ASCB Newsletter - May 1997

For Undergraduates and College Faculty
Bruce Alberts, President of the National Academy of Sciences and co-author of Molecular Biology of the Cell, will discuss the challenges and special opportunities in cell biology today. The presentation to undergraduates and college faculty will take place on Saturday, December 13 at 4:00 pm. Students will be invited to attend the Keynote Address following the presentation.

For Graduate Students
J. Michael Bishop of the University of California, San Francisco, Nobel Laureate and former ASCB President, will give the Graduate Student Presentation on Monday, December 15 at 2:30 pm. The Presentation focuses on issues and skills important in developing careers in cell biology.

For High School Students and Teachers
Francis Collins, Director of the National Insitute on Human Genome Research, will discuss the Human Genome Project and its impact on science and the world. Afterwards, students will have the opportunity to visit the exhibit halls where they will enjoy special hands-on presentations by selected exhibitors. The Program is on Sunday, December 14 at 12:30 pm.

There is no cost to attend the Programs for Students and registration for the Annual Meeting is not required; however, preregistration is requested. Contact ASCB for information about the High School and College Programs Phone: (301) 530-7153; Fax: (301) 530-7139. Graduate students may indicate their intention to attend the Graduate Student Presentation on the Annual Meeting Advance Registration/Payment Form in the 37th ASCB Annual Meeting Call for Abstracts.

For five years, the ASCB Education Committee has hosted the Educational Initiatives Forum during the breaks separating morning Symposia at the Annual Meeting. Typically, the speaker or panelists for each session present 15-20 minutes of remarks on various subjects related to educational initiatives in cell biology, and the remainder of the session is devoted to discussion. The Forum encourages presentations of innovative solutions to educational and related professional problems and discussion of problems and solutions. It is an ideal venue for networking with other individuals with similar interests. The 1996 Forum in San Francisco included presentations by William Heidcamp on "Teaching Materials Available via the Internet," Celia Jamur on "Teaching Cell Biology with Limited Resources," Malcolm Campbell on "Inovative Teaching Methods," Lawrence Jensen on "Computer-Generated Models as Teaching Aids," and Nancy Lane on "Methods to Interest Students Belonging to Under-represented Groups." Any member wishing to make a presentation at one of the Educational Initiatives Forum sessions should contact the ASCB Office or the Forum's convener, ASCB Education Committee member Chris Watters, at (802) 443-5433. Better still, email Chris a brief summary or outline of the proposed presentation.

Symposia

Sunday, December 14
Building The Brain
Carla Shatz (Chair), University of California, Berkeley
Neural activity and the sculpting of connectivity in the mammalian visual system

Tom Jessell, Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons
Inductive signals and the generation of neuronal pattern in the vertebrate CNS

Marc Tessier-Lavigne, University of California, San Francisco
Molecular mechanisms of axon guidance

Protein Misfolding & Degradation: Cellular Control and Viral Escapes
Hidde Ploegh (Chair), MIT
The stealth strategies of human cytomegalovirus

Aaron Ciechanover, Technion Israel Institute of Technology
The ubiquitin-mediated proteolytic system: mechanisms of action and cellular substrates

Peter Walter, University of California, San Francisco
The unfolded protein response: an intracellular signaling pathway from the ER to the nucleus

Monday, December 15
How the Cell Sorts
Juan Bonifacino (Chair), NIH, NICHD
Protein sorting in the endosomal/lysosomal system

Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz, NIH, NICHD
Membrane protein cycling and dynamics within the secretory pathway

Graham Warren, Imperial Cancer Research Fund
Mitotic division of the Golgi apparatus

The Role of ECM and Integrins in Regulating Higher Order Structure and Gene Expression
Mina Bissell (Chair), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Form and function in normal and malignant breast: the dominancy of tissue structure

Arthur Lander, University of California, Irvine
Molecules and mechanisms in neuronal guidance

Kenneth Yamada, NIH, NIDR
Integrin signaling and cytoskeletal complexes

Tuesday, December 16
Signals that Control Cell Structure: Regulation of the Actin Cytoskeleton
Alan Hall (Chair), MRC Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology (UK)
Regulation of actin filament and adhesion complex assembly by the Rho family of GTPases

John Cooper, Washington University
Control of actin assembly by capping protein in vivo and in vitro

Pascale Cossart, Institut Pasteur
Signaling and actin cytoskeleton rearrangements induced by the intracellular pathogen Listeria monocytogenes

Nuclear Dynamics and Function
Gideon Dreyfuss (Chair), Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Pennsylvania
Nuclear export and import of proteins and RNAs

Bruce Stillman, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Controlling genome duplication throughout the cell cycle

Shirley Tilghman, Princeton University
The mechanism of gene silencing in genomic imprinting

Wednesday, December 17
AIDS: Progress and Promise
Anthony Fauci (Chair), NIH, NIAID
Host factors in the immunopathogenesis of HIV disease

Dan Littman, Skirball Institute, HHMI, New York University Medical Center
Chemokine receptors in HIV and SIV disease: new insights into pathogenic mechanisms

Robin Weiss, Institute of Cancer Research, Royal Cancer Hospital (UK)
Why and how AIDS patients get cancer

Morphogenesis
Andy McMahon (Chair), Harvard University
Local cell interactions in sexually dimorphic development of the mammalian reproductive system

Judith Kimble, University of Wisconsin
Regulation of morphogenesis during development of the C. elegans gonad

Mark Krasnow, Stanford University
Patterning of airway branching in Drosophila

Minisymposia

Aging and Senescence
Cynthia Kenyon, Univeristy of California, San Francisco

Eugenia Wang, Lady Davis Institute, Montreal

Apoptosis and Cellular Control
Don Newmeyer, La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology

Vishva Dixit, University of Michigan Medical School

CDKs and CKIs in Cellular Growth, Mitosis and Disease
Steven Reed, Scripps Research Institute

Charles Sherr, HHMI, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Cell Adhesion and Homing
Timothy Springer, Harvard Medical School

Denisa Wagner, Harvard Medical School

The Cell Biology of Neurodegenerative Disease
Dennis Selkoe, Harvard Medical School

Sangram Sisodia, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Cell-Cell Adhesion & Junctions
Daniel Goodenough, Harvard Medical School

Barry Gumbiner, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

Chromatin: Assembly, Remodeling, Histone Modification
C. David Allis, University of Rochester

Lorraine Pillus, University of Colorado

Disintegrins
Roy Black, Immunex Corp.

D.J. Pan, University of California, Berkeley

Left-Right Asymmetry: From Molecules to Clinic
H. Joseph Yost, University of Minnesota

William Wood, University of Colorado

Lipid Regulators of Cell Function
Silvia Corvera, University of Massachusetts Medical School

Scott Emr, University of California, San Diego

Maternal Regulation of Embryonic Polarity
Kenneth Kemphues, Cornell University

Gertrud Schupbach, Princeton University

Mechanisms of Cell Motility and Cytokinesis
Margaret Titus, Duke University Medical Center

Yu-li Wang, Worcester Foundation for Biomedical Research

Membrane Trafficking: New Paradigms and Directions
William Balch, Scripps Research Institute

Kathryn Howell, University of Colorado

Mitotic Checkpoints
Douglas Koshland, Carnegie Institution of Washington

Conly Rieder, Wadsworth Center Laboratories

The Molecular Basis of Sensation
Linda Buck, Harvard Medical School

Robert Margolskee, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine

Nuclear Entry and Exit: The Rules and Players
Stephen Adam, Northwestern University Medical School

Susan Wente, Washington University

Organelle Integrity and Inheritance
Lois Weisman, University of Iowa

Michael Yaffe, University of California, San Diego

Pathogen Invasion
Norma Andrews, Yale University School of Medicine

Jorge Galan, State University of New York at Stony Brook

Protein Degradation
Mark Hochstrasser, University of Chicago

Joan Ruderman, Harvard Medical School

Regulating the Polymers of the Cytoskeleton
Edward Salmon, University of North Carolina

Yixian Zheng , Carnegie Institution of Washington

RNA: Untranslated Sequences Controlling Localization, Stability and Differentiation
Jack Keene, Duke University Medical Center

Robert H. Singer, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Signal Transduction in Normal and Malignant Cells
J. Michael Bishop, University of California, San Francisco

Ann Richmond, Vanderbilt University

Structure and Function of Kinetochores
Don Cleveland, Ludwig Institute, University of California, San Diego

Gary Gorbsky, University of Virginia Health Sciences Center

Transport Across the Membrane Bilayer
Arthur Johnson, Texas A&M University Health Science Center

Tom Rapoport, Harvard Medical School

Congressional Research Service Summer Openings
The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is recruiting current or recent graduate students for two paid summer positions to assist the Service in providing nonpartisan research, analysis, and information services to the Congress on public health and biomedical policy issues. Some policy experience is preferred. CRS works exclusively and directly for the Members and committees of Congress in support of their legislative, oversight, and representative functions. CRS is committed to achieving diversity—we welcome and encourage minority applicants. For information, contact Dr Eric Fischer, (202) 707-7071, or fax a resume and statement of interest to (202) 707-7000.

Postdoctoral positions available immediately in the Northwestern Drug Discovery Program (DDP). The DDP is an academic basic science program that focuses on normal and pathological cell regulatory mechanisms as starting points in the discovery of potential new drug targets. These investigations are interdigitated with structural biology and medicinal chemistry studies that develop new lead chemical entities. Successful applicants will have a Ph.D., M.D. or equivalent and documented record of productivity. Individuals are expected to develop a customized research program with a DDP sponsor. Although highly competitive applicants in any relevant area may apply, there is a current special need for individuals with expertise in molecular biology and genetics, and molecular or clinical neurosciences. Submit a current C.V., names and addresses of three references, and a statement of research interests to D.M. Watterson, DDP, P.O. Box 118126, Chicago IL 60611. EOE/AA.

Postdoctoral positions are available 07/01/97 for training in Environmental Mutagenesis and Carcinogenesis in a program supported by an Institutional National Research Service Award from NIEHS. There are 12 faculty members. Applicants must have MD/PhD, experience in genetics, cell, or molecular biology, and be a US citizen or permanent resident. To apply, send resume, transcripts and three letters of reference to: Dr. Zena Werb, Program Director, Department of Anatomy, Box 0750, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143-0750. EOE/AA.

Postdoctoral position in cellular and molecular neurobiology: Studies include: analysis of factors controlling transcription of adhesion molecule genes in vivo and in vitro, identification of signal pathways and the gene programs activated by adhesion molecule binding. Contact: Gerald M. Edelman, Department of Neurobiology, Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Rd., SBR14, La Jolla CA 92037. EOE/AA.

PhD in Pharmacology or related areas, 4-8 years experience in research/industry needed to develop in vivo models for drug evaluation for age-related diseases including cancer and to manage the animal facility. Expertise with animal models and pharmacological methods required. Experience with toxicology and pharmacokinetics, and AALAS Certification desirable. CV to: Geron Corp. Human Resources, 230 Constitution Dr., Menlo Park CA 94025. EOE/AA.

Postdoctoral positions are available to study neuropeptide receptor functions. Approaches include binding, second messenger signaling, cloning, antibodies, etc. Candidates with a background in neurochemistry/molecular biology should send cv, three letters of recommendation to: Dr. N. M. Lee, CPMC Research Institute, 2330 Clay Street, San Francisco, CA 94115-1932. Fax: (415) 561-1390. EOE/AA.

Postdoc/Res Assoc, PhD; avail immed to study synthesis, processing & trafficking of cartilage extracellular matrix molecules, emphasiz aggrecan, models of chondrodysplasias. Expertise in molec biol &/or light/electron microsc immunolocalizat required. Contact Barbara Vertel, Dept Cell Bio & Anat, FUHS/The Chicago Med School, 3333 Green Bay Rd, No. Chicago, IL 60064. Fax: (847) 578-3272. EOE/AA.

Faculty positions: Assistant or Associate Professor. Teaching participation required in team-taught courses. Active and vigorous research program in Cell Biology required. Expected to start July, 1997. Send letter of interest, cv, and names of referees to: Dr. David McCandless, Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Finch University of Health Sciences/The Chicago Medical School, 3333 Green Bay Road, North Chicago IL 60064. EOE/AA.

Product Manager, imaging and cytometry products. Coordinate all imaging and cytometry-related marketing activities. Requires: 3 years postdoc exper. in cell biology, neuroscience, histochemistry, immunology; extensive lab exper. in fluorescence microscopy; excellent communication skills; publications in the field. See more detailed description under the heading "What's New?" EOE/AA.

Postdoc Fellowships: NIEHS Training Program, recent PhD, MD, DVM; Available immed/future.US citizen/perm. resident. Molecular and cell biology of carcinogenesis; transformation of human or rodent cells; DNA damage, repair, mutation; cell cycle regulation; oncogenes, growth factors; gene and chromosome transfer. Contact Dr. D. G. Kaufman, Dept. Path. & Lab. Medicine, U. North Carolina, Chapel Hill NC 27599-7525. (919) 966-1396, Fax: (919) 966-5046. EOE/AA.

Postdoc to study cytoplasmic organelle partitioning during cell division. Vacuole inheritance in yeast is being investigated through genetic, molecular and cellular techniques. Recent publications include Hill et al., JCB 135:1535 (1996), Wang et al. MBC 7:1375 (1996). Contact: Lois Weisman, Department of Biochemistry, University of Iowa, Iowa City IA 52242. (319) 335-8581.. EOE/AA.

Postdoctoral position available immediately to investigate survival signals for retinal photoreceptors, and their potential involvement in blinding retinal degenerations. The program involves cell culture, multiple cloning strategies, biochemistry, in situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry. Contact: Ruben Adler, Johns Hopkins Univ Sch Med; (410) 955-7589; EOE/AA.

Postdoctoral Position. Lung Biology Center, University of California San Francisco, to investigate integrin-mediated signaling and interaction with oxidant- and asbestos-induced apoptosis. Recommend experience in signaling, molecular and cellular biology. Available July, 1997 or later. Contact Dr. C. Broaddus, Box 0854, UCSF, San Francisco CA 94143-0854. (415) 206-3513. EOE/AA.

Research laboratory near Nice, France (Marine Station of Villefranche-sur-mer) looking for a Post-doc interested in differentiation of muscle cells and myogenic factors in embryos. Experience in molecular biology required. Position available immediately; 10,000 FF per month for one year; extension possible. Contact Christian Sardet or Janet Chenevert Phone: 493763771, Fax: 493763792, EOE/AA.

Postdoctoral Fellow to study mechanisms used by fibroblasts and tumor cells to invade extracellular matrix. Living cells will be studied by Confocal Microscopy. The project involves bleaching and activating flourescent probes. Both cellular and molecular techniques will be applicable. Reply to: Dr. E.D. Hay; EOE/AA.

Graduate Teaching Fellowships available fall, 1998, to support PhD candidates. Fellowship may be renewable for up to 5 years. Contact N. Gotelli, Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Burlington VT 05405. EOE/AA.

Postdoctoral Fellow to study peroxisomal assembly. Issues are protein and lipid trafficking, membrane translocation, and organelle division and segregation. Expertise in one or more of the following areas will be useful: yeast cell biology or genetics, molecular biology, and membrane biochemistry. Available immediately. Contact Joel Goodman, UT Southwestern Medical School, Dallas TX 75235-9041. EOE/AA.

Postdoctoral Researcher. PhD/MD/DVM. Cellular and molecular aspects of reproduction (gametogenesis, fertilization, endocrinology, implantation) or embryogenesis (preimplantation development, organogenesis). Start date and salary negotiable. Contact: Center for Research on Reproduction and Women's Health, Univ Pennsylvania Med Ctr, 778 CRB, 415 Curie Blvd, Philadelphia PA 19104-6142. Phone: (215) 898-0147; Fax: (215) 573-5408. EOE/AA.

Postdoctoral position available to investigate mechanisms by which MAP kinases modulate activity of AP-1 transcription factors. Strong molecular biology background required. Send cv with names and addresses of 3 references to: Lori Bernstein, PhD, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Texas A & M, HSC 208 Reynolds Building, College Station TX 77843-1114 USA. EOE/AA.

Postdoctoral position available to study viral replication, polyprotein processing and morphogenesis of gastrointestinal viral pathogens. Experience in molecular biology and virology required. U.S. citizenship required. Start date flexible. Please send CV and names of three references to: Dr. S.M. Matsui, Division of Gastroenterology, MSLS P304, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5487. EOE/AA.

Postdoctoral fellow (less than 5 years experience) is sought with confocal microscopy training for studies of glucose transporter trafficking and regulation by insulin. A transient transfection system is also available to examine trafficking and regulatory proteins. Contact Dr. Sam Cushman, 10/5N102/NIH, 10 Center Dr. MSC 1420, Bethesda MD 20892-1420. EOE/AA.

Postdoctoral fellowship 1997-2000: To study the role of the ubiquitin system in growth hormone receptor downregulation, a cooperative project with Dr. Ciechanover, Haifa. Info: Dr. G. Strous, Dept. Cell Biol, Heidelbergl. 100, AZU H02.314; 3584CX Utrecht, tel +31 302506476; Funded for 2 years for EU nationals only. The Utrecht University is an EOE/AA.

Experienced scientists are sought to join a cadre of Scientific Review Administrators in building the future of the Division of Research Grants at NIH. If you possess a Ph.D.or M.D. degree (or equivalent), have completed postdoctoral training, and have a record of independent research accomplishments, please indicate your interest by sending a CV to:

Ellie Ehrenfeld, Director
DRG, 6701 Rockledge Drive
MSC 7770
Bethesda, MD 20892-7770.
EOE/AA.

Do You Need a Postdoc, a Research Associate or Fellow?

Look to the ASCB first to fill a vacancy by placing your recruitment advertisement in the monthly ASCB Newsletter.

Low Rates: $7.50/line, 10-line minimum
High Readership: 10,000 research scientists
Precise Target: Experienced and qualified membership
Convenient Deadline: First of month preceding month of issue.

Contact: R. Sommer; Phone (301) 530-7153; Fax (301) 530-7139.

Letters to the Editor

Dear Ms. Marincola:
I was amused to see "baited breath" for "bated breath," on page 1 of Vol 20, #2 [Treasurer's Report]. Perhaps our Treasurer will catch something.

Sincerely yours,
Byron F. Johnson, Ph.D.

Following up with Mentors
The ASCB Letters to Young People Program pairs scientist volunteers to students who write to the Society for information about cell biology. The Society would like to hear from those who have participated in this program. Of particular interest are stories about where such correspondence has resulted in ongoing communication or lab experience for the student. Please send your comments, anecdotes, or reports to ASCB.

ASCB/EMBO/H. Dudley Wright 1999 Conference Proposals Sought
The program for the 1997 ASCB/EMBO/H. Dudley Wright conference is developing quickly, and it is time to solicit proposals for the 1999 meeting, which will take place at a to-be-determined site in Europe. Proposals must be submitted by August 1, 1997.

ASCB members who wish to propose a conference topic should contact me using a written communication medium of your choice (please do not call with proposals, as I frequently lose notes taken on phone conversations). Electronic mail, Fax (603) 646-1347, and the US mail (Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover NH 03755) all seem to work well. A phone call (603-646-2377) is appropriate if members just wish to chat informally about possibilities or procedures, etc. Staff support is provided by Dorothy Doyle in the ASCB National Office; logistical inquiries may be directed to her at (301) 530-7153; Fax: (301) 530-7139.

The conference receives financial support form the ASCB, EMBO, and the H. Dudley Wright Foundation. Dudley Wright was a farsighted Swiss industrialist who initially supported these meetings with personal funds. On his death, the H. Dudley Wright Foundation agreed to continue his personal commitment through the 1990s.

The ASCB/EMBO/H. Dudley Wright conferences are held biennially to foster international collaboration and exchange of ideas on important and timely topics in cell biology. In choosing a topic, the respective committees of the ASCB and EMBO give strong preference to interdisciplinary topics of mutual interest to the membership of the two organizations. It is hoped that such an international focus will mean there is high probability of the conference exerting a significant impact on research in the topic area.

Please note that the Education Committee of the ASCB advises organizers to pay particular attention to the following points governing meetings: every effort possible should be made to maintain a balance between European and North American representation in the choice of speakers, session chairs, and meeting attendees. It is also expected that every effort will be made to maintain a balance between breadth of speaker and participant representation with respect to (i) laboratories and countries, (ii) established and young investigators, and (iii) postdocs and graduate students. Meeting organizers are also encouraged to try to ensure appropriate representation by women and minority group members.

If anyone wishes to make general comments concerning the ASCB/EMBO/H. Dudley Wright summer conferences, please contact the Education Committee of the ASCB (9650 Rockville Pike, Bethesda MD 20814-3992) or the Course Committee of EMBO (Postfach 10022.40, Meyerhoffstrasse 1, 6900 Heidelberg 1, Germany). Formal proposals for conference topics should include, but not be limited to, the following: the subject, with some statement as to the interdisciplinary nature and its importance to the international cell biology community, the name of a potential European co-organizer (or a North American co-organizer if the proposer is from Europe), a brief outline of session topics, and a brief list of potential speakers (commitment from whom is not required at the time the topic is proposed). Finally, individuals proposing conference topics must comment as to their willingness to participate in fund raising.

-Roger D. Sloboda, Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755; Fax: (603) 646-1347, for the ASCB Education Committee.

Penn State University is announcing new graduate programs in Integrative Biosciences.
There are seven options in the program: Biomolecular Transport Dynamics, Cell and Developmental Biology, Chemical Biology, Ecological and Molecular Plant Physiology, Molecular Medicine, Neuroscienc, and Nutrition Sciences. They will have 30 FELLOWSHIPS to offer for Fall '98. Visit their web site for details.

Research Associateship awards: The National Research Council offers awards for postdoctoral scientific research to be conducted at participating US government research laboratories. Awardees design projects that are compatible with the overall interests of a sponsoring laboratory. Duration of awards is 1 year with renewals possible for 3 years maxmum. Annual stipends range from $30,000 to $45,500 depending upon sponsoring laboratory. Awards include support for relocation and professional travel. For information and application materials visit our web site or contact the Associateship Programs, NRC, TJ2114/CB, 2101 Constitution Ave., NW, Washington DC 20418; fax: (202) 334-2759; Qualified applicants will be reviewed without regard to race, creed, color, age, sex or national origin.

Congressional Budget Process Still Stalled
Despite attempts at bipartisan cooperation, the federal budget has moved at an unusually slow pace. By law, the House Budget Committee must pass a budget resolution by April 15 which sets spending limits for the Appropriations Committee. This year there in no resolution. Consequently the Appropriations Committee may have to attempt to appropriate funds without knowing exactly how much they have to work with.

Over the last several weeks there have been many attempts to break the impasse. First, there was the call for a commission to adjust the Consumer Price Index (CPI), but President Clinton decided against it. Such a commission might have recommended a reduction in the CPI which would have limited increases in social support, in turn reducing the debt and easing the pressure to balance the budget by cutting discretionary programs. Without the commission, the CPI reduction idea is likely dead for the year. Next, House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA) called upon his colleagues to postpone tax cuts until the budget is balanced. Presumably his hope was that without a tax cut on the table, Democrats would be less able to criticize the Republican budget plan and would, therefore, be forced to negotiate the budget. Speaker Gingrich was quickly discouraged by fellow Republicans, many feeling that he had betrayed their cause. The Speaker recanted, declaring that he would continue to push for a tax cut this year. Meanwhile, a group of moderate to conservative Democrats known as the "Blue Dogs" came out with their own balanced budget plan which also takes tax cuts off the table and which calls for an 0.8 percent cut in the CPI. While Representative John Kasich (R-OH), Chairman of the House Budget Committee, has promised that this plan will come up for a vote on the floor, it is likely to be defeated. There is some hope that this centrist plan might be a reasonable point of negotiation for the two parties. Nineteen members of the House Republican Mainstream Conservative Alliance have endorsed the Blue Dogs' effort. Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM), Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, has filed a temporary budget proposal which he characterized as a "space holder" for the real budget to come later. This temporary budget does not include a tax cut but it does cut discretionary programs. Senator Domenici admits that he does not support this plan, but argues that it served to meet the April 1 deadline for a budget resolution in the Senate.

There has been a great deal of partisan rhetoric regarding the budget process, the Democrats complaining about the slow pace, and the Republicans complaining about the Administration's unwillingness to compromise. This division has contributed to the partisan debate about whether to use the budget projections from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), which are consistent with the Republicans' projections, or those from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) which are consistent with the Administration's projections. Ironically, the two sets of figures differ by only two-tenths of a percentage point. It has also been noted that both agencies drastically over-estimated the deficit last year, making this year's projections by both agencies questionable. Although the CBO and the OMB are not far apart, Chairman Kasich has said he will only use the CBO numbers, while OMB Director Franklin Raines insists that his projections are more accurate. Some have called for a compromise between the two figures, but so far there is no sign of one. This seemingly minor disagreement between the CBO and the OMB has added to the difficulty of moving the budget.

Following some of the efforts to accelerate the process, President Clinton invited Congressional budget leaders to the White House to discuss the budget. While the President expressed optimism following the meeting, Rep. Kasich called it "just talk." There have also been informal talks between staff on the Hill and in the Administration with little success so far. Both parties want to be seen as willing negotiators, but neither wants to make tough choices on the budget for fear of being blamed for the inevitable consequent unhappiness at next election. If no budget resolution is passed by May 15, the appropriations bills including those that fund biomedical research will move by default. Rep. Robert Livingston, (R-LA), Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, declared that if a budget reconciliation bill is not produced by the deadline, FY97 spending levels will be used as the gauge for the Appropriations Committee. Following Easter recess, Rep. Livingston's Committee began discussion of a $8.4 billion defense-disaster supplemental funding bill. This bill would provide for the military effort in Bosnia and for disaster relief for victims of the floods in the Midwest. In order to pay for the proposed legislation, the Appropriations Committee would have to cut other programs. While they may not cut the NIH, this bill puts added pressure on the discretionary budget.

The House Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Subcommittee (LHHS) continued its hearings through April. Congressman John Porter, Chairman of the Subcommittee, who recently announced he would not run for the U.S. Senate as some had thought he might, spoke hopefully about next year's NIH budget. On April 15, Jack Dixon of the ASBMB testified on behalf of the Joint Steering Committee for Public Policy before Rep. Porter's Subcommittee (see page 17). (The Senate LHHS committee did not hear public witnesses in appropriations hearings this year.) Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA), ranking member of the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee, was the first Democrat in the Senate to publicly endorse the doubling of federal support for medical research. Kennedy is not yet a cosponsor of S Res. 15 calling for the doubling of the NIH budget.

NIH Reauthorization
The reauthorization legislation for the NIH was passed in the Senate but not in the House last year. A new attempt at passage will be made this year. Senator Bill Frist (R-TN), Chairman of the new Labor and Human Resources Subcommittee on Public Health and Safety, will hold hearings on NIH Reauthorization in May. Senator Frist, wanting to put his own stamp on the legislation, has indicated that he will not attempt to revive last year's bill, but will start over this year. The House has not scheduled hearings on NIH Reauthorization. It is not likely that either house will pass this legislation, especially given the issue of human embryo and fetal tissue research, which have stalled the process in the past. While passage of the NIH Reauthorization is not required, this bill could be helpful in clearing up some issues facing the agency. For example, some possible changes are: increasing the number of contracts for scholarships and loan repayment that may be provided under the Undergradute Scholarship Program Regarding Professions Needed By the National Institutes of Health, eliminating a number of NIH statutory reporting requirements, and authorizing appropriations for the Foundation for the NIH.

New NSF Merit Review Criteria
On March 28, the National Science Board of the National Science Foundation (NSF) passed new general criteria for merit review of grant proposals.

Since 1981, NSF study sections reviewed four criteria when considering a grant application:

• research performance and competence;
• the intrinsic merit of the research;
• the utility or relevance of the research; and
• the effect of the research on the infrastructure of science and engineering. Under the new proposal two new criteria would replace the current four:
• the intellectual merit and quality of the proposed activity; and
• broader impacts of the proposed activity.

The new criteria were reviewed by the Merit Review Task Force of the National Science Board and will be implemented over the next year.

NSF Budget
The Coalition for National Science Funding is continuing its efforts on behalf of the NSF budget. It has sent a letter to members of Congress from multiple scientific societies, including the ASCB, calling for a 7.1% increase in the NSF budget, circulated a budget justification document, and urged groups to have their members participate in a letter writing campaign to members of Congress. Notwithstanding their efforts, members of the House Science Committee have indicated that the 3% request in the President's budget is likely to prevail.

Joint Steering Committee for Public Policy
The Joint Steering Committee for Public Policy, the coalition comprised of the American Society for Cell Biology, the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the Biophysical Society, the Genetics Society of America, and the American Association of Anatomists and Association of Anatomy, Cell Biology, and Neurobiology Chairpersons, met in Boston on March 27 for its semiannual meeting. Eric Lander of MIT and the Whitehead Institute presided. This organization, established in 1989 under the chairmanship of Marc Kirschner, has inspired many of the successful public policy initiatives in which the ASCB participates, including the Congressional Liaison Committee and the Congressional Biomedical Research Caucus. A summary of the Committee's activities follows.

Congressional Biomedical Research Caucus
J. Michael Bishop, Scientific Advisor to the Congressional Biomedical Research Caucus, reported on the current season's briefings which include sessions featuring Eric Kandel, David Page, Bob Horvitz, Phillip Hieter, F. Alan "Rick" Horwitz, James Spudich, Lee Silver, Arthur Caplan, Susan McConnell, Corey Goodman, and Richard Axel. Currently 71 members of the House of Representatives and 10 Senators are members of the Caucus. JSC members discussed strategies to recruit even more Congressional members to the Caucus. Efforts to include Senator Bill Frist's (R-TN) Biotechnology and Engineering caucus in the JSC program were discussed.

Representative Barney Frank
Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) visited the meeting to discuss his perception of the current negotiations on the FY'98 budget for biomedical research. He indicated his skepticism that Congress would be able to reform Social Security and Medicare to effect savings that could in turn be used for discretionary programs such as biomedical research. He urged that scientists advocate for a limit on military spending increases to be able to increase discretionary spending for research and other programs. He furthermore felt that control of defense spending increases in the long term is the only mechanism by which the budget can be balanced without seriously threatening human services. Frank is planning a media campaign on the issues he presented to the JSC.

District-based Extension of Congressional Liaison Committee Activities
The Committee was presented with a proposal for a pilot plan which would serve as a model to encourage scientists to become advocates for biomedical research funding on the Congressional district level. Under this plan, a coordinator would be hired to work with a leadership team of scientists who would in turn help motivate their fellow scientists to communicate with elected representatives. The hope is that the pilot plan will be implemented over the next year. JSC members Tom Pollard, Mike Bishop and Maxine Singer will provide initial leadership.

Coordination with Physical Scientists
D. Allan Bromley, President of the American Physical Society and former Science Advisor to President Ronald Reagan, attended the meeting at the invitation of the Chair, Eric Lander. Bromley praised the work of the JSC and urged that the biomedical community and the physical science community build a mutually-beneficial alliance.

Congressional Testimony
The Joint Steering Committee was invited by Congressman John Porter to testify before his House Labor Health and Human Service and Education Appropriations Subcommittee. ASBMB Representative Jack Dixon presented the testimony for the Committee.

JSC Website
A draft World Wide Web home page design for the Joint Steering Committee was presented. The page will include information about Congress, the Congressional Biomedical Research Caucus, and the Congressional Liaison Committee and will be linked to the home page of each JSC member society.

Legislative Report
Congressional Education Liaisons Peter Kyros and Belle Cummins provided the Committee with an update on the status of the FY'98 federal budget and its halting progress through the Budget committees in both the House and the Senate (see page 13). They urged the group to advocate for a favorable budget allocation for the Appropriations Subcommittee (chaired by Rep. John Porter). The recent resolutions introduced by Congressman George Gekas (R-PA) in the House (H Res 83) and Senator Connie Mack (R-FL) in the Senate (S Res 15) calling for the doubling of the NIH budget over the next five years, were discussed. The Committee considered strategies for implementation of the two Resolutions. Legislation recently introduced by Senators Arlen Specter (R-PA) and Tom Harkin (D-IA), which would create a biomedical research trust fund, was discussed as well, as was the advocacy strategy for the NSF budget. The group will ask members of the Congressional Biomedical Research Caucus to request a 7.1% increase for the NSF over FY'97.

Dixon Testifies Before Appropriations Committee
Below is the testimony by Jack E. Dixon, representing the Joint Steering Committee for Public Policy, before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Service, Education, and Related Agencies, on April 15, 1997:

"Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman and members of the Subcommittee. My name is Jack E. Dixon. I am Professor and Chair of the Department of Biological Chemistry at the University of Michigan Medical School and the President of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. I am here today representing the Joint Steering Committee for Public Policy, a coalition of five life science societies representing more than 20,000 researchers in the fields of anatomy, biochemistry and molecular biology, biophysics, cell biology, and genetics. My purpose today is to discuss with you and your colleagues the need for a generous appropriation for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the world's premiere supporter of biomedical research.

I want to begin by thanking Congress, and you especially, Mr. Chairman, for the good support for NIH you have provided over the years. It has allowed thousands of researchers around the country to devote their lives and careers to unraveling some of the great biological mysteries that have confounded science for many decades. Your support of this work has led to profound advances in the treatment of disease, which has directly benefited every American.

Members of the Joint Steering Committee for Public Policy

Paul Berg
J. Michael Bishop
Mina Bissell
David Botstein
Jack Dixon
Rochelle Esposito
Donald Fischman
H. Robert Horvitz
Thomas Kaufman
Jonathan King
Marc Kirschner
Eric Lander
Tom Pollard
Howard Schachman
Maxine Singer
Susan Taylor
Clare Woodward
Keith Yamamoto

I know that you share my belief that biomedical research is one of the best investments that the federal government can make with public funds. I am therefore mindful of the awesome responsibility you have placed with those of us who are the practitioners of biomedical research to spend public funds wisely, and exercise the highest standards of responsible stewardship. It is a privilege to be a biomedical researcher, and I appreciate very much your support and trust.

The Joint Steering Committee, as well as virtually all the rest of the life sciences community, is supporting an appropriation for NIH in fiscal 1998 of $13.894 billion, an increase of $1.14 billion, or 9 percent, over the fiscal 1997 figure of $12.747 billion. This is an ambitious recommendation, and is very justifiable on a variety of grounds. Let me first review for you some recent NIH-funded research advances, and talk a bit about their implications.

• Several decades ago NIH funded research to investigate a family of enzymes known as acid proteases. Years later it was shown that the AIDS genome encodes an acid protease sequenced for the synthesis of a new virus. This suggested that inhibiting the AIDS acid protease would block the formation of new virus. The basic knowledge of how these acid proteases function provided the "blueprint" which allowed NIH-supported scientists, pharmaceutical firms and the biotechnology industry to respond to the AIDS crisis by designing selective inhibitors which block the function of the AIDS proteases. These inhibitors, along with other pharmaceutical reagents, are responsible for the promising new data which indicate that levels of virus in some AIDS patients are now at undetectable levels. This is a most impressive advance; however, I should point out that though these inhibitors seem to suppress the effects of AIDS, they do not provide us with a cure for this dreaded affliction.
• Death from stroke and heart attack have decreased 59% and 52% respectively in the last two decades, due in large part to the development of antihypertensive agents. Interestingly, some of these hypertensive drugs work by inhibiting a protease in our bodies which is responsible for elevating blood pressure. Again, basic science research supported by the NIH has shown us how this protease functions and has in turn allowed for the development of highly selective drugs to treat heart disease and stroke.
• NIH-supported scientists have also recently identified two genes called PS1 and PS2, that play a role in Alzheimer's Disease. Defects in either of these genes may be responsible for up to 80 percent of a subtype of Alzheimer's that strikes before age 65. We are just beginning to understand Alzheimer's Disease in detail; these first insights into the early on-set form of the disease may provide clues about how to treat and diagnose Alzheimer's in our elderly population.
• We often talk about the treatment of a disease, but seldom can we say that we have cured a disease. NIH-supported scientists are experimenting with bone marrow transplantation as a possible cure for children with Sickle Cell Disease, a painful and often fatal condition which effects 1 in 400 African American children. In recent experiments, 73% of the children with Sickle Cell Disease were successfully cured with this treatment.
• The Human Genome Project has recently completed a three-year research effort by more than 50 U.S. and French scientists in the construction of a detailed "physical" map of the genome. a more The new map enables scientists to determine the chromosomal locations of both previously known and newly discovered disease genes. Knowing these locations is an essential step toward disease prevention.
• NIH-supported research not only saves lives, but also saves health care dollars. In recent years, it has been shown that stomach ulcers can be complicated by a bacterium, Helicobacter pylori, a discovery that in turn suggested a simple cure using an inexpensive antibiotic. This has led to an annual savings of $800 million in treatment costs. It has also been shown that lithium treatments for manic depression has saved over $145 billion in hospitalization costs since its introduction. These are only two of many such examples which demonstrate that money expended on biomedical research is cost-effective.

I myself have been privileged to receive NIH support since the early 1970s. I want to talk just a bit about my own work and how it impacts on human health. In the early 1980s, NIH-supported scientists demonstrated that receptors such as the insulin receptor were turned on by phosphorylation and turned off by dephosphorylation. We began to study the enzymes responsible for turning off the receptors. To our surprise, these enzymes not only regulated the insulin receptor, but also other receptors. Basic research findings are now providing the fundamental knowledge that pharmaceutical firms and the biotechnology industry are using to design drugs to effectively block the dephosphorylation of the insulin receptor and in turn treat diabetes. I feel that I have been very fortunate to have had the opportunity to study this family of dephosphorylating enzymes which have the potential for altering the course of human disease.

Mr. Chairman, the Congress' generous support for NIH in the past has brought us to the edge of a new age of discovery in biomedical research. This new age of discovery will make all that has come before—even the astonishing advances I have mentioned today—seem in retrospect to have been mere first steps toward a vastly more profound and unified understanding of the fundamental biological processes that cause many of our human frailties. This new understanding will bring about such a vast array of new treatments for disease, that today's medicine will someday be considered as primitive as bleeding and mercury ingestion seem today. The question is not "if" we will reach this new standard, it is "when". The United States Congress can in great part claim credit for the "when".

Our country is blessed with a research infrastructure filled with talented investigators. These researchers have devoted their lives to contributing to human understanding of the fundamental biological processes that will eventually lead to treatments for many of the scourges—cancer, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes—that have afflicted humanity for millennia, as well as finding cures for new scourges such as AIDS.

It is true and undeniable that this work costs money. Sadly, some may even think it costs too much money, and that we can't afford it. I believe that indeed we cannot afford not to do it. In fact, biomedical research is one of the most cost-effective ways to spend federal dollars, saving in the long run vastly more money than is spent initially. Even the most conservative estimates of the payoffs from biomedical research estimate a 28 percent return on our investment, when one factors in money saved from the availability of less expensive treatments, less time lost at work, fewer illnesses in the first place, and the contributions of the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries to our gross domestic product and the balance of trade. For example, the biotechnology companies employ over 100,000 people, while the pharmaceutical industry is one of our most dynamic enterprises and a leading export industry.

Thus, when one considers all the benefits that have flowed, and will continue to flow, to our country from federally-funded biomedical research, a 9 percent increase in the NIH budget this year doesn't seem so aggressive after all. Some might even call it parsimonious!

Mr. Chairman, I want to close with one other point about what the NIH budget supports. In addition to support of research, the budget also supports training for new biomedical researchers, primarily through the National Research Service Awards program. This support for training is one of NIH's more unsung but vital functions. In addition, NIH's efforts to train the next generation of researchers cross all boundaries of gender, race, and ethnic background, since scientific talent knows no such restrictions. Yet funding of this essential function has remained flat for several years.

Mr. Chairman, this concludes my testimony. Thank you again for the opportunity to appear. It has been an honor and a privilege. I will be happy to answer any questions you may have."

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The ASCB Education Committee calls attention each month to several 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 contact Bob Blystone

1. The Kinesin Home Page: If I were teaching undergraduates about spindle and chromosome motility, I would send them to this home page. The site was organized by Steve Henikoff and Liz Greene at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. The page opens with five selections: kinesin, kinesin related proteins, kinesin tree, kinesin sequences, and kinesin people. The kinesin tree will cause one to pause; the phylogenetic relationships of the kinesin family will open before your eyes. The list is linked and will provide additional insight into how the kinesin molecules are related. The sequence list is also linked and will take you the protein bank and the like for more information. Even most of the kinesin people list is linked and by clicking on the names of the listed researchers, one can contact active investigators in the field.. The organization reminds one of the C. elegans homepage reviewed earlier. But there is more; there are six animations and time lapse sequences at the site. Using Sparkle, one can watch mutant larvae, spindles, and melanosomes move about. These movies provide details as to how they were made. Even the health aspects of kinesin are explored at the site. This is an excellent place to get students excited about a very contemporary research topic. Thanks to Sharyn Endow for the reference to this exceptional site.
2. Sacch3D: Structural Information for Yeast Proteins: The goal of this site is as follows: "Sacch3D attempts to glean as much structural information in an uncensored and easily 'digestible' way." Continuing from the information page: "The extent and degree of sequence similarity between the yeast and non-yeast proteins are indicated graphically and textually. A three-dimensional, Java-based structure viewer is also available for viewing the structures interactively. Links to related databases (SGD, PDB, NCBI, SCOP, et al.) are also provided." Four letter Protein Data bank codes can be entered into the modeler part of the site and up will pop the molecular structure dynamically on the screen in either Java or RasMol formats. (See last month's ASCB's Newsletter for information about RasMol.) Both PCs and Macs can work with the program. Trying to capture this site in two words yields the expression "Real Slick." The molecules can even be viewed in 3D, thus the name Sacch3D. A help feature is included for the site. Be prepared to spend some time thinking about what you can visualize at this site. Thanks to David Botstein for pointing out this URL.
3. NIH Image Home Page: The software called NIH Image and created at the NIH by Wayne Rasband is legendary. NIH Image is a widely used public domain imaging software package which has acquired an almost cult-like group of followers. This URL provides a great deal of documentation for this software which is now available in a PC-based format. More than 25 links are given for other imaging information sources including demonstrations of commercial software packages. The NIH Image software can be used to enhance images; process images, quantitate aspects of images, project image stacks into three dimensional space, and even take time lapse movies. If you are interested in doing digital imaging of gels, microscope images, or photomicrographs of virtually anything, NIH-Image is a good place to begin the journey. At my institution undergraduate students use NIH-Image to view microscope study materials both in the lab and over the campus network.
4. Davidson College Department of Biology: Many have heard of the promise of WEB sites for undergraduate education. ASCB Education Committee member Malcolm Campbell has a working model of a WEB site being used in support of a Cell and Molecular Biology course at Davidson College. When the URL opens, choose number 11 - Course Materials. This selection will lead to a page listing three courses; select Molecular Biology. The new page opens on the resources made available for the students. Of considerable interest are the links to seminal papers in the area of lumenal ER proteins. Permission was received to access these papers in their entirety via the WEB. If the students won't go to the library, the WEB can bring the paper to the student. Various movies on protein mobility are listed. Handouts and problem sets are incorporated into the page. The site ends with a very comprehensive list of WEB sites of interest to students and cell biologists in general. Malcolm's page is a work in progress and gives a good idea how an instructor can tailor a WEB site to support a course. If other ASCB members have examples of WEB sites being used to support Cell and Molecular Biology courses, please notify us so that we can share these educational models.
5. TERC Home Page: TERC, operating out of Cambridge, MA, represents one of the major efforts at developing new approaches to primarily K-12 education. To quote their homepage literature: "TERC is a nonprofit research and development organization committed to improving mathematics and science learning and teaching. Founded in 1965, TERC is internationally recognized for creating innovative curricula, fostering teacher professional development, pioneering creative uses of technology in education, contributing to educators' understanding of learning and teaching, and developing equitable opportunities for underserved learners." The site describes 44 projects underway, many of them funded through NSF. Project titles include, SimCalc, Students' Conceptions of the Mathematics of Change, Closing the Gap: Math Clubs for Girls, Teaching to the Big Ideas, and LabNet. Scanning this site gives one an idea of what is possible in science education improvement at the lower grades.
6. Microscopy Society of America: and Argonne National Labs TelePresence Microscopy and AAEM Remote Collaboratory
   These two sites are intertwined, in part, because they both have the same WEBmaster, Nestor Zaluzec of the Argonne National Labs.

   The first URL supports the activities of the Microscopy Society of America. By choosing the "Reference and Educational Activities" section from the first screen, one can access several interesting features of this site: 1) Videotape Library, a lending library of 176 videotapes on microscopy and material preparation; 2) Microanalysis Software Library, a gopher based collection of analysis software; 3) MICRO - a comprehensive collection of links and curriculum materials that support microscope-based education; and 4) Ask A Microscopist - where anyone can pose a question to a microscopist. The MICRO site has an extensive annotated list of microscopy oriented books suitable for younger readers. It also includes information about CD-ROM image databases. The MSA end of Project MICRO is coordinated by Caroline Schooley and the other end of the Project works through the Lawrence Hall of Science.

   The Ask a Microscopist feature has a link to the second URL at Argonne National Labs. By going to this site, the WEB user can actually go live into an EM facility and watch the microscope operator at work. To quote the site: "You can visit a laboratory and if a video conference is on-line you can ask a scientist questions in real time using the Internet! If no conference is running you can "peek" into a state-of-the-art laboratory and see what is happening by viewing a WebCam which grabs periodic images of experiments in progress. To participate in a TeleConference you will need a copy of Cu-SeeMe, a teleconferencing software package developed by Cornell University. This is available for downloading from the TPM site or from the Cornell development team." The site operates only under Netscape. It is hypnotic watching a lab at work. It takes some time to figure out how it all works; and then the realization hits you, if your research lab had such a video cam in it, you could have student visitors come to your lab at almost anytime. The educational possibilities are incredible.

URLs 1-3 were checked January 31, 1997; URLs 4-6 were checked March 12, 1997.

Robert V. Blystone for the ASCB Education Committee

Shu Chien, ASCB Member since 1986, of the Department of Bioengineering at the University of California, San Diego School of Engineering, has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). Chen is one of 95 engineers who were elected to the Academy. He was recognized for his research in atherogenisis, tissue engineering, blood rheology, microcirculation, and cell mechanics.

Robert O. Kelley, ASCB member since 1970, was named Chair-elect of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). Kelley is professor and chairman of the Department of Anatomy at the University of New Mexico; he will serve as AAMC Chair in 1997-98. Kelley will succeed as Chair Mitchell Rabkin, longtime President of Beth Israel Hospital in Boston, who is currently Chief Executive Officer of CareGroup, Inc.

Bob Weinberg of the Whithead Institute was awarded the National Medal of Science. Weinberg has been a member of the ASCB since 1993.

The WICB Committee recognizes outstanding achievements by cell biologists through the presentation of the Career Recognition Awards at the Annual Meeting of the ASCB. Two awards are given each year. The Junior Award is given to a woman in an early stage of her career (i.e. assistant professor or equivalent) who has made significant scientific contributions to cell biology and exhibits the potential for continuing a high level of scientific endeavor while fostering the career development of young scientists. The Senior Award is given to a woman or man in a later career stage (i.e. full professor or equivalent) whose outstanding scientific achievements are coupled with a long-standing record of supporting women in science and mentoring both men and women in scientific careers.

In 1996, the Junior Award was presented to Susan Forsburg of the Salk Institute for Biological Sciences, and the Senior Award was presented to Sarah Elgin of Washington University.

To submit a nomination for a 1997 Career Recognition Award, send the nominee's curriculum vitae and a minimum of one letter of recommendation to Dorothy Doyle at the ASCB National Office, 9650 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20814 by August 1.