ASCB Newsletter - October 1999

Washington Convention Center
Washington, D.C. December 11-15, 1999

Congress 101
Career Panel
Symposium & Minisymposium (pdf)
1999 ASCB Program Committee
1999 Abstract Programmers
Young UK Cell Biologist Award
ASCB Receives Funding for Women's Conference
1999 MARC Scholarship Awards
Special Interest Subgroup Meetings
Peer Review Panel
Education Initiative Forum
1999 Minorities Affairs Committee Travel Awards
1999 ASCB Predoctoral Travel Awards

Rep. Connie Morella (R-MD) and Larry Goldstein of UCSD will present "Congress 101: How and Why to Talk to Your Congressional Representative." The presentation, organized by the ASCB Public Policy Committee, will demonstrate how scientists can constructively engage their Representatives. Audience participation is encouraged. Refreshments will be served.

Frank Solomon (Moderator), Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Oran Cohen-Fix
Linda Hieke
Dale Hunt

The second annual career panel will feature six scientists, each of whom recently began an independent career after training in cell biology. Their remarks and discussion with the audience will include: how they found their current jobs, how they would suggest preparing for a job search, what about their training turned out to be relevant, and what their jobs are like on a daily basis. Audience members who are thinking about their own career choices or who have relevant experiences are especially invited to contribute to the discussion.

Fordyce Lux
Julia Owens
Louis Tartaglia

1999 ASCB Program Committee 

Cell Biological Applications of Atomic Force Microscopy
Subgroup A — Room 13
Organizers: Jan Hoh, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Vincent Moy, University of Miami School of Medicine

The atomic force microscope (AFM) is emerging as a powerful tool in cell biology. The aim of this subgroup session is two-fold: to educate the non-specialist in how the AFM works and how it is being used, and to present recent results at the cutting edge of the technology. The session will begin with a general introduction to the instrumentation and basic modes of operation. This will be followed by presentations in five general application areas. Each of these presentations will begin with a general introduction, followed by recent results in that area.

• Introduction to atomic force microscopy. Jan H. Hoh, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
• Imaging proteins and membranes. Michael Allen, Biometrology, Inc.
• Imaging chromatin and nucleic acids. Eric Henderson, Iowa State University
• Imaging and probing the mechanical properties of living cells. Kevin Costa, Columbia University
• Probing receptor-ligand interactions. Vincent T. Moy, University of Miami School of Medicine
• Unfolding proteins and stretching polymers. Julio Fernandez, Mayo Clinic

Cellular Biology of Gap Junction Channels
Subgroup B — Room 36
Organizers: Linda Musil, Vollum Institute and Andrew Harris, New Jersey Medical School of UMDNJ

Present in virtually all cell types in animals ranging from coelenterates to humans, gap junctions are involved in a variety of fundamental processes including regulation of cellular differentiation, growth control, embryonic development and specialized tissue function. Defects in the proteins that comprise gap junctions (connexins) have recently been linked to several human diseases. The proposed session will be the 7th consecutive meeting for this well-attended subgroup at ASCB and will address new developments in our understanding of gap junction diversity, assembly, regulation, channel structure/function, and role in physiological processes.

In Vitro Myogenesis: Models of Development and Disease
Subgroup C — Room 10
Organizers: Joseph W. Sanger, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Tom Borg, University of South Carolina Medical School

Central to the form and function of muscle are the myofibrils that provide the cytoskeletal structure and the contractile force. Despite all that has been learned about myofibrillogenesis over the last 100 years, the challenges of identifying the essential steps involved in this process and of understanding how the process is initiated and controlled are still unmet. A major approach has been to culture cells from embryonic, neonatal or adult cardiomyocytes. This session will present several short talks on the use of different systems and approaches to study myofibrillogenesis. Audience participation will be encouraged by a general discussion of myofibrillogenesis at the end of the platform presentations.

• Introduction: Aims and problems. Joseph W. Sanger
• Myofibrillogenesis in living cultured embryonic muscle cells. Joseph W. Sanger and Jean M. Sanger, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
• The role of extracellular matrix on cardiac myofibrillogenesis in vitro. Thomas K. Borg, Edie Goldsmith, Robert Price and Louis Terracio, University of South Carolina School of Medicine
• Initial cardiac myofibrillogenesis using precardiac mesoderm explant cultures. Kersti K. Linask, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and Kyoko Imanaka-Yoshida, Mie University, Japan
• Investigations of the assembly of thick, thin and titin filaments in chick precardiac explants. Diane E. Rudy, Parker B. Antin and Carol Gregorio, University of Arizona, Tucson
• Myofibrillogenesis in cardiomyocytes in situ and the role of the M-band. Elisabeth Ehler, Irina Agarkova, Daniel Auerbach, Pierre Giro, Martin Leu, Mohamed Nemir and Jean-Claude Perriard, Institute of Cell Biology, ETH-Hoenggerberg, Zürich
• Myofibrillar assembly in cultured adult feline cardiac myocytes. Robert Decker and Marlene Decker, Northwestern University Medical School
• Isolation of adult mouse cardiac myocytes: Assessment of contractile function and calcium in normal and failing cells. Kenta Ito and Beverly H. Lorell, Harvard Medical School
• Dynamics of signaling in cardiac myocyte cultures: Possibilities and limitations. Allen M. Samarel, Loyola University School of Medicine
• Panel Discussion: Future studies in myofibrillogenesis. Contributions from speakers and audience.

Latest Technical Developments in Live Cell Imaging with GFP
Subgroup D — Room 38
Organizers: Roland Eils, Hans-Hermann Gerdes, University of Heidelberg; Peter Sorger, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Jason R. Swedlow, University of Dundee

Subgroup D Schedule of Talks
Several converging developments have sparked a revolution in live cell imaging. First, the development of green fluorescent protein (GFP) as a molecular reagent has allowed virtually any protein to be tagged fluorescently in a living cell. The generation of GFP mutants including spectral variants with red- and blue-shifted fluorescence has allowed multiple cellular components to be imaged simultaneously and has led to exciting insights into cellular dynamics. Second, recent developments in imaging techniques and automated time-resolved image analysis have made sophisticated and computation-intensive image processing accessible to most cell biologists.

It is now routine to record the dynamic behavior of proteins in living cells. However, most of the analysis of these time-lapse images to date has been limited to simple visual interpretation - just watching movement and changes in distribution, and then commenting on them.

This subgroup meeting will focus on an emerging field–the quantitative numerical analysis of cellular dynamics. Presentations drawn from a diverse body of cell biological areas will focus on technical aspects related to four major areas of interest:

1. High resolution and high speed dual color imaging of membrane traffic.
2. 4D-imaging and analysis of cytoskeletal and nuclear dynamics.
3. Protein-protein interactions using FRET (fluorescence resonance energy transfer) and FLIM (fluorescence life time imaging).
4. Hard- and software for live cell imaging and quantitative image analysis.

   Speakers and topics include:

   • Dual color time lapse imaging of different GFP variants to study protein traffic. Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz, NICHD, NIH, Bethesda
   • Studying subnuclear dynamics in living cells. David L.S. Spector, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
   This subgroup will be of interest to all cell biologists who are pursuing in vivo studies of cellular dynamics and to anyone concerned with the quantitative analysis of fluorescence objects. A detailed schedule will be available onsite.

Refreshments will be served.

MAGUKs and PDZs
Subgroup E — Room 25
Organizer: Peter J. Bryant, Developmental Biology Center, University of California, Irvine

Membrane-associated Guanylate Kinase homologs (MAGUKs) appear to be an important class of scaffolding proteins responsible for clustering and organizing transmembrane proteins and other elements of signal transduction pathways in animal cells. One of the common protein interaction domains in MAGUKs, called the PDZ domain, also exists in a large number of other proteins where it also mediates protein-protein interaction. This meeting will explore the diversity of these proteins and domains, especially the question of whether the protein interactions are dynamic and regulated, and, if so, what other molecules are important for these regulatory mechanisms. 20-minute presentations will include time for questions.

• Introduction. Peter J. Bryant, University of California, Irvine
• PDZs and related modules in asymmetric cell division. Tony Pawson, Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto
• Regulation of the Drosophila photoresponse through a supramolecular signaling complex. Craig Montell, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
• PDZ domains and the molecular organization of the synapse. Richard L. Huganir, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine/HHMI
• Intramolecular interactions regulate SAP97/hDlg function. Craig Garner, University of Alabama at Birmingham
• Cytoskeletal interactions of human Dlg protein. Athar Chishti, St. Elizabeth's Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine
• Binding of high risk HPV E6 oncoproteins to the human homologue of the Drosophila discs large tumor suppressor protein. Tohru Kiyono, Aichi Cancer Center, Japan
• A role for cellular PDZ-domain proteins in tumorigenesis by viral oncoproteins. Ronald Javier, Baylor College of Medicine
• Rapsynoid: a MAGUK-binding protein required for growth control. Anna Radovic, University of California, Irvine
• Syntrophins – PDZ proteins that confer signaling properties on the dystrophin complex. Stanley C. Froehner, University of North Carolina
• Multiple interactions of ZO-1 with the actin cytoskeleton. James M. Anderson, Yale Medical School
• Genetic analysis of Drosophila ZO-1 in sensory organ formation and cell growth. Ryu Ueda, Mitsubishi Kasei Institute of Life Science, Tokyo

Mechanisms of Cell Division as Revealed by Imaging Studies
Subgroup F — Room 27
Organizers: Donald C. Chang, Hong Kong University of Science & Technology and Joseph W. Sanger, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

Cell division is a very important process in cell biology. The mechanisms of cell division are currently under active investigation. One of the most useful approaches is to use imaging techniques with which one can study the dynamic distribution and reoganization of critical molecules in living cells. Recently, great progress has been made in developing new imaging methods (including GFP and new fluorescent indicators) that have significantly increased the power of the imaging techniques. Using these techniques, we have obtained new insight into the cellular mechanisms that control the various mitotic events. It will be of interest to the cell biology community to know about this recent progress. Furthermore, this subgroup meeting will serve as a useful forum for investigators to share their current views on the most critical issues involved in the regulation of cell division.

Speakers:

• Dynamics of cytoskeletal proteins during cytokinesis. Jean Sanger and Joseph W. Sanger, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
• Fluorescent speckle microscopy of microtubule dynamics and chromosome movements with emphasis on budding yeast. Paul Maddox, Chad Pearson, Kerry Bloom and E. D. Salmon, University of North Carolina
• Dynamics of nuclear envelope breakdown. Mark Terasaki, University of Connecticut Health Center
• Dynamics of Ca++ signaling in cell division. Donald C. Chang, Hong Kong University of Science & Technology
• Mechanism of cytokinesis in budding yeast. Erfei Bi, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
• Terminal phase of cytokinesis in C. elegans requires secretion. Ahna Skop and John G. White, University of Wisconsin

  General discussion: What are the major issues in cell division now?

Membrane Fusion: Machinery and Mechanism
Subgroup G — Room 37
Organizer: Bhana Pratap Jena, Yale University

Membrane fusion is a fundamental cellular process regulating intracellular transport, neurotransmission, enzyme secretion and hormone release, to name a few. Additionally, knowledge of how opposing bilayers fuse will further our understanding of cellular entry/exit of viruses, and provide us with the facts to develop the next generation of drug delivery systems. In the last decade and especially in the last year or two, great strides have been made in our understanding of the molecular machinery and mechanism of membrane fusion. This Special Interest Subgroup will bring together investigators in the field to discuss and participate with experts in the area. Several speakers who are investigators in the field will cover new developments and discuss some of the emerging technology helping in the study of this vital cellular process.

Raftology: Lipid Microdomains and Membrane Function

Subgroup H — Room 14

Organizers: Michael J. Saxton, University of California, Davis, David Holowka, Cornell University, and Chiara Zurzolo, University of Naples

Lipid rafts – detergent-insoluble membrane microdomains enriched in glycosphingolipids and cholesterol – are thought to be involved in signal transduction and in membrane protein sorting. Species involved in signaling, such as GPI-linked proteins and src kinases, are associated with rafts. But the existence and nature of these structures are controversial, in part because they may be transient. Rafts raise fundamental questions: to what extent does the classic Singer-Nicolson model of the membrane need to be modified to allow for heterogeneity? to what extent is lateral organization of the plasma membrane involved in cell function? The proposed session will examine the nature of rafts, as well as their role in signaling and sorting.

Topics and speakers include:
The existence and nature of rafts. Chair: Michael Saxton

• Organization of raft lipids and proteins. Deborah A. Brown, SUNY Stony Brook
• A 3-component phase diagram: relevant to rafts? Gerald W. Feigenson, Cornell University
• Lipid raft structure visualized with sub-micron resolution. Anne K. Kenworthy, Johns Hopkins University
• Single-particle tracking and rafts. Ken Jacobson, University of North Carolina
• Rafts: facts and fancy. Kai Simons. EMBL, Heidelberg

Rafts in protein sorting. Chair: Chiara Zurzolo

• Lipid rafts and apical sorting of GPI-anchored proteins. Chiara Zurzolo, University of Naples
• Evidence for the sorting of GPI-anchored proteins by lipid-dependent rafts in the endocytic pathway of mammalian cells. Satyajit Mayor, National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore
• Differential cell surface dynamics of antibodies targeting caveolae vs. GPI-rich rafts: Rapid vs. delayed endo-cytosis. Jan Schnitzer, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center
• The ATP-binding cassette transporter 1 (ABC1) is the defective gene in the HDL-deficiency syndrome/ Tangier disease and is associated with abnormalities in raft/caveolar processing. Gerd Schmitz, University of Regenburg

Rafts in signal transduction. Chair: David Holowka

• IgE receptor signaling and rafts: An integrated cell model. David Holowka, Cornell University
• T-cell activation and rafts. Ramnik Xavier, Massachusetts General Hospital
• The role of LAT, a transmembrane raft protein, in T-cell signaling. Lawrence E. Samelson, Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, DBS, NCI, NIH
• Interaction of multispan membrane proteins with sphingolipid-rich microdomains in B lymphocytes. D.C. Hoessli, University of Geneva
• Localization of a TM4SF protein (CD9), b1 integrins, and Pl 4-kinase in raft-like membrane microdomains. Christoph Claas, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Targeted Proteomics in Cell and Molecular Biology
Subgroup I — Room 15
Organizer: Paul Tempst, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

Completion of the genome project will lead to an even bigger challenge, interpreting the fluxes and flows of material and signals that result in cell behavior. Protein science should play a major role in this endeavor, simply because proteins carry out most of the work in a cell. A new term, proteomics, has been introduced to describe what many expect will be the future of protein structural chemistry. In the present vernacular, the term seems synonymous with attempts to map all proteins in every cell using two-dimensional gels and high-throughput mass spectrometry. But even on a smaller scale, our knowledge of protein-protein, protein-DNA and protein-small molecule interactions is still far from complete. Thus, an immediate task is to find out which proteins bind to what other molecules in the cell, and to examine how the composition of such complexes might shift in response to cellular signals, natural ligands and drugs. This field has been termed targeted proteomics.

Speakers will describe approaches to purify or specifically capture protein complexes on a micro-scale, and how to identify the components by mass spectrometric analysis of fragments. Several experts will then discuss how these discoveries have advanced our understanding of biological systems in their respective fields of interest.

Topics and speakers include:

• Actin-binding proteins in the development of C. elegans. Raffi Aroian, UC San Diego
• Chromatin remodeling machines in transcriptional regulation. Bradley Cairns, University of Utah
• A decade long story of NF-kappaB. Sankar Ghosh, Yale University
• SNAREs in vesicle targeting and fusion. Thomas Söllner, Sloan-Kettering
• Practical aspects of protein mass spectrometry. Paul Tempst, Sloan-Kettering

Supported by an educational grant from the Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities (ABRF)

Visualizing the Cytoskeleton and Signaling in Mechanically Stimulated Cells
Subgroup J — Room 23
Organizers: Albert J. Banes and Carol Otey, University of North Carolina

The response of cells to mechanical deformation is now an accepted phenomenon in cell biology as well as biomechanics. In response to applied mechanical load, cells signal using Ca2+, 1P3, cAMP, ATP and other purines, as well as activate components of kinase pathways such as MAPK, JAK/STAT and JNK pathways. Multiple transcription factors can be activated driving specific gene expression dependent on the CRLs in a given promoter. One of the important early/intermediate events in response to strain is a reaction of the existing cytoskeleton to polymerize actin and rearrange cell shape. The focus of this subgroup meeting will be on visualizing signaling events and cytoskeletal changes that occur in response to mechanical load. Emphasis will be placed on cell responses to tension, compression and shear stress-induced cytoskeletal changes, blocking experiments to KO components of the cytoskeleton or signaling pathways and over expression strategies that upregulate proteins involved in a response. Talks will include diverse approaches of load applications, cell types and methods to measure changes in cell expression.

Speakers will include:

• Albert J. Banes, University of North Carolina
• Carol Otey, University of North Carolina
• Traction forces of cell movement & cortical flow. Kevin Burton, Massachsetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School
• Tensegrity and the mechanical behaviors of the cytoskeleton. Steve Heidemann, University of Michigan
• Locomotion, contraction and proliferation of fibroblasts in a model ECM. G. Steven Vanni, Elisabeth Nadolny and Frederick Lanni, Carnegie Mellon University.
• ATP release by mechanically stimulated chondrocytes in pellet culture. Ron Graff. University of North Carolina

Supported by an educational grant from Flexcell Corp.

1999 Minorities Affairs Committee Travel Awards
The ASCB Minorities Affairs Committee has selected the following students and scientists to receive travel awards to attend the 1999 Annual Meeting through an NIH MARC grant:

Lina E. Aguirre, Rutgers University
Wilfred F. Denetclaw, Jr., University of California, San Francisco
Edward R. Garrison, Diné College
Annette Gonzalez, Northwestern University Medical School
Tricia W. Hendrickson, Emory University School of Medicine
Karl Kingsley, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Timothy A. Lewis, Trudeau Institute
Andrew O. Martinez, University of Texas at San Antonio
Iris A. McDuffie, Norfolk State University
Victor O. Ona, Brigham & Women's Hospital
Maria Pang, SUNY at Stony Brook
Christie Kenise Redmon, Hampton University
Alma I Rodenas-Ruano, University of Central Florida
Raul Rojas, University of Pittsburgh
Dewey Royal, Rutgers University
Sonya R. Summerour, University of California, San Diego
Bryan Taylor, Oklahoma State University
Winston E. Thompson, Morehouse School of Medicine
Keila E. Torres, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
JoAnn Trejo, University of California, San Francisco
Janice Andrea Williams, Pennsylvania State University
Selwyn A. Williams, CUNY Brooklyn College

1999 ASCB/Worthington Predoctoral Travel Awardees
Rachel Lopez Nguyen, University of Minnesota
Peter John Mohler, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Rebecca S. Myers, Purdue University
Lucy Erin O'Brien, University of California, San Francisco
Pamela Plant, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto
Georgia Ellen Purdom, Ohio State University
Edith D. Wong, University of California, Davis

1999 ASCB Predoctoral Travel Awardees
G. Bradley Alsop, Oregon State University
Leslie Bannon, Northwestern University Medical School
Yun Bao, University of Notre Dame
Lidia Bonfanti, Consorzio Mario Negri Sud, Italy
Katherine M. Brndza, Indiana University
Joseph Burdo, Pennsylvania State University
Paula Cabrera, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina
Diane M. Casey, University of Massachusetts Medical School
Nicholas J. Cartel, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto
Christopher M. Cox, State University of New York (SUNY) Health Science Center at Syracuse
Tiffany Crawford, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Georgina B. Cueva-Torres, Universidad de Guanajuato, Mexico
Elizabeth-Sharon David, University of Missouri, Kansas City
Hesam Dehghani, University of Guelph, Canada
Sandra Demaries, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto
Marienne Depreter, University of Gent, Belgium
Natella I. Enukashivily, Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences
Rebecca Farkas, Stanford University School of Medicine
Rip J. Finst, Emory University
Marianna D. Gaça, Southampton University, UK
Christine Gieseke, University of California, Riveerside
J. Aura Gimm, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Stephane R. Gross, The Nottingham Trent University, UK
Jose L. Gutiérrez, Universidad de Concepción, Chile
James P. Howard, University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine
Rui-Ru Ji, Purdue University
Arzu Karabay, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University
Sally Kim, University of Texas, Houston Health Science Center
Lawrence B Kong, University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine
Jeong-Ah Kwon, Carnegie Mellon University
Tam Luan Le, University of Queensland, Australia
David Lennon, Joan & Sanford I. Welil Medical College, New York
Qi-Jing Li, University of California, Riverside
Ivan Litvinov, University of Kentucky
Betty Liu, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Oliver Lohez, Institut de Biologie Structurale (CEA-CNRS)
Daniel V. Maravei, Massachusetts General Hospital
Erin McDearmon, University of Wisconsin, Madison
Kimberly McDermott, University of Nebraska Medical Center
David J. Mulholland, University of British Columbia
Leila Najafi, St. Louis University
Patrick Navolanic, East Carolina University
Steven B. Nicoll, University of California, Berkeley/San Francisco
Kolchi Ojima, University of Pennsylvania
Leila S. Onderak, Case Western Reserve University
Michael Papetti, Tufts University
Vipul Parekh, University of Louisville
Robert Pelham, Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons
Matthew D. Phillips, Pennsylvania State University
Shu-Bing Qian, Shanghai Second Medical University, P.R. China
Matthew R. Ritter, University of Southern California School of Medicine
Andrew L. Rozelle, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas
Svelana N. Rubtsova, Moscow State University
Diane Rudy, University of Arizona
William L. Rust, University of Neveda, Las Vegas
Tulia Maria Savino, Institut Jacques Monod, Paris
Ralf Schmid, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Aaron F. Severson, University of Oregon
Drew Sellers, Oregon State University
Ahna Skop, University of Wisconsin
Joseph F. Smith, State University of New York at Buffalo
Barbara Sotolongo, Cancer Institute of New Jersey
Olga Steinberg-Neifach, City University of New York, Brooklyn College
Mary Stewart, University of Texas
John Stickney, Iowa State University
Anna Szpaderska, Loyola University, Chicago
Amy Tam, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Sean C. Taylor, BRI, National Research Council, Montreal
Christina L. Thomas, University of Wisconsin
Fabio Triolo, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York
Susan Tsujimoto, University of Texas Medical School
Jennifer A. Tuxhom, Baylor College of Medicine
Ekaarterina V. Varga, Cancer Research Center, Moscow
Thorston Wiederhold, Massachusetts General Hospital
Sarah Marie Wignall, University of California, Berkeley
Justine Wilson, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Australia
Minnie M. Wu, University of California, Berkeley
Di Yao, Meharry Medical College
Christopher M. Yengo, University of Vermont
Jennifer L. Young, University of South Alabama
Jinsong Zhang, University of Kansas Medical Center
Ying Zhang, Boston University School of Medicine
Feng Quan Zhou, State University of New York at Buffalo

A postdoctoral fellowship is available to study cell-based gene therapy of bone, cartilage and tendon. The position is suitable for someone who has recently completed a Ph.D. degree or hopes to graduate this year. Experience in molecular and cell biology, protein analysis and enzyme assays would be a clear advantage. The fellowship is for one year, may be renewed for a second year and will provide opportunities for a career in musculoskeletal research. Investigations will include phage display, genetic reconstitution and cell adhesion assays. For more information contact Gary Balian, Ph.D. Phone: (804) 924-2615, Email, Professor, Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery and Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics. Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, University of Virginia, School of Medicine, Box 374, Charlottesville, VA 22908 or send a c.v. with a brief statement of your research background and the names of three references.

Postdoctoral Research Associate, Scripps Research Institute. Postdoctoral positions are available to participate in a multidisciplinary group studying the dynamics of signaling in living cells. Current projects include 1) Intracellular localization and kinetics of Rho family GTPase activation controlling growth factor/ECM crosstalk 2) Role of Rho family activity and control by upstream regulators in polarized cell movement 3) Role of focal adhesion dynamics in apoptosis induction. Knowledge of GTPase signaling biology, and experience in imaging, protein biochemistry, or molecular biology techniques would be valuable. Please send your curriculum vitae to Dr. Klaus Hahn, Department of Cell Biology, Scripps Research Institute, BCC162, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Rd., La Jolla, California 92037.

University of Colorado at Boulder, Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. We seek applications from Cell Biologists for a tenure-track faculty position at the Assistant Professor level, beginning in the Fall of 2000. We seek to establish an exceptional program in the area of cell biology. Applications from candidates who would strengthen the Department's diversity are especially encouraged. Complete applications include curriculum vitae, publications, short summary of scientific interests, and three evaluative letters from knowledgeable scientific referees, solicited by the applicant and sent directly to Boulder. All materials must be postmarked by 11/15/99 and sent to: Cell Biology Search, MCD Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0347. The University of Colorado at Boulder is committed to diversity and equality in education and employment.

Faculty position in molecular and cellular biology. The Department of Biochemistry at The University of Mississippi Medical Center invites applications for a tenure-track position at any rank. The department is recruiting an applicant who will undertake research on basic mechanisms of disease, utilizing molecular or cellular biology approaches, with special emphasis on cancer. The department is well equipped and has strong research programs in chromatin structure, gene expression, ribosome biogenesis, chromosome replication, nucleic acid biophysics, bioenergetics, enzymology and structural biology. The successful applicant is expected to establish or have an independent, funded research program and to participate in the training of medical, dental and graduate students. Send curriculum vitae, a brief outline of future research plans and the names of three references by January 15, 2000 to: Dr. Mark Olson, Chair, Department of Biochemistry, The University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 North State Street, Jackson, MS 39216-4505. Equal Opportunity Employer, M/F/D/V.

Assistant Professor. The Department of Anatomy, Cell & Neurobiology at the Marshall University School of Medicine is extending the search for a tenure-track position at the Assistant Professor level. This position provides a unique opportunity in a developing program of excellence. The successful candidate will be provided a research laboratory to develop and/or maintain an imaginative, externally funded research program, and will participate in teaching medical and graduate students. A Ph.D. and/or M.D. degree, postdoctoral experience, and a record of publication in quality journals are required. Individuals with an interest and background in anatomical sciences are especially invited to apply. Candidates should send an introductory letter addressing their teaching experience and philosophy, research accomplishments and future research plans, a curriculum vitae, and arrange for at least three letters of reference to: William B. Rhoten, Ph.D., Dept. of Anatomy, Cell and Neurobiology, Marshall University School of Medicine, 1542 Spring Valley Drive, Huntington, WV 25704-9388. Screening of applications will begin October 1, 1999. Marshall University is an EEOC/ADA Employer and especially encourages applications from women and members of minority groups.

Postdoctoral/Research Associate Position in Cell Biology available for developing novel approaches for (1) ex vivo expansion of human megakaryocyte progenitors; (2) apoptosis and megakaryocyte maturation at molecular level; and (3) platelet formation mechanism(s). Expertise in cell culture, immunology, flow cytometry. Send CV and names of three references to: Isaac Cohen, Ph.D., Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, IL. Fax: 312-238-1815; Email.

Postdoctoral Positions. #1) Developmental study of CNS neurons, sensory ganglion and receptors in co-culture and transplantation experiments; #2) Plastic/regulatory changes in channels and receptors in degeneration and growth of synaptic endings in the CNS. Cell/molecular methods, immuno EM and confocal microscopy, cell culture, patch clamp . Project direction flexible, including transgenic mice; funded for vertebrate auditory system. Competitive salary. Research or Training grant. Contact: DK Morest, UConn Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030.

Cell Signaling Technologies at New England Biolabs Cell/Molecular Biologist: Cell Signaling Technologies (CST), a new company from New England Biolabs, has an opening for a Cell/Molecular Biologist. Minimum requirements include a BS or MS degree in Cell or Molecular Biology. Experience with the use of antibodies and antibody characterization including western blotting, ELISA, immunocytochemistry, and immunoprecipitation techniques is essential. Experience with mammalian tissue culture, transfection, and purification of fusion proteins overexpressed in bacterial and mammalian systems will also be helpful. Excellent verbal and written communication skills are required. CST is located at the NEB facility in Beverly, MA. Send a resume to: Michael Comb, Ph.D., Director, Cell Signaling Technologies, 32 Tozer Road, Beverly, MA 01915. An equal opportunity employer.

Siekevitz Profile

To the Editor:

The profile of Philip Siekevitz (August, 1999 ASCB Newsletter) was very well done, capturing both the scientist and the delightful intellectual beyond cell biology. But one of the subject's career steps was covered too briefly, namely his seminal role in achieving cell-free protein synthesis in the laboratory of Paul Zamecnik (not Zameenik, as misspelled in the article). Siekevitz was a major player in winning acceptance of cell-free protein synthesis as a valid workbench for molecular biology.

–Thoru Pederson

To the Editor:

I enjoyed your interesting and informative profile on Phil Siekevitz. However, I did catch a small error. Dr. Siekevitz was not "the editor of the first cell biology textbook in 1963, called Cell Structure and Function;" he was co-author of this book.

Sincerely yours,

–Ariel G. Loewy

Editor's Note: The coauthors of the three editions of Cell Structure and Function are:

First ed. 1963. Ariel G. Loewy and Philip Siekevitz
Second ed. 1969. Ariel G. Loewy and Philip Siekevitz
Third ed. 1991. Ariel G. Loewy, Philip Siekevitz, John R. Menninger and Jonathan A. R. Gallant

To the Editor:

Thank you for the flattering profile on me in the August issue of the ASCB Newsletter. In addition to the correction that my colleague Ariel Loewy has sent you, please note that I sought advice on mitochondrial biochemistry from Fritz Lipmann's lab but did not collaborate with the lab. Also, my lab was the first to use isolated subcellular fractions, such as mitochondria and microsomes, in in vitro protein synthesis.

Sincerely,

–Philip Siekevitz

Stem Cell Policy Challenged

Dear Ms. Marincola:

I am writing as a member of the ASCB to pro-test the ACSB position on stem cell research as reported in the [April 1999] ASCB Newsletter. This position covers an area governed by morality and ethics – issues involving the protection of human life. As such, its enunciation implies its support by the Society, and by extension, by the members of the Society.

In my opinion:

1. The fact of research on these human stem cells, those derived ultimately from human embryos, presupposes that their initial isolation is legitimate. In fact, such isolation is immoral since the destruction of a human being is necessary for the start of such work.
2. To allow the use of the these cells while admitting that a human being is destroyed in their isolation would be an obscenity, regardless of whether the use of these cells would benefit anyone.
3. Positions of the Society are decided by members of the Council, yet the signatures on the letter in question are not those of the Council, but rather those of numerous Nobel laureates. The decision appears to have come from an oligarchy, not from the duly elected leaders of ASCB.
4. The group signing their support for this position are, in the great majority, men. Since the abuse of women through our present culture of abortion is largely perpetrated by men, the representation of this list highlights the lack of concern for human life on the part of the signatories.

In enunciating this position on human stem cell research, I believe that the ASCB has abdicated its responsibility to provide moral and ethical leadership and is promoting instead an immoral policy.

Sincerely,

–Douglas W. Darnowski

Editor's Note: The Council of the ASCB did approve the position as endorsed by 36 Nobel laureates.

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

Jahar Bhattacharya
Nancy L. Bucher
Henry G. Brown
Sue Chien
Frank M. Child
Mary E. Clutter
Stanley A. Cohn
Leslie C. Engel
William L. Epstein
Marcus Fechheimer
Agnes K. Fok
Clara Franzini-Armstrong
Minoru Fukuda
Susan A. Gerbi
Leslie I. Gold
Guido Guidotti
Patricia Harris-Noyes
Daryl E. Hartter
Ira Herskowitz
Sugie Higashi-Fujime
Masaru Himeno
Hideyasu Hirano
Ching Ho
Jean S. Hugon
Ralph T. Kubo
Takejiro Kuzumaki
Harold E. Lane
Gordon W. Laurie
Kathy Qian Luo
Tadashi Maruyama
Ryoichi Matsuda
Gina Micka
David S. Miller
Alan Leslie Munn
Elizabeth F. Neufeld
Takeharu Nishimoto
Yasuko Noda
Yukio Okano
Roslyn W. Orkin
Alfred Owczarak
Thorkil Ploug
Sandra Potter
Evelyn S. Ralston
Mary K. Rundell
David R. Samols
Hidetaka Sato
Sheldon S. Shen
Hemanth D. Shenoi
Phyllis R. Strauss
Kingo Takiguchi
Henry Tedeschi
Robert L. Trelstad
Leana M. Topper
Samuel Ward
Alan Wells

Summer 2000 Research Opportunities in Japan, Korea and Taiwan for U.S. Graduate Students in Science and Engineering. The program provides graduate students in science and engineering first-hand experience in Japanese, Korean and Taiwan research environments, an introduction to the science and science policy infrastructure of the respective countries, and language and cultural training. The programs will last approximately eight weeks from mid-June to August. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents; be enrolled at a U.S. institution in a science or engineering Ph.D. program, be enrolled in a M.D. program and have an interest in biomedical research, or be enrolled and completed at least one full academic year in a master's degree program at the end of the calendar year of application; and pursuing studies in fields of science or engineering that are supported by NSF, NIH or USDA, and also are represented among the potential host institutions. International travel costs to and from Japan, Korea or Taiwan, in-country living costs (accommodations, food and professional travel), and an allowance of $2,500 for each participant will be provided. Applications are due by Dec. 1, 1999, to: East Asia and Pacific Program, Room 935, Division of International Programs, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22230. For more information email Dr. Christopher Loretz.

Phyllis Hanson of Washington University, an ASCB member since 1997, received a new $1 million no-strings grant from the W.M. Keck Foundation.

Y. Peng Loh of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health, an ASCB member since 1988, has been named recipient of the 2000 FASEB Excellence in Science Award. Loh has chosen to receive the award at the 2000 ASCB Annual Meeting in San Francisco.

Leonard Hayflick of the University of California, San Francisco, an ASCB member since 1960, was awarded the 1999 Anthony Van Wezel Award from the European Society for Animal Cell Technology.

W. Sue Shafer, Deputy Director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health, former Chair of the Women in Cell Biology Committee and an ASCB member since 1976, was appointed to Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research Administration at the University of California, San Francisco.

ASCB Placement Service at the ASCB Annual Meeting in San Francisco
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 clerks to schedule interviews. Message files are also available so that employers may receive candidate messages.

Candidate and employer ads will be developed from the registration form for each registrant and will appear in the Placement Service Brochures. A Pre-meeting Brochure, containing ads for candidates and employers who preregister with the ASCB Placement Service, and an On-site Brochure, will be produced at the close of Placement Service registration on Monday and available Tuesday. Brochures are available to Annual Meeting attendees 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.

Candidate and employer Placement Service Registration forms may be found on the ASCB website, or may be ordered from the ASCB. Please indicate number of copies required.

ASCB Placement Service Hours
Saturday, Dec.11, 12:00 noon - 6:00 pm
Sunday, Dec. 12 - Tuesday, Dec.r 14, 9:00 am - 7:00 pm
Wednesday, Dec. 15, 9:00 am - 3:30 pm

Registration
Saturday, Dec. 11, 12 noon - 6:00 pm
Sunday, Dec. 12 - Monday, Dec. 13, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.

Employer Interview Scheduling
Saturday, Dec. 11, 2:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Sunday, Dec. 12 - Tuesday, Dec. 14, 9:00 am - 6:00 pm

Interviews
Sunday, Dec. 12, 2:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Monday, Dec. 13 - Tuesday, Dec. 14, 9:00 am - 7:00 pm
Wednesday, Dec. 15, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm

ASCB Placement Service fees remain unchanged:

Candidates Fees:
ASCB Student Member - no charge
Non-ASCB Member Student - $20
ASCB Postdoc Member - $25
ASCB Member - $25
ASCB Nonmember - $70

Employer Fees:
Academic or non-profit institutions - $150
Companies - $400

Preregistration deadline for the ASCB Placement Service is November 5.

Ursula Goodenough of Washington University and Yixian Zheng of the Carnegie Institution of Washington have been named to receive the top honors of the ASCB Women in Cell Biology Committee for 1999.

Goodenough, who will receive the WICB Senior Award, was cited for her contributions to cell biology and genetics, to the Society -- she served as President in 1995 and has been a forceful member of the Public Policy Committee -- and as a mentor to other women.

Zheng will receive the Junior Award. She is recognized for outstanding scientific contributions including the successful cloning of microtubule nucleation components from both Xenopus and Drosophila, and forher studies of their expressed, pure proteins and their complexes.

The WICB Awards will be presented at the lunch sponsored by the ASCB WICB and Education Committees on Monday, December 13, at the upcoming ASCB Annual Meeting.

Eugenie Scott
Eugenie Scott, Executive Director of the National Center for Science Education, has been named the second ASCB-Bruce Alberts Award winner by the Society's Education Committee.

Scott was nominated for her dedication to protecting the teaching of evolution through writing, speeches, media appearances and, importantly, presentations to school boards, teachers, churches and parents.

The teaching of evolution recently suffered a serious setback in the State of Kansas. Evolution defenders and detractors are watching the Kansas decision closely to see if it stands and/or establishes a precedent for other states.

Bruce Alberts, President of the National Academy of Sciences, will present the Award to Scott on Sunday, December 12 at 9:45 a.m. at the 39th ASCB Annual Meeting in Washington.

Gunter Blobel of the Rockefeller University, President of the Society in 1989, will receive the 1999 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Blobel was cited for his work in protein signaling, which led to understanding of the molecular roots of many diseases, including primary hyperoxaluria, which causes kidney stones at a young age, as well as some forms of high cholesterol and illnesses such as cystic fibrosis that occur when proteins fail to reach proper positions within the cell.

Blobel, a native of Germany, will receive the prize in Stockholm this December.

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

1. Life Science.Connect
   This new international Web site seeks to reorganize the Life Science community based on the Internet's ability to provide for data exchange at low cost and high speed. "This community will then have the opportunity to create new ventures that reflect the open democracy and transparency that this new form of communication can provide." Among the many initial supporters of the project are Jim Jamieson, former ASCB President, and Sam Silverstein, former FASEB President.

   The homepage of the site provides ten paths including a directory, magazine, journal access, jobs, Ph.D programs, meetings, and links. The magazine is to begin in October and post graduate offerings in November. A wide range of meeting dates were listed but unfortunately did not contain reference to the ASCB Annual Meeting. The journal section will ultimately connect to electronic journals. The jobs section is extensive and worldwide in its focus. There are only six links in the Links section, but they are excellent choices. The site is clearly nascent in its nature; however, given the group supporting this effort, it is a site to bookmark should your interests follow developments in molecular biology.

2. PubMed Central
   A few months ago Harold Varmus stirred the publishing world by suggesting that cell and molecular biology data should be quickly and inexpensively available on the Web. To say the least, passions were raised. PubMed Central is the first shot over the bow in this effort to change the way research data is disseminated. As was the case with the first selection above, this is a nascent site. To quote the introductory narrative at the site: "In an effort to put the system into operation, the NIH will establish a Web-based repository for barrier-free access to primary reports in the life sciences. This repository, which we consider to be the initial site in an international system, [emphasis added] will be called PubMed Central, based on its natural integration with the existing PubMed biomedical literature database. PubMed itself will extend its coverage of the life sciences and continue its linkage to external online journals." You may want to visit PubMed to read the text of the proposal about the electronic publishing of research data.
3. NIH Office of Science Education
   This is "... a Web site for high school students and teachers dedicated to bringing cutting edge biomedical research into science classrooms. This site is a creation of the Office of Science Education of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Md. The effort is funded by the NIH Office of Research on Women's Health." To this end, the site is very successful.

   The home page opens with three broad area selections: 1) six paths, 2) a poster titled "Women are surgeons" and 3) Snap Shots. Be prepared to spend some time with Snap Shots. It is a fascinating collection of stories, information and science news. Do you know who Elizabeth Blackwell was? The story of the first American female M.D. is wonderful. Snap Shots contain great features titled "Bacteria Cause Ulcers", "Animal Parts for People", and "Spinal Cord Injuries." There are features on very interesting people doing science, all kinds of science.

   The six paths section has information entitled "For Teachers," "For Students," and "For the Public." Curriculum supplements and educational resources are identified. "Science in the Cinema" is particularly interesting. Six movies with high scientific content and available as videos are reviewed with the science in each discussed. There are also some extensive download files (40 Mbytes) on topics such as the Brain. A CD is available. Although directed towards high school age students, everyone can benefit from materials found at this excellent Web site.

–Robert Blystone for the ASCB Education Committee