"Research Initiation Award" - The Genetic Code of Protein Molecules

研究启动奖（RIAs）为历史上黑人学院和大学（HBCU）的初级教师提供支持，他们开始建立研究计划，以及需要重新指导和重新建立研究计划的中期教师。 预计该奖项将有助于进一步提高教师的研究能力和效率，改善研究人员所在机构的研究和教学，并使本科生参与研究经验。阿肯色大学派恩海崖分校（UAPB）的HBCU-UP RIA项目更新了关于标准遗传密码的20种遗传编码氨基酸生物合成的科学知识。 该项目的主要目标是：（1）探索目前的断言，即遗传密码的20个标准氨基酸包括早期与晚期氨基酸的混合物，（2）分析生物体中的代谢途径，以便为古代分子进化提供明确的信息;（3）指导本科生进行生物学研究，并支持他们继续学习生物科学。这个名为“蛋白质分子的遗传密码”的项目的假设是，氨基酸生物合成的代谢途径网络中包含了可信的分子化石。 该研究调查并确定是否存在任何证据将氨基酸代谢途径与早期与晚期氨基酸的主张联系起来，以及在生物体中发现的代谢途径是否是古代进化事件的准确指南。 该研究使用以下程序：-鉴定与氨基酸生物合成的每个步骤相关的酶，-鉴定这些酶中的哪些存在于所有三个生命领域中; -验证哪些酶在一个或多个生命领域中缺失; -减少/简化代谢途径的每个步骤的序列数据集，并建立氨基酸生物合成途径的每个步骤的酶的同源性;将使用来自数据库如KEGG、MetaCyc、EcoCyc、REACTOME、分子生物学网络（MANET）和途径定位（PathLoc）数据库的当代数据。该项目有助于植物和害虫中与疾病有关的研究。 UAPB是一个实验计划，以刺激竞争力的研究（EPSCoR）机构。 因此，该项目将在该机构（为少数民族服务的机构）和该州内建立计算生物科学的研究能力和能力。 此外，该项目还有助于为国家增加多样化的科学劳动力。

Research Initiation Awards (RIAs) provide support for junior faculty at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) who are starting to build a research program, as well as for mid-career faculty who need to re-direct and re-build a research program. It is expected that the award helps to further the faculty member's research capability and effectiveness, improves research and teaching at the researcher's home institution, and involves undergraduate students in research experiences.The University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff (UAPB)'s HBCU-UP RIA project updates scientific knowledge on the biosynthesis of the 20 genetically encoded amino acids of the standard genetic code. The project's major objectives are to: (1) explore the current assertion that the 20 standard amino acids of the genetic code comprise a mixture of early versus late amino acids, (2) analyze the metabolic pathways at work in living organisms so as to provide clear information into ancient molecular evolution and (3) to mentor undergraduate students in biological research and support retention in the biological sciences.The hypothesis of this project entitled "The Genetic Code of Protein Molecules" is that, the network of metabolic pathways for amino acid biosynthesis contains plausible molecular fossils. The research investigates and determines whether any evidence exists that connects pathways of amino acid metabolism to claims for early versus late amino acids and also whether metabolic pathways found in living organisms are an accurate guide to ancient evolutionary events. The investigation uses the following procedures:-identification of the enzymes associated with each step of amino acid biosynthesis,-identification of which of these enzymes occur within all three domains of life; -verification of which enzymes are missing from one or more domains of life; -reduction/simplification sequence data sets for each step of a metabolic pathway and building phylogenies for the enzymes of each step of an amino acid biosynthetic pathway; -identification and elimination of examples of lateral gene transfer.Contemporary data from databases such as KEGG, MetaCyc, EcoCyc, REACTOME, Molecular Ancestry Network (MANET), and Pathway Localization (PathLoc) databases will be used. The project contributes to disease-related research in plants and pests. UAPB is an Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) institution. Thus, the project will build research capacity and capability at this institution (a minority-serving institution) and within the state in computational biological sciences. In addition, the project contributes to increasing a diverse scientific workforce for the nation.