NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2017: Regulation of microtubule structure and function by post-translational modifications

这是NSF生物学博士后研究奖学金，根据扩大生物学中代表性不足的群体的参与计划。这位名叫莎拉·施赖纳的研究员正在进行研究并接受培训，以增加生物学中代表性不足的群体的参与。这位研究员正在接受科罗拉多大学丹佛安舒茨医学院杰弗里摩尔的指导。该研究员的目标是揭示细胞如何从称为微管的相同蛋白质构建块中构建一组不同的结构和运输网络。如果城市高速公路建设不当，就会造成交通堵塞，破坏城市的基本功能。同样，如果微管网络构建不当，它可以破坏基本的生物功能，包括细胞分裂和组织发育。该提案的结果将提高我们对细胞如何将微管网络构建成不同结构和运输网络以及这些如何有助于正常细胞功能的理解。此外，该研究员正在通过为当地图书馆和高中开发和提供公共讲座系列来扩大代表性不足的群体的参与。该提案的研究目标是确定特定的微管蛋白亚基如何选择性地针对翻译后修饰（PTM）以及这些PTM对微管组装和网络组织的影响。为了研究微管上的PTM，需要未修饰的微管蛋白的来源;然而，目前没有在体内环境中产生未修饰的微管蛋白的方法。该项目旨在创建一个新的实验系统，在该系统中，可以在酵母中的“白板”系统中研究PTM对微管的作用，以研究PTM对微管的靶向和作用。这项拟议中的研究开始梳理细胞如何差异调节相同的构建模块以完成许多不同的和必要的生物过程的非常复杂的过程。 该系列讲座通过揭开背后的科学奥秘，让公众更好地了解他们今天听到的当前问题，并培训年轻科学家如何以有趣且引人入胜的方式向公众传达复杂的科学问题。观众。

This is an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology, under the program Broadening Participation of Groups Under-represented in Biology. The fellow, Sarah Schreiner, is conducting research and receiving training that is increasing the participation of groups underrepresented in biology. The fellow is being mentored by Jeffrey Moore at the University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus. The fellow aims to uncover how cells build a diverse set of structures and transport networks out of the same protein building blocks called microtubules. If a city highway is built improperly, it causes traffic jams that can disrupt the basic functioning of the city. Similarly, if microtubule networks are built improperly, it can disrupt basic biological functions including cell division and tissue development. The results of this proposal will improve our understanding of how cells build microtubule networks into diverse structures and transport networks, and how these contribute to normal cell function. Additionally, the fellow is broadening participation of underrepresented groups by developing and delivering a public lecture series for local libraries and high schools.The research goals of this proposal are to determine how specific tubulin subunits are selectively targeted for post-translational modifications (PTMs) and the effect that these PTMs have on microtubule assembly and network organization. In order to study PTMs on microtubules, a source of unmodified tubulin is necessary; however, there are currently no methods to produce unmodified tubulin in an in vivo setting. The project aims to create a new experimental system in which PTMs can be studied on microtubules in a 'clean slate' system in yeast to study the targeting and effect of PTMs on microtubules. The proposed research is starting to tease apart the very complex process of how the cell can differentially regulate the same building blocks to accomplish many diverse and essential biological processes. The lecture series is providing the public with a better understanding of the current issues they hear today by de-mystifying the science behind them, and training young scientists on how to communicate complex scientific issues in a fun and engaging way to a public audience.