wouldn’t
mind winning a prize or adding a giveaway to
your suitcase? Then the ASCB Exhibit Hall is the
place to visit! Not only is it the site of thousands
of posters— showcasing the latest science—it
is the place to visit more than 200 companies
displaying products and services you use—or
likely will someday.
Seasoned meeting attendees know it’s also the
place to get their questions answered and receive
a personal tour of new technologies, products,
and services. Allow an exhibitor to “swipe” your
badge, and you can get more information after
the meeting—and help confirm for exhibitors the
value of exhibiting at the ASCB Annual Meeting.
Many companies will feature giveaways,
games, and prize drawings as well as discounted
pricing if you order during the meeting.
Plus… you might get ROCK’d… We call them
“Random Offers of Conference Kindness.” If
you’re spotted visiting ASCB exhibitors in the
Exhibit Hall by one of ASCB’s incognito ROCK
spotters, you could be a random beneficiary of a
gift bag (filled with goodies from our generous
exhibitors).
Books, Showcases, and Tutorials
Be sure to browse Publishers Row to see a
display of new books and journals. Looking
for a particular product? Be sure to check the
Annual Meeting Program for a description of
what each company will display, and consult
the Product Index for items you are seeking.
Visit the online Buyer’s Guide at www.ascb.org/
iweb/BuyersGuide/VendorSearch.aspx. The
Annual Meeting Program will be available online
approximately one month before the meeting
at www.ascb.org/meetings. Your print copy will
be waiting for you at the Colorado Convention
Center.
SEPTEMBER 2011 ASCB NEWSLETTER
Don’t forget to check the schedule for the
30 Exhibitor Showcase presentations offered
Sunday–Tuesday from 7:00 am–8:15 pm, and
Exhibitor Tutorials presented Monday night
from 6:45 pm–8:15 pm. These are special
opportunities to learn more about products and
technologies from the experts.
Refreshments and Commentary
The exhibits will be open Sunday–Tuesday
from 9:00 am–4:30 pm. You are cordially
invited to the Exhibit Hall each morning after
the first Symposium (8:00 am–9:30 am) of the
day to enjoy refreshments, including coffee,
tea, and muffins, from 9:30 am–10:30 am. In
the afternoon, popcorn and lemonade will be
available in the Exhibit Hall from 3:00 pm–
4:00 pm.
On Tuesday, don’t miss the Celldance
winners’ reel, showcasing the best videos
submitted to the ASCB’s annual contest
(deadline September 27; see page 22 for
information). Hear directors’ commentary
before or after getting your popcorn and visiting
some booths. The Celldance Theater will be
located in the back of the Exhibit Hall in the
700 aisle.
Why not take a few minutes daily to visit
the Exhibit Hall? Prepare to be wowed by the
science! Your visits and questions are welcomed.
And keep in mind: The revenue from exhibiting
companies helps to defray the cost of your
registration. So please show your appreciation
to the exhibiting companies by visiting their
booths and getting your badge scanned. And
if you make buying decisions for your lab, and
have grant funds to spend, be sure to let them
know that too.
To view a list of 2011 exhibitors, go to www.
ascb.org/2011_annual_meeting/11exhibitors.
cfm. n
—Ed Newman
23
ASCB is…
an inclusive, international community of biologists
studying the cell, the fundamental unit of life.
“An opportunity to turn my
values into action”
— Mary Beckerle
Huntsman Cancer Institute
“The opportunity to
network and establish
relationships”
— Oluseyi A. Vanderpuye
Associate Professor, Albany State
University, Georgia
“Important learning and
networking opportunities”
“A role model for what a
scientific society should be”
--Josette Douville
— Larry Goldstein
PhD candidate,
University of Manitoba
University of California
San Diego
“New knowledge, feedback
on my ideas, and the
mentoring and advice I
need”
— Katie Reindl
Assistant Professor, North Dakota
State College
“People who share the
same passion for cell
biology”
--João Gonçalves
Graduate student,
Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia,
Portugal
“A key tool in my
development as a
young scientist”
— Carmelo Carmona-Rivera
Postdoc, NHGRI, NIH
Not a member? Join us! Visit www.ascb.org/membership,
email ascbinfo@ascb.org or call 301-347-9300.
ASCB is your community and your unparalleled resource, your voice and your values.
ANNUAL Meeting
Why Denver?
Planning to attend the 2011 ASCB Annual
Meeting in Denver, Colorado, Dec. 3–7? While
the exciting and stimulating scientific program
is the main draw, I hope you will take advantage
of the meeting being held in my beautiful
city. Take time to explore the city and the
surrounding Rocky Mountain West.
Like many of my colleagues, I am a
“transplant” to Denver. I arrived here in 1971,
with a commitment to complete my PhD
and become a bench scientist, and have lived
here ever since. Over the past 40 years, I have
watched the city grow and evolve, along with
my career. During that time I became a freelance
biomedical science writer, and the city changed
too. We’ve gained new downtown skyscrapers,
a new airport, a major league baseball team
(the Colorado Rockies) and ballpark (Coors
Field), a new football stadium for the Denver
Broncos (Invesco Field at Mile High), the Pepsi
Center (site of Nuggets basketball and Avalanche
hockey games), relocation of Elitch Gardens
amusement park to downtown, redevelopment
of LoDo (Lower Downtown) into a chic area
of lofts, restaurants, and bars, expansion of the
main library and art museum, the Convention
Center where the ASCB meeting will be held,
development of the bottomlands along the South
Platte River, and a badly needed light rail system.
Older neighborhoods have gentrified, dilapidated
and vacated sites have been redeveloped, and
newer suburbs have blossomed in all directions
from the high plains to the mountains.
What Denver Offers
What does that mean for you? Denver offers
many options if you come early, stay late, or
have a spare hour during the ASCB Annual
Meeting. Some of my favorite places to
visit are the Denver Museum of Nature and
Science, the Denver Art Museum, The Capitol,
LoDo, Denver Center for the Performing Arts
(including theater, opera, ballet, symphony),
the Denver Zoo, the U.S. Mint, Larimer
Square (lots of great, world class restaurants
and intriguing shops) and the famous Tattered
Cover bookstore (a short distance away from the
Convention Center; Cherry Creek Shopping
Center is a short cab ride away). The ASCB
website (www.ascb.org/meetings, click on
Denver Information and Downtown Dining)
has information on many good restaurants in
the downtown area. Whether you’re looking
for fine dining or cheap eats, you won’t be
disappointed. Most restaurants are an easy walk
from the Convention Center. You’ll enjoy the
center’s convenient downtown location, nearby
hotels, and the mountain vistas. There is also
a free continuous shuttle on the nearby 16th
Street Mall. The Mall is a wonderful place to
walk and browse shops, cafés, and restaurants.
For more information, see www.denver.org.
Denver’s population has become increasing
diverse over the years. Ethnic cuisine is easy
to find, and the city also boasts the Black
American West Museum, the Museo de las
Americas, and the Mizel Museum, a portal to
the contemporary Jewish experience.
What Beckons Nearby
The nearby Rocky Mountains are our
playground. Places worth seeing include Coors
Brewery in nearby Golden (yes, you can tour
the facility on short notice and sample the
What’s with the Weather?
If you think it will be too cold to walk, think again. Nothing about Denver is more misunderstood
than the city’s climate. Located just east of a high mountain barrier, and a long distance from any
moisture source, Denver has a mild, dry, and arid climate. The city receives only 8–15 inches (20.3–
38 cm) of precipitation a year (about the same as Los Angeles) and records 300 days of sunshine a
year—more annual hours of sun than San Diego, CA, or Miami Beach, FL!
Winters are mild with an average daily high in December of 47° F (8° C), warmer than
New York, Boston, Chicago, and St. Louis. Snow may fall, but it usually melts in a short time.
Golf courses remain open all year and have been played on as many as 30 days in December.
Chinook winds (winds blowing from mountains that gain heat as they lose elevation) can bring
60° F (16° C) weather to Denver at any time throughout the winter.
SEPTEMBER 2011 ASCB NEWSLETTER
25
ANNUAL Meeting
Denver History
Denver has always been a “boom or bust” type of town. It was
founded in 1859, a year after gold was found at the confluence
of the South Platte River and Cherry Creek. The city was
named for the Kansas Territorial governor, James Denver. Over
the years, Denver experienced many challenges, including
fire, flood, and famine. Each time, the resilient townspeople
rebuilt their city better and stronger. When the original
transcontinental Union Pacific (UP) Railroad bypassed the
city, the citizens raised money to build a railroad spur to meet
the UP in Cheyenne, WY, thereby ensuring Denver’s survival.
In modern times, Denver has also experienced boomand-bust cycles including the collapse of the oil and gas
boom and the high-tech “bubble.” Back in the 1980s, former
Mayor Francisco Pena exhorted us to “imagine a great city,”
and much of his vision has been fulfilled.
Cell Biologists in Denver?
The biomedical environment in Denver has greatly expanded
in recent years. The closure of the historic Fitzsimons Army
Hospital enabled the University of Colorado to relocate
the landlocked Health Sciences Center and to expand the
facility to its remarkable current state. Although technically
in neighboring Aurora, the new campus is currently known
as the University of Colorado Denver-Anschutz Medical
Campus and includes hospitals, research facilities, and
professional schools (www.ucdenver.edu).
Nearby is the Fitzsimons Life Science District including
Bioscience Park Center, an incubator for new startup
companies (http://fitzscience.com). Colorado BioScience
Association is the trade organization for all the bioscience
companies in the state (www.cobioscience.com).
What to Pack?
Denver’s humidity is usually low, which means it doesn’t feel as cold as temperatures in wetter climates but your skin may feel dry. At
5,280 feet (approximately 1,609 meters), there is more exposure to UV light than at lower elevations. If you’re going to be outside, I
recommend moisturizer, sunscreen, and lip balm… and drink a lot of water throughout the day. Be sure to pack clothes for warmer and
cooler days; it’s always smart to dress in layers, as Convention Center room temperatures can vary along with the weather outside.
merchandise, if you’re over 21—bring your ID),
Lookout Mountain (site of Buffalo Bill’s grave),
historic Georgetown, Central City/Blackhawk
(old mining towns that now offer gambling),
Pike’s Peak Country around Colorado Springs,
and Rocky Mountain National Park. Denver
owns a series of parks in the foothills, a herd
of bison, and the Winter Park ski area! How
to travel? Consider renting a car or availing
yourself of the tours and bus transport available.
Ski season will be open at the time of the
ASCB Annual Meeting. Loveland and Arapahoe
Basin ski areas are just over an hour’s drive from
the city. My favorite area is Copper Mountain,
but others prefer the Vail Resorts (including
Keystone, Breckenridge, Vail, and Beaver
Creek). More distant are Steamboat, Aspen, and
Telluride.
If you travel to the mountains, you may
feel the effects of the altitude above 8,000
feet (2,438 meters). The Center for Altitude
Research, located at Anschutz Medical Campus,
recommends that you stay well hydrated, avoid
exertion for at least 24 hours, eat potassiumrich foods, and avoid excess alcohol and salt. In
26
the mountains, weather conditions can change
rapidly, and people are advised to dress in layers.
UV light is strong at mountain elevations.
Sunscreen and lip balm are a must! If you plan
to visit the mountains, do so after the ASCB
Annual Meeting and give yourself time to adjust
to the altitude.
A December Bonus for Visitors
December is the Holiday Season in Denver. The
City and County building will be decked in an
amazing array of lights. You will be in town in
time to see the 9NEWS Parade of Lights on
Dec. 2 (8:00 pm) or Dec. 3 (6:00 pm). It is the
signature event of the Downtown Denver Holiday
Season. The sparkling lights, marching bands,
floats, balloons, and delightful characters are
crowd-pleasers. Other spectacles include Blossoms
of Light at the Botanical Gardens, where over
one million lights in elegant designs highlight the
Gardens’ beauty and Zoo Lights depicting animals
at the Denver Zoo. Nearby Larimer Square is
especially festive. Enjoy the lights, the meeting,
and the ambiance of Denver! n
—Barbara T. Zimmerman
ASCB NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2011
Do A 180
Turn to a world of true
CO2 incubator sterilization.
Binder CO2 incubators offer:
4
A 180°C hot-air sterilization cycle that
eliminates contamination.
4
A hot-air jacket that delivers consistent,
uniform temperatures.
4
Drift-free real-time CO2 measurement that
ensures stable pH values.
4
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maintains dry interior walls.
4
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corners and integrated shelf supports.
Get directions at www.true-sterilization.com
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BINDER Inc. | Toll Free 866 885 9794
sales@binder-world.us | www.binder-world.us
CBE
Life Sciences
Education
www.lifescied.org
Volume 10 Fall 2011
28
ASCB NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2011
The ASCB Gratefully Acknowledges the Following
2011 Annual Meeting Supporters*
Advanced Microscopy Group
ROCK’d Bags
National Institute of General Medical Sciences, NIH
Discovery/Conversations Program
American Qualex Antibodies Signal Transduction Products
ROCK’d Bags
Office of Research on Women’s Health, OD, NIH
WICB Workshop and Career Discussion
Applied Precision, Inc.
Registration Bag Insert
Olympus America, Inc.
Lanyards
BD Biosciences-Discovery Labware
Registration Bag Insert
ORFLO Technologies
Internet Café
Burroughs Wellcome Fund
WICB Workshop and Career Discussion and MAC Annual
Meeting Programs
Park Systems, Inc.
Hanging Banner Aisle Sign
Chroma Technology Corporation
Undergraduate Student Travel Awards
QImaging
Celldance 2011
Roche Applied Science
Hotel Room Keys
Company of Biologists, Journal of Cell Science, and Biology
Open
Faculty and Postdoctoral Travel Awards
The Rockefeller University Press
2011 Gilula Award
FEI Life Sciences
Registration Bag Insert
Royal Society Publishing
Postdoctoral Travel Awards
Hamamatsu Corp.
Workshop: Quantitative Live Cell Microscopy
The Anatomical Record
Symposium: Function of Multi-Molecular Machines
National Center for Research Resources, NIH,
Minisymposium: Cell Migration
Working Group: Using Large Data Sets as Tools to Understand
Cell Biology
The Scientist
Hanging Banner Aisle Sign
Nature Publishing Group
Meeting Bags, Registration Bag Insert, and Childcare Awards
Worthington Biochemical Corporation
Predoctoral Student Travel Awards
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH
Minisymposium: Cell-Cell and Cell-Matrix Interactions
X-Cite by Lumen Dynamics
Hanging Banner Aisle Sign
Thorlabs
ROCK’d Bags
*As of August 17, 2011
SEPTEMBER 2011 ASCB NEWSLETTER
29
DEAR Labby
Retiring Research Materials
Dear Labby,
I shut down my lab a number of years ago and have literally a garage full
of laboratory notebooks and data reflecting nearly 20 years of work. There
are my own notebooks, notebooks from graduate students, postdocs,
undergraduates, and technicians, as well as boxes of data in the form of
film strips, CDs, floppy disks, and zip drives. The last of my research has
been published. My clones have been deposited with colleagues, who
generously send them out to people who request them. The antibodies are
now sold by companies so I don’t have to manufacture them myself. I have
deposited some of the images with the ASCB Cell image library. My question
to you is: What do I do with the lab notebooks? To be truthful, I think they are a hazard. We used to
use nitrocellulose for western blots, with colorimetric methods to visualize proteins, and those very
flammable sheets are taped into the notebooks. Is there an official way to dispose of all this material?
And how long, by law, do I need to keep it?
—Data Driven
Dear Data Driven,
Thank you for your evocative inquiry on a subject all retiring academic scientists face. First, what
do you have to save and why? Some institutions have enacted formal policies as to the custody of
research materials from a closing lab (which in many cases are legally the property of the institution).
So check your institution’s policies at the start.
Second, many journals have policies that require authors to make available upon request various
forms of primary data in case of an inquiry. With the passage of time, we authors tend to think this
obligation evaporates, but it does not. That said, were a journal editor to follow up on such an inquiry
many years after an article’s publication, the nonavailability of primary data and the laboratory head’s
retirement would typically be considered an acceptable explanation.
Third, if any patents were issued or are pending from your research, you should be sure to keep, or
transfer to an appropriate party, the records behind the foundational invention(s).
With these considerations duly deliberated, your decision about what to keep and discard hinges
on your storage space and willingness to throw things out. (Labby’s spouse considers deciding on the
disposal of stuff to be far, far beyond the capacity of the human condition.)
In reality it is indeed very difficult to get rid of things that were not only a part of your life in science,
but also from a community of people, collected over many years. Your lab is alive with all the memories
of many personalities and events. Few scientists in such a position would have been so thoughtful as
to actually seek advice, and Labby applauds you for doing so. Closing down a lab isn’t easy. There are
many retiring or soon-to-retire cell biologists who will appreciate your insightful query. n
—Labby
Direct your questions to labby@ascb.org. Authors of questions chosen for publication may
indicate whether or not they wish to be identified. Submissions may be edited for space and style.
Got Questions?
Labby has answers. ASCB’s popular columnist will select career-related questions for
publication and thoughtful response in the ASCB Newsletter. Confidentiality guaranteed if
requested. Write us at labby@ascb.org. n
30
ASCB NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2011
WOMEN in Cell Biology
Why Your Website Matters and What
to Do about It
summary, maybe a diagram, and a list of recent
What is the first instinct of students who want
publications. If the sites are managed efficiently,
to find out about a new gene or process? They
probably Google it. And if they are lucky, they find they may even automatically update the
publications from PubMed. But don’t forget to
a well-designed lab website of one of the experts
review the information there regularly.
in the field. The site offers an introduction, some
If your university offers nothing more
references, a few useful diagrams, and enough
on the Web than directory
pictures and lab information to pique
information, you really do need
a student’s interest in a potential
to arrange for something more
postdoc position.
substantial. But look around—
Shouldn’t that expert be you?
Google yourself. You may not even
An effective Internet presence
realize that you have pages on the
will not only help you attract
university site, your department
students and postdocs, it gives you
site, and on that multi-department
a public profile in your field. We
graduate program site. You may
live in an online world, and a welleven find there is a webpage from
managed profile can be a significant
your previous job! Make sure that
asset to your career.
Susan L. Forsburg
the information is coordinated as
We’ve come a long way since
much as possible by contacting the webmasters
the first Mosaic browser, through Netscape to
of the different sites.
Chrome. It used to be enough to have a simple
text page. Now, visitors to your website expect
to see something visually appealing and to have
If You Want Something More
easy access to the information they want. There
Extensive…
are several ways to provide that information,
Maybe you’ve outgrown your university
but they all share one overarching, essential
webpage, or you want to provide more
requirement: It must be up-to-date.
information online. It’s actually much easier
The Golden Rule: Keep the
Information Current
How much confidence do you have in an
investigator whose webpage lists no publications
since 2001? Unfortunately, too many labs give
the task of creating the website to a student or
postdoc without appropriate planning. The
person assigned may make a nice-looking page,
but when he or she moves on, no one remembers
how to update it. Within a few years it falls out of
date, an Internet remnant. Regardless of how you
build a website, you must have a clear strategy
to maintain and update the information. At a
minimum, you should review it once a year to
make sure that the science is still fresh, the papers
are up-to-date, the links work, and your title and
contact information are correct.
The Minimalist Approach
Most universities or departments offer some
sort of Web presence to their faculty. In many
cases, they will provide space for a research
SEPTEMBER 2011 ASCB NEWSLETTER
than it used to be to set up a website, and even
an old professor can do it!
The first thing to do is decide what you
want on the website, lay it out on paper, and
write the text. A designer cannot write the
content for you. Most lab websites feature three
basic components: a research section, a list of
publications, and a section listing the people in
the lab. Make sure to identify colorful pictures
or diagrams that provide visual interest.
The research section is where you can
describe your work and convey your excitement
about it. This should have enough background
for someone new to your field but still have
enough current information for your colleagues.
It’s not a dissertation. Most people will not scroll
past the first screen of text, and certainly not
past a second. If you really have more to say, use
separate “interior” pages with clear links to the
top level.
The list of publications should include all
recent work. Ideally, there will be links to the
abstracts on PubMed.
We live in an online
world, and a wellmanaged profile
can be a significant
asset to your career.
31
At a minimum, you
should review [your
website] once a
year to make sure
that the science
is still fresh, the
papers are up-todate, the links work,
and your title and
contact information
are correct.
Don’t be afraid to
do it yourself—
designing a website
is no longer as
complex as it was in
1995, when I wrote
my first site’s HTML
code by hand.
32
The section on people is your recruiting tool.
Students and postdocs considering your lab will
want to know who is there already, and where
your alumni have gone. Smiling faces denote a
happy lab!
These basics can be expanded as needed
to include additional information on your
research system and your university, useful links,
protocols, and so on. Just make sure it’s easy to
navigate between the sections—one or two clicks
at most—and to get back to the home page.
Work with a Designer—or Do It
Yourself!
After you know what you want to say, you can
think about how you want it to look. If you
are working with a designer, you will meet
with him or her at this point. You may choose
to work with a student or staff member. Some
universities have an internal contract service
that does webpages. Or you can use an outside
designer. But—I reiterate—regardless of who is
going to do the design, you must have a clear
strategy to update the content.
Don’t be afraid to do it yourself—designing
a website is no longer as complex as it was in
1995, when I wrote my first site’s HTML code
by hand. These days there are a number of useful
programs, ranging from free HTML editors like
PageBreeze to professional-quality programs like
Dreamweaver. I use one called Rapidweaver.
These programs can make it easy to add pictures,
navigation menus, and other bling. Make sure
you choose a uniform look in fonts and colors
for your pages, and keep them simple and easy
to read. Preview your webpages on different
browsers and different platforms to be sure that
all viewers will see the site as intended.
The final step is to upload the new site to a
server. Your university has a server for faculty
websites; the IT department will tell you how
to gain access. Then make sure the link to your
website is put on your faculty directory page and
any other sites for your field or your organism.
And don’t forget to review it and update it
regularly.
It is important to remember that this is your
professional site. Keep it focused on sciencerelated issues, and resist the temptation to include
personal information. If you want an individual
website or a blog for your nonscience life, keep
them separate. More suggestions about managing
your online identity can be found in my previous
column, “The Internet Never Forgets.”1 n
Happy surfing!
— Susan L. Forsburg, for the Women in Cell
Biology Committee
Note
Susan L. Forsburg recently redesigned her lab
website, PombeNet (www.pombe.net).
Reference
Forsburg SL. (2009). The Internet never forgets. ASCB
Newsletter 32(4), 14–15. www.ascb.org/files/0904wicb.
pdf.
1
Dambournet, Vernay Honored as
Young French Cell Biologists
The French Society for Cell Biology recently chose two
young scientists to receive student travel awards. Daphné
Dambournet and Aurélia Vernay will receive expense-paid
trips (compliments of the French Society for Cell Biology)
and meeting registration (compliments of ASCB) to attend
the 2011 ASCB Annual Meeting in Denver, CO. They both
Daphné
Aurélia Vernay
will present their posters and will report on their meeting
Dambournet
experiences for the ASCB Newsletter.
Dambournet is a PhD student in the Membrane Traffic and Cell Division Lab at Institut
Pasteur, Paris, France. Her abstract title is “Spatial and Temporal Control of Lipids and F-actin
in Cytokinesis Completion.” Vernay is a PhD student at the Institute of Developmental
Biology and Cancer, Nice University, Nice, France. Her abstract title is “An Actin-Dependent
Phosphoinositide-bis-phosphate Gradient Is Critical for Fungal Filamentous Growth.” n
—Thea Clarke
ASCB NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2011
LETTER to the Editor
To the Editor:
I just got done reading your column [President’s Column, August ASCB Newsletter] and I must say,
as a graduate student this speaks very close to home for me.
I graduated high school with a class of 70 (tiny community school) and went off to a mediumsized college (~20,000 students including all satellite campuses). I got my degree in cellular and
molecular biology. Our program there offered very little guidance, but my research PI of 1.5 years
provided excellent guidance on choosing a graduate school and how to conduct good science.
Graduate school has been an entirely different beast. Whereas my mentor in undergrad did very
well explaining everything to me so that I could understand, the general consensus here is that I
need to “just figure it out” for myself. I need to go find things, learn things, and be things that no
one told me how to do, where to find, or how to learn. For me this has been an intense struggle and
there has been very little sympathy. I know I can do well, and I feel that I could do better if there
was a more defined structure on simply how to BE a graduate student.
On the other hand, I feel as if managing a lab would be my strong point. I am a natural born
leader and I love keeping tedious records and organizing things (like freezers, for example). I believe
I have good people skills and I believe I would be a good teacher. I enjoy helping people and I have
a knack for explaining things to people who really don’t understand. Graduate school seems to
be the ugly hurdle in between me and THAT. As I’ve said, everyone (the other grad students and
the professors) seems to think that providing us with some sort of direction is going to hurt our
development as independent scientists.
It’s incredibly frustrating for me, as I’ve never thought of myself as unintelligent OR dependent,
and I know when the day comes I’m going to be among the best all-around professors there can be.
Once I know how to do something I am usually very good at mastering it, and to me I think the
mastery is more important than fumbling in the dark to find it myself.
This quote struck me the most. I actually reread it about 10 times: “Moreover, smart and
talented PhD students slow to fulfill these expectations become discouraged and lose self-confidence
they should have as potential leaders in society.”
THAT’S ME!!!! I’ve more than once thought “Maybe I really am not cut out for grad school”
and panicked to think what else I want to do with my life. I really, really enjoy science. To me it’s
always a great puzzle and I feel special to be a part of it. Unfortunately, I’m slow to grasp a concept
and quick to master it once I do, and the slowness seems to cause my university to lose faith in me
and have doubts.
A big part of me would also like to reform this system. I have an organizing and teaching
mentality with the goal to make things as smooth and streamlined as possible. I HATE the “sink or
swim” mentality, as to me that seems like a horrible waste of good brains that, properly nurtured,
could very well be valuable to all of us. If there is anything I can do to assist in this matter, I would
wholeheartedly like to help. Someday, if and when I ever get to my teaching position, I’m going to
make absolutely sure that my students reach their next step as prepared as it is possible for them to
be. I can at least start there. n
—Anonymous
President’s reply: Thanks for your candid response to my President’s column. I want to emphasize that
you are not alone. This is how many of us were mentored and, thus, it continues to be how we mentor
our students.
We have a one-size-fits-all approach to graduate training, but different mentorship styles are
needed at different times along a learning curve. I hope you will check out my iBioMagazine
webinar (www.ibiomagazine.org, December issue), which offers advice on mentoring and being
mentored. And please share it with your group and your mentor.
I think you should talk to your mentor and express your frustrations and your needs. A good
mentorship relationship involves a partnership between mentee and mentor. Talk and listen to each
other about expectations, ambitions, and needs.
Finally, if you love what you’re doing, and are willing to work hard and seek the help you need
when you need it, you’ll be successful. I repeat: You are not alone!
—Sandra Schmid, ASCB President
SEPTEMBER 2011 ASCB NEWSLETTER
33
As researchers in the developed world, we know
that we are extraordinarily fortunate to be in
an environment supportive of a wide variety
of scientific pursuits. The richness of resources
gives us the freedom to pursue more abstract
and basic sciences that appeal to the tinkerer
or the “butterfly collector” in all of us. But for
anyone who has traveled in, or originates from, a
developing country, it is obvious that we are not
unique in that desire to explore the unknown.
We know, along with ASCB members and
Seeding Labs, that “talent is everywhere.”
Seeding Labs is a Boston-based nonprofit
helping talented scientists in developing
countries conduct great research. It is led by
Nina Dudnik, who is an Associate member of
the ASCB International Affairs Committee.
Seeding Labs’ primary strategy is to focus on
providing resources that developing country
researchers need but lack. Such resources include
lab equipment. Universities and companies
donate surplus equipment to Seeding Labs, and
Seeding Labs identifies recipient universities and
facilitates the transfer of equipment.
But it doesn’t stop at equipment. Equally
important resources for global scientists are
professional training and connections to
colleagues and opinion leaders in their fields.
Seeding Labs helps talented scientists in
developing countries conduct life-changing
research. In this spirit, Seeding Labs and the
Genetics Department of Harvard Medical
School joined forces to create a new program
in science diplomacy. We three Harvard
scientists—Kimberly Cooper, Amanda Nottke,
and Mridula (Millie) Ray—were selected to
pilot this program. Recently we visited a Seeding
Labs partner university—Kenyatta University
(KU) in Nairobi, Kenya.
nationa
r
e
t
fai
l Af rs
Harvard Researchers Provide
Resources in Kenya
In
INTERNATIONAL Affairs
Gathering Information, Building
Relationships
Our mission on this trip was to run workshops
for graduate students and faculty on such topics
as grant writing and research presentation. We
also wanted to better understand the broader
needs of KU and to follow up on the status of
equipment previously provided by Seeding Labs.
The best way to do this was to discuss academic
life at KU with everyone from undergraduates
to deans. We toured labs and took pictures of
Seeding Labs’ equipment in use. We also held
office hours every morning for students to
discuss thesis proposal ideas or for faculty to get
advice on grants. Along the way we acquired a
close-knit core group of students who attended
every workshop and we established relationships
with many progressive and motivated faculty
members and administrators. At the same time,
this gave us a peek into the inner workings of
the university at all levels.
We found that our outside perspective
and our dialogues with a wide spectrum of
people provided us a unique ability to identify
some of the challenges that apply to research
at KU. These were largely centered around
effective communication and collaboration
between scientists. Social norms often
limited interactions across
hierarchical levels, and peer
networks were sometimes
physically restricted since most
research is done off-campus in
government agricultural and
pathology centers. To address
this communication gap, we
prodded the social boundaries
by encouraging both vertical
and horizontal communication
within KU. This culminated
in a community-wide forum—
something which had never
The authors with students at Kenyatta University, a Seeding Labs partner
happened before at KU. In
university
SEPTEMBER 2011 ASCB NEWSLETTER
35
this way students, faculty, and deans could
engage together in candid conversation about
the challenges and future of research at their
university. We discussed approaches that might
promote further development of a collaborative
research environment and discussed the pros
and cons of implementing these policies.
One concern that students and teachers alike
agreed upon was adequate attention to teaching.
KU has a rapidly expanding student body
(23,000 students and growing), and faculty are
shouldering three classes each semester. The
latter includes responsibility for grading all
exams. This directly cuts into faculty time for
research and mentoring, the two things that KU
graduate students expressed they desired most.
As a group we discussed recruiting graduate
students to serve as teaching assistants and
to grade undergraduate exams. This would
relieve lecturers’ burdens and give the graduate
students valuable teaching experience. This
policy was successfully implemented in the KU
Department of Zoology during the fall and
spring semesters.
At the same meeting, we also highlighted
underutilized resources (such as open-access
literature and university journal subscriptions,
the potential for interdepartmental
collaborations, and the grant writing office)
and identified the best avenues of advertising
those resources. Together with faculty and
administrators, we designed a system to
centralize information so that people of all
departments could know which Seeding
Labs equipment was set up and running and
where it was located. The meeting ended with
enthusiastic speeches from deans, the director of
research, and faculty members; and invigorated
students thanked their professors one-on-one
over tea and biscuits.
Gaining a New Perspective
Through this unique experience, we have
acquired a new perspective on our own science
as well. In particular, we were exceptionally
impressed and inspired by some students who
took out personal loans to fund their research.
We appreciate what a luxury it is to pursue basic
as well as applied science. Both the students
and ambassadors were encouraged rather than
overwhelmed by the realization that “science
is hard everywhere.” We are heartened and
impressed by a group of KU students who have
taken the initiative to form a Biosciences Society
that will invite faculty speakers, hold journal
clubs, and promote social interaction. Motivated
by their initiative, the Seeding Labs Harvard
Medical School student chapter is expanding
its vision for future international outreach
activities, including pursuing formal and
informal connections between Harvard scientists
and the students at KU. Although we don’t yet
know when our next meeting will be, we look
forward to lasting personal and professional
relationships with the scientists at KU. n
—Amanda Nottke, Kim Cooper, Mridula Ray,
Harvard Medical School Department of Genetics
and Massachusetts General Hospital
More about Seeding Labs and the IAC
in Africa
Seeding Labs and the ASCB International Affairs Committee (IAC) have partnered on
providing equipment to African institutions where ASCB workshops have been held. The
ASCB IAC has planned and implemented educational workshops in Africa, with support from
the Carnegie Foundation of New York. Much needed equipment has also been donated by
Olympus and Zeiss to host institutions. And ASCB member professors have provided grantwriting assistance and other follow-up.
Seeding Labs welcomes new institutional partnerships to expand programs in scientific
training and equipment transfer; details can be found at www.seedinglabs.org and at info@
seedinglabs.org. n
36
ASCB NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2011
PUBLIC POLICY Briefing
You Call That a Deal?
Who says the U.S. Congress can’t accomplish
anything? During July and August, Congress
worked hard to turn a legislative molehill
into a policy mountain. The 2011 battle over
increasing the federal debt limit, which has been
routinely increased in the past with little or no
fanfare, resulted in a final agreement that could
have seriously negative implications for domestic
programs, including federally funded scientific
research.
The deal reached by the White House and
Congress would increase the debt limit and
cut spending in two phases. The first phase
will immediately increase the debt limit by
$900 billion. The second increase in the debt
limit will take place later in 2011; its size will
be determined by the work done by a special
joint committee of the U.S. House and the
Senate.
The spending cuts connected with the first
phase of the debt limit increase will be achieved
by placing limits or “caps” on the size of annual
federal spending. The caps will be on spending
on both nonsecurity discretionary and securityrelated programs. The nonsecurity programs
include the U.S. National Institutes of Health
(NIH) and the National Science Foundation
(NSF), and the security programs include the
Defense Department and homeland security
programs. The spending caps will be in place
until 2021.
In 2013 and 2014, the deal prevents
Congress from “raiding” spending for domestic
programs to provide more funding for security
programs and vice versa. Unfortunately,
these “firewalls” do not exist beyond 2014.
Historically, similar firewalls have been crucial
in preventing Congress from reducing domestic
spending to provide more funding for politically
popular defense and security programs.
The newly created joint committee will be
required to reduce the budget deficit by as much
as $1.5 trillion through spending cuts and/or
revenue increases. The new “super” committee
will have to present its plan to both the U.S.
House and the Senate by November 23, 2011.
The House and Senate must approve or reject
the spending proposal by December 23, 2011.
If the super committee does not produce at
least $1.2 trillion in savings, or if its proposal
is rejected by Congress, automatic, acrossthe-board cuts will take place to achieve
the necessary savings. It is estimated that all
nondefense programs, including the NIH and
NSF, would see budget cuts of 6.7% over a
nine-year period if these automatic cuts go into
effect. n
—Kevin M. Wilson
Research Creates Cures, Companies, and Jobs
When scientists receive grants, they hire staff, and buy lab equipment and supplies necessary to conduct the research. A cut
in U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding means fewer grants, and fewer grants mean researchers will need less
equipment and fewer supplies for their labs.
In light of reductions in federal spending, companies that sell products to biology researchers funded by the NIH should
be concerned about 1) the flat funding received by the NIH in recent years, and 2) proposals to cut future NIH funding.
In 2010, NIH investments led to the creation of 487,900 high-tech, high-wage jobs. Moreover, these investments
produced $68.035 billion in new economic activity around the U.S.
WHAT CAN YOU DO? Researchers should urge their equipment suppliers to contact their Senators and Member
of Congress and tell them how important NIH-funded research is to their company and its ability to hire and retain
employees.
The ASCB has created a website featuring tips on how lab equipment and supply companies can educate Members of
Congress. The website also contains a draft letter companies can send to their elected officials.
www.ascb.org/NIHcreatesjobs.html
SEPTEMBER 2011 ASCB NEWSLETTER
37
Borrowing from the OD to Pay for CAL
case records to advance the early detection,
Washington, DC, loves acronyms. POTUS and
FLOTUS are the hosts of White House dinners, prevention, treatment, cure, and control
of currently undiagnosed and unregistered
the IPAB is one of the most controversial
diseases.” Instead of providing
portions of the ACA, and meetings
additional funding for the new
and hearings on Capitol Hill
program, the bill pays for the CAL
can take place in the DSOB, the
Network by reducing the budget
RHOB, or the CVC.
for the NIH OD (Office of the
U.S. Representative John Carter
Director) by $5 million.
(R-TX) recently introduced a bill in
If enacted into law, the CAL
the U.S. House of Representatives
Network would join an alphabet
that, if it were to become law, would
create another federal program and
soup of similar programs at the
U.S. National Institutes of Health
another acronym for the federal
focused on the identification and
government lexicon. Carter serves
Rep. John Carter (R-TX)
development of cures and treatments
on the U.S. House Appropriations
for rare and neglected diseases.
Committee and is also Secretary of the House
Glossary: POTUS is the President of the
Republican Conference, a part of the U.S. House
United States, FLOTUS is the First Lady of the
leadership organization.
United States, IPAB is the Independent Payment
Carter’s bill, the Charles August Long
Advisory Board, ACA is the Patient Protection
Undiagnosed Diseases Research and
and Affordable Care Act, and DSOB, RHOB,
Collaboration Network Act of 2011, creates
and CVC are the Dirksen Senate Office Building,
the CAL Network. According to a press release
Rayburn House Office Building, and Capitol
by Carter’s office, the bill “would create an
Visitor Center, respectively. n
Undiagnosed Disease database at the National
Institutes of Health for maintenance of
—Kevin M. Wilson
Lambda LS
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38
Academic Coordinator - Biology
University of California, Riverside
The Department of Biology at the University of California, Riverside seeks an Academic Coordinator to exercise
managerial oversight, conduct, and content of the laboratory sections for several core courses for life science majors
and non-majors, with a starting date of October 1, 2011. The
specific courses include the laboratory component of a nonmajors course in cellular and molecular biology, an introductory majors laboratory course in cellular and molecular biology, and the laboratory component of an introductory majors
course. Accordingly, a background in cellular, molecular and
organismal biology is desirable. Salary will be commensurate with education and experience.
Applicants must have a Ph.D. degree and a record of
achievement in teaching. A curriculum vitae, statement of
teaching experience, interests, philosophy, and 3 to 5 confidential letters of recommendation should be submitted
through https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/811. Review of applications will begin on August 29, 2011. The
University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer.
ASCB NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2011
HIGHLIGHTS from MBoC
The Editorial Board of Molecular Biology of the Cell has highlighted the following articles from
the August 1 and 15, 2011, issues. From among the many fine articles in the journal, the Board
selects for these Highlights articles that are of broad interest and significantly advance knowledge
or provide new concepts or approaches that extend our understanding.
A phosphodegron controls nutrient-induced proteasomal activation of the signaling protease Ssy5
D. J. Omnus, T. Pfirrmann, C. Andréasson, and P. O. Ljungdahl
The Ssy1-Ptr3-Ssy5 (SPS) sensor of extracellular amino acids coordinates the sequential activity of
general signaling factors and the 26S proteasome in a novel proteolytic activation cascade to activate the
intracellular signaling protease Ssy5, which endoproteolytically activates two latent transcription factors.
Mol. Biol. Cell 22 (15), 2754–2765
Dynamic profiling of mRNA turnover reveals gene-specific and system-wide regulation of mRNA
decay
S. E. Munchel, R. K. Shultzaberger, N. Takizawa, and K. Weis
A pulse-chase approach is outlined for measuring mRNA turnover rates under changing growth conditions.
Mol. Biol. Cell 22 (15), 2787–2795
The spindle checkpoint protein Mad2 regulates APC/C activity during prometaphase and metaphase
of meiosis I in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
D. Tsuchiya, C. Gonzalez, and S. Lacefield
The spindle checkpoint protein Mad2 sets the duration of meiosis I by downregulating APC/C activity to
ensure the timely degradation of APC/C substrates. In the absence of Mad2, premature APC/C activity can
cause misregulation of meiotic cell cycle events, resulting in chromosome missegregation.
Mol. Biol. Cell 22 (16), 2848–2861
Involvement of the Rho–mDia1 pathway in the regulation of Golgi complex architecture and dynamics
Y. Zilberman, N. O. Alieva, S. Miserey-Lenkei, A. Lichtenstein, Z. Kam, H. Sabanay, and A. Bershadsky
A study of the role of actin cytoskeleton regulation in Golgi organization and function shows that Rho
regulates Golgi fragmentation into ministacks, as well as formation of Rab6-positive Golgi-derived vesicles,
via mDia1 formin activation. The Rho–mDia1 pathway affects the Golgi complex by controlling fusion and
fission of Golgi membranes.
Mol. Biol. Cell 22 (16), 2900–2911 n
Spatial separation of the mammalian glycoprotein quality control axis: The distinct intracellular
locations of calnexin (red), ERManI (green), and nuclei (blue) in HeLa cells are shown. (Image:
Budi Utama and Shujuan Pan, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX)
SEPTEMBER 2011 ASCB NEWSLETTER
39
Imaging: A Laboratory Manual
RNA: A Laboratory Manual
Edited by and Series Editor Rafael Yuste,
Howard Hughes Medical Institute,
Columbia University
By Donald C. Rio, University of California,
Berkeley, Manuel Ares, Jr., University of
California, Santa Cruz, Gregory J. Hannon,
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and
Timothy W. Nilsen, Case Western Reserve
University School of Medicine
Hardcover $240
Paperback $165
Imaging in Neuroscience:
A Laboratory Manual
Edited By Fritjof Helmchen, Brain
Research Institute, University of Zurich and
Arthur Konnerth, Institute for Neurosciences,
Technical University Munich; Series Editor,
Rafael Yuste, Howard Hughes Medical Institute,
Columbia University
Hardcover $280
Paperback $195
Hardcover $240
Paperback $165
Live Cell Imaging: A Laboratory
Manual, Second Edition
Edited By Robert D. Goldman, Feinberg
School of Medicine Northwestern University,
Jason R. Swedlow, The University of Dundee,
and David L. Spector, Cold Spring
Harbor Laboratory
Imaging in Developmental Biology: Hardcover $240
Paperback $165
A Laboratory Manual
RNA: Life's Indispensable
Edited By James Sharpe, EMBL-CRG Systems
Molecule
Biology Unit, Barcelonta, Spain and
Rachel Wong, University of Washington;
Series Editor, Rafael Yuste, Howard Hughes
Medical Institute, Columbia University
Hardcover $240
Paperback $165
By James E. Darnell, The Rockefeller University
Hardcover $39
ASCB Profile
Douglas R. Kellogg
It was one of those long-running, half-silly and
Whatever their limits as literature, the
half-serious bench arguments. Was the best
dueling essays make clear for undergraduates
way to unravel the secrets of the cell through
the differing experimental tactics of mutational
biochemistry or genetics? The place was Bruce
genetics and analytic biochemistry. But Sullivan
laments, “I’ve worked on a research paper for
Alberts’ lab at the University of California,
five years and barely anybody noticed. This
San Francisco (UCSF). The time was the
essay, I worked on it for 15 minutes and it’s still
early 1990s. Doug Kellogg was still a grad
going strong.”
student under Alberts but enjoyed defending
And so is Kellogg, Sullivan concedes. In
the honor of biochemistry against the genetic
fact, the Sullivan lab is next door to the Kellogg
gibes of postdoc William T. (Bill) Sullivan. It
lab in the Department of Molecular, Cell, and
was Sullivan who escalated to print, writing a
tongue-in-cheek, scientific fairy tale called “The Developmental Biology at the University of
Salvation of Doug.”1 Kellogg quickly responded California, Santa Cruz (UCSC). There the
one-time friendly rivals are longtime friendly
with his own fable, “The Demise of Bill.”2
colleagues. Sullivan confesses that he still enjoys
Twenty years later, both essays are still in wide
giving Kellogg a hard time about biochemistry
circulation, especially in undergraduate classes.
but, in truth, the single-track
The fabled setting is the
approaches common 20 years
shared retirement home of
ago have long since overlapped.
Doug, the biochemist, and
“Next door I’ve noticed that
Bill, the geneticist, high on a
“Some people jump
there’s a lot more genetics going
hill overlooking a remarkably
about from problem
on in his lab,” Sullivan reports.
laid-back automobile factory.
“And (in my lab) we do a
The retired scientists are
to problem. I suffer
little bit of biochemistry along
unfamiliar with cars and set
from this myself. But
with genetics and a lot of cell
out to understand the workings
biology. Actually right now, we
the thing about Doug
of the factory. As Sullivan
have a big biochemistry project
tells it, the “lazy” geneticist
is that he’s relentless
going on.”
investigates by going down the
and tenacious with
If his techniques have
hill at the start of a shift, tying
changed,
Doug Kellogg’s
the hands of random workers,
these hard, hard
appetite for tough scientific
and then watching for mutant
problems in the cell
problems hasn’t, says Sullivan.
phenotypes. Car mutants that
“Some people jump about
lack a round object inside
cycle,” says Sullivan.
from problem to problem. I
are unable to turn and thus
suffer from this myself. But
the geneticist discovers that
the thing about Doug is that
the random worker he tied
he’s relentless and tenacious
up embodied the steering
with these hard, hard problems in the cell cycle.
wheel gene. Meantime, Doug the biochemist
Other people have taken the cream off the cell
is taking cars apart and causing explosions as
cycle and then gone on to other things but
he investigates the liquid in the gas tank. In
Doug is still at it, working on the key problem
the Kellogg version, it’s the biochemist who
of controlling cell size that up to now has been
gets right under the hood, analyzing the spark
intractable. Laser focus, that’s Doug.”
plugs, discovering that gasoline is the energy
source, and tracing the flow of vaporized fuel to
the cylinders for ignition. When the geneticist’s
A Wee Problem
van breaks down, it is the biochemist who gets
The Kellogg focus has been on the cell cycle
it running. On the research front, the hapless
since his postdoc with Andrew Murray, also at
geneticist ends up stumped by lethal mutants
UCSF, where not incidentally, Kellogg learned
that result in a null phenotype—the factory
yeast genetics. Budding yeast became the
produces nothing.
foundation for Kellogg’s ongoing pursuit of the
SEPTEMBER 2011 ASCB NEWSLETTER
Douglas R. Kellogg
41
cyclin-dependent kinases, particularly Cdk1 and pursued a separate role for Cdk1 in controlling
its intricate relationship with Wee1 as a regulator cell surface growth, but it was time well spent,
of cell size. Wee1 is a very famous gene in cell
he says. “I had a very happy postdoc. I did
cycle research, having been discovered by Paul
stay much longer than I’d imagined but the
Nurse in 1975 at the University of Edinburgh
project went from strength to strength as we
(hence the Scottish “wee” for the undersized
developed a really full story.” It culminated in a
cells that result after it is knocked out). It was
2007 Nature Cell Biology paper, says McCusker,
Nurse’s first step toward the
but only after they battled
2001 “cell cycle” Nobel Prize.
through some very difficult
And yet all these years after
biochemistry and a lot of cell
its discovery, Kellogg explains
biology. “But Doug was always
And yet all these
that the exact role of the Wee1
so encouraging that there was
kinase in cell size control
never any question of things
years after its
has remained elusive. “It’s
taking too long,” he recalls.
discovery,
Kellogg
been difficult to nail down,”
“Doug is the type of guy who
he adds in a monumental
doesn’t have any preconceptions
explains that the
understatement.
on the way things are supposed
exact role of the
“The complication is
to work. I just found that
Wee1 kinase in cell
that growth is thought to be
fantastic,” says McCusker,
continuous during the cell
who has been on the faculty of
size control has
cycle. Therefore, if something
the University of Bordeaux in
remained
elusive.
affects timing, it will affect cell
France since 2009.
size,” says Kellogg. “A lot of
In the lab next door at Santa
“It’s been difficult to
people have argued that Wee1
Cruz, Sullivan has his own
nail down,” he adds
is just controlling timing and
half-serious explanation for
that causes indirect impacts on
Kellogg’s genius for long-haul
in a monumental
cell size.” But Kellogg believes
science. “I think it comes from
understatement.
that the Wee1 kinase is not
all those Minnesota hard, harsh
just a timer for the entry into
winters,” says Sullivan. “I come
mitosis but is itself an active
from Southern California—the
player in cell size control. “It’s
San Fernando Valley—where
difficult to prove,” he admits. “The key is to
we did a lot of skateboarding, but Doug, he’s
understand the signals that act upstream from
from Minnesota.”
Wee1. That’s what we’ve been working on
Snow Falling on Black Velvet
using a combination of biochemistry, genetics,
St. Paul to be exact, where Kellogg was born
and computational techniques to unravel the
and raised, the second of four children and the
signaling network that acts upstream of Wee1.”
only one to pursue a scientific career. One of
Kellogg now has a paper in press in Molecular
his earliest memories is a black velvet-covered
Biology of the Cell (MBoC) on a major study of
the systems-level mechanisms that control Wee1. table being carried outside during a snowfall
by his nursery school teacher, who handed out
The study was spearheaded by postdoc Stacy
magnifying glasses. Kellogg says he was always
Harvey and collaborators Jeremy Gunawardena
wild about science, particularly biology.
and Steve Gygi at Harvard Medical School.
He plowed straight through public school
But how does Kellogg stay motivated on such
and into the University of Wisconsin–Madison
long-term projects? “It’s really just curiosity,”
(where Minnesota students could still get inKellogg says. “I’ve always wanted to know how
state tuition) to study biochemistry. Graduate
things work.” Kellogg also says that he’s been
school was a question of where, not if, and UCSF
lucky to find students and postdocs who share
was the answer. In 1983, the Alberts lab was
his long-lasting brand of curiosity.
on the ninth floor of the legendary Parnassus
That’s what attracted Derek McCusker, a
Avenue science high-rise where Kellogg found
Scot with a new doctorate from Cambridge
himself waiting for the overtaxed elevators and
University in 2001, who was looking for a
collaborating with a rising generation of cell
postdoc in the U.S. McCusker admits that at
biologists including Sullivan, Tim Mitchison,
first he was equally enthralled by Santa Cruz’s
Karen Oegema, Christine Field, and Jordan Raff.
wild beauty and Kellogg’s enthusiasm for the
For his postdoc, Kellogg moved down two floors
science, and not just by the project. His stay
into Murray’s cell cycle domain.
in the Kellogg lab stretched out as McCusker
42
ASCB NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2011
Whatever his Midwestern roots, Kellogg had
become a thoroughly acclimated Californian by
1995 when UCSC offered him an ideal setting
for his science and his daily 4:00 pm run. “I can
leave my campus building and be running in the
redwoods in a matter of 20 seconds,” Kellogg
reports with mild astonishment.
Now a full professor, Kellogg just concluded
a three-year term as department chair, an
experience that left him with a new appreciation
for scientific leadership. It’s chairs, directors,
and deans who hold things together, and also
national leaders such as Alberts, Harold Varmus,
and Tom Cech, Kellogg contends. “There’s
a lot of focus on individual scientists but it’s
rare that any one scientist makes contributions
that are indispensable. It’s the overall scientific
community that really matters, and having
leaders who can make the community work
effectively is unbelievably important and
valuable,” Kellogg believes.
Kellogg has also grown to appreciate UCSC’s
large undergraduate population. “There are
always interesting undergraduates looking for
a lab to work in, and their fresh curiosity and
eagerness to learn can be a tonic to everyone in
the lab. The key is to get talented and motivated
undergrads and pair them up with a grad
student or a postdoc who can get them really
involved in a project.”
First Great Science
One of the first undergrads in the Kellogg
lab was Topher Carroll. “It was the first great
scientific experience of my life and in some ways
it still remains the best,” Carroll declares. He
went from an undergrad in the Kellogg lab to
grad school at UCSF and a postdoc at Stanford.
In the fall, Carroll will join the faculty at Yale.
“In Doug’s lab, there was just a real sense
of excitement and adventure,” Carroll recalls.
Doing his independent senior thesis, Carroll
proved to be exceptionally talented at the bench,
cloning and analyzing the gene behind a tricky
Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutant. “So I had this
good experience that went well and then Doug
came to me and said, ‘We should write a paper.’
But he didn’t just want me to contribute to a
figure. He wanted me to be first author. It was a
SEPTEMBER 2011 ASCB NEWSLETTER
real eye opener. I just knew that this was the life
I wanted.”
Today Kellogg lives in Santa Cruz with his
wife Needhi Bhalla and their one-year-old son,
Elias. Bhalla, who is in the same department at
UCSC, studies chromosome segregation defects
in Caenorhabditis elegans, a mechanism with
implications in polyploidy human disorders
such as Down syndrome. Kellogg has been an
avid outdoors type since childhood when the
whole family took extended paddling trips in
the remote lakes and forests of Canada. His
parents went on canoe trips well into their 70s,
Kellogg says, and he hopes his own growing
family will carry on the tradition, by water and
by trail.
A Passion for MBoC
Besides his family, his lab, and his runs through
the redwoods, Kellogg is passionate about the
ASCB’s journal, MBoC. Last year, MBoC Editorin-Chief David Drubin convinced Kellogg to
take on the role of Features Editor. They coedited an acclaimed special issue in celebration
of the ASCB’s 50th anniversary. Kellogg says,
“MBoC is a place where people can publish
their best work without being subjected to a
prolonged review process, requests for large
numbers of supplementary experiments,
and seemingly arbitrary decisions as editors
are forced to meet space constraints. I think
David Drubin has done an excellent job of
defining expectations for MBoC reviewers and
editors that encourage a transparent, fair, and
constructive review process.”
Kellogg and Drubin have a vision for MBoC
as a scientific home journal for cell biologists, as
well as a forum for members of the community
to communicate interesting and unique
perspectives as Features articles. In other words,
it’s time for the scientists on the hill to come
down and take control of their own journal, says
Doug the cell biologist. n
—John Fleischman
Kellogg says,
“MBoC is a place
where people can
publish their best
work without being
subjected to a
prolonged review
process, requests
for large numbers
of supplementary
experiments, and
seemingly arbitrary
decisions as editors
are forced to meet
space constraints.”
References
bio.research.ucsc.edu/people/sullivan/savedoug.html.
1
bio.research.ucsc.edu/people/kellogg/contents/
Demise%20of%20Bill.html.
2
43
MEMBER Gifts
The ASCB is grateful to the following members who have
recently given a gift to support Society activities:
Corey Nislow
John R. Pringle
The ASCB Is Grateful to Its
Corporate Members for
2011
Gold Corporate Member
FEI Company
Silver Corporate Members
89 North
Cellecta, Inc.
Chroma Technology Corporation
eBioscience Corporation
EMD Millipore
Leica Microsystems
Molecular Devices, Inc.
Semrock
X-Cite by Lumen Dynamics
Bronze Corporate Members
Corning Incorporated
Garland Science
Nikon Instruments, Inc.
ORFLO Technologies
Photometrics
Sutter Instruments
Thorlabs
TTP Labtech Ltd.
2011 Half-Century Fund
Donors
The ASCB is grateful to the following donors* whose
contributions support Society activities:
Gold
David Drubin
Sandra L. Schmid
Kenneth Yamada
Sustainer
Jim Clegg
Paul Forscher
Jani Lewis
Maryanne McClellan
Rita Miller
*As of August 17, 2011
MEETINGS Calendar
A complete list of upcoming meetings can be found at http://ascb.org/
othermeetings.php. The following meetings were added since the last
issue of the Newsletter:
November 22, 2011. London, UK
Biochemical Society Workshop: RNA Control Mechanisms in
Development and Stress.
www.biochemistry.org/MeetingNo/WS006/view/Conference.
December 1–3, 2011. Heidelberg, Germany
European Molecular Biology Organization Molecular Medicine
Conference: Molecular Insights for Innovative Therapies.
http://events.embo.org/emm2011/index.html.
December 5, 2011. Heidelberg, Germany
European Molecular Biology Laboratory Symposium: The Use of Zinc
Finger Nucleases for the Development of Next Generation Cell Lines and
Animal Models.
www.embl.de/training/events/2011/ZFN11-02/index.html.
September 12–14, 2012. Prato, Italy
Biochemical Society and Monash University Meeting: G-protein-coupled
Receptors—From Structural Insights to Functional Mechanisms.
www.biochemistry.org/MeetingNo/SA124/view/Conference.
ASCB Annual Meetings
December 3–7, 2011. Denver
December 15–19, 2012. San Francisco
December 14–18, 2013. New Orleans
December 6–10, 2014. Philadelphia
December 12–16, 2015. San Diego
SEPTEMBER 2011 ASCB NEWSLETTER
45
GRANTS & OPPORTUNITIES
Items shown in blue have been added or updated since the last issue of
the Newsletter.
BEN Scholars Program. The National Science Digital Library Biological Sciences Pathway, BiosciEdNet (BEN),
invites undergraduate faculty in the biological sciences to apply to become BEN Scholars. The BEN Scholars Program
promotes the use of digital library resources and student-centered teaching and learning methods in higher education.
BEN Scholars receive travel support and a small stipend for completion of all fellowship activities, including classroom
testing. BEN Scholars must be available to participate in the BEN National Leadership Training Institute on January 25–
28, 2012, in Washington, DC. Applications due: September 22, 2011. Applications will be accepted via the American
Physiological Society online application center: www.the-aps.org/awardapps.
Enhancing Zebrafish Research with Research Tools and Techniques (R01). The National Institute of General
Medical Sciences encourages applications designed to exploit the power of the zebrafish as a vertebrate model for
biomedical and behavioral research. Applications due: September 19, 2011, 2012, and 2013.
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-11-131.html.
High-Throughput-Enabled Structural Biology Research (U01). The National Institute of General Medical Sciences
(NIGMS) encourages applications to establish partnerships between researchers interested in a biological problem
of significant scope and researchers providing high-throughput structure determination capabilities through the
NIGMS PSI:Biology network. Applicants should propose work to solve a substantial biological problem for which the
determination of many protein structures is necessary. Expiration: September 8, 2014.
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-11-176.html.
Mentored Quantitative Research Development Award (K25). The purpose of these National Institutes of Health
(NIH) awards is to attract to NIH-relevant research those investigators whose quantitative science and engineering
research has thus far not been focused primarily on questions of health and disease. Expiration: January 8, 2012.
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-09-039.html.
Minority Access to Research Careers Undergraduate Student Training in Academic Research National
Research Service Award Institutional Research Training Grant (T34). The National Institute of General Medical
Sciences will award these grants to eligible institutions as a means of supporting undergraduate academic and
research training for students underrepresented in the biomedical and behavioral sciences. Applications due: May 25,
2012. http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-10-119.html.
Nanoscience and Nanotechnology in Biology and Medicine (R01). The National Institutes of Health encourages
applications from institutions/organizations that apply nanoscience and nanotechnology approaches to address
problems in biology and medicine. Expiration date: May 8, 2014.
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-11-148.html.
The National Academies’ Research Associateship Programs administer postdoctoral (within five years of the
doctorate) and senior (normally five years or more beyond the doctorate) research awards sponsored by federal
laboratories at over 100 locations in the U.S. and overseas. Quarterly application deadlines.
www7.nationalacademies.org/rap.
National Centers for Systems Biology (P50). The National Institute of General Medical Sciences invites grant
applications from institutions/organizations proposing to establish Centers of Excellence in Systems Biology. Letters of
intent due: September 28, 2011. Applications due: October 27, 2011.
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-10-200.html.
New Innovator Award Program. The National Institutes of Health Director’s New Innovator (DP2) Award Program
supports a small number of early-stage investigators of exceptional creativity who propose bold and highly innovative
new research approaches that have the potential to produce a major impact on broad, important problems in
biomedical and behavioral research. Applications due: October 14, 2011.
www.grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-RM-11-005.html.
Pathway to Independence Award. The primary purpose of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Pathway to
Independence Award (K99/R00) program is to increase and maintain a strong cohort of new and talented NIHsupported independent investigators. The program is designed to facilitate a timely transition from a mentored
postdoctoral research position to a stable independent research position with independent NIH or other independent
research support at an earlier stage than is currently the norm. Expiration: January 8, 2012.
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-09-036.html.
46
ASCB NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2011
GRANTS & OPPORTUNITIES
Pioneer Award Program. The National Institutes of Health Director’s Pioneer Award Program supports individual
scientists of exceptional creativity who propose pioneering and possibly transforming approaches to addressing major
biomedical or behavioral challenges that have the potential to produce an unusually high impact on a broad area of
biomedical or behavioral research. Applications due: October 7, 2011.
www.grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-RM-11-004.html.
Research Supplements to Promote Diversity in Health-related Research. The National Institutes of Health (NIH)
and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have announced to PIs holding specific types of NIH research
grants that funds are available for administrative supplements to improve the diversity of the research workforce by
supporting and recruiting students, postdoctoral researchers, and eligible investigators from groups that have been
shown to be underrepresented. Expiration: September 30, 2011.
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-08-190.html.
Research Supplements to Promote Re-entry into Biomedical and Behavioral Research Careers. These
supplements are intended to encourage individuals to re-enter research careers within the missions of all National
Institutes of Health (NIH) program areas. This program will provide administrative supplements to existing NIH research
grants to support full-time or part-time research by individuals in a program geared to bring their existing research skills
and knowledge up-to-date. Expiration: September 30, 2011. http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-08-191.html.
SHIFT Awards: Small Businesses Helping Investigators to Fuel the Translation of Scientific Discoveries (SBIR:
R43/R44). These National Institutes of Health awards are intended to foster research that is translational in nature and
to transform academic scientific discoveries into commercial products and services. They require that an investigator
who is primarily employed by a U.S. research institution at the time of application transition to a small business
concern (SBC) and be primarily employed (more than 50% time) by the SBC by or at the time of the award. Expiration:
January 8, 2013. http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-10-122.html#SectionIV3A.
Structural Biology of Membrane Proteins (R01). This National Institutes of Health funding opportunity is for
research that will lead to the determination of membrane protein structures at high resolution. In addition to the
structures of integral membrane proteins, the structures of the complexes formed between these proteins and their
biological partners are of interest. Expiration: September 8, 2013.
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-10-228.html.
Supplements for Functional Studies Based on High-resolution Structures Obtained in the Protein Structure
Initiative. The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) announces the availability of administrative
supplements to provide funds to enable investigators interested in protein function to capitalize on the information
and material products of the Protein Structure Initiative (PSI). These supplements are available for 1) NIGMS-funded
research grants (R01, R37, and P01) as well as 2) investigators with peer-reviewed research grants not funded by
NIGMS, through the PSI research centers. www.nigms.nih.gov/initiatives/PSI/supplements.
Support of NIGMS Program Project Grants (P01). The National Institute of General Medical Sciences encourages
innovative, interactive program project grant applications from institutions/organizations that propose to conduct
research that aims to solve a significant biological problem through a collaborative approach involving outstanding
scientists who might not otherwise collaborate. Expiration: September 8, 2014.
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-10-266.html. n
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