LEAPS-MPS: Structural and Functional Characterization of Tick Vaccine Antigen Homologs

该奖项的全部或部分资金来自《2021年美国救援计划法案》(公法117-2)。在这个由数学和物理科学局资助、设在化学系的项目中，圣约翰大学的埃丽卡·雅各布斯教授和她的学生将研究在牛抗硬虱疫苗中发现的一种化学物质(Bm86，一种重组蛋白质)的结构与其功能之间的关系。这些研究有望深入了解Bm86是如何提供对虱子的免疫力的。雅各布斯教授的扩大参与计划包括支付本科生和硕士学生(在少数族裔服务机构圣约翰大学)，以支持他们的研究经验，而不是外部工作，以及发展基于课程的本科生研究(CURE)经验，这将比其他情况下更广泛地介绍研究经验。她还将加大力度，将反种族主义教学纳入化学课程。雅各布斯教授建议研究重组蛋白Bm86的结构参数，Bm86是一种抗硬蜱疫苗抗原，它的假设是，针对它们的免疫反应的有效性是以Bm86及其同源物的特殊结构特征为基础的。她还将研究Bm86同源物的功能参数，通过亲和纯化的方法确定它们在扁虱细胞匀浆和牛血中的蛋白相互作用，假设Bm86同源物与扁虱肠道中的细胞或细胞外基质受体结合，导致细胞信号和/或黏附事件。进一步推测，这些在壁虱肠道中表达的蛋白质可能在牛血中有更多的结合伙伴，对这些结合伙伴的鉴定可能有助于深入了解这些蛋白质的功能。拟议的工作具有高度的协作性，将为来自传统上在科学中代表性较低的群体的本科生和硕士学生提供研究经验。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2). In this project, funded by the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate and housed in the Chemistry Division, Professor Erica Jacobs and her students at Saint John’s University will study the relationship between the structure of a chemical (Bm86, a recombinant protein) found in a bovine anti-tick vaccine and its function. These studies are expected to provide insight into how Bm86 provides immunity from ticks. Prof. Jacobs’s broadening participation plan includes paying undergraduate and MS students (at Saint John’s University, a minority serving institution) to support their research experiences in place of external jobs, and development of course-based undergraduate research (CURE) experiences that will introduce a much broader audience to research experiences than would otherwise be possible. She will also increase her ongoing efforts to incorporate antiracist pedagogy into Chemistry courses.Professor Jacobs proposes to examine structural parameters of the recombinant protein Bm86, which is an anti-tick vaccine antigen, and its homologs, with the hypothesis that particular structural features of Bm86 and its homologs in the tick Ixodes scapularis underlie the effectiveness of immune responses directed against them. She will also examine functional parameters of Bm86 homologs by defining their protein interactomes in tick cell homogenates and bovine blood via an affinity purification approach, with the hypothesis that Bm86 homologs bind to cellular or extracellular matrix receptors in the tick gut, leading to cell signaling and/or adhesion events. It is further hypothesized that these proteins, which are expressed in the lumen of the tick gut, may have additional binding partners in bovine blood, identification of which may lead to insight as to function of these proteins. Proposed work is highly collaborative and will provide research experiences to undergraduate and MS students from groups traditionally underrepresented in science.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.