Multi-omics data integration considerations and study design for biological systems and disease.
Graw S, Chappell K, Washam CL, Gies A, Bird J, Robeson MS 2nd, Byrum SD.
Mol Omics.
Urbaniak A, Piña-Oviedo S, Yuan Y, Huczyński A, Chambers TC.
Eur J Pharmacol.
G-Quadruplex loops regulate PARP-1 enzymatic activation.
Edwards AD, Marecki JC, Byrd AK, Gao J, Raney KD.
Nucleic Acids Res.
Gujarathi S, Zafar MK, Liu X, Eoff RL, Zheng G.
Molecules.
As a Guest Editor for JoVE, Dr. Stephanie Byrum is organizing a Methods Collection titled “Cutting-edge technologies driving quantitative mass spectrometry“.
JoVE is the leading peer-reviewed scientific methods video journal, aimed at increasing the visibility and reproducibility of research. JoVE’s team takes care of the entire process of filming and producing your video.
This Methods Collection will be the definitive record of quantitative mass spectrometry and bioinformatics techniques and set the standard for reproducibility within the community. The collection will cover advanced experimental approaches in the field.
Once complete, this collection will be distributed to a comprehensive list of researchers who are active in the field. This will promote collaboration among researchers in the community and facilitate wider adoption of innovative methodologies.
This collection will be the go-to resource for methods in the field for years to come.
If you are interested in contributing, please submit an abstract of a maximum 300 words by February 15, 2021. The full-length manuscript should be submitted by April 15, 2021.
Congratulations to Dr. Alicia Byrd on receiving research funding of $25,000 from the Hornick Endowment Grant Program. This award is for one (1) calendar year and will fund additional research related to Dr. Byrd’s grant entitled “The effect of rs75770066, a stroke associated single nucleotide polymorphism, on enzyme activity”.
Congratulations to Dr. Alijca Urbaniak, Instructor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, on receiving research funding of $25,000 from the Barton Pilot Grant Program. This award is for one (1) calendar year to fund additional research related to Dr. Urbaniak’s grant entitled “Novel Monensin Analogs for the Treatment of Metastatic Breast Cancer”.
Dr. Oleg Karaduta and Dr. Mari Davidson invite contributions to a special issue of applied sciences on the Evolution of Modern Molecular Biology Applications.
Forty years ago, when relatively powerful microprocessors first became available, many young entrepreneurs were inspired to create companies, platforms, and programming tools that helped make computing available to everyone. This in turn helped spark the information revolution. Today, thanks to the increasing sophistication, speed, and power of computer modeling and other new tools, we are on the brink of another revolution — this time in bioscience.
The aim of this Special Issue, therefore, is to offer a platform for scientists working on the different aspects of Molecular Biology; fusion of classical methods with novel approaches drives human progress, and it is this belief that fuels our optimism in that direction.
We invite you to submit manuscripts addressing novel uses of classical techniques in molecular biology and possible applications of these methods in future medical and life science research for a compilation of our current knowledge into a comprehensive issue.
Congratulations to Erin Taylor who successfully defended her Ph.D. dissertation entitled “Immune Modulation Response to Checkpoint Inhibition in Metastatic Melanoma” on December 1st. Erin was a student in the laboratory of Dr. Alan Tackett.
Toxicol Lett.
Identifying RNA Helicase Inhibitors Using Duplex Unwinding Assays.
Congratulations to Brian Koss who successfully defended his Ph.D. dissertation entitled “Epigenetic control of Cdkn2a.Arf protects tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes from exhaustion” on November 18th. Brian was a student in the laboratory of Dr. Alan Tackett and is now a post-doctoral fellow in the Center for Translational Pediatric Research as part of the Proteomics Technology Development Shared Resource under the direction of Dr. Rick Edmondson. A summary of his research is below.
T cell exhaustion in cancer is linked to poor clinical outcomes and evidence suggests T cell metabolic changes precede functional exhaustion. Direct competition between tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and cancer cells for metabolic resources often renders T cells dysfunctional. Here, we report an epigenetic mechanism contributing to the development of metabolic exhaustion in TILs. Environmental stress produces epigenome remodeling events within tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes resulting from loss of the histone methyltransferase EZH2. Using a multi-omics approach, we have defined an ARF-mediated, p53-independent mechanism by which EZH2 inhibition leads to mitochondrial dysfunction and the resultant exhaustion. Reprogramming T cells to express a gain-of-function EZH2 mutant resulted in an enhanced ability of T cells to inhibit tumor growth. Our data suggest manipulation of T cell EZH2 within the context of cellular therapies may yield lymphocytes which are able to withstand harsh tumor metabolic environments and collateral pharmacologic insults.
Thinking about graduate school in the biomedical sciences?
Join us on Thursday November 9, 2020 for a free online event where our current students will share their experiences in the UAMS Graduate Program in Interdisciplinary Sciences (GPIBS) Biochemistry Track.
Programmatic details & the application process will also be discussed.
Allie is a GPIBS Ph.D. student in the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology track. She is a fourth year student in the laboratory of Dr. Grover Paul Miller.
She graduated from Henderson State University in 2017 with an Honors Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry and a minor in Biology, and she received a regulatory sciences certification from the UAMS Department of Environmental and Occupational Health in Spring 2020.
My research focuses on a subset of structurally similar non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) known as diphenylamine NSAIDs. Diphenylamine NSAIDs are taken more than 15 million times each year in the United States, but roughly 15% of all people administered diphenylamine NSAIDs have a clinically observable case of hepatotoxicity from the compounds. Previous studies identified that diphenylamine hepatotoxicity is dependent upon metabolic bioactivation and varied depending upon minor structural modifications to the diphenylamine structural scaffold, but little work exists to identify the specific mechanisms by which diphenylamines cause hepatotoxicity. I used computational tools to identify potential diphenylamine metabolic bioactivations in seven marketed or withdrawn diphenylamine drugs and experimentally validate these computational results. Thus far, I have discovered that diphenylamine NSAIDs are preferentially bioactivated into quinone-species metabolites in variable amounts and by a variety of cytochrome P450 enzymes dependent upon minor structural modifications to the diphenylamine scaffold. I hope that results from this work can help direct future development of diphenylamine-containing drugs in the future and help identify and stratify patients at-risk following diphenylamine NSAID dosage to promote more personalized patient care.
I am so grateful that I was trained as a fresh graduate student by Dr. Dusty Barnette. I was always dropping things, breaking things, and having the same information repeated to me over and over again and Dusty never batted an eye, scolded me, or made me feel like a burden. Specifically, I’m appreciative to him for always getting the tall things off the high shelves for me!
My dream job would be in a contract research organization conducting preclinical and clinical studies for pharmaceutical clients. Once I obtain my PhD, I intend to take a post-doctoral position through the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) to enhance my regulatory experience and make myself more marketable!
Nuclear magnetic resonance is a major technique used frequently in regulatory science and in the pharmaceutical industry, but my only exposure to it was for a week or so as an undergraduate in my Analytical Chemistry course. I was overwhelmed and scared of it then and I still am, though I want to change that!
Cleaning is legitimately one of my favorite hobbies, so most laboratories stress me out a bit – ha. If I wasn’t working in science, I would want to be a professional home organizer.
I am partially supported by a training grant through the Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Experimental Therapeutics Department in the UAMS Graduate School entitled, “Systems Pharmacology and Toxicology” (T32GM106999).
