Arkansas Center for Membrane Biology

9704712詹宁斯拟议项目的目标是发展阿肯色州医学科学大学（UAMS）的阿肯色州膜生物学中心。选择膜生物学进行开发的理由是，膜受体，转运蛋白和通道研究的专业知识将补充和增强UAMS现有的几个基础研究优势，包括神经科学，糖生物学，内分泌学，病毒学和毒理学。校长和医学院院长在UAMS作出了重大承诺，在这一领域的建设与雇用在1995年的P.I.在这份报告中，Michael L。詹宁斯作为生理学系主任 生物物理学。新装修的实验室空间和工资线雇用六名教师（三个新职位和三个替代品） 都提供给了詹宁斯博士最近在生理学和生物物理学方面聘请的另外两名教师也将为临界质量做出重要贡献 膜生物学的研究者。要求NSF EPSCoR资金用于加强新教师的设备启动包，并支持膜生物学竞争性研究所需的核心设施。 该中心的发展将侧重于两个主题。第一个是调节激素和神经递质的膜受体的功能。目前，该小组有四名成员，其中一名已成立的调查员是劳伦斯·E·Comett其他人是乔治T。小布莱文斯Richard C.库尔滕和达纳·盖迪-库尔滕，他们都研究肽激素受体的不同方面。布莱文斯博士担任助理教授已有三年;库登博士和加迪-库尔滕博士于1996年8月被聘为助理教授。将在这一领域再雇用两名教员。 另一组研究人员将使用生物物理方法来研究膜转运和电生理学。 这个群体的核心是M. L。Jennings，Gerald Dienel，and Z.吉米·周Dienel博士于1996年4月受聘为副教授，周博士于1996年8月受聘为助理教授。 将在运输生物物理学和电生理学领域增聘两名教员。两个重点领域（受体和生物物理学）将不会彼此孤立;两个群体之间将不断互动，并且被雇用的教师很可能有两个群体的兴趣重叠。 要求EPSCoR资金用于购买设备和支持核心设施，以提高目标教师的竞争力：Blevins，Kuden，Gaddy-Kurten，Dienel，Zhou和四名教师。核心设施是一个分子生物学实验室、一个转基因小鼠设施和用于访问DNA序列数据库的计算机设施。还要求资金用于广泛的校外研讨会计划，这将使教师与膜生物学领域的领先专家密切互动。其他资金将用于邻近本科院校访问教师的夏季工资以及研究生和博士后研究员的津贴。 需要三项主要设备。第一个是激光操作细胞的工作站（激光剪刀和镊子），供库尔滕博士和加迪-库尔滕博士使用，使他们能够从群体中选择稀有细胞，并进行各种其他细胞操作。第二个项目是钙的光学成像设备，将由Zhou博士和Blevins博士用于量化钙从细胞内储存或穿过质膜进入的时间过程和空间模式。第三个项目是由Dienel博士和几位合作者使用的脑成像系统，用于分析完整中枢神经系统的运输和代谢。要求提供额外的设备资金，以加强将雇用的另外四名教员的启动包。 制定了一项计划，以促进该中心教师的专业发展，包括提供受保护的时间 为初级教师，出版目标，并在准备赠款建议援助。教师的国家声誉将通过参加国家会议和其他校外学习经验来发展;主办研讨会演讲者的访问;在其他机构介绍研讨会;并作为手稿和赠款的同行评审员参与。在未来几年的目标是个别教师成为既定的调查与校外资金，并为主要的多研究者赠款金的共同利益和中心成员之间的互补专业知识的结果。

9704712 Jennings The objective of the proposed project is to develop the Arkansas Center for Membrane Biology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). The rationale for choosing membrane biology for development is that expertise in the study of membrane receptors, transporters, and channels will complement and augment several existing basic research strengths at UAMS, including neuroscience, glycobiology, endocrinology, virology, and toxicology. The Chancellor and the Dean of the College of Medicine at UAMS have made a major commitment to building in this area with the hiring in 1995 of the P.I. of this proposal, Michael L. Jennings, as Chairman of the Department of Physiology and Biophysics. Newly renovated laboratory space and salary lines to hire six faculty (three new positions and three replacements) have been provided to Dr. Jennings. Two additional faculty recently hired with adjunct appointments in Physiology and Biophysics will also contribute importantly to the critical mass of investigators in membrane biology. NSF EPSCoR funds are requested to enhance the equipment startup packages for new faculty and to support core facilities that are needed for competitive research in membrane biology. Development of the Center will focus on two themes. The first is the regulation of function of membrane receptors for hormones and neurotransmitters. There are currently four members of this group, with one established investigator, Lawrence E. Comett. The others are George T. Blevins, Jr., Richard C. Kurten, and Dana Gaddy-Kurten, all of whom study different aspects of peptide hormone receptors. Dr. Blevins has been Assistant Professor for three years; Drs. Kuden and Gaddy-Kurten were hired as Assistant Professors in August, 1996. Two additional faculty will be hired in this area. The other group of investigators will use biophysical approaches to study membrane transport and electrophysiology. The nucleus of this group consists of M.L. Jennings, Gerald Dienel, and Z. Jimmy Zhou. Dr. Dienel was hired as Associate Professor in April, 1996, and Dr. Zhou was hired as Assistant Professor in August, 1996. Two additional faculty will be hired in the area of transport biophysics and electrophysiology. The two areas of focus (receptors and biophysics) will not be isolated from each other; there will be constant interaction between the groups, and the faculty to be hired will very likely have interests that overlap both groups. EPSCoR funds are requested for the purchase of equipment and the support of core facilities that will enhance the competitiveness of the target faculty: Blevins, Kuden, Gaddy-Kurten, Dienel, Zhou, and four faculty to be hired. The core facilities are a molecular biology laboratory, a transgenic mouse facility, and computer facility for access to DNA sequence data bases. Funds are also requested for an extensive extramural seminar program, which will allow faculty to interact closely with leading experts in membrane biology. Other funds will be used for summer salary for visiting faculty from neighboring undergraduate institutions and for stipends for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Three major equipment items are requested. The first is a work station for the laser manipulation of cells (laser scissors and tweezers), to be used by Drs. Kurten and Gaddy-Kurten to enable them to select rare cells from a population and to do a variety of other cellular manipulations. The second item is equipment for optical imaging of calcium, to be used by Drs. Zhou and Blevins to quantify the time course and spatial pattern of calcium release from intracellular stores or entry across the plasma membrane. The third item is a brain imaging system to be used by Dr. Dienel and several collaborators for analysis of transport and metabolism in intact central nervous system. Additional equipment funds are requested to enhance the startup packages for the four additional faculty to be hired. A plan is in place for the professional development of the faculty in the Center, including the provision of protected time for junior faculty, publication goals, and assistance in preparing grant proposals. The national reputations of faculty will be developed by participation in national meetings and other off campus learning experiences; hosting visits by seminar speakers; presentation of seminars at other institutions; and participation as peer reviewers of manuscripts and grants. The goals over the next few years are for individual faculty to become established investigators with extramural funding, and for major multi-investigator grants to result from common interests and complementary expertise among members of the Center.