Category Archives: Biochemistry

Senior Naomi Lopez, 18, is one of Sterling High Schools January Students of the Month. Her mother is Veronica Jaramillo, 38, and her brother is Elias Moreno, 9; they live in Sterling.

Favorite class: AP U.S. history. Its rigorous, and theres always something to read.

Top teacher: Susan Lawson, AP literature. Shes relatable, and she really cares about teaching us to become better readers and writers.

Extracurriculars: Tennis, I used to cheerlead. I played soccer freshman year.

After graduation: I want to major in biochemistry or molecular biology. I want to be a cosmetic dermatologist, a facial plastic surgeon or a pathologist.

Paycheck: I work off and on at Karlins Hallmark in Sterling. I was seasonal this year. I like it. Its really festive in there.

Best friend: Dahley Vinson. Shes funny, witty. She knows how to listen.

Favorite musical group: Empire of the Sun.

Favorite actor: Vincent Cassel.

Favorite movies: Black Swan and When Harry Met Sally.

Excerpt from:
Sterling Student of the Month

Submitted March 26, 2012 4:02PM

NIU Professor Tao Xu, who has developed a promising nanoscience research program in solar energy conversion, is getting a grant from the National Science Foundation. NSF has awarded the chemistry and biochemistry professor, who lives in west suburban Lisle, with a prestigious Faculty Early Career Development grant of $400,000 over the next five years in support of his research and teaching efforts. | Submitted by NIU

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Updated: March 27, 2012 1:12AM

NIU Professor Tao Xu, who has developed a promising nanoscience research program in solar energy conversion, is getting a big boost from the National Science Foundation.

NSF has awarded the chemistry and biochemistry professor with a prestigious Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) grant of $400,000 over the next five years in support of his research and teaching efforts.

CAREER awards support junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research.

This award is a tribute to the quality and productivity of Dr. Xu and his research group, said Jon Carnahan, chair of the department of chemistry and biochemistry. Were very proud of Taos accomplishment.

Xu, of Lisle, also is affiliated with NIUs Institute for Nano Science, Engineering, and Technology. His research group is working to develop potential solar cells of the future.

Because of environmental concerns related to nuclear and fossil-fuel-based energy, people are demanding clean alternative energies that can help build up our power grids, Xu said. Solar cells are quite safe, but we need to enhance their overall efficiency and affordability. To accomplish this, our group is trying to gain a better understanding of the fundamental processes at work in solar cells.

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NIU chemistry professor receives grant from National Science Foundation

SAN JOSE, Calif., March 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Ariosa Diagnostics (formerly Aria Diagnostics), a molecular diagnostics company, today announced the completion of its clinical validation study for the Harmony Prenatal Test. The multi-national study represents the largest clinical study performed to date for non-invasive prenatal detection of common fetal trisomies. The test utilizes a directed, non-invasive approach to cell-free DNA (cfDNA) analysis in maternal blood. Additionally, information about the company's proprietary biochemistry and algorithm platforms, which work together to efficiently analyze patient samples in order to provide individualized risk scores, will be presented at the 2012 American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG) Annual Clinical Genetics Meeting in Charlotte, N.C.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120326/NY75864LOGO )

"The completion of our validation study is an important milestone as we prepare to bring the Harmony Prenatal Test to market," said Ken Song, MD, chief executive officer at Ariosa Diagnostics. "The Harmony Prenatal Test's performance is the largest study to date using cell-free DNA technology and supports findings from our previous studies recently published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Prenatal Diagnosis demonstrating highly accurate fetal trisomy detection."

At the upcoming ACMG meeting, additional data on Ariosa's technology will be shared during an oral platform presentation (Molecular session) titled, "Non-Invasive Fetal Aneuploidy Detection in Cell-free DNA from Maternal Blood Using Digital Analysis of Selected Regions (DANSR) and the Fetal-fraction Optimized Risk of Trisomy Evaluation (FORTE) Algorithm" on Thursday, March 29, 2012 from 8:30 to 8:45 a.m. at the Charlotte Convention Center.

Formerly known as Aria Diagnostics, the company has changed its name to Ariosa Diagnostics in an effort to further distinguish and differentiate itself from other companies and products.

About Ariosa Diagnostics (formerly Aria Diagnostics)

Ariosa Diagnostics, Inc., is a molecular diagnostics company committed to providing safe, highly accurate and affordable prenatal tests for maternal and fetal health. Led by an experienced team, Ariosa is using its proprietary technology to perform a directed analysis of cell-free DNA in blood. Ariosa's simple blood test equips pregnant women and their healthcare providers with reliable information to make decisions regarding their health, without creating unnecessary stress or anxiety.

The company began operations in 2010 and is headquartered in San Jose, Calif. For more information, visitwww.ariosadx.com.

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Ariosa Diagnostics Announces Completion of Laboratory-Developed Test Study for the Harmony™ Prenatal Test

By Stephen Brooks | Originally Published: 12 hours ago |Modified: 12 hours ago |

Biochemistry professor Rawle Hollingsworth in his lab on Wednesday March 9, 2005.

During biochemistry professor Rawle Hollingsworths nearly 30 years at MSU, Tom Sharkey, chair of the biochemistry and molecular biology department, remembers having many conversations with him during casual run-ins outside the office.

One encounter sticks out in Sharkeys mind, who said he has a strong memory of listening to Hollingsworth explain carbohydrate involvement in blood types one day in the parking lot.

I was just fascinated to learn the things he was explaining, Sharkey said. Its just one of those moments in time that get frozen for reasons that you dont really know why.

Hollingsworth, a 55-year-old Haslett, Mich. resident, died from a pulmonary embolism on Feb. 29.

After completing his doctorate at the University of the West Indies in the Caribbean, Hollingsworth started as an assistant professor at MSU in 1983 and climbed the ranks to become a full professor.

I would say his enthusiasm really was the thing I continually think about when I think of him, Sharkey said.

Rawle Hollingsworth met his wife, Saleela Hollingsworth, at the University of the West Indies. The two were married for 26 years and had two children, Misha, 20, and Akhil, 15.

Saleela Hollingsworth said her husband loved traveling, reading and music and always put the childrens interests first.

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Professor leaves positive legacy

Mark Merchant, biochemistry professor at McNeese State University, spoke with Leesville High School students Tuesday to discuss his ongoing research project investigating naturally occurring antibacterial peptides in alligators to uncover a new class of antibiotics. Merchant said he was first interested in this research when he noticed alligators who sustained serious injuries, such as a missing limb or tail, would not only heal rapidly, but also without any infections. So he set out to investigate in marshes to collect blood samples from crocodilians, which includes all alligator, crocodile and caiman species, to study their tissue and immune systems. After extracting the white blood cells, Merchant infused them with bacteria and discovered holes where it did not grow, proving there is something inside their white blood cells that kill bacteria. Merchant derived the term Zone of Inhibition to explain the area where bacteria cannot grow as well as measure the zone towards a variety of bacteria. After experimenting with different bacteria such as pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacterial found in soil, and citrobacter freundii and escherichia coli, bacteria found in humans, the white blood cells attacked and killed both. The reason he found this interesting he said, was because alligators' immune systems fought off bacteria, viruses and fungi they had never been exposed to. Another remarkable discovery he said, was that the cells also killed bacteria called candida albicans, yeast infections, and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), staff infections, which claim numerous lives every year. He stated since humans are dying from these infections and alligator white blood cells are killing them, then they might be able to develop antibacterial, anti-viral or anti-fungal drugs for human medicine. "The way we think it works is that the outer coat of bacteria gives off a negative charge and the white blood cells give off a positive charge," he said. "So when opposites attract, the cells tear a hole in the membrane and therefore kills the bacteria." Merchant said his is really excited now that his research team has isolated these proteins and have determined their structure and now are trying to synthesize them. Students at LHS were surprised by a certain visitor Merchant brought with him; a four-year-old alligator. As the students exited the auditorium, they had the opportunity to touch and feel the texture of the alligator. Donell Evans, head of science department at LHS, said by having Merchant speak with the students, they hope to help them understand what's being offered outside of high school in terms of science related jobs and careers. Also, they are trying to bring more awareness to the Science, Technology, Engineer and Mathematics (STEM) programs that were recently introduced to Vernon Parish. The students in her AP biology class were so captivated with Merchant's research that they asked to discuss it more in depth during Friday's class. "I just think having a Louisiana college like McNeese State University being on the forefront with new antibiotics is amazing," Evans said. Merchant's researched has been funded by several grants including a four-year Research Competitiveness Subprogram grant from the Louisiana Board of Regents, EPSCoR travel grants to speak at five national and international conferences, EPSCoR Links with Industry and National Labs (LINK) grant to travel to Argentina as well as most recently, a grant from National Geographic.

Link:
Alligator cells prevail possible human medicine

Published: March 21, 2012

The Gairdner Foundation has announced the recipients of the 2012 Canada Gairdner Awards. Recognized for some of the most significant medical discoveries from around the world, this years winners showcase a broad range of new medical insights, from pioneering new ways to tackle childhood illness in developing countries to identifying how our biological clocks guide our everyday lives.

Among the worlds most esteemed medical research prizes, the awards distinguish Canada as a leader in science and provide a $100,000 prize to scientists whose work holds important potential. The 2012 winners are as follows:

Thomas M. Jessell, Ph.D.

Thomas M. Jessell, Ph.D., Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Kavli Institute for Brain Science, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY

The challenge: Through communication between the sensory neuron and the motor neuron in our bodies nervous system, we acquire the ability to move and react to the world around us. But little was known about how these neurons communicate with each other.

The work: Dr. Jessells work reveals the basic principles of nervous system communication. By studying the assembly and organization of the circuit that controls movement in the spinal cord nervous system, Dr. Jessell identified the direct connection between the sensory neuron, which is responsible for allowing us to process what is happening in the world around us, and the motor neuron, which allows us to control how our muscles move to react to what we sense in that world.

Why it matters: As a result of this discovery, we have the potential to create interventional strategies to treat and cure neurodegenerative diseases such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), where a problem with the circuit connection between the sensory neuron and the motor neuron prevents our minds and bodies from reacting properly to what we sense around us. Similarly, we now have the potential to restore movement in patients with spinal cord injury or paralysis.

(To learn more about Dr. Jessell and his work, read The Promise of the Brain.)

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Thomas Jessell Receives 2012 Gairdner Award for Groundbreaking Insights on Nervous System