HIGHLIGHTS
Awards
Gene Robinson (Genomics of Neural and Behavioral Plasticity, Entomology) has been named a recipient of the 2009 National Institutes of Health Pioneer Award.
Robinson’s award is $2.5 million in direct costs over five years. The award enables promising young researchers to pursue high-impact, transformative research in the fields of biomedical and behavioral science.
According to the NIH, Robinson will use his Pioneer Award to investigate in molecular terms how to transform the brain’s reward system from a selfish to an altruistic orientation, with the goal of achieving a new understanding of drug addiction and other diseases.
Lawrence Schook (Regenerative Biology and Tissue Engineering, Animal Sciences) has been chosen as a Fulbright Distinguished Chair in the Department of Genetics and General Biology (genomics, immunology, development, cell biology, and molecular biology) in the Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Salzburg. The award runs from March - June 2010.
Grants
Rebecca Stumpf, Steven Leigh, Abigail Salyers, Brenda Wilson, NSF, “Comparative Primate Vaginal Microbial Ecology,” 1/1/2009-12/31/2011.
Ping Ma, Neil Kelleher, NSF, “Statistical Approaches to Integration of Mass Spectral and Genomic Data of Yeast Histone Modifications,” 7/1/2008-6/30/2012.
Press Releases
Technique Finds Gene Regulatory Sites without Knowledge of Regulators (11/19/09) A new statistical technique developed by researchers at the University of Illinois allows scientists to scan a genome for specific gene-regulatory regions without requiring prior knowledge of the relevant transcription factors. The technique has been experimentally validated in both the mouse genome and the fruit fly genome.
“Our statistical approach is more widely applicable than other approaches, and is especially useful for investigating gene regulatory networks with relatively little prior characterization,” said Saurabh Sinha, a professor of computer science and an affiliate of the university’s Institute for Genomic Biology.
First Draft of the Pig: Researchers Sequence Swine Genome (11/2/09) A global collaborative has produced a first draft of the genome of a domesticated pig, an achievement that will lead to new insights in agriculture, medicine, conservation and evolution.
A red-haired Duroc pig from a farm at the University of Illinois will now be among the growing list of domesticated animals that have had their genomes sequenced. Researchers will announce the achievement Monday (Nov. 2) at a meeting at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, U.K.
“The pig is a unique animal that is important for food and that is used as an animal model for human disease,” said Larry Schook, a University of Illinois professor of biomedical sciences and leader of the sequencing project. “And because the native wild animals are still in existence, it is a really exciting animal to look at to learn about the genomic effects of domestication,” he said.
In the News
Genetically Modified Crops
The New York Times (Nov. 2) -- European nations have relied for years on protein imports, such as the ground meal of soybeans from the United States, to sustain their cattle and pig farms. While this complex chain of trade has worked reasonably well, it has started to be threatened by a microscopic foe: the dust of genetically modified crops. "It's a real concern to the industry because once the cat's out of the bag, it's hard to put it back in,” says Bryan Endres, an agricultural and consumer economics professor at the U. of I. “Once these (crops) are in the commodity system, it's hard to resegregate them out."
read entire article
Pig Genome
The New York Times (from The Associated Press, Nov. 2) -- An international group of scientists has decoded the DNA of the domestic pig. “The pig is the ideal animal to look at lifestyle and health issues in the United States,” said Larry Schook, a biomedical science professor at the U. of I. who led the DNA sequencing project.
read entire article
Also:
ABC News (from The Associated Press; New York City, Nov. 2)
CBS News (from The Associated Press, Nov. 2)
Chicago Tribune (from The Associated Press, Nov. 2)
MSNBC (from The Associated Press, Nov. 2)
Time (from The Associated Press, Nov. 2)
U.S. News & World Report (from The Associated Press, Nov. 2)
