ASCB Newsletter - October 2001

Leland Hartwell, R. Timothy Hunt and Paul M. Nurse will be awarded the 2001 Nobel Prize for Medicine or Physiology for their discoveries of key regulators of the cell cycle.

Hartwell, of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, has been a member of the ASCB since 1987, and Hunt since 1984. Hunt and Nurse are from the Imperial Cancer Research Fund in Great Britain.

All three Laureates-designate serve on the Editorial Board of Molecular Biology of the Cell; Hartwell and Hunt serve as MBC Associate Editors.

The full October 8 citation of the prizewinning work from the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute is available online.

An ASCB meeting to be held in Summer 2002 on Nontraditional Functions of Ubiquitin and Ubiquitin-Like Proteins will be organized by Linda Hicke of Northwestern University and Cecile Pickart of the Johns Hopkins University.

The meeting, which will accommodate about 200 participants, was selected from several outstanding proposals from ASCB members. It will feature presentations on ubiquitin-like proteins and the roles of ubiquitin in membrane transport.

Dates, location and program are to be determined and will be announced in the ASCB Newsletter.

The ASCB has named Natasha Hussain from McGill University as the first annual winner of the Norton B. Gilula Award; James Wohlschlegel of Harvard Medical School and Sarah South of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine will receive the first annual Member Memorial Award. All were chosen from a large field of nominees, and will receive travel awards to this year’s Annual Meeting.

Over the summer, ASCB members were immersed in efforts to urge Congress and President Bush to support the use of federal funds for research on human embryonic stem cells. Many hours were spent with policymakers in Washington, with newscasters and with the public to help to address important scientific and ethical questions surrounding this key research. When President Bush announced on August 9 that he would allow NIH funds to be used in support of research on approximately 60 existing human embryonic stem cell lines, cell biologists immediately focused on new questions: where are these 60 lines and how accessible will they be to research scientists? How stable and pluripotent will these lines be over long-term passage? How many of these 60 lines will be useful in the quest to ascertain the properties of human embryonic stem cells and to assess their potential therapeutic use for the treatment of a host of human disorders? If a discovery is made, who owns the rights to this discovery, and more importantly, will such legal issues impede the speed with which discoveries can be translated into therapies for patients who suffer from devastating degenerative disorders? How many scientists in the US will move to England and other countries where the limitations on human embryonic stem cell research are not so constraining? Will the constraints placed on human embryonic stem cell research enable the United States to maintain its position at the forefront of biomedical research in the world?

Throughout August and into early September, these important questions were oft discussed by ASCB members, the public, the news media and the government, as universities, scientists, biotechnology companies and the government grappled with the implications of President Bush’s declaration on stem cell research in the US.

On September 11, 2001, the focus on human embryonic stem cell research came to a sudden halt as the United States and the world were shocked and horrified by the disasters that struck in New York City, Washington, DC and rural Pennsylvania. These tragic events leading to the ghastly deaths of nearly 7,000 individuals have now changed how we view our priorities and how we run our daily lives. Life as we know it will never be the same, and our sense of security and peace within the world has been seriously shaken. Weeks later, as we struggle to return to a modicum of normalcy in our lives, we find ourselves calling for an end to hatred in the world, something so easily said and yet so difficult to attain. The anger aroused in the world is smoldering, long past the devastation to buildings and human lives. Ironically at a time when Americans have joined together in beautiful triumph and harmony to help those who have lost buildings, businesses and loved ones, suspicion and mistrust throughout our country is at an all time high. Ethnic and religious differences have received the brunt of these ill feelings, and such ill feelings have bred further ill feelings throughout the world. We find ourselves grappling with our own feelings and trying to understand how a small number of people in the world could hate so severely that they would wreak this kind of havoc and destruction.

As scientists, we have all been taught the importance of reason. Renewed again in our guiding convictions, we can help demonstrate how reason can influence human affairs for the good. As we return to our research, our labs, our science and our education, we hope that terrorism will not be combated by isolated countries or groups nor with hatred to selected countries or religions, but rather by a world unified in its collective stance against terrorism as an entity that damages and endangers us all.

Find your next position through the ASCB Placement Service.

• Advertise your qualifications on the Internet and to the 9,000 participants at the ASCB Annual Meeting, this December 8 – 12, 2001 in Washington, DC
• Hold private interviews at the ASCB Annual Meeting.
• Obtain access to nearly 300 job postings in cell biology and related fields.

Preregistration for the ASCB Placement Service is available online.

Preregistration deadline is November 2.

• The ASCB now offers access to insurance administered by Seabury & Smith. Insurance plans include dental, long-term, short-term, extra in-hospital coverage, and others. To learn more, call (800) 503-9230. Exclusively for postdoc and regular members.
• Rental car discounts are available from Alamo, Avis and Hertz. ASCB discount codes and company telephone numbers are listed on the back of the ASCB membership card.
• The ASCB offers the Platinum Plus MasterCard, featuring an introductory 0% APR and no annual fee. Click on the credit card icon under “Advantages of Membership.” Also, look for mailings with special offers.

Work-related opportunities that are available for cell biologists late in their careers will be featured at a special forum sponsored by the ASCB Education Committee on Tueday, December 11 at the ASCB Annual Meeting. Dick McIntosh, Professor of Cell Biology from the University of Colorado, will chair the session to include brief presentations of experiences and professional work with late-career issues.

Retiring from a job that has served as the focus of one’s professional life raises serious issues. Scientifically, many researchers cherish the hope that each new year will be the best ever. Personally, scientists are often fortunate enough to enjoy their work, so stopping feels like a loss. Some are concerned about financial security, given that one cannot know future rates of inflation, and the costs of old age can be horrific. Since Congress eliminated mandatory retirement, the decision to step down has become more personal than in times past, a situation that has major implications for both the individual and the profession.

Some believe that virtually all scientists have worked hard, so their institutions should continue to employ them for as long as they want to work. In a simple sense this is the law, and for some people, even discussing retirement can feel like an infringement of right. Joel Rosenbaum from Yale will present the point of view that cell biologists should be able to continue in their jobs as long as they want to work.

Some senior scientists hold that retirement is an amazing opportunity for creative and novel action. There may be a sacrifice of income and power, but one acquires a freedom of behavior and choice that has been hard to find for 30 years and more. This occasion can be used to undertake something really new and interesting: a different teaching challenge, a novel research environment, a totally different kind of research, or an advisory post that allows one to share experience and hard-won wisdom. Bob DeHaan will describe his work with the public school system in Atlanta, where he has been working to help bring innovative science pedagogy to K–12 classrooms. Dick McIntosh will describe the research project he is developing with a colleague in Uganda.

Others argue that a scientist’s creativity and productivity drop with the years, while salary does not. Add to this that the median age of life scientists has been going up at a rate of almost one year per year for the past 20, and it would seem that the aging population presents a serious challenge to the institutions that support science. Marvin Cassman, Director of the NIH NIGMS, will discuss research funding profiles for older scientists and about the diversity of opportunities available to active but not-currently funded scientists.

Estelle Fishbein, Vice President of the Johns Hopkins University, will present information about retirement as a senior university administrator who is thoroughly knowledgeable about TIAA/CREF and other practical matters relating to retirement.

Organizers hope that other senior scientists will contribute their own relevant experience from the floor, so everyone can pool knowledge and ideas about opportunities for late career activities that can be rewarding and valuable. Clearly, many of the views mentioned above are not mutually exclusive, and there is much room for discussion about how one might best consider their own retirement so as to make the latter career one of the best parts of a scientist’s working years.

The panel will be held on Tuesday, December 11, at 1:30 p.m. in Room 30 of the Washington Convention Center.

ASCB Minorities Affairs Committee Sponsored Symposium Saturday, December 8 Washington Convention Center, Room 32 Washington, D.C.

Organizers Aria Miller, California State University, Dominquez Hills Tracie Gibson, University of Wisconsin Medical School Maria del Pilar Corena, Whitney Laboratory, University of Florida

Goals

• To provide information about the different Internet resources for scientists at all levels
• To provide information to prepare scientists to balance personal and professional life

Speakers will include:

• Ying Mei Clark, California State University, Dominquez Hills
• Robert Dottin, Hunter College, Just*Garcia*Hill Website
• Eric Green, NIN/National Human Genome Institute
• Gemeda Mekbib, Just*Garcia*Hill Website Conrad Messam, NIH/NIGMS, MARC Program
• Maria Elena Zavala, California State University, Northridge Adolphus Toliver, NIH

We’ve all heard that America’s K-12 students are no longer performing as well in science as their peers in many countries throughout Europe, Asia and Australia. Most importantly, the passion for biology often wanes during K-12 schooling, and yet there is so much excitement in biology these days, and biology is so much at the forefront of our daily lives. How can this happen?

All of us have been concerned, as dwindling interest and achievement in science during the K-12 years ultimately impacts on the future of the cell biology community. Many of our ASCB members have gotten involved in K-12 science education and have made concerted efforts to establish and/or participate in programs that interface our cell biology community with teachers and students in grade schools, middle schools and high schools across the country. These participatants include a broad spectrum of our ASCB members, including graduate students, postdoctorates, college teachers, faculty members and research scientists. For some of you, these rewarding experiences have translated into an alternative career in K12 science education efforts. For others, they have provided you with valuable experience and new perspectives to bring towards teaching and communicating at higher educational levels. For still others, these experiences have been just plain pleasurable and gratifying.

For those of you who have been involved in various K-12 programs, would you like to share and exchange experiences with other ASCB members? What about those of you who have never been involved in K-12 education? Would you like to hear from your peers who have done so? Would you like to know more about these experiences, and how you might get involved?

Whether you are interested in getting involved in a small way or a big way, or whether you’d just like to find out more about the opportunities for linking cell biologists to K-12 science education in your own community/ University, please sign up and plan to attend the Special Symposium Luncheon on K-12 Education at our Annual American Society for Cell Biology Meeting on Tuesday, December 11. The Symposium, entitled “Educating Our Future Cell Biologists” will feature talks from Bruce Alberts, President of the National Academy of Sciences and Maxine Singer, President of the Carnegie Institution of Washington. Both of these internationally recognized leaders within our Society have willingly devoted large amounts of their time and effort towards improving the ties between K12 schools and the scientific research community. Their talks will be followed by round table discussions on topics ranging from graduate student/postdoc volunteer teaching programs at local K-12 schools, to setting up, running or participating in programs to enhance K-12 student and teacher education in cell biology. For this special session, the Education Committee is presently compiling a state-by-state listing of as many of the existing K-12/Science Programs as possible, so that if you are inspired to become involved, you will be able to do so following the Lunch.

So come to the Lunch and take advantage of this special opportunity provided to you at this year’s Annual Meeting. If you did not preregister you may sign up at the Event Tickets Counter in the registration area of the Washington Convention Center starting on Saturday, December 8. It is your chance to learn more about this important endeavor and to find out how you can enrich your career by getting involved in a most rewarding venture.

—Elaine Fuchs President, The American Society for Cell Biology

Molecular Biology of the Cell, the ASCB’s popular research journal, is launching MBC in Press to publish accepted papers online two to three weeks after final disposition of the paper. The service, known in the industry as the Publish Ahead of Print

Molecular Biology of the Cell, the flagship journal of The American Society for Cell Biology, is now accepting papers through its new electronic submission system.

Authors are encouraged to submit their papers through the new system, which can be accessed online. Instructions to Authors are provided.

Questions or comments regarding this new system can be directed to the Managing Editor.

Molecular Biology of the Cell, the flagship journal of The American Society for Cell Biology, is now accepting papers through its new electronic submission system.

Authors are encouraged to submit their papers through the new system, which can be accessed online. Instructions to Authors are provided.

Questions or comments regarding this new system can be directed to the Managing Editor.

The following students were selected competively by the ASCB Education Committee to receive travel awards to attend the 41st ASCB Annual Meeting. Special congratulations to the top-ranked students, whose awards are sponsored by the Worthington Biomedical Corporation.

ASCB/Worthington Predoctoral Travel Awardees
Rafael Garcia-Mata, University of Alabama
Ryan Mudry, University of Arizona
Nicole Noren, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

ASCB Predoctoral Travel Awardees
Radiya Ali, University of Queensland
G. Bradley Alsop, Oregon State University
Celia Antonio, EMBL
Abigail Betanzos Fernandez, Center of Research and Advanced Studies, Mexico City
Christopher Blase, J W Goethe University
Priya Budde, University of California, Berkeley
Patricia Burgos, P. University of Catolica De Chile
Songsong Cao, University of Alabama
Kimberly Carey, University of Vermont
Drew Catron, Northwestern University
Shih-Hua Chen, University of Florida College of Dentistry
Moon Cho, University of Memphis
Angel Chu, McGill University
Chia Lin Chu, Boston University School of Medicine
Silvia Curado, EMBL
Charna Dibner, Technion
Christian Dimaano, Huntsman Cancer Inst., University of Utah
Jamie Dixson, Southwest Texas State University
Joseph Duman, University of California, Berkeley
Ana Eulalio, University of Coimbra
Chenguang Fan, University of Iowa
Jeffrey Fillingham, York University
Lucianne Fragel-Madeira, Institute of Biophysics, Universidale Federal do Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
Christopher Freel, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Douglas Fudge, University of British Columbia
Etienne Gagnon, Montreal University
Rafael Garcia-Mata, University of Alabama
German Gil, Facultad de Coemcoas Quimicas—Universdad Nacional de Cordoba, Argentina
Anastasia Goloudina, Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Science
Adam Gromley, University of Massachusetts Medical School
Julian Guttman, University of British Columbia
Yoko Hamazaki, Kyoto University
Marc Hansen, Stanford University
Edward Harris, Louisiana State University Health Science Center
Brian Helfand, Northwestern University
Ina Hinners, Imperial Cancer Research Fund
Arthur Huen, Northwestern University
Mette Johansen, University of California, San Francisco
Melissa Kelly, University of Kentucky
Jennifer Kimbell, University of Hawaii
Mary Kinkel, Northeastern Ohio University College of Medicine
Ioulia Kobilakova, A.N. Belozersky Institue of Physico-Chemical Biology
Michael Koch, University of Iowa
Mykola Kovalenko, University of Virginia Medical School
Mara Kreishman-Deitrick, Cornell University School of Medical Science
Peter Kruglyakov, Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Science
Praveen Kumar, Jawaharlal Nehru University
Genevieve Lachance, University of Laval Centre De Recherche Du CHUL
Giovanna Lalli, Imperial Cancer Research Fund
Ann Sin Nga Lau, Population Council
Valerie Lavastre, INRS-Inst Armand-Frappier
Sun-Kyung Lee, Purdue University
Stephane Lefrancois, McGill University
Gang Li, University of Pennsylvania, Wistar Institute
Martin Linke, University of Bonn
Laura Listenberger, Washington University
Stephanie Loranger, Washington University
Jun Lu, Boston University School of Medicine
Wing Yee Lui, Population Council Natalia Magid, Weizmann Institute of Science
Monica Mallampalli, Eccles Institute of Human Genetics
Anita Manogaran, Marquette University
Michael Marash, Weizmann Institute of Science
Gonzalo Mardones, P. University Ofersidad Catolica De Chile
Kavita Marfatia, Emory University
Jurgita Matuliene, University of Minnesota
Ivan Matveev, Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Science
Christopher Maxwell, Cross Cancer Institute
Maria Melikova, Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Science
Elizabeth Millard, Washington University
Mark Miller, University of Idaho
Magfrat Mouminova, Genetics/Plant Experimental Biology, Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology, Hyderbad, India
Izumi Nakano, Tokyo University
Demet Nalbant, Texas Tech University Health Science Center
Isabel Nunes-Correia, University of Coimbra/Neuroscience Center
Felipe Palacios, University of Notre Dame/Walthier Cancer Institute
Ryan Petrie, University of Calgary
Hilda Petrs-Silva, Institute of Biophysics, Universidale Federal do Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
Markus Rehberg, Ludwig Maximilians University of München
Gretchen Reinhart, Magee-Womens Research Institute
Carey Rodeheffer, Emory University
Nina Sallacz, University of Vienna
Rebecca Schubert, University of Georgia
Jennifer Seachrist, University of Western Ontario
JP Roberts Research Institute Robert Seiser, Duke University Medical Center
Tang-Long Shen, Cornell University
Ekaterina Shumilina, Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Science
Eeva Sievi, University of Helsinki
Marina Simian, Ibyme-Conicet
Christian Smith, Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto
Aruna Somasiri, University of British Columbia
Lin Song, University of Kansas
Christina Thomas, University of Wisconsin, Madison
Alicia Todd, University of Melbourne
Rachana Tripathi, Center for Cellular & Molecular Biology
Maria Vidal, University of Wisconsin
Sandra Vorlova, University of Stuttgart
Madhuri Wadehra, University of California, Los Angeles
Jiaxu Wang, University of Toronto
Margaret Wang, Columbia University
Stacy Weber, Ohio University
Kari Weber, University of Wisconsin
Christi Weston, SUNY-Stony Brook
Kevin Whittlesey, Northwestern University
Alyson Wilbanks, Duke University
Joyce Yao, Emory University
Oya Yazgan, Texas Technical University Health Science Center
Ka Kit Yeung, Hong Kong University of Science Technology
Bin Zheng, University of California, San Diego

The ASCB Minorities Affairs Committee has selected the following students and scientists to receive travel awards which are funded through an NIH NIGMS MARC grant.

Josephine Allen, California State University, Northridge
Anissa Brown, University of Deleware
Cynthia Camarilla, Texas A&M
Jacqueline Carr, Fayetteville State University
Ayesha Carter, Virginia Tech
Lydell Collier, University of Alabama, Huntsville
Madeleine De Beer, University of Wisconsin
Juliane Del Toro, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus
Ondulla Foye, North Carolina State University
Michelle Garrido, California State University, Northridge
Emily Gerstman, University of California, San Francisco
Karine Gibbs, Stanford University
Annette Gonzalez, Northwestern University Medical School
Deanna Green, Emory University
Adriana Guerra, Southwest Texas State University
Sabrice Guerrier, Long Island University
Karen Hubbard, CUNY-City College
Melissa Hubbert, Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Candy Jacobs, University of North Carolina, Pembroke
Adriel Johnson, University of Alabama, Huntsville
Jacqueline Jordan, University Space Research Association
Karl Kingsley, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Mark Maloney, Spelman College
Autumn Martinez, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Aria Miller, California State University, Dominguez Hills
Ayana Moore, University of Washington
Joanne Moreau, NIH, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease
Kelvin Moses, Baylor College of Medicine
Steven Munevar, University of Massachusetts Medical School
Abraham Myles, Fayetteville State University
Wanda Ocana-Rivera, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus
Mildred Ortiz-Hernandez, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus
Nafeesa Owens, Thomas Jefferson University
Estuardo Robles, University of Wisconsin, Madison
Alexis Rodriguez, Rutgers University
Raul Rojas, University of Pittsburgh
Dewey Royal, Rutgers University
Kendra Taylor, University of South Carolina
Tracey Thomas, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Christopher Tubbs, University of Minnesota
Irving Vega, UMDNJ-RWJMS/Rutgers University
Terrance Vincent, St. Mary’s University, San Antonio
Carmen Warren, University of California, San Diego
Selwyn Williams, Brooklyn College

The National Institute of Aging has selected the following students, whose research is focused on an area of aging research, to receive special NIA MAC Travel Awards

Melissa Green, Kansas State University
Kafi Meadows, Albany Medical College
Akemie Williams, Spelman College

Awards are also Made to the Following MAC Linkage Fellows
Lisa Banner, California State University Northridge
Vivian Navas, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez
Graciela Unguez, New Mexico State University
Velinda Woriax, University of North Carolina at Pembroke

The ASCB is grateful to those below who have recently given gifts to support Society activities:

Bruce Alberts
Eric Brown
Robert Blystone
Juan Bonifacino
Christopher Carron
J. David Castle
Nirupa Chaudhari
Eloise Clark
William Epstein
Daniel Friend
Minoru Fukuda
Marcus Fechheimer
David Hamilton
Ira Herskowitz
Tsuneo Imanaka
Harold Lane
Mary Lee Ledbetter
Jane Overton
Thoru Pederson
Sheldon Shen
Robert Trelstad
Leana Topper
Jiro Usukura
Nakazo Watari
Kenneth Yamada

The following member-organized sessions were selected by the ASCB Program Committee for presentation before the opening of the ASCB 41st Annual Meeting in Washington, DC. All Annual Meeting attendees are welcome to participate; no separate registration is required.

A. Bone Cell Biology
Room 12
Organizer: Masaki Noda, Tokyo Medical and Dental University

Bone cell biology has been advanced greatly in the area of attachment molecules and their cognate receptors, extracellular matrix protein and regulation of intracellular signalings. Advances in the cell and molecular biology of osteoblasts and osteoclasts are at the depth of science, which is contributing the medical science to treat patients with bone diseases such as osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. This subgroup meeting is proposed to put together the topics in the field of bone biology to discuss and exchange information.

Speakers:
Steve Teitelbaum, Washington University School of Medicine
Gary Stein, University of Massachusetts Medical School
Nicky Partridge, UMNDNJ
Benoit deCrombrugghe, University of Texas/MD Anderson Cancer Center
Masaki Noda, Tokyo Medical and Dental University

B. Building the Cell
Room 25
Organizer: Wallace Marshall, Yale University

Modern cell biology has made great strides in understanding cell structure and function. As with any engineering problem, however, there is a third important aspect that needs to be understood besides structure and function, and that is assembly. How are the complex structures found within the cell specified? As we enter the post-genomic era, the mechanisms that determine the position, number, size, and shape of organelles remain virtually unknown. The goal of this session is to bring together researchers, working in different fields of cell biology, who share a common interest in these long standing but unanswered questions. By discussing and comparing recent results from different systems, we hope to stimulate further explorations into the mechanisms of cell morphogenesis.

Speakers:
Velia Fowler, Scripps Research Inst. Length determination in muscle actin filaments.
Wallace Marshall, Yale University. Length determination in flagella.
Lewis Tilney, University of Pennsylvania. Length determination in bristles.
Carol Dieckmann, University of Arizona. Genetic control of eyespot size and number.

Position
Fred Chang, Columbia University. Finding the middle of a cell.
Vladimir Rodionov, University of Connecticut. Finding the middle of a cell fragment.
Yves Barral, ETH Zürich. Finding the bud neck.
Ken Sawin, University of Edinburgh. Finding the ends of a cell.

Shape & Symmetry
Julie Theriot, Stanford University. Symmetry breaking and self assembly.
Naomi Morrissette, Washington University St. Louis. Determination of cell shape.
Vivek Malhotra, University of California, San Diego. Morphogenesis of Golgi stacks.
Ben Glick, University of Chicago. Morphogenesis of Golgi stacks.

C. Cellular Biology of Gap Junction Channels
Room 36
Organizers: Andrew Harris, New Jersey Medical School of UMDNJ and Linda Musil, Oregon Health Sciences University

Present in virtually all cell types in animals ranging from cnidarians to man, gap junctions are involved in a variety of fundamental processes including regulation of cellular differentiation, growth control, embryonic development, and specialized tissue function. Defects in the proteins that comprise gap junctions have been linked to several human diseases. This session, the 9th consecutive meeting for this well-attended subgroup at ASCB, will address new developments in our understanding of gap junction diversity, assembly, regulation, channel structure/function, and role in physiological processes.

Speakers:
Viviana Berthoud, University of Chicago School of Medicine. Impaired trafficking and loss of function in a cataract-associated mutant connexin50.
Sandra Murray, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Imaging of gap junction protein trafficking.
Eliana Scemes, Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Longterm increased coupling (LINC) in astrocytes
Stacy Weber, Ohio University. Gap junctions in developing sensory systems of the zebrafish.
Xin Xu, University of Pennsylvania. Modulation of neural crest cell motility by Cx43alpha1 involves integrinmediated signaling.
Gary Goldberg, State University of New York at Stony Brook. Normalization of tumor cell growth by intercellular communication
Kris Spaeth, State University of New York at Buffalo. Hemichannels of several connexins have distinct permeabilities from their intercellular channels, and are regulated by intercellular coupling in oocytes

D. Dynamics of Nuclear Structure and Function
Room 37
Organizers: Robert D. Goldman, Northwestern University Medical School and Thoru Pederson, University of Massachusetts Medical School

This session will feature very recent studies that provide new insights into the functional dynamics of the nucleus. The talks will emphasize work carried out in living cells, and several of the presentations will report novel and surprising findings, including unanticipated interactions among nuclear components. Moreover, several of the talks will have a very high degree of disease relevance.

Speakers:
Joan Politz, University of Massachusetts Medical School. Tracking ribosomes in the nucleus of living cells.
Korie Handwerger, Carnegie Institution of Washington. Mobility of RNA and protein in Cajal bodies of Xenopus oocytes.
Jason Swedlow, University of Dundee. Cajal body dynamics and chromatin interactions in living cells.
David Spector, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Intranuclear mobility of PML bodies.
Jan Ellenberg, European Molecular Biology Laboratory. The mechanisms of nuclear envelope breakdown studied in living cells.
Robert Goldman, Northwestern University Medical School. Nuclear lamins: their roles in nuclear shape, assembly and transcription.
Kathy Wilson, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Chromatin attachment to the nuclear membrane and lamina.
Howard Worman, Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons. Inner nuclear membrane proteins, nuclear function and human disease.
Brian Burke, University of Calgary. Nuclear lamin defects and their links to human disease.
Warner Greene, University of California, San Francisco. HIV-1 Vpr induces dynamic disruptions in nuclear architecture and integrity.

E. Integrated Approaches to Cell Architecture and Dynamics
Room 13
Organizers: Jeffrey Nickerson, University of Massachusetts Medical School and Michael Mancini, Baylor College of Medicine.

The deluge of genome sequence, to be followed by a complete specification of the proteome, will provide a protein inventory for cells and some hints as to their individual functions. An inventory, however, can only be first step in understanding cells, tissues and organisms. The organizing principle that will integrate this flood of information is structure, the same principle that organizes individual proteins into assemblies, organelles and cells. In this symposium we will take an integrated approach to cell structure—not dividing it into cytoskeleton, nuclear matrix, mitotic architecture, or ECM, but exploring the common themes that are emerging from all of these separate interest groups.

Speakers:
Sui Huang and Donald Ingber, Harvard Medical School. Cell fate control by cell shape: towards an integrated, genome-wide view of regulatory pathways
Mark Ellisman, UCSD. Dynamics of gap junctions and their proteins studied with a new method for correlated light and electron microscopy
Peter Cook, University of Oxford. Nuclear protein synthesis at sites of polymerase II transcription
Alan Herbert, Boston University. Regulated protein synthesis in the nucleus
Kip Sluder, University of Massachusetts Medical School. Centrosomes and the cell cycle
Dereck Radisky and Mina Bissell, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory.
Michael A. Mancini, Baylor College of Medicine. Subnuclear dynamics, transcription factor function and nuclear structure
Jeffrey Nickerson, University of Massachusetts Medical School. The dynamic architecture of RNA processing and nuclear export

F. Mechanical Load Responses of Cells in 3D Cultures
Room 35
Organizer: Albert J. Banes

The subgroup meeting will focus on three-dimensional culture models, cell responses to 3-D versus 2-D environments and mechanical loading models of 3-D cell-populated gels.

G. Microtubule Plus-End-Tracking-Proteins
Room 14
Organizer: Holly Goodson, University of Notre Dame

Microtubule plus ends have long been a site of interest because the specific conformation of tubulin at the plus ends is thought to regulate microtubule dynamics. Until recently, only one protein, CLIP-170, was known to associate with these plus ends. However, it is becoming apparent that the microtubule plus end is a crowded place—an ever increasing set of evolutionarily conserved proteins, including dynactin complex, LISI, TOGp, EB1, and APC have been found specifically or predominantly at microtubule plus ends. Live GFP-imaging experiments have demonstrated that many/all of these proteins dynamically “track” the growing tip. These proteins have been implicated as key components of processes ranging from membrane transport to cell polarity in systems ranging from humans to yeast. What is the functional significance of this common localization to MT plus ends? Do these proteins interact in shared pathways or merely colocalize while acting independently? By what (interdependent?) mechanisms is this localization achieved? What is the significance of these proteins for control of microtubule dynamics and its role in morphological change? The talks in the Special Interest Subgroup meeting will address these issues and attempt to integrate this information into a coherent model for function of proteins at microtubule plus ends.

Speakers
David Pellman, Dana-Farber
Jennifer Tirnauer, Harvard
Richard Vallee, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Kevin Vaughan, Notre Dame
Holly Goodson, Notre Dame
Lee Ligon, University of Pennsylvania
Ewan Morrison, University of Leeds

H. Multidisciplinary Integration in Cell Biology
Room 27
Organizer: H. Steven Wiley, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Cell biology has traditionally been one of the most technologically diverse fields in biology. Understanding cell function requires an analysis of molecular to cellular processes occurring in time frames from microseconds to days. The challenges of these dynamic ranges have been met by applying a remarkable range of technologies from electron microscopy and molecular biology to live cell imaging and computer simulations. The evolution of these powerful technologies has created an additional hurdle of date analysis and assimilation. The greatest technical challenge in the next decade will be integrating the expanding mass of diverse biological date into a system-level understanding of cell function. The aim of this Special Interest Subgroup meeting is to bring together investigators using a variety of new high-throughput technologies and those interested in integrating this information into realistic models of cell function. The challenge is to design instrumentation and data analysis technologies that can provide the quantitative data necessary for modeling of biological systems. The models, in turn, must be accessible by biologists and must generate predictions that can be experimentally tested. Connecting experiments to computer-based models is a potentially powerful way to approach complex systems, but how to achieve this integration is currently unsolved.

Speakers:
James Bassingthwaighte, University of Washington
Scott Fraser, Cal Tech
Douglas Lauffenburger, MIT
Fred Maxfield, Cornell University
H. Steven Wiley, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

I. Myofibrillogenesis
Room 15
Organizer: Joseph W. Sanger, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

Central to the form and function of muscle are the myofibrils, membranous components and the cytoskeleton that provide the structure, the contractile force and regulation. The challenges of identifying the essential steps involved in these processes and understanding how the myofibrillogenesis is initiated and controlled are still unmet. This session will present several short presentations on the latest advances in the study of myofibrillogenesis.

Speakers:
Joseph W. Sanger: Introductory Remarks. University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
Koichi Ojima and H. Holtzer: Effects of Cytochalsin B on the alpha-actin structures in the lamellapodia and shafts of elongating and maturing myotubes. National Institute of Neuroscience, Tokyo; University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
Henry Epstein: Molecular chaperones in myofilament assembly. Baylor College of Medicine.
Clara Franzini-Armstrong: Following the assembly of the calcium control system in skeletal muscle. University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
Carol Gregorio: Deciphering unique roles of the giant protein titin in striated muscle. University of Arizona College of Medicine.
Xiaolei Xu and Mark C. Fishman: Myofibrillogenesis in zebrafish, a study of titin mutations. Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital.
Mathias Gautel: New insight into the functions of giant sarcomeric signalling proteins. Max-Planck-Institut fuer molekulare Physiologie.
Elizabeth Ehler and Jean-Claude Perriard: Assembly of myofibrils in developing heart and their anchoring at the nascent intercalated disks. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology.
Larry Lemanski: Role of a Novel RNA in Promoting Cardiac Myofibrillogenesis in Axolotls. Texas A & M University. Supported by an Educational Grant from the Universal Imaging Corp.

J. Primary and Sensory Cilia
Room 23
Organizers: Joel Rosenbaum, Yale University, and George Witman, University of Massachusetts Medical School

Primary cilia are non-motile cilia that occur singly on most cells in the vertebrate body. Previously, nothing was known about their function. Interest in primary cilia and sensory cilia, which develop from primary cilia, is rapidly increasing due to their involvement with human diseases, including developmental disorders, polycystic kidney disease, and degenerative diseases of the retina. Intraflagellar transport (IFT) functions in these cilia, and provides one avenue for learning more about their assembly and function. Talks will provide overviews of important new advances in understanding and manipulating these ubiquitous cell organelles.

Speakers:
Jonathan Scholey, University of California, Davis
Maureen Barr, University of Wisconsin, Madison
Gregory Pazour, University of Massachusetts Medical School
Helle A. Praetorius, NHLBI, NIH
Hongmin Qin, Yale University
Courtney J. Haycraft, University of Alabama at Birmingham Medical Center
Joseph Besharse, Medical College of Wisconsin
David S. Williams, University of California, San Diego
Martina Brueckner, Yale University School of Medicine
Nobutaka Hirokawa, University of Tokyo Medical School
Montserrat Samso, Wadsworth Center
William Snell, University of Texas Southwest Medical Center
Jacek Gaertig, University of Georgia

K Quantitive Microscopy & Image Informatics
Room 30
Organizer: Peter Sorger, MIT, Jason Swedlow, Wellcome Institute, Dundee, and Gaudenz Danuser, ETH Zurich

This subgroup will cover new developments in the quantitative analysis of images from optical microscopes. It will have a particular focus in the emerging area of image informatics, the large-scale analysis of images using database-driven computational methods. Talks will cover multidimensional microscopy, image databases and three-tier computational architectures, chemical genetics and screening by imaging as well as several examples of heuristic image analysis in yeast and animal cells. Talks will focus on concepts in image informatics and the application of quantitative microscopy to molecular cell biology rather than on technology and methods per se. Thus, the program is expected to have broad appeal to cell biologists particularly those with an interest in engineering, computation and chemistry.

L. Role of MAGUKs and PDZ Proteins in the Assembly and Regulation of Cell-Cell Junction
Room 3
Organizer: Alan S. Fanning, Yale School of Medicine

The Membrane-Associated Guanylate Kinase (MAGUK) homologues comprise a family of membrane-associated scaffolding proteins that regulate the assembly and function of specialized membrane domains; including adherens junctions, tight junctions, and neuronal or immune synapses. This special interest subgroup will focus on the different mechanisms that are utilized by MAGUKs and other PDZ proteins to assemble protein complexes at cell-cell contacts in vertebrates and invertebrates using experimental methods of cell biology and genetics. It will focus on how MAGUK and other PDZ proteins organize proteins at the plasma membrane and link them to cytosolic signaling proteins and the cytoskeleton. It will also examine the emerging role of these proteins in the trafficking of junctional components to specific subcellular locations and the organization of cell polarity. Finally, special emphasis will be placed on the emerging paradigm that intramolecular interactions within the MAGUK proteins act as “molecular switches” which regulate the assembly of different polypeptides into the MAGUK/PDZ scaffold.

Speakers:
Yohanns Bellaiche, Ecole Normale Superieure, Paris. The Partner of Inscuteable/Discs-Large Complex is required to establish planar polarity during asymmetric cell division in Drosophila
Craig Garner, University of Alabama, Birmingham. MAGUK proteins as molecular switches that control the assembly of protein complexes.
Aaron W. McGee and David S. Bredt, Department of Physiology, UCSF. Regulation of synaptic structure and function by PSD-95
Gisele Tavares, Stanford University. To Be Announced
Toshi Hanada, Tufts University, St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, Boston. Human Discs Large and Kinesin-dependent interactions in T cell polarization.
Vivian Budnick, U. Mass, Amherst. The role of scaffolding proteins on synapse development and function in Drosophila.
Klaus Ebnet and Dietmar Vestweber, University of Muenster, Max Plank Institute, Bad Nauheim, Germany. To Be Announced; AF-6 and ASIP/PAR3 interactions with JAM.
Alan S. Fanning, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven. ZO-1 scaffolds the tight junction transmembrane proteins occludin and claudin and links them to the actin cytoskeleton.

M. Septin Structure and Function
Room 10
Organizers: Christine M. Field, Harvard Medical School and John Pringle, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Septins are a family of conserved proteins that have been implicated in a variety of cellular functions involving specialized regions of the cell cortex, such as cytokinesis, cell shape change, and vesicle fusion. Septins form heteromeric complexes that bind and hydrolyze GTP, polymerize in vitro, form neck filaments in vivo (yeast), and bind phophoinositide lipids. Septins are implicated in regulating contractility, exocytosis, membrane compartmentation, and apoptosis, but their precise molecular functions are not known, and there are many basic questions to explore. This session brings together researchers working on a variety of systems to discuss progress in understanding molecular architecture, biochemical activities, and cellular functions known, and there are many basic questions to explore. This session brings together researchers working on a variety of systems to discuss progress in understanding molecular architecture, biochemical activities, and cellular functions.

Speakers:
John Pringle, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Septin history (their discovery) and a mystery (their role in fission yeast cytokinesis)
Michelle Momany, University of Georgia. Septins in Aspergillus nidulans are involved in septation, branching and asexual development.
Mark Longtine, Oklahoma State University. Septin structure and function in S. cerevisiae
Erica Johnson, Thomas Jefferson University. An E3-like factor that promotes SUMO conjugation to the yeast septins
Erfei Bi, University of Pennsylvania Medical School. The Role of Cdc42p GAPs in septin organization in yeast
Ian Macara, University of Virginia. Borgs Effectors of Cdc42 that control septin organization
Makoto Kinoshita, Harvard Medical School. Biochemical and ultrastructural analysis of purified and reconstituted mammalian septin complexes
William Trimble, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto. Functional analysis of mammalian septins

N. Urothelial Cell Biology
Room 11
Organizers: Ricardo Saban, Oklahoma University Health Science Center, and Timothy G. Hammond, Tulane Medical School.

The urothelium, the epithelium lining the surface of the urinary bladder, is a unique cell type with high plasticity and a variety of cell functions. Urothelium represents the first line of bladder defense and an interface between pathogens and defense mechanisms. Functions of the urothelium include control of permeability and immune responses. Cell-cell communication seems to play a major role on urothelial cell response to injury and infection. This response is modulated by Nerve and EGF-like Growth Factors. In addition, despite the fact that urothelium is a frequent site of cancer formation, few experimental model systems are currently available or well characterized for studying urothelial cancer. The identification of uroplakin genes that are specifically expressed in the urothelium has made it possible to target unique oncogenic events to the in vivo urothelium and to evaluate their biological potential in inducing urothelial transformation and tumorigenesis. This meeting will have an emphasis on cell-cell communication as well as the urothelium as the first line of defense. We have included some of the lead researchers and techniques in the field that will present new animal models and the molecular basis of infection and inflammation. Supported by educational grants from the American Urological Association (AUA) and NIH NIDDK

Speakers:
Monica Liebert, American Urological Association. Introduction
Simon Lewis, University of Texas Medical Branch. Urothelial permeability.
Tung-Tien Sun, New York University Medical School. Functional and Disease Implications of Uroplakins: Lessons from Knockout Studies.
Lori Birder, University of Pittsburgh. Urothelium—nerve communication.
Xiangpeng Kong, New York University Medical School. Structural Studies of Uroplakin Complexes
Scott J. Hultgren, Washington University, Department of Molecular Microbiology. Molecular Basis of Persistent Bladder Infections
Xue-Ru Wu, New York University Medical School. Transgenic Models of Urothelial Transformation.
Ricardo Saban, Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center. LPS—Urothelium communication—Gene Regulation.
Timothy G. Hammond, Tulane Medical School. NF-kB regulation in urothelial cells.
Michael R. Freeman, Harvard Medical School. EGF-like Growth Factors and the Urothelium.
Jeremy B. Tuttle, University of Virginia Health System. NGF and the Urothelium.
Monica Liebert, American Urological Association. COX2. Urothelium regeneration

The ASCB Education Committee calls attention each month to Web sites of educational interest to the cell biology community. The Committee does not endorse nor guarantee the accuracy of the information at any of the listed sites. If you wish to comment on the selections or suggest future inclusions, please send a message to Robert Blystone.

1. Advanced Molecular Biology Techniques Laboratory
   Beverly Clendening of Hofstra University brings us this very useful site. As part of an NSF-DUE-CCLI grant, this site gives as its purpose: ”This advanced molecular biology laboratory course, which uses a project approach to learning and incorporates an independent research component, was designed to enhance the preparation of students for careers in research, biotechnology and science education and to increase knowledge retention and integration of concepts among upper level biology majors.” The Drosophila-based labs are navigated by seven routes. The Introduction provides students with an overview of the course design and provides basic information about Enhancer Trap Analysis. The Protocols section provides general instructions for agarose gel electrophoresis, optical density measurements, DNA precipitation, enzyme use, and UV spectrophotometry. Also included under the Protocols section are 23 lab exercises including the following: plasmid rescue, competent cell preparation, ligation, transformation, PCR splicing, sequencing, Southern, Northern, and labeling, hybridization, and detection of DNA probes. Each of the protocols is clearly laid out and in some cases have hot links to other sections. A Sample Results section provides a pictorial guide of what should be seen as one carries out the procedures. A Tutorials area provides instruction in “Creation of the P-element insertion line, Jump-out and Jump-start mutagenesis, and genetic mapping of mutants. If one is looking for ideas for setting up an advanced molecular biology course, this is a very good place to begin. Thanks to ASCB member Dorothy Pumo for calling attention to this new educational URL
2. The Virtual Reference Desk
   This site is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education. The homepage states: “The Virtual Reference Desk (VRD) is a project dedicated to the advancement of digital reference and the successful creation and operation of humanmediated, Internet-based information services.” Of particular use is the AskA service. A number of professional organizations maintain Internet help services for students and teachers. The premise of these services is ask a professional a question andget an answer over the Web. VRD provides a descriptive list ofthese services and the links to reach them. Everything from Art and Careers to Math and Philosophy have AskA services. One might be surprised at how many professionals are participating in these types of programs. Sixteen sites are listed for biology. Other resources are identified at this site that have high utility. You might want to spend some time here and see what is available.
3. Hypertextbook: Cell Biology
   This site serves to support the introductory biology course at MIT. The first URL listed above is for the cell biology chapter and the second for the whole textbook. The cell biology chapter is divided into 13 sections. The material for membrane proteins, receptors, and transport mechanisms would aid many college level courses. AP biology students would appreciate the material as well. Illustrations and hot words are incorporated into the primarily text-based information. There is a section for Cell Biology practice problems that is quite useful. If you want to see clear, well-identified support material for basic cell biology course, this is a good place to go.
4. Human Genome Symposium Webcast
   On August 25, 2001 a symposium was held at UC Santa Cruz on the human genome. Francis Collins gave a historical overview of the human genome project and talked about the hidden features in the cover of the Nature magazine announcement of the genome project published in Feb. of 2000. Richard Harris presided over a panel consisting of Francis Collins, Robert Sinsheimer, Gene Myers, and Mary-Claire King. By logging on to the URL you can attend over two hours of the conference on the Web. It would be a great way to introduce a class discussion on the human genome by letting students see and hear major players in the project.

These sites were checked September 20, 2001. Previous ASCB columns reviewing Educational Websites with the links to the sites may be found online.

Christine Mirzayan Internship. Sponsored by the National Academy of Sciences to engage graduate and postdoctoral students in science and technology policy and to familiarize them with the interactions among science, technology, and government. Two sessions each year: January ( 12weeks) and June (10-weeks). Application deadline is November 1 for January, and March 1 for June.

Bayer/NSF Award. The Bayer Corporation and National Science Foundation invite teams of 3-4 6th– 8th graders to identify a problem facing their community and a proposed solution using science and technology. The top three teams will receive $36,000 in savings bonds and one team will be awarded a $25,000 grant to implement their idea in the community. Contact (800) 291-6020, ext. 3121.

Predoctoral Fellowships. The Howard Hughes Medical Institute is accepting appliacations for Biological Sciences Fellowships. Deadline: November 13.

Ford Foundation Fellowships. Predoctoral, dissertation and postdoctoral fellowships from the Ford Foundation, administered by the National Research Council. Deadlines: Predoctoral Fellowships— November 19, Disseration Fellowships—December 3, Postdoctoral Fellowships—Janary 7.

HHMI Undergraduate Science Education Grants. The Howard Hughes Medical Institute announces 20 $1 million awards to scientists who transmit the excitement and values of scientific research to undergraduate education.

Assistant Professor—Functional Genomics. University of California Santa Barbara. Applicants conducting research at the cutting edge of functional genomics, utilizing new tools and concepts of the genomic revolution are encouraged to apply for this tenure-track position in our programs in Molecular Biology and Biomolecular Science and Engineering. We especially seek creative scientists with demonstrable evidence of innovation and a broad research program that exploits the advantages of model systems. This position will be filled at the Assistant Professor level jointly within the Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and the new interdisciplinary graduate program in Biomolecular Sciences and Engineering. The appointee will be expected to lead a dynamic independent research program and to participate effectively in undergraduate and graduate instructional activities. Submit curriculum vitae, selected reprints, a brief description of previous and anticipated research, and arrange to have at least three letters of reference sent to: Functional Genomics Search Committee, MCD Biology Department, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106. Review of applications will continue until the position is filled. UCSB is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

Postdoctoral Position. Biochemistry/Cell biology, University of California San Diego. A DOE-funded postdoctoral position is available to pursue biochemical analysis of TANGLED, a microtubule binding protein required for the spatial control of cytokinesis in maize (see J. Cell Biol. 2001, 152:231-236 and refs therein). The project will focus on understanding how TAN interacts with the cytoskeleton and with other proteins. Protein biochemistry experience is required, ideally working with cytoskeletal proteins and/or cytoskeleton-interacting proteins. Opportunity to develop other projects involving molecular genetic analysis of plant cell division and morphogenesis, as well as to interact with a strong community of plant biology and cell biology researchers at UCSD, Salk and Scripps. Applicants should send a CV including contact information for at least two references. Available immediately, but starting date is flexible.

Assistant, Associate or Full Professor—Molecular Biology / Molecular Genetics. Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology. We invite applications for two tenure-track faculty positions in our expanding basic research programs. We seek highly creative and interactive candidates with demonstrable records of innovative research who are applying molecular genetic approaches to fundamental problems in the molecular, cellular, and developmental biosciences. One of the positions is to be filled at the Assistant Professor level while the other may be filled at any rank (Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor) depending upon the qualifications of the candidate. A Ph.D. or equivalent degree and post-doctoral experience are required. The appointees will be expected to lead vigorous independent research programs and to participate effectively in undergraduate and graduate instructional activities. Submit curriculum vitae, selected reprints, and a brief description of previous and anticipated research, and arrange to have a minimum of three letters of reference sent to: Molecular Genetics Search Committee, Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106. Review of applications will begin on November 20, 2001 and will continue until the positions are filled. employment.php#faculty. UCSB is an equal opportunity affirmative action employer.