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News especially for members of the genetics community
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e-News

March 30, 2016

The Society is updating GSA e-News to be more accessible on a variety of devices. Email Chloe Poston at CPoston@genetics-gsa.org with your feedback as we perfect this layout.
You’ve submitted your abstract for #TAGC16; now make sure you’re registered and book your travel
Check out the schedule of events for your specific meeting, book plane tickets early, and reserve your room soon. TAGC will be held in Orlando, Florida, July 13–17, 2016 and will feature outstanding speakers.
Register >
Travel Info >
Society News
Interested in a leadership position within GSA?
Nominations are open for the GSA Board of Directors. The Board acts on behalf of GSA's members and sets direction for the Society. This is an excellent opportunity for those with a big picture perspective to participate in national and international discussions on genetics and scientific research and education in general. You can nominate yourself or a colleague for Vice-President, Treasurer, or Director. Check your email for your personalized link today.
Newly Funded Trainee–Organized Symposia
We are helping our student and postdoc members advance knowledge, foster new collaborations, and further the mission of GSA by providing support for Trainee-Organized Symposia. Read about the next round of events and their outstanding planning committees.
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New Faculty Profile
Brent Neumann, a Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology at Monash University uses C.elegans to address questions in neurobiology.
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Brent Neumann photo
Want to be considered for a new faculty profile? Complete this form.
2016 GSA Award Nominations
Honor your outstanding colleagues by nominating them for a 2016 GSA award. Remember, individuals can't be chosen to receive an award unless they are nominated! Help us cultivate a strong and diverse pool of applicants for the following awards:

Thomas Hunt Morgan Medal for lifetime contributions to the field
Genetics Society of America Medal for recent contributions to the field
George W. Beadle Award for contributions to the community of genetics researchers
Elizabeth W. Jones Award for Excellence in Education for impact on genetics education
Edward Novitski Prize for extraordinary creativity and intellectual ingenuity in research
Show your #IAmGSA Support
Tell us why you love genetics using #IAmGSA. You can share your response via text, photo or video. You can also use the #IAmGSA hashtag on social media sites to share news about members, outreach, and research breakthroughs with the GSA community. Check out this post featuring one of GSA's Trainee Organized Symposia at Harris-Stowe State University.
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GSA Journals
Need to CRISPR some worms? The first chapter of Worm Book in GENETICS, authored by Daniel Dickinson and Bob Goldstein, provides a CRISPR overview and focuses on practical considerations in choosing between strategies.
CRISPR-Based Methods for Caenorhabditis elegans Genome Engineering
Daniel Dickinson and Bob Goldstein
GENETICS. March 2016 202:885-901
Davey et al. present a substantially improved assembly of the Heliconius melpomene genome created using methods that should be useful for other wild organisms. The new data may partly explain the high speciation rate within this diverse genus.
Major Improvements to the Heliconius melpomene Genome Assembly Used to Confirm 10 Chromosome Fusion Events in 6 Million Years of Butterfly Evolution
John W. Davey, Mathieu Chouteau, Sarah L. Barker, Luana Maroja, Simon W. Baxter, Fraser Simpson, Richard M. Merrill, Mathieu Joron, James Mallet, Kanchon K. Dasmahapatra, and Chris D. Jiggins
G3: Genes|Genomes|Genetics, March 2016 6: 695-708
Brent Neumann photo
Steering the biomedical workforce away from the iceberg
The past two years have produced a wealth of ideas on how to "turn the Titanic" of biomedical research in the US. The time is ripe for young scientists to help grab the ship's wheel. To get an idea of how things are progressing and ways graduate students and postdocs can get involved, Genes to Genomes spoke with some of the community leaders who are making waves and pushing for change.
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Brent Neumann photo
Thoughts on MIRA
GSA has begun to receive feedback from our members about the Maximizing Investigators' Research Award (MIRA) program from NIH's National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS). And we are interested to hear your perspective, especially if you were eligible to apply for MIRA. Let us know what you consider the strengths and weaknesses of MIRA so that we can suggest improvements in the program for the future.
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Luria & Delbrück: Jackpots and epiphanies
Salvador Luria and Max Delbrück published an article in GENETICS that marked the birth of bacterial genetics, revealing that this apparently Lamarckian inheritance was in fact a case of random mutation. Brought together by biophysics and war, the duo’s brief decade of collaboration also fostered the emergence of molecular biology by developing the viruses that infect bacteria into a streamlined genetic model.
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If you'd like to contribute a post to the blog, send us your ideas at
blog@genetics-gsa.org.
Members in the News
Daniel Voytas weighs in on the impact that CRISPR/Cas9 could have on agriculture in The Week Magazine.
 
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Jennifer Doudna is among five CRISPR researchers who were honored with the 2016 Canada Gairdner International Award.
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Aimée Dudley shows the importance of S. cerevisiae in determining the distinct flavors of regional coffees and chocolates.
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Education and Professional Development
Postdoctoral Preparation Institute
Are you a late stage postdoc who is thinking about the next career transition? Consider attending FASEB MARC’s Postdoctoral Preparation Institute (PPI) in Bethesda, MD, June 2-3, 2016. PPI will provide insights about the various career pathways PhD-trained scientists may consider as they prepare to transition into independent careers in the biomedical research workforce. Travel awards are available for applicants who reside more than 50 miles away.
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Career Advice
Stepping outside of your comfort zone might seem unpleasant, but also offers new experiences and opportunities. This piece from Naturejobs offers advice on how to develop your career from the edge of your comfort zone.
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Genetics Careers Logo
Looking for a job, or have one to offer? GeneticsCareers.org provides free job listings across the breadth of genetics—from academic, government, and industry positions to postdoctoral opportunities and much more.
Research Associate - Drug Discovery
San Francisco, CA
Sr. Clinical Scientist, Microarray
Gaithersburg, MD
Assistant Professor - Tenure Track
Rapid City, South Dakota
Postdoctoral Fellow
Houston, TX
Ph.D. Position in Drosophila Immunity
Washington, DC
Funding, Fellowships, and Awards
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute—in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Wellcome Trust, and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation—has launched the International Research Scholars Program, which will support up to 50 outstanding early career scientists around the world. The competition is open to scientists in most countries who have run their own labs for less than seven years and have trained in the U.S. or United Kingdom for at least one year.
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Graduate student and postdoctoral members of GSA should apply for DeLill Nasser Travel Awards for Professional Development in Genetics. Awards of $1,000 each will be presented for travel to national and international conferences or laboratory courses that take place between July 1, 2016 and December 31, 2016. Deadline is tomorrow, April 1.
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The new OnPAR system from NIH and Leidos will let researchers upload rejected NIH proposals for other potential funders to take a look. The pilot program began this month, with seven foundations that focus on specific diseases including the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and the Junior Diabetes Research Foundation.
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NIH's Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (ORIP) issued a program announcement for the Development of Animal Models and Related Biological Materials for Research. This opportunity "encourages highly innovative research to develop, characterize or improve animal models and related biological materials for human health and disease or to improve diagnosis and control of diseases that might interfere with animal use for biomedical research."
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Policy
NIH Director Francis Collins, along with the leaders of NIH's institutes, centers, and offices, wrote a letter emphasizing their continuing commitment to basic science.
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The House is expected to issue subpoenas to seek the names of researchers engaged in fetal tissue research, drawing charges of intimidation.
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News Around the Web
Billionaire Paul Allen, who cofounded Microsoft, pledged $100 million to fund cutting-edge life sciences research. Read More.
Scientists from Goldsmiths, University of London have launched a new international consortium committed to improving public understanding about genetics in the fields of psychology and human development. Read More.
Researchers have created a transgenic zebrafish with skin that fluoresces in thousands of colors. Read More.
In this episode of Science Happens, Carl Zimmer asks if worms hold the secret to aging.
Read More.
Sign up your lab, team or department
GSA now offers group membership
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e-News items include news about GSA members - new positions, book publication, awards or grants received and obits; short policy items; brief research news items and grant programs; award nomination announcements; and more.
Deadline for next issue: April 8, 2016. Send items (and feedback) to Chloe Poston, cposton@genetics-gsa.org.
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