ASCB Newsletter - September 1998

The ASCB Placement Service continues to provide an informal, "user-friendly" setting at the Annual Meeting in which candidates and employers can meet, exchange credentials, and conduct interviews.

Candidates complete a brief Information Form to register with the Placement Service, and provide times they are available for interviews during the Annual Meeting. Placement Service registrants have access to notebooks of Employer Position Forms, a poster area containing position forms from newly registered employers, and a message center that allows them to send messages to employers and receive messages and individual interview appointments from employers.

Employers complete a brief Employer Position Form for each position they seek to fill. The Employer Reading Room provides access to copies of Candidate Information Forms in notebooks and hanging files (for their personal use) and the complete ASCB scheduling program. Message files are also available so that employers may receive candidate messages.

This year, Candidate and Employer Registration Forms have been streamlined, reducing the redundant input of information. Candidate and employer ads will be developed from the registration form for each registrant and will appear in the Placement Service Brochures. Two issues of the Placement Service Brochures containing position and candidate information for registered employers and candidates, respectively, will be produced: a Pre-meeting Brochure, containing ads for candidates and employers who preregister with the ASCB Placement Service, and an On-site Brochure, produced at the close of Placement Service registration on Monday and available Tuesday. Brochures are available at the Placement Service, the ASCB Booth in the Exhibit Hall, ASCB information tables, and the ASCB National Office headquarters at the Convention Center during the Annual Meeting.

Information about candidates who registered with the ASCB Placement Service during the 1997 Annual Meeting in Washington D.C.

ASCB Placement Service Hours
Saturday, December 12, 12:00 noon - 6:00 pm
Sunday, December 13 - Tuesday, December 15, 9:00 am - 7:00 pm
Wednesday, December 16, 9:00 am - 3:30 pm

Registration
Saturday, December 12, 12 noon - 6:00 pm
Sunday, December 13 - Monday, December, 14, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.

Employer Interview Scheduling
Saturday, December 12, 2:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Sunday, December 13 - Tuesday, December 15, 9:00 am - 6:00 pm

Interviews
Sunday, December 13, 2:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Monday, December 14 - Tuesday, December 15, 9:00 am - 7:00 pm
Wednesday, December 16, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm

ASCB Placement Service fees remain unchanged:

ASCB Placement Service Forms Now Available on the ASCB Website

Placement service forms are in PDF format and require Adobe Acrobat Reader to access. Alternatively, forms may be received by returning this request to the ASCB, 9650 Rockville Pike, Bethesda MD 20814.

Name:
Institution:
Department:
Street:
State:
Zip:
City:
County:

Forms requested:
Canidate, numner of copies
Employees, number of copies

Graduate Students May Exchange Annual Meeting Help for Registration, Social Ticket
Students who are interested in volunteering time (up to six hours) in exchange for free registration to the 38th ASCB Annual Meeting (up to $60 for members and up to $100 for nonmembers) and a free Social ticket ($35 value in advance; $50 value if purchased after October 2), may complete this form and return it to the ASCB. Priority is given to students who are ASCB members or member applicants. Interested ASCB Postdoc members may be selected after student members are placed.

Name:
University:
Department:
Street Address:
City/State/Zip:
Phone/Fax:
Email:

ASCB Student Member or Application Pending?
(priority given to ASCB members or member applicants)

ASCB Postdoc Member or Application Pending?
(postdocs who are not ASCB members and are not member applicants do not qualify for selection)

Return form or direct inquiries to:

The American Society for Cell Biology
9650 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20814-3992
Phone: (301) 530-7153; Fax: (301) 530-7139;

The 1998 ASCB Annual Meeting in San Francisco will include a Special Poster Session on Wednesday, December 16, designed for presentation of posters demonstrating exciting results that were not available for the regular abstract deadline in August. Abstracts for the Special Poster Session must be received by the ASCB office on or before October 2. A subgroup of the Program Committee will select abstracts, and authors will be notified by November 16 of the Committee's decision. Printing deadlines prevent these abstracts from appearing in the Molecular Biology of the Cell Abstracts Issue. They will, however, be listed in the Program Addendum, which is distributed at the Annual Meeting.

Submission of Abstracts for the Special Poster Session - (October 2 deadline)
One abstract-equivalent per member is permitted. A member may sponsor an abstract submitted by another member or by a nonmember, but the sponsoring member may not then submit another paper of his/her own. (An exception to this is made for abstracts submitted for the science education abstract codes. Submitters and sponsors of science education abstracts may also submit or sponsor a scientific abstract.) If two members are co-authors, their paper is an abstract-equivalent for one of them and the other may submit another paper if desired. A student member may sponsor his/her abstract only. Students may not sponsor another person's abstract. Sponsors of submitted abstracts must be sure that all authors listed on the abstract have had a significant role in the research being reported. Members of FASEB societies other than the ASCB may sponsor one abstract, providing that the sponsoring FASEB society member is one of the authors.

Each abstract should contain a sentence stating the study's objective (unless given in the title); a brief statement of methods, if pertinent; a summary of the results obtained; and a statement of the conclusions. It is not satisfactory to say, "the results will be discussed." Use a short, specific title. Capitalize initial letters of trade names. Use standard abbreviations for units of measure. Other abbreviations should be spelled out in full at first mention, followed by the abbreviation in parentheses. Exceptions: DNA, RNA, etc.

Electronic Submission via E-mail
Abstracts may be submitted using the paper form on page 7, or by e-mail. Submitters who are remitting the Special Poster Session Abstract Submission fee with a credit card may submit their abstract via e-mail. Along with your abstract, provide all information requested on the form on the next page. Electronic abstracts may be up to 2,025 keystrokes (including spaces). Please list separately where boldface, italicized, superscript, subscript, or Greek letters are required. Do not use LaTeX codes when submitting your abstract.

The Coalition for Education in the Life Sciences has published a monograph, Professional Societies and the Faculty Scholar: Promoting Scholarship and Learning in the Life Sciences. This 87-page report showcases the contributions of dozens of professional societies to undergraduate biology education and recommends specific actions to enrich learning and teaching.

The special role of the ASCB, a member of CELS, is highlighted. Former Education Committee Chair Robert Bloodgood, who along with Sarah Elgin represents the ASCB on CELS, remarks that, “individual faculty members and the professional societies they represent have a profound impact on the ability, knowledge and skills that our undergraduate students will acquire as they become our future citizens... while many scientific societies have markedly increased their support for undergraduate education projects in the past few years, these are often operated independently and in isolation. CELS... promote[s] activities that would be beyond the scope of individual societies."

The monograph can be viewed at the CELS website, or bound copies can be purchased through the website.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, how much is a movie worth?

Illustrate your research with video material through Molecular Biology of the Cell. The online version of MBC provides the opportunity to publish videos and large data sets. Check out the videos in the July issue of MBC Online.For details on preparing and submitting video files, see the Instructions to Authors.

Stanford University Postdoctoral Fellowship is available to study cellular and molecular mechanisms of cell survival and cell death in the muscular dystrophies. Current projects include studies of matrix interactions with the dystrophin complex and integrins, regulation of nitric oxide synthase and nitric oxide signaling, and regulation of gene expression in muscle with differentiation and in response to oxidative stress. Experience in cell and molecular biology is essential. Send CV, a statement of research interests, and three letters of reference to: T. A. Rando, MD, PhD, Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford CA 94305-5235. Fax: (650) 858-3935. AA/EOE

Postdoctoral Research Associate position is available to examine steroid-regulated pathways of cell proliferation and differentiation using antisense strategies. Position requires previous postdoctoral research experience in molecular biology, immunocytochemistry, and cell culture, and involves administrative as well as bench work. Please send CV, reprints, and names, phone numbers and email addresses of 3 references to Dr. Joy Mulholland, Institute for Molecular Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University, BLSB 450, 233 South 10th St., Philadelphia PA 19107. EOE/ AA

Mentors Sought
FORWARD in SEM (Science, Engineering and Mathematics) encourages women and other underrepresented populations to pursue advanced degrees in science, engineering and mathematics. Professional scientists are being sought to serve as mentors of undergraduate students thinking of pursuing advanced degrees in these areas.

Mentor and student would set up their own schedule of communication through their most convenient medium.

For more information contact Shannon Staples or Professor Charlene Sorensen at FORWARD in SEM, c/o Chemistry and Physics Dept, Gall.

Project Leader Position In Cell Biology
Biocenter Oulu, affiliated to the University of Oulu, is a leading center for bioscience in Finland. The University of Oulu is the second largest university in Finland with an active scientific environment, and the Oulu region has excellent connections to other cities. Biocenter Oulu contains eleven project groups that have a broad base of expertise in molecular, cellular and structural biology and biochemistry. For detailed information on Biocenter Oulu, Internet.

Biocenter Oulu seeks an experienced cell biologist for a project leader position. Applications are encouraged in all areas of cell biology. The candidate will establish his/her own independent research group and is expected to conduct research of high standard. Potential for collaboration and enhancement of synergies with existing Biocenter Oulu groups are appreciated.

The contract will include the salary of the project leader (level subject to the competence of the candidate) and salaries for group members. Funding for consumables and equipment will also be provided as well as full access to the extensive Biocenter Oulu core facilities. An excellent morphological imaging facility is available. An initial contract of 5 years' duration will be offered to a successful candidate. Language requirement: English.

NB: Of interest for potential applicants may be that the University of Oulu has a vacant professorship in cell biology, which will soon become open for applications.

Further details: Prof. Taina Pihlajaniemi, Phone: +358- 8-537 5800, Fax: +358-8-537 5810 or Docent Eeva-Riitta Savolainen, Phone: +358-8-315 4437, Fax: +358-8-315 4482.

Applications with a CV, a list of publications, a short description of research interests and the names and addresses of two referees to be sent to Prof. Taina Pihlajaniemi, University of Oulu, Dept. of Medical Biochemistry, Kajaanintie 52 A, FIN-90220 Oulu, Finland.

Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education
The Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) operates out of the Office of Postsecondary Education in the U. S. Department of Education. Through its Comprehensive Program, FIPSE supports innovative educational reform projects that can serve as national models for the improvement of postsecondary education. FIPSE leaves to the applicants the tasks of identifying specific local problems and proposing solutions. FIPSE projects are action-oriented, usually involving direct implementation of new ideas or approaches rather than basic research. Because of the relationship that strong precollege preparation has to undergraduate education, FIPSE also invites postsecondary institutions to propose new models for the preparation of K-12 teachers. FIPSE has an extremely detailed and informative WWW site that includes information on program guidelines and application materials. In addition, there is a complete set of abstracts of all funded projects, which can be searched by topic; topics include: curricular reform, faculty development, graduate and professional education, health and medicine, and the sciences. FIPSE staff can be reached by phone at: (202) 708-5750.

Penn State Berks-Lehigh Valley College
invites applications for two biology openings beginning in August 1999. The 36-week appointments, at the assistant professor level, require a PhD in either biochemistry or cell biology. Responsibilities include teaching at least one upper division course and several introductory level courses at either the Berks or Lehigh Valley campus. Development of a research program that involves undergraduates in publishable projects and a willingness to be involved in the growth of a newly formed Penn State college is expected. Preference will be given to candidates with expertise in one or more of the following areas: Genetics, Environmental Biology, Bioprocessing, and/ or Cell Culture. Teaching experience beyond the level of a TA is highly desirable, as is experience in an industrial setting or in biotechnology. For additional information. Send two (2) copies of the following: a letter of application, curriculum vitae, statement of teaching philosophy, and description of research program involving undergraduates. Also, include the names, addresses (regular and email), and phone numbers of three references to: Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Penn State Berks-Lehigh Valley College, Tulpehocken Road, P. O. Box 7009, Reading PA 19610-6009. Application review begins October 15, 1998 and will continue until the positions are filled. EOE/AA.

Postdoctoral Fellowships
The Mary Ingraham Bunting Institute of Radcliffe College, a multidisciplinary residential research center, offers several FELLOWSHIPS for women scholars, scientists, artists, and writers. Office space, auditing privileges, and access to libraries and most other resources of Radcliffe College and Harvard University are provided. Residence in the Boston area and participation in the Institute community are required during fellowship appointment (September 1999).

Bunting Fellowship Program
Deadline: October 1, 1998 (postmarked)
Open to women scholars in any field with the receipt of a doctorate or appropriate terminal degree at least two years prior to appointment, which begins on September 15, 1999. Eight to ten $36,500 stipends awarded annually. Bunting Fellows may not hold another major fellowship which provides more than $20,000.

Biomedical Research Fellowship Program
Deadline: October 1, 1998 (postmarked)
Open to women who have held a PhD for at least two years in any field of biomedical research. Must be a US citizen or permanent resident. Stipends are $41,600 plus $3,000 in research expenses for a year appointment starting September 15, 1999.

Science Scholars Fellowship Program
(Funding pending) Deadline: October 1, 1998 (postmarked)
Open to women scientists in all fields, with preference for those fields and ranks in which women are disproportionately under-represented and for women at a critical juncture in their career. A minimum of two years postdoctoral work is required.

Write, email, or call for an application:
34 Concord Avenue Cambridge MA 02138
(617) 495-8212

The American Association of Anatomists solicits nominations for the 1999 R. R. Bensley Award for outstanding young cell biologists. The nominator should provide a concise description of the accomplishments and suitability of the proposed candidate for the award, and three copies each of three publications that represent the candidate's most significant contributions.

Send nominations by September 30 to: Dr. Elizabeth J. Luna, Bensley Award Committee, Department of Cell Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester MA 01655.

The Life Sciences Research Foundation (LSRF) awards three- year postdoctoral fellowships in all areas of the life sciences. Deadline for applications is October 1, 1998 for awards beginning as early as June 1, 1999. Information can be obtained from the scientific office at the Lewis Thomas Labs., Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544.

The Pharmacology Research Associate (PRAT) Program of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) sponsors postdoctoral fellows conducting research at the NIH in the pharmacological sciences. This can include research in the areas of signal transduction, drug metabolism, immuno-phramacology, chemistry and drug design, structural biology, endocrinology, neuroscience, clinical pharmacology, and other areas. Selected fellows will receive a two year appointment, salary, supplies and travel funds. Applications are due on or before January 5, 1999 for fellowships starting in October of that year. Only U. S. citizens or permanent residents are eligible. Contact the PRAT Program Assistant at (301) 594-3583, or visit the NIGMS website.

Joseph Catino, ASCB member since 1986, was named Vice President of Bone and Joint Disorders & Cancer Research at Bayer Corporation Pharmaceutical Division North America. Catino had been Senior Director of Oncology Research at Schering-Plough Research Institute in Kenilworth, NJ.

The ASCB WICB Senior and Junior Awards will each include a $1000 prize to the recipents starting in 1998, thanks to an anonymous personal donation to the Society.

WICB Junior and Senior Awards have been named each year since 1986 and are presented to the winners at the ASCB Annual Meeting. This is the first time that the Awards will carry a monetary prize.

1. ENC Online (Eisenhower National Clearinghouse)
   If you are interested in K-12 science education, bookmark this site. If you have school age children, bookmark this site. This is an exceptional, well-maintained site. To quote the information section of ENC Online: “The Eisenhower National Clearinghouse for Mathematics and Science Education (ENC) is funded through a contract with the U. S. Department of Education to provide K-12 teachers with a central source of information on mathematics and science curriculum materials. ENC was established in 1992 at The Ohio State University and is located in Columbus, Ohio." The homepage gives three major choices of activities: action, ideas, and partners. The “Action" choice provides six interesting paths: digital dozen, innovator of the month, update newsletter, ENC focus, classroom links, and lesson activities. Each month since August 1995, a group of thirteen new, highly useful learning sites are listed. These sites span a range of science and mathematics activities. Three of the currently listed sites include Bats, BioRAP, and Virtual Laboratory. It is possible to review previous months' listings. I was fascinated by the quality of the links. Parents looking for science enrichment activities for their own children would benefit from following the “Lesson Activity" section. The “Ideas" path will take you to topics such as the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), a comparative achievement test of mathematics and science at the fourth, eighth, and twelfth grade levels. You may have heard about this study; this URL allows you to investigate the findings in detail. The “Partners" path provides a means to contact groups that are involved in Science Education reform at the K-12 level. ENC Online is a wonderful site that you should visit each month if you want to stay abreast of developments in K-12 science education.
2. Bad Science
   This is a URL created by Alistair Fraser of the Penn State University Department of Meteorology. To use Fraser' s descriptive words: “Here, I explain what I mean by bad science and provide pointers to specialized pages on bad science within the various disciplines." This page sets out to attack “well understood phenomena which are persistently presented incorrectly by teachers and writers." At last examination he had links to chemistry and physics errors, but I am sure biology will make his list soon. One of the chemistry Bad Science examples dealt with the “hydrophobic effect." It is interesting reading and one might wonder what other examples should be on the list. Of course, a real worry is that one may hold the misconception being cited. This URL is a quick read, but thought-provoking.
3. Inner Learning On-line
   Although a commercial site, this one is curious enough to be worth a look. The first page gives you the choice of Human Anatomy or Automotive Learning. Following the site to Human Anatomy on this JAVA- based resource, one is again presented with two choices: 1) Interactive Anatomy and 2) Anatomy Lessons. The Interactive Anatomy presents a simplistic but useful visual presentation of human anatomy. Parts of the body with labels can be followed. There is an image gallery containing a large variety of illustrations including types of bone fractures, baby and adult skull comparisons, and birth. It also has thousands of selectable definitions. There is a for-fee educational CD-ROM available upon which this site is based. My sense of curiosity was aroused in how the subject material was put into a commercial presentation. Would and could somebody set up a cell biology learning site in a similar fashion? Your comments would be appreciated.

-- Robert Blystone for the ASCB Education Committee

The National Science Foundation is offering a customized service for those who want to remain informed without having to check the web page regularly. "Custom News" solicits the user's profile as well as the desired notification frequency. Users will receive an e-mail message whenever an item that matches the profile is posted to the home page. For more information.

Owais Saifee of the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, first author of the article entitled, The Caenorhabditis elegans unc-64 Locus Encodes a Syntaxin That Interacts Genetically with Synaptobrevin, was named by this year's Molecular Biology of the Cell Editorial Board as the MBC Paper of the Year Awardee. The winning paper was published in the June, 1998 issue of MBC.

Saifee, a doctoral student in Michael Nonet's lab, will be invited to speak in the ASCB Annual Meeting minisymposium on Mechanisms of Membrane Fusion and Resealing, and will receive travel expenses and registration for the 38th ASCB Annual Meeting in San Francisco this December. This is the 7th Annual MBC Paper of the Year Award.

2,922 abstracts were submitted by the regular submission deadline for the ASCB Annual Meeting in San Francisco to be held from December 12-16. This is the greatest number of abstracts ever submitted for an individual ASCB meeting. One hundred-fifty to 200 additional abstracts are estimated to arrive for the October 2 late submission deadline.

About 80% of all abstracts submissions were electronic. The Council has determined that starting in 1999, all abstracts must be submitted electronically, which will allow complete electronic searchability.

Abstracts submitted for the regular deadline are being reviewed for acceptance and programming; participants will be notified of their abstract status and scheduling in September.

Recent ASCB meetings with comparable submissions include the 1991 Annual Meeting in Boston, for which 2,803 abstracts were published, and the Joint ASCB Annual Meeting & International Congress on Cell Biology in San Francisco in 1996, for which 3,891 abstracts were published. Each meeting drew over 10,000 participants.