In Brief

New Grant to Support Faster Imaging of Cellular Machinery

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have been awarded more than $500,000 from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to upgrade computing and storage facilities in the institute’s cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM) laboratories.

The new grant will make it possible for the researchers to keep up with the growing amounts of data collected on the institute’s cutting-edge cryo-EM equipment. With this data, researchers can construct 3D models of cell structures to better understand diseases such as AIDS, Alzheimer’s and Ebola.

“TSRI has a world-class cryoEM facility with more high-resolution microscopes and direct electron detectors than any other site in the country,” said TSRI biologist Gabriel Lander, who will lead the new project. “This new computing equipment will enable us to dramatically increase the rate at which we are able to solve the structures of biomedically relevant macromolecules.”

More than 40 other laboratories at TSRI collaborate with the cryoEM laboratories. Lander estimates that the new equipment will reduce their data processing time from two months to just a week or less, opening up the possibility for expanded sample testing and more pilot studies.

Stephanie Sillivan Receives Pathway to Independence Award

Stephanie Sillivan, research associate in the Miller lab at Scripps Florida, has received a Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00) from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Drug Abuse. The award provides five years of support to facilitate a postdoctoral fellow’s timely transition from a mentored research position to independent research.

Sillivan’s research, titled “MicroRNA-mediated mechanisms of heroin drug seeking,” aims to identify miRNA-mediated mechanisms that sustain heroin seeking after prolonged abstinence, leading to new targets for novel therapies to prevent relapse to opioid use.

Richard Brust Wins NIH Fellowship

Richard Brust, research associate in the Kojetin lab at Scripps Florida, has won a Ruth L. Kirschstein Postdoctoral Individual National Research Service Award from the National Institutes of Health, supporting promising postdoctoral candidates who have the potential to become productive, independent investigators in scientific health-related research fields.

Brust’s research, titled “Structural analysis of corepressor binding to PPARgamma,” seeks to characterize the corepressor binding site of PPARgamma, which will lead to an improved mechanistic understanding of this type 2 diabetes drug target.

William Guerrant Wins ACS Fellowship

William Guerrant, postdoctoral fellow in the Kissil lab at Scripps Florida, has won an American Cancer Society fellowship, which provides initial funding leading to an independent career in cancer research.

Guerrant’s project, “Hippo-YAP Inhibition as a Therapeutic Strategy for Neurofibromatosis Type 2,” focuses on identifying chemical inhibitors of the signaling pathways that promote neurofibromatosis type 2, an inherited genetic disorder characterized by growth of nervous system tumors, which currently has no cure and limited treatment options of symptoms.

Xiang-Lei Yang to Speak at May 11 CA Faculty Lecture

Xiang-Lei Yang, professor in the TSRI Department of Chemical Physiology, is the final speaker of the Scripps California 2015-2016 Faculty Lecture Series. Yang will present her lecture, titled “Discover new functions of tRNA synthetases with pathophysiological significance,” on Wednesday, May 11, at 5 PM in the Timken Amphitheater, Green Hospital. A reception will follow in the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Building, first floor.

For further information, see Yang’s Faculty Lecture Series webpage. The series is supported by an endowment from the Cochrane-Cartan families, established by TSRI Professor Emeritus Charles G. Cochrane.

Seventh Annual Beutler Lecture to Present Jeffrey Gordon

The seventh annual Beutler Lecture on the Edge of Medicine will present Jeffrey I. Gordon, the Dr. Robert J. Glaser Distinguished University Professor and director of the Center for Genome Sciences & Systems Biology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, on Thursday, May 12, from 4 to 5 PM.

Gordon’s lecture is titled “The gut microbiota and childhood undernutrition: Looking at human development from a microbial perspective.” An internationally known researcher in gastrointestinal development, his research particularly focuses on gut microbiomes and nutritional status. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences and National Academy of Medicine.

The lecture, scheduled at The Auditorium at TSRI, is hosted by TSRI Professor Joel Buxbaum and Assistant Professor Dennis Wolan and sponsored by Department of Molecular and Experimental Medicine and the Kroc Foundation. The event honors the legacy of the department’s founding chairman, Professor Ernest Beutler, who believed that laboratory science and clinical medicine were mutually informative.

Wendy Havran Featured in CA NWiS Lecture Series

TSRI Professor and Associate Dean of Graduate Studies Wendy Havran is the featured speaker in the next Scripps California Network for Women in Science Female Faculty Lecture Series event. Titled “How FACS, Snow and Racehorses Influenced my Career and Led Me to Scripps,” Havran’s lecture is scheduled for Thursday, May 5, from 4 to 5 PM, in the Graduate Office Seminar Room.

Havran joined TSRI in 1991, after earning a BS in zoology from Duke University and a PhD in immunology from the University of Chicago. She was a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Jim Allison at the University of California, Berkeley. Her lab studies the first line of defense provided by intraepithelial T cells in barrier tissues with the aim of developing new therapeutic approaches for chronic wound healing, inflammatory bowel disease and skin cancers.

Graduate students and postdocs are invited to a dinner following Havran’s lecture. Reservations are required; contact ascsmith@scripps.edu.

FL Career Workshops: Preparing for Interviews

Two upcoming career workshops on the Scripps Florida campus, conducted by Briana Konnick, program coordinator for TSRI Career and Postdoctoral Services, offer help and guidance for job interviews.

Wednesday, May 4: Ace the Interview

The workshop will cover the basics of interviewing, including sample questions, response strategies, body language and interview etiquette. The session will be held from 3:30 to 4:30 PM in classroom B159; reservations are required.

Wednesday, May 18: Videotaped Mock Interviews

Videotaped mock interviews will use standard HR screening questions followed by a small group feedback session with facilitators and peers providing constructive comments on verbal responses and body language. The workshop will be held from 3 to 4:30 PM in conference room B393; reservations are required.

Both workshops are open to the entire Scripps Florida community.

Funding Fest: Grant Writing, Fellowship Opportunities

The Spring 2016 Funding Fest, a series of workshops on the “how-to” of grants and fellowships, offers two upcoming sessions:

Friday May 6: Basics of Mentored Grant Writing

University of California (UC) San Diego Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Bioengineering Peter Wagner will discuss types of grants, their structures and components, and writing strategies. The session will be held from 1 to 3 PM on the UC San Diego campus in the Leichtag Building, room 107. Register online.

Monday, May 16: Fellowship Opportunities from Non-Federal Sources

Representatives from the American Heart Association (AHA) will share the organization’s current funding priorities, grant/fellowship opportunities, grant review processes and grant-writing tips. The workshop will be held at the TSRI Graduate Office, first floor, the Hazen Theory building. Register online.

Open to graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, the Funding Fest is sponsored by the Torrey Pines Training Consortium, a collaboration of TSRI, the Salk Institute, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute and UC San Diego.

SOF to Hold CA Vendor Show May 10

Scripps California’s Society of Fellows (SoF) will host more than 100 vendors in the biological and chemical industries at its 24^th annual Vendor Show, scheduled for Tuesday, May 10, from 10 AM to 2 PM.

“It's a perfect opportunity to scout out novel reagents, kits and technologies that will ultimately benefit and streamline research; many vendors will offer special discounts,” said Matthias Pauthner, event co-chair with Ana Wang. “For postdocs and grad students considering venturing into industry, vendors are a valuable resource to informally ask about work conditions at different institutions, job opportunities, etc. And, in addition to free samples and other swag, attendees will have the chance to win a raffle prize of $1,000.”

The show will be held on the Immunology Plaza and the first floors of the Beckman and Immunology buildings.

“The show’s success depends on the support of staffers, grad students and postdocs; attendance is the single biggest factor that helps recruit a largely similar vendor group each year," said Matthias. The event’s profits fund SoF activities, including course reimbursements, travel grants, lecture series, industry visits and social activities.

Nominations Open for CA Outstanding Mentor Award

Nominations are now open for the Scripps California 2016 Outstanding Mentor Award, sponsored by the Society of Fellows (SoF) and the Career and Postdoctoral Services Office to honor faculty members who consistently and enthusiastically mentor graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.

Postdoctoral fellows and graduate students may nominate any faculty member who, in guiding and contributing to their personal or professional development, has:

Developed mentees' research and professional skills
Respected and supported scholars' goals
Offered valuable career planning and job search assistance
Modeled effective leadership

Due Friday, August 12, nominations will be reviewed by TSRI's director of education, members of the SoF executive committee and the Career and Postdoctoral Services Office.

The nomination form and procedures are available on the SoF website. Updated resubmissions of previous nominations are accepted with a 2016 nomination form.

Announced on September 22 during National Postdoctoral Appreciation Week, the award winner will receive a plaque and $500 to support team building or training efforts in his or her lab. Previous award winners include Professors Michael Oldstone, Ian Wilson, Jack Johnson and Hollis Cline.

For further information, contact SoF Career Development Co-Chair Michael Ledbetter at michaell@scripps.edu.

CA ScrippsAssists Wee Companions Project: May 4

ScrippsAssists will hold its next monthly volunteer event for the nonprofit animal rescue agency Wee Companions on Wednesday, May 4, from 6 to 8 PM. The agency cares for rescued guinea pigs, rats and other small exotic animals.

Volunteers help clean and set up guinea pig cages at the Wee Companions Adoption Center, 3368 Governor Dr., Suite F, San Diego, 92122, near University Town Center. No animals are handled during this activity.

Wee Companions volunteers can also serve as animal foster-home guardians, provide adoption counseling or help with clerical and staff work. Founded in 1998, Wee Companions provides pet adoption services, a foster-care network, holiday pet-sitting for small animals and pet care education.

To sign-up for the May event or for more information, contact ScrippsAssists project lead Sasha Moola, graduate student in the Wilson lab, at smoola@scripps.edu.

Onsite Clinic May 4 on CA Campus

The next onsite immunization clinic on the California campus will be held Wednesday, May 4, from 9:30 to 11 AM, in the Hazen Theory building, rooms 203/205. Appointments are not needed.

Conducted by Sharp Rees-Stealy staff, the clinic will provide hepatitis B vaccination free of charge to all TSRI employees. Environmental Health & Safety Occupational Medicine must pre-authorize all other procedures based on the employee's working conditions. These procedures include tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (Tdap) vaccines and other titers, immunizations and procedures.

At the Auditorium: Award-Winning Violin Soloist

The La Jolla Music Society’s 2016 Discovery Series concludes Sunday, May 8, 3 PM, with a solo program featuring award-winning Czech violinist Josef Špaček performing works by Bach, Prokofiev, Saint-Saëns and more. For additional program and ticket information, visit the society’s website.

The Auditorium at TSRI is located at 10640 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego 92121.

Send comments to: mikaono[at]scripps.edu

Assistant Professor Gabe Lander will lead the new equipment grant, which will dramatically reduce data processing time in Scripps California's cryoEM facility. (Photo by Cindy Brauer.)

SEARCH NEWS & VIEWS

New Method Enlists Electricity for Easier, Cheaper, Greener Chemistry

Scientists Reveal Secrets of a Deadly Virus Family

Team Predicts Cell Changes that Affect Breast Cancer Growth

TSRI, Harvard, Stanford and Brandeis Collaborate to Study MicroRNA’s Role in Memory, Sleep and Synapse Function