CAREER: Inter-kingdom Signaling as a Paradigm for Molecular Systems Biology

该奖项由2009年美国复苏和再投资法案(公法111-5)资助。0846453Jayaraman智力价值：这个职业项目的目标是发展分子系统生物学(MSB)的综合研究和教育计划。该项目专注于细菌和人类细胞之间的可溶性信号介导信号，称为跨王国(IK)信号，作为MSB的研究范式。信号机制的定量表征和调控网络的识别使人们对信号通路如何参与生物过程的调控有了基本的了解。细胞信号的下一层次挑战是了解不同的信号和信号机制如何在不同和复杂的环境中发挥作用。广泛的影响：项目计划的更广泛的影响是四个方面的。首先，本项目将开发的分子系统信号框架将导致对信号、受体和识别机制的基本了解，这将进一步推动合成生物学等新兴领域的发展。其次，这些研究可以形成针对大肠杆菌O157：H7(EHEC)和其他病原体的新的分子治疗策略的基础。第三，这项工作中将要开发的微流控工具和报告细胞可以应用于生物学和医学中的其他范例(例如，干细胞工程)，在这些领域，时空行为是重要的。第四，本项目中描述的动态图谱方法将通过开发描述生物分子动力学和相互作用的新模型和算法，协同推动计算系统生物技术的进一步努力。教育计划的更广泛影响是双重的。首先，生物技术专业证书和辅导性研究将为培训下一代生物技术专业人员提供框架，将主动学习引入生物技术学习经验，并激发更多不同类型的本科工程学学生对生物技术的兴趣。其次，通过远程学习计划向德克萨斯州农村学校的学生传播研究成果，将在高等教育机构与农村学校和社会之间提供亟需的联系；从而导致越来越多的少数族裔学生追求STEM职业。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).0846453JayaramanIntellectual Merit: The goal of this CAREER project is to develop an integrated research and educational program in molecular systems biology (MSB). This project focuses on soluble signal-mediated signaling between bacteria and human cells, termed inter-kingdom (IK) signaling, as the research paradigm for MSB. The quantitative characterization of signaling mechanisms and the identification of regulatory networks has led to a fundamental understanding of how signaling pathways are involved in the regulation of biological processes. The next level of challenges in cell signaling is on understanding how different signals and signaling mechanisms function in heterogeneous and complex environments.Broader Impact: The broader impact of the project plan is four-fold. First, the molecular systems signaling framework to be developed in this project will lead to a fundamental understanding of signals, receptors, and recognition mechanisms, which will further the advancement of emerging areas such as synthetic biology. Second, these studies can form the basis of novel molecular therapeutic strategies against E. coli O157:H7 (EHEC) and other pathogens. Third, the microfluidic tools and reporter cells to be developed in this work can be applied to other paradigms in biology and medicine (e.g., stem cell engineering) where spatio-temporal behavior is important. Fourth, the dynamic profiling method described in this project will synergistically further efforts in computational systems biotechnology through the development of new models and algorithms for describing biomolecular dynamics and interactions. The broader impact of the education plan is two-fold. First, the biotechnology specialty certificate and mentored research will provide the framework for training the next generation of biotechnology professionals, introduce active learning into the biotechnology learning experience, and stimulate interest in biotechnology in a large and diverse undergraduate engineering student body. Second, the dissemination of research results through distance learning schemes to students in rural schools in Texas will provide a much-needed connection between higher education institutions and rural schools and society; thereby, leading to increasing number of minority students pursuing STEM careers.