NSF Minority Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for FY2008

本行动资助2008年度NSF少数民族博士后研究奖学金。该奖学金支持奖学金获得者在主办实验室的研究和培训计划，该奖学金获得者还提出了通过指导扩大生物学参与的计划。这项奖学金的研究和培训计划的标题是“研究控制细胞内细菌共生生长的宿主基因”。这项研究的主办机构是塔夫茨大学，赞助科学家是拉尔夫·伊斯伯格博士。沃尔巴克氏体是一种寄生细菌，估计栖息在15-20%的昆虫物种的细胞中。沃尔巴克氏体细菌可以将雄性宿主变成雌性，甚至杀死雄性后代，对昆虫宿主细胞有害，因此发现沃尔巴克氏体经常存在于宿主细胞中而不会对宿主造成伤害，这令人惊讶。这项研究正在调查宿主如何限制这种细菌共生体的生长。利用宿主细胞系，正在研究控制寄生虫密度的因素，并在整个宿主生物中进一步表征寄生背景下蛋白质的功能。培训目标包括细胞内细菌谱系和宿主相互作用的技术，处理成年昆虫和携带沃尔巴克氏体的细胞系，以及RNA干扰（RNAi）。这些结果将影响沃尔巴克氏体的研究，并通过理解为什么这些入侵的细菌谱系可以在昆虫宿主中稳定地维持而不产生疾病，从而对持续的共生细菌感染有深入的了解。

This action funds an NSF Minority Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for FY 2008. The fellowship supports a research and training plan in a host laboratory for the Fellow who also presents a plan to broaden participation in biology through mentorship. The title of the research and training plan for this fellowship to Irene G. Newton is "Investigating host genes that control growth of an intracellular bacterial symbiont." The host institution for this research is Tufts University and the sponsoring scientist is Dr. Ralph Isberg.Wolbachia are parasitic bacteria that are estimated to inhabit the cells of 15-20% of insect species. Given that these bacteria are harmful to insect host cells as they can change male hosts into females or even kill male offspring, it is surprising to find Wolbachia regularly residing within host cells without harming the host. This research is investigating how the host may limit the growth of this bacterial symbiont. Using host cell lines, factors contributing to control of parasite densities are being investigated, and the function of proteins in the context of parasitism are further characterized in the whole host organism. The training objectives include techniques in intracellular bacterial lineages and host interaction, handling both adult insects and cell lines harboring Wolbachia, as well as RNA interference (RNAi). The results will impact research on Wolbachia, and show insight on persistent symbiotic bacterial infections through understanding why these invading bacterial lineages can be stably maintained in the insect hosts without generating disease.