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San Diego
Number
39 September 2005
Number 39
September
2005
Microbiology
Group
Newsletter
hhttttpp::////bbiioollooggyy..ffuulllleerrttoonn..eedduu//oorrggss//ssddm
mgg
Coming Event
September 7, 2005
66::3300 –– 66::5555 P
M
PM
J OH N G U ATELLI , M.D.
D EPARTMENT OF M EDICINE , U C S AN D IEGO
M ODULATION OF I NTRACELLULAR P RO TEIN T RAFFICKIN G BY
HIV-1 N EF
66::5555 -- 77::3355 P
M
PM
D ON G UIN EY , M.D.
D EPARTMENT OF M EDICINE , U C S AN D IEGO
B ACTERI AL V IRU LEN CE F ACTORS TH AT I NDU CE H OST C ELL
D EATH
•1•
µ -Marvel
Number 39 September 2005
Low electromagnetic waves as a supplemental energy source to sustain microbial growth?
Titles of research papers are not unusually punctuated by a question mark, but this one may well merit it. The
authors of this article claim that in tetra-distilled water, Escherichia coli will not make colonies when plated
from a container that is shielded from the sun’s and earth’s electromagnetic field. They include obvious
controls. The authors suggest that electromagnetic fields may supplement the cells’ energy needs in times of
nutrient depravation.
Gusev VA and Schulze-Makuch D. Low electromagnetic waves as a supplemental energy source to sustain
microbial growth? Naturwissenschaften (2005) 92:115-120
µ -Historical fact
Music and infection
Musical performances are not usually associated with infectious diseases and musicians do not
often become infected while performing. Not so Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632-1687), who suffered a
fatal injury while conducting his Te Deum. At the time, conductors did not wave through the air
with a thin baton but instead used a heavy wooden staff to pound the beat on the floor. In an excess
of enthusiasm (“faster, faster...”), Lully accidentally hit his foot instead of the floor. Gangrene set in
and he died from the infection. (Read more at http://w3.rz-berlin.mpg.de/cmp/lully.html).
µ -Quote
"What good men most biologists are, the tenors of the scientific world-temperamental, moody,
lecherous, loud-laughing, and healthy. Your true biologist will sing you a song as loud and off-key
as will a blacksmith, for he knows that morals are too often diagnostic of prostatitis and stomach
ulcers. Sometimes he may proliferate a little too much in all directions, but he is as easy to kill as any
other organism, and meanwhile he is very good company, and at least he does not confuse a low
hormone productivity with moral ethics." John Steinbeck, from The Log of the Sea of Cortez.
(Editorial comment. Not all biologists will recognize themselves in this description, but all can be thankful to
Steinbeck for the flattering portraiture.)
Important dates
Big Biofilm Bash
The Big Biofilm Bash will take place at the University of Southern California from October 24 to 28,
2005. The central theme will be to present modern biofilm concepts and methods to the dental and
medical communities, in both theoretical (symposium) and practical (workshops) formats.
http://www.usc.edu/hsc/dental/continuing_ed/biofilmsymposium/
ASM Award Nominations Deadline
The nomination deadline for the ASM awards honoring scientific achievement, education, and
service is October 1, 2005. http://www.asm.org/Academy/index.asp?bid=2099
SCASM Annual Meeting
The SCASM Annual Meeting will take place October 27-29, 2005 in San Diego at the Hyatt Regency Islandia
on Mission Bay. http://www.asm.org/branch/brscal/springsymp.html
ICAAC™ and Hurricane Katrina Update
It is with sadness that ASM announced the rescheduling of ICAAC to later in the year due to
Hurricane Katrina and its devastating affect on New Orleans.
ICAAC will now be held December 16-19, 2005, at the Washington, DC Convention Center
•2•
Number 39 September 2005
Other Meetings of
Interest
12-13 December Arthur M. Sackler Colloquium on
The Tapestry of Life: Lateral
Transfers of Heritable Elements,
featured by the National Academy of
Sciences. Beckman Center of the
National Academies in Irvine, CA.
http://www.nas.edu/sackler/tapestry
The San Diego Microbiology Group held its
first meeting on September 1995 with the goal of
increasing interactions among scientists who share
common research interests. At the end of that
Academic year (May 1996) it held the first all-day
meeting. Today, the SDMG is a vibrant group, the
monthly meetings are well attended, our newsletter is
read beyond the local area. Academic institutions as
well as companies use it for advertising. Let us look
forward to another successful year and a great 11th
all-day meeting in May 2006.
Unless otherwise noted we meet at 6 PM in the
Martin-Johnson House (building T-29) at the Scripps
Institution of Oceanography for food and drinks and
at 6:30 PM we proceed to 4500 Hubbs Hall for the two
seminars. This year the first seminar will go from 6:30
to 6:55 and the second from 6:55 to 7:35. Everybody is
welcome. Please contact me if you want to receive
detailed information prior to every meeting
(sometimes there are last minute changes).
A special THANKS to Doug Bartlett. He
organized the SDMG meetings and events for 10 years.
He was instrumental in the success of the SDMG. We
will miss his organizational skills and dedication to
the group. We wish he can now relax and continue to
enjoy the SDMG meetings.
16-19 December Interscience Conference on
Antimicrobial Agents and
Chemotherapy (45th). Washington,
DC. http://www.icaac.org
[email protected]
http://biology.fullerton.edu/mtolmasky/index2.html
2005
15–19 October
Brucellosis 2005. Merida, Yucatán,
Mexico.
http://200.67.236.245/brucellosis200
5/brucellosis2005.html
17–19 October
4th Federal Annual Biodefense
Research FY 2006. Washington, DC
http://www.infocastinc.com/bio06ho
me.html
23-26 October.
ASM Conference on Pasteurellaceae
2005. Big Island, Hawaii.
http://www.asm.org/Meetings/index.
asp?bid=27649
7-8 November.
VIBRIO2005: The Biology of
Vibrios. Ghent, Belgium.
http://lmg.ugent.be/vibrio2005/
Marcelo Tolmasky
PLEASE NOTE: PARKING ON THE SIO CAMPUS
FOR SDMG MEETINGS REQUIRES
A VALID SIO PARKING PERMIT. A
ONE-DAY PARKING PERMIT CAN
BE PURCHASED FROM DOUG
BARTLETT FOR $2.00.
MAP TO SIO: http://sio.ucsd.edu/about/directory/
MAP OF SIO: http://sio.ucsd.edu/about/directory/map_of.cfm
MANY OF THE SDMG ACTIVITIES ARE OR HAVE BEEN MADE POSSIBLE
THANKS TO THE SUPPORT OF THE FOLLOWING SPONSORS:
Anadys Pharmaceuticals
Genesee Scientific
BioRad
Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development
Nereus Pharmaceuticals
Anadys Pharmaceuticals
Merck
Cornign
WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR CONTINUING SUPPORT
•3•
Invitrogene
Stratagene
Number 39 September 2005
In the News
REOPENING PUBLIC FACILITIES AFTER A BIOLOGICAL ATTACK: A DECISION-MAKING FRAMEWORK
In response to the Bacillus anthracis attacks of 2001, the Department of Homeland Security funded a project called
Restoration and Domestic Demonstration and Application Program, which was run by the Lawrence Livermore
National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories. As part of the study, the LLNL subcontracted with the National
Research Council to convene a committee of experts to consider the criteria that must be met for a cleanup to be
declared successful. The conclusions and analysis have been published in the book entitled “Reopening public facilities
after a biological attack: a decision-making framework“ by The Committee on Standards and Policies for
Decontaminating Public Facilities Affected by Exposure to Harmful Biological Agents. The book is available at The
National Academies Press website: http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11324.html
A NEW MODEL TO STUDY VIRULENCE OF YERSINIA PESTIS LEADS TO IDENTIFICATION OF A NEW
VIRULENCE FACTOR
Caenorhabditis elegans has been developed as a model for infection by Yersinia pestis, the bacterium responsible for the
plague. Using the the Y. pestis-C. elegans model Dr. Aballay’s research group identified a group of virulence factors.
One of them is similar to an exported protein of Salmonella enterica. The protein produced by this virulence-related gene
belongs to a family of uncharacterized proteins found exclusively in pathogenic enterobacteria. This work links for the
first time this particular family of bacterial proteins to virulence. The finding validated this infection model whose
genetics can be easily manipulated as an alternative not only for the identification of novel Y. pestis virulence factors but
also to study conserved innate immune responses to the pathogen. (To be published in EMBO Reports, October 2005,
also see http://mgm.duke.edu/faculty/aballay/)
SECOND BSE-POSITIVE COW IDENTIFIED IN THE USA
On June 24, 2005, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced receipt of final results from The Veterinary
Laboratories Agency in Weybridge, England, confirming BSE in a cow that had conflicting test results in 2004. No parts
of the animal entered the human and animal food supply. As a result of this BSE positive animal, the USDA plans to
develop a new laboratory testing protocol to evaluate future inconclusive BSE screening test results. (Source: Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/bse/bse_cow_june_2005.htm
TRANSMISSION OF BSE BETWEEN SHEEP
BSE has been transmitted naturally between sheep for the first time. This fact reinforces fears that the disease may have
entered
sheep
as
well
as
cattle
on
farms
in
Britain.
(Source:
The
Guardian,
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,1550320,00.html)
ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANT CLOSTRIDIUM DIFFICILE INFECTIONS SOAR IN GREAT BRITAIN
Clostridium difficile is a major nosocomial pathogen causing disease ranging from antibiotic-associated diarrhea to lifethreatening pseudomembranous colitis. Infection by this bacterium is primarily acquired in hospitals and chronic care
facilities following antibiotic therapy. A recent study showed that the number of cases has soared in hospitals across
Britain over the last decade. A Department of Health survey found 44,488 cases of Clostridium difficile in English
hospitals in 2004 in patients aged 65 and over. A drug-resistant strain of the bug previously detected in North America
was responsible for the deaths of 12 patients at one hospital (Stoke Mandeville in Buckinghamshire) in 2003. The
"superbug" that caused the outbreak has not been reported in Scotland to date, said health officials. (Source
News.Scotsman.com, http://news.scotsman.com/health.cfm?id=1851012005)
MORE THAN ONE OPTION TO INVADE RED BLOOD CELLS BY PLASMODIUM FALCIPARUM
Plasmodium falciparum causes the most lethal form of malaria, which results in one million deaths a year worldwide. P.
falciparum invades red blood cells, evades the body's immune system. Dr. Alan F. Cowman’s research group in
collaboration with researchers from the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, and the Genomics Institute of
the Novartis Research Foundation in San Diego have identified a gene that P. falciparum uses to switch back and forth
between invasion pathways. Some P. falciparum strains invade red blood cells via protein receptors on the surface that
contain a sugar known as sialic acid. If scientists treat blood cells with an enzyme to remove sialic acid, the parasite can
no longer invade. However, there are strains that can invade the red blood cells using the sialic acid receptors, but also
have the ability to switch to other pathways if necessary. (Stubbs et al., Science 26 August 2005 309:1384-7)
BIRD FLU: TO LOCK THEM OR NOT TO LOCK THEM
While some European countries ordered that birds be kept inside to protect against infection the Department for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs of the United Kingdom said that there are no plans to follow suit in Britain,
despite growing concern among farmers and scientists that chickens, ducks and turkeys could be at risk. The order to
keep free-range birds inside was given out of fears that wild birds migrating from Russia to Europe would spread the
lethal H5N1 virus westwards. More than five million free-range chickens in the Netherlands were confined indoors and
Germany will take similar steps by September. (Source: The Times, http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,1711746782,00.html)
•4•
Number 39 September 2005
Announcements
MICROBIOLOGIST
Science Laboratory Center
California State University Fullerton, Department of Biological Science is seeking applicants for a
full-time tenure-track position at the Assistant Professor level with expertise in MICROBIOLOGY, to
begin August, 2006. Applicants must have a Ph.D. and postdoctoral research experience. The
successful candidate will be expected to develop an active, externally funded research program
involving undergraduate and master’s level students and must be committed to excellence in
teaching at both levels. The person selected will join the Cell & Developmental Biology
Concentration Group and The Center for Applied Biotechnology Studies, and will be expected to
teach general microbiology, upper-division/master’s level courses in his or her area
of
specialization, and contribute to our inquiry-based, lower-division core course in cell biology. Send:
(1) a curriculum vitae (including a history of grant support), (2) a statement of research plans, (3)
three related publications, (4) a three-part statement on teaching including (a) philosophy with
description of pedagogical approaches, (b) experience and (c) preferences for upper-division
elective courses, and (5) three letters of recommendation to Chair, Microbiology Search,
Department of Biological Science, California State University, Fullerton, P. O. Box 6850, Fullerton,
CA 92834-6850. Review of applications will begin September 12, 2005, and continue until a
suitable candidate is appointed. http://biology.fullerton.edu. Women and minority candidates are
particularly encouraged to apply. AA/EOE/ADA Employer.
BIOTECHNOLOGY CERTIFICATES - OFFERED AT CAL STATE FULLERTON
You can develop valuable expertise in bioinformatics, biometrics and pharmaceutical engineering in
Extension certificate programs at Cal State Fullerton.
In the Certificate in Bioinformatics you will receive training in the use of bioinformatics tools and
techniques in computer science, biology, chemistry and statistics to apply computational methods to
basic and applied biosciences.
Biometrics technology is used to measure individual physical characteristics to authenticate identity.
Graduates of the Certificate in Applied Biometrics will have a background in the technology of
biometrics, its market need, its advantages and primary applications.
In the pharmaceutical industry, it is crucial to know how to develop optimal manufacturing
processes for the efficient, safe production of pharmaceutical processes. The goal of Certificate in
Pharmaceutical Engineering is to promote the development of pharmaceutical engineers who can
streamline and optimize drug development and delivery.
Cal State Fullerton Extension Winter/Spring 2003 classes begin in January. The class schedule
goes online December 2 at www.csufextension.org and you can register online. For more
information and to request a free brochure, please call 714.278.2611.
•5•
Number 39 September 2005
Postdoctoral Positions - University of California, Davis
Postdoctoral positions are available in Wolf-Dietrich Heyer's laboratory at the
University of California, Davis in the area of DNA recombination, DNA repair, and
DNA damage checkpoints. The positions are NIH-funded, and stipends will be
competitive and commensurate with experience.
Possible projects are:
• Biochemical analysis of the Rad55-Rad57 heterodimer.
• Biochemical and molecular analysis of Rad55-Rad57 phosphorylation in DSB
repair and replication fork restart.
• Biochemical and molecular analysis of Mus81-Mms4 and Mus81-Mms4
phosphorylation in DSB repair and replication fork restart.
For publications see: Bashkirov et al. (2000, 2003) Mol. Cell. Biol.; Solinger et al.
(2002) Mol. Cell; Fabre et al. (2002) PNAS; Heyer et al. (2003) TiBS.; Haghnazari &
Heyer (2004) NAR.
General information
The Heyer laboratory is located in the Section of Microbiology at UC Davis, one of the
largest University of California campuses with a strong emphasis in the Biological
Sciences. Studies in DNA metabolism are a strong focus of the Division of Biological
Sciences and ten laboratories are active in this area. The Heyer lab is located in the
new Life Sciences Addition building and state-of-the-art equipment is at hand. Davis
is a friendly college town that provides a safe environment with a high quality of life at
a reasonable cost. Davis is located 1 hour East of San Francisco and two hours West
of Lake Tahoe and the ski slopes of the Sierra Nevada. For more information:
http://micro.ucdavis.edu/heyer/
To apply, send CV, bibliography and three letters of reference to:
Wolf-Dietrich Heyer, Ph.D.
Professor of Microbiology
Section of Microbiology
Tel. (530) 752-3001
University of California, Davis
FAX (530) 752-3011
One Shields Avenue
[email protected]
Davis, CA 95616-8665 / USA
•6•
Number 39 September 2005
•7•
Number 39 September 2005
MOLECULAR EXPRESS, INC.
We are a dynamic biotechnology company focused on the development of novel delivery
vehicles for a variety of applications. We have active programs in the field of cancer therapy
and vaccine development.
Position: Research Assistant
Job description: The applicant should have a B.S. in Molecular Biology, Microbiology,
Biochemistry or a related field. The applicant should have a working knowledge of molecular
biology techniques, protein expression and chromatography.
Salary: Commensurate with the level of experience.
Please send resumé to:
William Ernst, Ph.D.
Molecular Express, Inc.
13310 South Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 90061
•8•