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扩大生物学参与的计划。Elvin Aleman的研究和培训计划的标题是“研究DNA碱基翻转的新单分子荧光测定法”。这项研究的主办机构是韦恩州立大学，赞助科学家是大卫·鲁埃达博士。DNA是一种聚合物，其主干由糖和其他化学成分组成。附着在每个糖上的是四种可能被称为碱基的分子中的一种，碱基沿着主干的序列编码了所有生物细胞中蛋白质合成的遗传信息。当DNA碱基暴露于不同的化学和非化学物质中时，它们的化学性质会发生变化。这种损伤可以改变遗传密码，导致突变，从而导致许多疾病和细胞死亡。碱基翻转是一些蛋白质修复突变碱基的一种现象，但缺乏对这一过程的详细了解，阻碍了阐明自然界为避免碱基损伤而发展的预防机制的进展。该项目正在开发一种新的单分子荧光分析方法来研究碱基翻转和DNA蛋白相互作用的机制。该研究员正在接受生物物理学和单分子荧光领域的培训，这使他能够开发新的测量技术，并使他能够将这种专业知识介绍给波多黎各代表性不足的研究团体，因为这些技术方面的专业知识有限。该研究员为有兴趣从事科学事业的少数族裔学生树立了榜样。

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. The title of the research and training plan for this fellowship to Elvin Aleman is "New Single-Molecule Fluorescence Assay to Study DNA Base Flipping." The host institution for this research is the Wayne State University and the sponsoring scientist is Dr. David Rueda.DNA is a polymer with a backbone made of sugars and other chemical components. Attached to each sugar is one of four possible molecules called bases, whose sequences along the backbone encodes the genetic information for the synthesis of proteins in the cell in all living organisms. The chemical properties of the DNA bases can be changed when they are exposed to different chemical and non-chemical agents. Such damage can modify the genetic code and result in mutations that can lead to numerous diseases and cell death. Base-flipping is a phenomenon performed by some proteins to repair the mutated bases, but a detailed understanding of this process is lacking, impeding progress toward elucidating the prevention mechanisms that nature has developed to avoid the damage of bases. The project is developing a new single-molecule fluorescence assay to study the mechanisms of base-flipping and DNA protein interaction.The Fellow is being trained in an area of biophysics and single-molecule fluorescence that allows him to develop new measurement techniques and permits him to introduce this expertise to underrepresented research communities in Puerto Rico, where expertise in such techniques is limited. The Fellow serves as a role model for underrepresented minority students interested in pursuing a career in science.