Phylogenetic Analysis by Duke Researchers Links New Gene to Alzheimer's, Spurs Diagnostic Plans

July 15, 2009

New data presented at the International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease by Allen Roses and his team from Duke University may lead to the development of a new diagnostic test that can predict whether a person will develop Alzheimer's and at what age.

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In this issue of Pharmacogenomics Reporter

Young Investigator Profile

Martin Beck

European Molecular Biology Laborator
Group Leader, Structural and Computational Biology Unit

Macromolecular Assemblies

Martin Beck's research group at EMBL combines biochemical approaches, proteomics and cryo-electron microscopy to study the structure and function of large macromolecular assemblies. The end goals of this work include developing integrated workflows for structure determination of large macromolecular assemblies such as the nuclear pore complex, elucidation of their function through real-time imaging, and ultimately revealing the steps of their assembly and disassembly process.
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Intel's Energy Checker SDK

Intel's new Energy Checker SDK allows users to match software function to the energy it uses.

March 10, 2010

Researchers and Online Journals

Martin Fenner at Gobbledygook looks into studies of how researchers use online journals.

March 10, 2010

Can Blogging Damage Your Career?

A blogger asks "Do scientists hate scientists who talk to the public?"

March 10, 2010

Bad Times in the Bay Area

Exelixis lays off 270 people.

March 10, 2010
Papers of Note

PTB Proteins Induce RNA Looping
Lamichhane, Daubner et al., PNAS
Researchers in the US and Switzerland report that polypyrimidine tract-binding proteins induce RNA looping ― a finding they deduced using FRET, NMR spectroscopy, and in vivo splicing data. They show that two PTB RNA recognition motifs can bind two distant pyrimidine tracts, bringing their 5' and 3' ends in close proximity, thus inducing loop formation.

Aβ as an Antimicrobial Peptide
Soscia, Kirby et al., PLoS ONE
A team of researchers describe the amyloid β-protein as capable of functioning as an antimicrobial peptide in vitro. Their examinations indicate that Aβ, thought to be a key mediator of Alzheimer's disease pathology, demonstrates antimicrobial activity against eight common microorganisms, and may perform this function in the innate immune system ― a finding that contrasts with the current perception of Aβ-mediated pathology.
People on the Move

Adrian Dillon will resign from his job as executive VP of finance and administration and CFO of Agilent Technologies to become chief financial and administrative officer at Skype. He will be replaced at the beginning of April by Didier Hirsch, who currently is VP of corporate controllership and taxes and who will serve as acting CFO.

Pacific Biosciences last week appointed Susan Barnes as its first chief financial officer.

She formerly was senior VP of finance and CFO of Intuitive Surgical and previously served as managing director of the private equity group at Jeffries & Company, among other positions.

Joel McComb is leaving his post as senior VP and GM of Illumina's Life Sciences business to become COO at Synthetic Genomics. McComb will depart Illumina and take on the new position at SGI, where he will report to founder and CEO J. Craig Venter, effective March 1.
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Phylogenetic Analysis by Duke Researchers Links New Gene to Alzheimer's, Spurs Diagnostic Plans

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In this issue of Pharmacogenomics Reporter

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