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3i Initiative Weekly Updates
Welcome to the 3i Weekly Update, your source for 3i relevant news and events. Please send all items of interest to Nicole.Frank@hsc.utah.edu by the end of the day on Thursdays.
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Join us today from 10 AM - 5 PM for #3iSymposium2021
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4/30- 5/7- FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 2021, 10AM – 4:30PM - 3i Initiative Spring 2021 Symposium
- MONDAY, MAY 3, 2021, 1 – 3PM - Being Human in STEM Symposium
- TUESDAY, MAY 4, 2021, 10:45AM – 12PM - Rising Stars in Cell Biology Seminar- Dr. Christina Towers - Mechanisms to Circumvent Autophagy Inhibition in Cancer Cells
- TUESDAY, MAY 4, 2021, 10:45AM – 12PM - RPT Seminar - Dr. Ming Hammond - Riboswitching on the Light: Illuminating the Dynamics and Function of Chemical Signals in Bacteria
- TUESDAY, MAY 4, 2021, 12 PM - Health Sciences Entrepreneurship Seminar Series - Developing the Next Generation of Translational Biomedical Scientists
- WEDNESDAY, MAY 5, 2021, 12 -1 PM - Department of Internal Medicine Research Seminar - Respiratory, Critical Care, and Occupational Pulmonary Medicine
- THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021, 12 -1 PM -Internal Medicine Grand Rounds - Dr. Cathrine Lee - CAR T Cells, TILs, and Other Immune Effector Cell Therapies, Oh My! The Evolving Landscape of Cellular Cancer Therapies at Huntsman Cancer Center
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| Celebrating Our Scientific Accomplishments
Like most researchers, my love for science comes from a desire to understand the unknown, tell others what we’ve learned, and hear about their discoveries. My lab investigates the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and we are driven to learn what the microscopic virus looks like and what makes it tick. Twenty-five years of exploration have led to new insights that we never anticipated. This knowledge is advancing our understanding of HIV/AIDS, and informing the development of a new class of drugs to treat the disease. read more
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U2M2-REACH (Research Excellence ACross UofU Health) Mentoring Program The goal of this program is to provide structured mentorship to UofU Health Sciences faculty with a current R01 or equivalent grant, in order to assist them in securing their second R01 or equivalent grant.
UofU HSC Assistant or Associate Professors external to the University of Utah Molecular Medicine Program (U2M2) who have secured their first R01 or equivalent grant, and whose research is primarily wet-lab based and early translational (T0/T1). Applicants should be actively planning or preparing their second R01 or equivalent grant or have already submitted their second R01 or equivalent (which was not funded). read more
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| - Open Postdoctoral Research Position - Tumor Immunology - The Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology is seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Fellow to study novel immunotherapy approaches for gastrointestinal cancers. Experience with mouse work, flow cytometry, and immune cell assays is preferable. Applicants must have obtained a PhD in cancer biology, immunology, or a related field within the past three years. Strong oral and written English skills are required. The successful candidate should have independent research skills and a track record of success in the laboratory.
Interested applicants please submit a CV and contact information for 3 references to ellen.beswick@hsc.utah.edu
- Open Postdoctoral Research Position - The Puri Lab at the University of Utah seeks to hire a postdoctoral research associate to work on a funded project studying the biosynthesis of natural products made by underexplored bacteria. The ideal candidate will have a Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Chemistry, Microbiology, or a related field, and experience with protein expression, purification, and enzymology. Interested applicants should contact Aaron Puri directly (a.puri@utah.edu) with a cover letter, CV, and contact information for 3 references.
- SEAL (Science Excelerator and Leadership) Program Position Open - With this change in mind, the Gregg lab at the University of Utah is transitioning to a new model of science and discovery that caters to professional scientists by launching the SEAL (Science Excelerator and Leadership) Program. We are investigating new ways to take on higher impact scientific problems and make major advances in a shorter period of time. To help with this, the lab will transition to a new name – the Precision Brain Genetics Lab. This name change reflects the focus of the science and important roles of senior investigators in the lab and their capability to obtain independent grants if they wish. Right now, we are seeking to recruit a new SEAL program scientist to the lab at the level of a career track assistant professor, staff scientist or postdoctoral fellow.
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- Annual Symposium: Sex, Gender and Women’s Health Across the Lifespan - THURSDAY, MAY 13, 2021
- 2021 COVID-19 Symposium - FRIDAY, JUNE 4, 2021, 8:00 AM -5:00 PM
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University of Utah, ARUP, and Techcyte Develop NanoSpot.AI, a New Ultra-Fast Test for COVID-19 Antibodies
The University of Utah (the U), ARUP Laboratories, and Techcyte Inc. announced today that they have formed a partnership to develop NanoSpot.AI, a less than five-minute, easy-to-administer SARS-CoV-2 antibody test. NanoSpot.AI is estimated to be significantly less expensive to manufacture than other SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests, so it has the potential to be considerably more affordable than currently available tests, making it possible to extend the test to every corner of the world. read more
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| - CCTS Peer Grant Review Program - Now Accepting Research Proposals for Pre-Submission Peer Review - The Utah Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) is now accepting research proposals for pre-submission peer review. The program accepts proposals from investigators conducting research at any point along the translational science spectrum aiming to improve the health of individuals and the public. Please limit one proposal submission per investigator to the PGR. NIH review criteria will be used to score each submission. Formal reviews will be returned to the investigator by May 3, 2021. Submission Requirements Investigators are required, via email, to submit a) the completed CCTS Peer Grant Review Face Page form (see below or fillable version); b) their NIH Biographical Sketch, Specific Aims, Research Strategy, and Bibliography & References Cited as word documents; and c) any other appropriate ancillary documents as a single PDF (see Guidance Checklists) to Breanne Johnson (Breanne.Johnson@hsc.utah.edu) no later than 4:00 pm on Thursday, April 23rd, 2021.
- Hatch Scholar for T1D Research - Request for Applications - due April 30, 2021 - We are pleased to announce the sixth annual Hatch Family Scholar Award Competition for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows at the University of Utah. The purpose of this award is to honor the Hatch family by rewarding a junior research scientist that is conducting research in the field of Type 1 Diabetes. A minimum prize of $1,000 will be awarded. Prizes are subject to federal tax regulations. Applications and all supporting documents should be compiled as one PDF and submitted electronically through the University of Utah’s Competition Space interface at http://utah.infoready4.com/ by April 30, 2021 at 5pm, search “The Paul Shurtleff Hatch and Heidi Hatch Ford Scholar Award for Type 1 Diabetes Research.” See attached RFA for more details
- Call for applications: Neuro-Immunology Training Grant (NITG) - Deadline to apply 5/17 - We are pleased to announce a request for applications to fill two pre-doctoral positions on the Neuro-Immunology Training Grant (NITG). We invite applications from pre-doctoral students who have completed their departmental preliminary exam, entering at least their 3rd year in the PhD program, and are US citizens, non-citizen nationals or permanent residents. Applications from across campus will be considered from pre-doctoral graduate students working towards their PhD and engaging in any aspect of Neuro-Immunology research. Applications should be sent to Alysha Stanton (alysha.stanton@path.utah.edu) and are due on May 17th 2021 (details and instructions are attached). For questions regarding eligibility please contact the NITG directors, Dr. Ryan O’Connell (ryan.oconnell@path.utah.edu) or Dr. Karen Wilcox (karen.wilcox@hsc.utah.edu). See more.
- T32 in Genomic Medicine, Call for Applications - We are soliciting applications for 1-2 Postdoctoral positions on the T32 in Genomic Medicine Training Grant. Training slots are tentatively scheduled to begin June 1. All interested parties are encouraged to apply. We are particularly interested in applications from under-represented and minority trainees. To be eligible, candidates must be either a US Citizen or a Permanent Resident. Applications must be submitted by Friday, April 30 @ 5:00 PM MST. Full submission details are listed in the attached document. If you are considering applying, please send a brief email of intent to samantha.weeks@hsc.utah.edu as soon as possible. This information is critical for us to plan the review process.
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3i Funding Opportunities
Current Federal and Private FOAs applicable to the 3is can be found on the U's pivot page. New FOAs announced this week:
A monthly funding newsletter from PIVOT is sent to 3i investigators on the 2nd Monday of the month. If you have not been receiving the newsletter and would like to be added, please email Nicole.Frank@hsc.utah.edu.
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3i Investigator PublicationsCongratulations to the teams who published this week. If you have a publication that you would like included, please email us.
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Circulating platelets interact with leukocytes to modulate host immune and thrombotic responses. In sepsis, platelet-leukocyte interactions are increased, and have been associated with adverse clinical events, including increased platelet-T cell interactions. Sepsis is associated with reduced CD8+ T cell numbers and functional responses, but whether platelets regulate CD8+ T cell responses during sepsis remains unknown. In our current study, we systemically evaluated platelet antigen...
Sun, Apr 25, 2021
Both glucose tolerance and adaptive immune function exhibit significant age-related alterations. The influence of the immune system on obesity-associated glucose intolerance is well characterized; however, whether the immune system contributes to age-related glucose intolerance is not as well understood. Here, we report that advancing age results in an increase in T cell infiltration in the epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT), liver, and skeletal muscle. Subtype analyses show that both CD4+,...
Sat, Apr 24, 2021
CONCLUSION: The genetic contributions to POP remain poorly understood. Several biologically plausible variants have been identified, but much work is required to establish the role of these genes in the pathogenesis of POP or to establish a role for genetic testing in clinical practice.
Sat, Apr 24, 2021
CONCLUSIONS: This observational analysis supports continued ARB or ACEI use for patients already using these medications before SARS-CoV-2 infection. The novel beneficial association observed among outpatients between users of ARBs vs. ACEIs on hospitalization or mortality should be confirmed with randomized trials.
Fri, Apr 23, 2021
Interventional studies targeting environment enteropathy (EE) are impeded by the lack of appropriate, validated, non-invasive biomarkers of EE. Thus, we aimed to validate the association of potential biomarkers for EE with enteric infections and nutritional status in a longitudinal birth cohort study. We measured endotoxin core antibody (EndoCab) and soluble CD14 (sCD14) in serum, and myeloperoxidase (MPO) in feces using commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. We...
Thu, Apr 22, 2021
The Hedgehog (Hh) pathway is essential for organ development, homeostasis, and regeneration. Dysfunction of this cascade drives several cancers. To control expression of pathway target genes, the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) Smoothened (SMO) activates glioma-associated (GLI) transcription factors via an unknown mechanism. Here, we show that, rather than conforming to traditional GPCR signaling paradigms, SMO activates GLI by binding and sequestering protein kinase A (PKA) catalytic subunits...
Thu, Apr 22, 2021
CONCLUSION: This study quantifies the plausible differences in the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the two LS case-finding protocols. We demonstrate the large influence of success in proceeding to sequencing and potential impact of decreasing sequencing prices.
Thu, Apr 22, 2021
Genome erosion is a frequently observed result of relaxed selection in insect nutritional symbionts, but it has rarely been studied in defensive mutualisms. Solitary beewolf wasps harbor an actinobacterial symbiont of the genus Streptomyces that provides protection to the developing offspring against pathogenic microorganisms. Here, we characterized the genomic architecture and functional gene content of this culturable symbiont using genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics in combination with...
Thu, Apr 22, 2021
CONCLUSIONS: These data provide evidence that clinically relevant variation in the expression of COVID-19-related genes is associated with host factors, environmental exposures, and likely host genetic variation.
Thu, Apr 22, 2021
Testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients is an important component of the multifaceted approach of managing the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Determining how to best define testing strategies for different populations and incorporating these into broader infection prevention programs can be complex. Many circumstances are not addressed by federal, local, or professional guidelines. This commentary describes various...
Wed, Apr 21, 2021
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